It’s useful to contact potential supervisors before you make your application. This gives you the chance to discuss their availability and your proposed research. More importantly, it gives you the opportunity to decide if they’d be a good fit for you.
The potential supervisor list is available on the individual programme page.
Determine your research area and check entry requirements
For detailed information of our doctoral programmes, please refer to programme page.
Application deadline
We accept PhD application all year round. The start date of the programme is normally the first day of March, June, September, or December. Please submit your application in accordance with the application deadlines outlined below.
1. Apply for a scholarship for an existing funded PhD project
Application deadline
Enrollment Date
30 July 2026
1 December 2026
30 October 2026
1 March 2027
15 January 2027
1 June 2027
30 April 2027
1 September 2027
2. Apply for a Self-funded project or PhD Merit-Based Scholarship
You may apply for the self-funded PhD programme or the PhD Merit-Based Scholarship by submitting your own proposed research project. Applications of these types are reviewed in two rounds each year.
Application deadline
Enrollment Date
Round 1
30 July 2026
1 March 2027
Round 2
15 January 2027
1 September 2027
Note: The timeline provided is intended as a general guide to help applicants plan their studies. Actual processing times vary by programme and application circumstances. We aim to process applications as efficiently as possible, and approved applicants may be offered admission to an earlier intake where available. The University reserves the right to adjust confirmed enrollment dates as necessary.
Apply online
Submit your application
You can submit your application when all the application materials, including the research proposal, are complete.
Application Materials
All your documents should be in English, or be accompanied by a certified English translation(size limit: within 2MB each document).
Full academic transcripts of university studies and grading system (both bachelor and master)
University degree certificate or enrollment statement (both bachelor and master)
Verification report of degree certificate (Chinese students only, both bachelor and master)
– An Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate from China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center is required for degrees obtained from Chinese universities.
– Certification from the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange is required for degrees obtained abroad or in China’s Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Certificates of English language qualifications (IELTS or equivalent)
Personal statement
Curriculum Vitae
Two formal reference letters: Your application must be supported by at least one academic reference from someone who has taught you at highest degree level, and must bear the official letterhead of your referee’s workplace and his/her handwritten signature. If you are a graduate, you may provide one employer reference in place of an academic reference. The reference letter should be recently issued and serve the purpose of your PhD application.
A copy of your National ID card (for Chinese students only) /Passport (for international students only)
A copy of Master dissertation or an equivalent writing sample (Business, Humanities and Social Sciences applicants only)
XJTLU reserves the right to request additional documents to assess your academic qualifications for particular programmes.
After application
Your application will be initially reviewed by XJTLU and then forwarded to the University of Liverpool for final review and decision.
After submission of your online application, you may be contacted by the XJTLU Graduate School (doctoralstudies@xjtlu.edu.cn) for additional documents or information. All communication will be made through your email address registered in the online application system.
Check your email regularly in order not to miss any important message from the university.
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is a supplemental assessment that must be satisfied by all non-UK students (excluding exempt nationalities) intending to pursue postgraduate studies or research in certain sensitive subject areas at a UK university. Failure to obtain ATAS clearance will prevent students from enrolling in the PhD programme at the University of Liverpool.
Upon receiving an offer from the University of Liverpool, students requiring ATAS clearance will be requested to complete an ATAS application. Full registration is subject to obtaining the ATAS clearance certificate. If your ATAS application is refused, please contact the Graduate School to discuss the options with an admission officer.
To apply for ATAS and for further information, please visit www.fco.gov.uk/atas
Before application
Contact potential supervisors
It’s useful to contact potential supervisors before you make your application. This gives you the chance to discuss their availability and your proposed research. More importantly, it gives you the opportunity to decide if they’d be a good fit for you.
The potential supervisor list is available on the individual programme page.
Determine your research area and check entry requirements
For detailed information of our doctoral programmes, please refer to programme page.
Application deadline
We accept PhD application all year round. The start date of the programme is normally the first day of March, June, September, or December. Please submit your application in accordance with the application deadlines outlined below.
1. Apply for a scholarship for an existing funded PhD project
2. Apply for a Self-funded project or PhD Merit-Based Scholarship
You may apply for the self-funded PhD programme or the PhD Merit-Based Scholarship by submitting your own proposed research project. Applications of these types are reviewed in two rounds each year.
Note: The timeline provided is intended as a general guide to help applicants plan their studies. Actual processing times vary by programme and application circumstances. We aim to process applications as efficiently as possible, and approved applicants may be offered admission to an earlier intake where available. The University reserves the right to adjust confirmed enrollment dates as necessary.
Apply online
Submit your application
You can submit your application when all the application materials, including the research proposal, are complete.
Application Materials
All your documents should be in English, or be accompanied by a certified English translation(size limit: within 2MB each document).
– An Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate from China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center is required for degrees obtained from Chinese universities.
– Certification from the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange is required for degrees obtained abroad or in China’s Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
XJTLU reserves the right to request additional documents to assess your academic qualifications for particular programmes.
After application
Your application will be initially reviewed by XJTLU and then forwarded to the University of Liverpool for final review and decision.
After submission of your online application, you may be contacted by the XJTLU Graduate School (doctoralstudies@xjtlu.edu.cn) for additional documents or information. All communication will be made through your email address registered in the online application system.
Check your email regularly in order not to miss any important message from the university.
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is a supplemental assessment that must be satisfied by all non-UK students (excluding exempt nationalities) intending to pursue postgraduate studies or research in certain sensitive subject areas at a UK university. Failure to obtain ATAS clearance will prevent students from enrolling in the PhD programme at the University of Liverpool.
Upon receiving an offer from the University of Liverpool, students requiring ATAS clearance will be requested to complete an ATAS application. Full registration is subject to obtaining the ATAS clearance certificate. If your ATAS application is refused, please contact the Graduate School to discuss the options with an admission officer.
To apply for ATAS and for further information, please visit www.fco.gov.uk/atas