Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum of an upper-second class honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline. The CDT is primarily aimed at students with a first degree in engineering or science and with strong programming skills but will also consider applicants with suitable skills acquired in employment. Applicants need to have prior knowledge and experience with selected contemporary AI techniques and demonstrate this in their application.

Your statement of purpose (one A4 page) should:

• highlight your motivation and suitability for the CDT, and how joining it will contribute to your career goals.
• clarify your interest in doing a PhD in this particular topic and what you wish to achieve through doctoral studies in the CDT.
• give an indication of your current knowledge of and experience with AI techniques and frameworks.
• provides a sense of why you are excited about Practice-Oriented AI, where you think you could learn and extend your knowledge and skills, and what you could contribute to your cohort of peers and to the wider CDT community.

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.

Your case study (one single A4 page) should:

• give an example of what a practice-oriented AI project in a selected area of interest might look like. Practice-oriented AI is about bridging the gap between between complex problem domains such as those found in science and research, and AI algorithms and techniques that could be used to solve problems in those domains. A realistic project would therefore combine several AI techniques. Also pay attention to how you would evaluate possible solutions and measure success.

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.

Applicants should complete the online application form for the programme 'Practice Oriented Artificial Intelligence', 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.

We require a completed Supervisor Suitability Form to be submitted before an offer can be made, if successful at interview. This will be completed with the CDT Director after interview. However, the application system will not permit applicants to apply without a document uploaded in this heading. Applicants should upload a blank document or second copies of the CV or personal statement to facilitate submitting the application form.

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 the Faculty Admissions team at admissions-engpgr@bristol.ac.uk 

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 Practice Oriented Artificial Intelligence 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, along with the University 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 prioritising the following elements:

• Statement of purpose
• Case study
• References

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to atend an interview with members of the CDT management team. This is a fundamental part of the selection process and only candidates shortlisted following the application will be invited.

They will normally be conducted face-to-face in Bristol. International applicants may be offered the opportunity of an interview by video call.

The purpose of the interview is to assess whether you have the necessary skills, capabilities and motivation to pursue the chosen postgraduate programme, and whether the programme is appropriate to your interests and career goals.

In preparation for the interview you will be asked to submit a more detailed written case study demonstrating your understanding of PhD research in general and research in practice-oriented AI in particular. Shortlisted candidates wishing to receive guidance on how to write the case study will be invited to request assistance. 

Interviews are 30 minutes, with two academic members of the management team and the Centre Manager. A presentation or prepared work will not be required.

All interviews are conducted by members of staff who 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.

You will also be invited to a 'meet & greet' lunch/online meeting where you'll have the opportunity to meet current students and the other candidates we'll be interviewing.

If you have attended an interview, 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.