Interviews

The interview process may seem like a daunting part of a PhD application and can often feel quite nerve-wracking. However, the interview is the perfect opportunity for you to also make sure your potential supervisor, and the wider University, is the right place to support you in meeting your research goals.

You will be invited to interview to assess your suitability for the PhD and your potential for academic research. If you’re also nominated for funding, you will have another interview (or in some cases multiple interviews) to determine your suitability for funding.

What to expect

The usual format for interviews will be a panel interview, which may contain your potential supervisor, alongside other academic representatives from the department or research group.

The interview itself will usually comprise of being asked questions about your academic background, your motivations for undertaking a PhD as well as some questions specific to your research area.

Different departments across the Faculty of Science and Engineering may have slightly different interview formats. Once you’ve chosen a potential supervisor, you should contact them for more information about interviews in that department.

How to prepare

To be successful in a PhD interview, preparation is key. The interview is an opportunity for you to show you have the focus, drive and tenacity to be a postgraduate researcher.

You may want to think about the following areas when preparing for your interview:

• Be confident in demonstrating your knowledge of your chosen research area or of the project research area.
• Show your knowledge of the research conducted by your potential supervisor and of the wider department or research group.
• Express your enthusiasm and motivation for pursuing postgraduate research, especially in your chosen research area.

And remember, this is a chance for you to figure out if this supervisor is the best fit for you, so be prepared to ask them some questions too.