Centre for Doctoral Training in Artificial Intelligence for Biomedical Innovation PhD with Integrated Study

Artificial intelligence has immense potential to tackle the major global health challenges, optimise healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes. The greatest challenge to realising this potential is its translation into real-world use. Our programme aims to address this challenge by training interdisciplinary researchers who would possess the technical skills, biomedical domain knowledge, and experience developing and implementing innovative AI approaches in the private and public sectors.

Our programme is especially suitable for those with relatively little prior exposure to computer science and mathematics. This includes clinicians, allied health professionals, and biological/biomedical scientists. Our graduates will acquire technical skills from computer science, mathematics, and statistics, and domain knowledge from biomedical and clinical sciences. They will know how to practice responsible and open AI research & innovation, adopt the best practice for minimising the risk of bias in AI, and understand the importance of model explainability for clinical use.

The research programme is organised into four thematic areas, each with an expert theme leader supported by groups of at least twenty project supervisors from across the University:

• AI for Genomic Medicine
• AI for Biomedical Imaging
• AI for Cellular and Molecular Systems Medicine
• AI for Biomedical & Health Informatics

Our programme provides well-rounded training and development, collaboration and engagement opportunities to turn you into a highly competent, sought-after researcher suited to a variety of careers both inside and outside of academia.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in an area related to the topic of the CDT, for example, computer science, AI, cognitive science, mathematics, physics, engineering, biomedical science, biological science, and clinical & public health sciences.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Graduates with inter-disciplinary skills and experience at the interface between biomedical and computational science are in huge demand, with a well identified skills shortage in the UK and globally. You will have the opportunity to work directly and learn from external partners in the public and private sectors and will receive bespoke co-delivered career training in the programme.