All this advice is great thanks very much! I got a response from the PhD organiser who says its over 3 years - which suits me as I don't want it to drag on!

I'm definitely going to apply - just need to get my cover letter done - eek!!

Thanks for the encouragement Gingersnaps! I'm sorry you had such a tough time of it - hopefully not everyone has such 'wish I hadn't ever started' time??:-(

Thanks Ju-ju and Golfpro for your comments and link - I have sent the contact supervisor an email to enquire about the length of time just to clarify before I apply. Have you guys had the same experience as poor Gingersnaps? I hope not!

Hi, I am seriously considering applying for a PhD Studentship at the University of Manchester - this is maybe a daft question but how long does it take to complete? Is it 4 years full time? The advert I am interested in does not actually state how long it takes, so being new to all of this I thought I would check before I apply! Thanks