Submitting your application

Due to funding opportunities and ATAS requirements, we are currently only accepting applications from students who would be classified as home-fees students. The deadline for home-fees student applications is 31 July. In October we will begin accepting applications from international students for a September 2026 start.

Before applying, you are strongly recommended to

  • Read our typical programme admissions statement  fully.
  • Write a personal statement (see guidance below)
  • Write a referenced case study/research statement (see guidance below)

NB Applications will not be considered for the programme until all required documents, as listed in the admissions statement, have been submitted. 

Please note, we do not require a nominated PhD supervisor nor a PhD research proposal. However, it is mandatory to submit your application with a case study (also known as a research statement). Details on how to write a case study are found in the How to write a good case study dropdown below.

Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of an upper-second class honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline including (but not limited to): computer science, psychology, management, electrical and electronics engineering, civil engineering, criminology and social sciences.

The most critical requirement is a passion for cyber security and the desire to make our connected world secure and hence safe.

Candidates should be willing to work across disciplinary boundaries and inform their research from different disciplinary perspectives.

 Your personal statement (one A4 page) should:

  • explain your motivation for applying to the programme and how it relates to your plans for the future
  • explain why you should be offered a place on the programme
  • highlight elements of your academic record which align with the theme of the programme, such as project work or courses you have taken (these are not required to be in cyber security or STEM disciplines)
  • highlight any other relevant skills or experience that would bring an interesting unique perspective to discussions with fellow students in the programme
Please note that generic personal statements do not add value to an application nor do statements that are overly long and do not bring out your motivation or suitability for the programme.
 
We would like to understand why you are passionate about cyber security, what excites you, where you think you could learn and extend your knowledge and what you could add to the cohort of students. Prior cyber security knowledge or degrees are not a requirement for admission - but we do want you to be clear why you are interested in the topic and what you wish to achieve through doctoral studies in the CDT.
 
 
You must provide up to 1 A4 page of text on a cyber security issue that interests you, discuss why the problem is challenging from both a social and technical perspective and what methods or techniques would be appropriate to develop a deeper understanding of the issue.
 
The case study  or research statement is an opportunity for you to show us what aspects of cyber security you are interested in, and your appreciation of the complexity of many of the issues.
 
Your case study shouldn’t be in the form of a traditional research proposal. We don’t ask you to bring a research proposal to the CDT – we want you to develop your ideas through the first year and the placements and masterclasses. Instead, the case study should showcase your interest in the topic, and you should be able to demonstrate the ability to understand how there are both technical and social aspects to the particular issue.
 
Even the most technical cyber security issues (for instance, cryptography or processor design) can be tackled from multiple perspectives (e.g. will people use the encryption? What are the legal implications? Will a new secure processor design be adopted by companies?). You obviously need to be accurate in your description of the issue, and creative in the potential different perspectives that would help build our understanding. In terms of potential methods or techniques, this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of research methods appropriate to the issue / topic.
 
Suggested outline for a case study: 
1) Title
2) Summary of the ‘issue’ – i.e. what’s the problem?
3) Why it’s an interesting issue – i.e. what perspectives can be used?
4) How you might investigate this – i.e. possible research approaches / techniques
5) References to any sources you have used (not included in 1 A4 page limit)
 
 Please note: You must upload your case study to the system in the "Research Statement" section. 

To submit your application via the online system the following documents must be included:

  • Personal Statement
  • Case Study - submit as  Research Statement
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Academic transcripts 
  • Degree certificates (if graduated)
  • References 
  • English language certificate (if required)

Please note that your case study must be submitted in the system as a Research Statement.

You are required to submit at least two references for us to consider your application. References should be submitted electronically by the referee, using the online reference form. Alternatively, scanned copies of the original reference can be uploaded.

References must be written, signed and dated on official headed paper from the referee's organisation. They must include the referee’s full contact details, i.e. postal address, telephone number and organisation email address. A reference template is available to show the required format. References supplied with a personal email address can only be accepted under exceptional circumstances, which must be explained within the reference. All references should be dated within the last two years.  

If you graduated more than two years ago, or if professional experience is relevant to the application, professional references will be accepted in lieu of one academic reference. At least one referee should be familiar with the your academic work.

If you are currently studying, we require your university degree transcripts to date (transcripts are documents showing your grades for individual units or essays and exams throughout your degree).

If you have completed your degree(s), please  provide colour scans of university degree certificate(s) and final transcripts confirming completion. In exceptional circumstances, an official letter from your university confirming completion of your award and final grade may be accepted in place of a certificate

Applicants should complete the online application form, uploading all required documents directly. Guidance on uploading documents can be found in the guidance for online applications. Paper documents received by post, or electronic documents received by email, are only considered in exceptional circumstances.

Applications may not be considered until all required documents have been uploaded. If you have already submitted an application, you can upload additional documents into the ‘Post-submission uploads’ section of the application form. The personal statement and case study can also be uploaded into the 'Post-submissions uploads' section.

If you have any queries about what you need to submit with your application, please contact us at enquiries@cybersecurity-cdt.ac.uk  

 Our CDT programme does not expect you to nominate two proposed supervisors or approach any potential supervisors. During the taught year (Year 1), you will develop your research proposal and select your supervisors at the end of Year 1. You are not required to provide a proposed supervisor in your application to the PhD in Cyber Security (Cyber Secure Everywhere) programme.

 
We do not accept research statements, but you must upload your case study in place of any research statement/proposal. Please carefully review the information provided on our How to apply  page when submitting your application to our programme.

All applicants are considered on an equal basis in line with the University’s Equality and Diversity Policy.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded into the ethos of the CDT; we believe a diverse cohort leads to creativity, exciting research, and increased impact. For the Cybersecurity CDT, diversity is not solely achieved by recruiting a diverse student cohort but developed from an inclusive and supportive culture which makes everyone feel welcome. This is integral to the expectation we have that our cohort will not only support each other, but learn from each other and respect differences. The CDT, alongside both the Universities of Bristol and Bath, are actively promoting real change in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion, and will actively monitor and support the CDT reaching its equality, diversity and inclusivity goals.

Once a complete application has been submitted with all required supporting documents, it is considered for shortlisting for the recruitment workshop by two members of staff using the following criteria:

  • Academic achievement (50%)
  • Motivation, case study and fit to cohort (30%)
  • References (20%)

Applicants are considered holistically on their own merit and in competition with the rest of the applicant cohort during that academic cycle.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a recruitment workshop with members of the CDT leadership and supervisory team as well as industry partners. The recruitment workshop is a fundamental part of the selection process and only candidates shortlisted following the application selection will be invited.  Shortlisted candidates based overseas  will normally be interviewed by Zoom.

Our recruitment workshop involves:

  1. A group task developed in collaboration with industry partners to assess the applicant’s ability to problem-solve and work with others from different backgrounds and perspectives
  2. An individual interview with a panel from academic and industry representatives to further explore motivation, passion for the subject and ability to engage in interdisciplinary thinking.
  3. During their visit, applicants will have the opportunity to meet with current PhD Supervisors and CDT students and  you will be taken on a tour of the offices and labs by a student or postdoctoral researcher.

All interviews are conducted by members of staff, who will have been trained in equality, diversity and inclusion with respect to recruitment techniques. All interviews are undertaken in accordance with the University's policy on equal opportunities. Industry members of the panel will be provided with the CDT’s equality, diversity and inclusion statement and will be expected to commit to it prior to the interview.

We provide funding towards travel costs for in-person recruitment workshop attendance.

If you have attended a recruitment workshop, you will be informed by panel when to expect to receive a decision regarding your application.

Academic Offer

If you are successful, you will receive a formal academic offer from the University. 

The University makes two types of offer:

  • Unconditional offer: you are guaranteed entry.
  • Conditional offer: your entry to the University depends on meeting the requirements specified in your offer. These could include meeting the English language requirement, completing your degree at a specific level, or providing further information.

You will receive an email from us when a decision has been made on your application. Log in to the applicant portal to see the decision and download your offer letter (if applicable).

Funding Offer

If you receive a formal academic offer, you will be automatically considered by the CDT Leadership team for a funded position. Funded positions are very competitive and  your ranked suitability is assessed against our application selection criteria and recruitment workshop performance  as detailed above

If you are successful in securing a funded position, you will receive a separate funding offer letter specifying the amount and the duration of funding offered by the CDT.

If any additional funded positions become available during the year, all unfunded academic offer holders are automatically considered.

Informal enquiries on the application process should be addressed to
enquiries@cybersecurity-cdt.ac.uk