Why research at UHI?
A research degree at the University of the Highlands and Islands gives you an exciting and rewarding opportunity to explore a topic in real depth in order to make new contributions to knowledge.
Delve into our distinctive research at UHI:
When you study for a research degree with us in your specialist field of research, you can choose to conduct your research study by distance, or at one of our research units across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire which offer unparalleled natural laboratories, environmental opportunities to support world-class research.
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES)
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES)
AdvanceHE runs the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES), which is the only UK sector-wide survey to gain insight from postgraduate research students about their learning and supervision experience.
In PRES 2024, UHI achieved the highest overall satisfaction rate of any Scottish institution and has been ranked 15th in the UK, out of 107 participating institutions. Students are asked about areas including teaching, assessment and support, and respondents also rated UHI the best in Scotland for teaching and assessment. Seven programmes delivered across UHI received a 100% satisfaction rating.
Research Excellence Framework
Research Excellence Framework
Our results from REF2021 confirm our strong position in the research landscape of the UK; we may be relatively small but the results show nearly 3/4 of the research publications we submitted for assessment were deemed to be world leading or internationally excellent.
Our impact ratings, a measure of our reach and influence in business and our communities, also show how strong our research influence is. Read more on our REF webpage, where there are also case studies of some of our research projects:
What to expect during your studies
What to expect during your studies
You will work independently under the guidance of a Director of Studies and a small supervisory team with relevant academic expertise. You will also be allocated a Third Party Adviser; an active researcher who will be available to offer independent pastoral support and guidance.
You'll have regular meetings with your supervisory team throughout your studies and, at intervals during your degree, you will be expected to demonstrate that your research and writing are progressing and any concerns are addressed in a timely fashion (if you have a sponsor, such as one of the UK Research Councils or an overseas government, this is also an assurance that they will expect). There will also be access to a wide range of training and development opportunities to support your studies.