Applications are checked by Graduate Admissions before they are passed to the department for assessment. All necessary documents including references need to be submitted by the deadline in order to be passed to the department on time. After applications are received, they are first checked for eligibility (meeting the entry requirements, aligning with the research interests of available supervisors). Applications are then reviewed by the Doctoral Programme Director before being passed to potential supervisors for assessment. After this stage, applicants may be invited to an interview (done virtually over Zoom, Skype or phone). Details on what to expect at interviews can be found here.
After interview, all approved applications are reviewed by a Departmental Selection Committee before offers are made to applicants. There are approximately seven places available. Overall this process can take a few months. Applications to the Cities programme are assessed in the same way.