Studies at the GSSR are aimed at three kinds of applicant:

1. Those who wish to study for an MA to improve their qualifications before seeking employment;
2. Those who wish to study for an MA as a preliminary to embarking on a PhD;
3. Those who wish to begin the PhD programme directly.

This can be illustrated by the following schema:

Candidates apply directly either to the MA or the PhD programme.

1. Some students will simply attend the School in order to complete the MA programme.

2. Students who successfully complete the MA programme and successfully apply to continue at the School as doctoral students enter directly to the second year of the PhD programme.

Students applying and accepted directly to the PhD programme may if they wish choose to follow all the MA programme requirements in their first year and so obtain a British MA as the first part of the PhD programme.

Some otherwise well-qualified applicants to the PhD programme whose level of preparation is in some respects not quite sufficient for entry to doctoral studies may nevertheless be accepted to the PhD programme on condition they satisfy the requirements of the MA programme before continuing to the second year of doctoral studies.

3. All doctoral students in any year of the PhD programme are entitled to take and obtain credit for courses offered in the MA programme, but those accepted directly to the PhD programme need not take any MA courses if they do not wish to.