Overview

The UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Natural Language Processing at The University of Edinburgh is jointly run by the School of Informatics and the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences.

NLP is transforming the way humans communicate with each other and with machines.

We have witnessed the rapid evolution of a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) systems that translate text, recognise or produce speech, answer questions, retrieve documents or facts, respond to commands, summarise articles, and simplify texts for children or non-native speakers.

The rapid proliferation of online news, social media, and scientific articles has created an exploding demand for NLP systems that enable people to derive critical insights from massive streams of data in many languages.

Our researchers

The CDT brings together researchers in NLP, speech, linguistics, cognitive science and design informatics from across the University of Edinburgh.

You will be supervised by over 60 world-class faculty and will benefit from cutting edge computing and experimental facilities.

Programme Structure

Its aim is to equip you with the fundamental skills for advanced research in NLP and language science, giving you foundations in:

linguistics
machine learning, statistics, algorithms
programming
working with other modalities such as vision and design, ethics and responsible innovation as they apply to NLP systems

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-09 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-03-11 00:00:00

More details

Language

English

IELTS

6.5

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TOEFL^® IBT

92

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Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Data Science & Big Data Artificial Intelligence View 28 other PhDs in Data Science & Big Data in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

IELTS

6.5

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TOEFL^® IBT

92

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Other requirements

General requirements

A minimum UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in computer science, linguistics, cognitive science, AI, or a related discipline. Most students accepted to the programme hold a first class degree.

Applicants coming directly from a bachelors or masters degree are welcome.

We particularly welcome applications from members of communities under-represented in computer science.

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at The University of Edinburgh and/or in United Kingdom, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

31500 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 31500 GBP per year during 48 months.
National

4786 GBP/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 4786 GBP per year during 48 months.

Living costs for Edinburgh

725 - 1167 GBP /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Natural Language Processing.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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