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Engineering (School of Engineering) (MPhil/PhD) (2025 Entry)

Postgraduate Research

Find out more about our MPhil/PhD in Engineering (School of Engineering).

Our MPhil/PhD in Engineering offers an effective mix of academic and practical application. Warwick's School of Engineering has expertly designed this programme to allow you to gain valuable research skills and knowledge.


Course overview

Students register in the first instance for the degree of MPhil unless otherwise approved by the Board of Graduate Studies. Subject to satisfactory progress, registration may be upgraded to the degree of PhD. 

To satisfy the requirements of a PhD, the thesis must constitute a substantial original contribution to knowledge and is, in principle, worthy of peer-reviewed publications. The thesis shall be clearly and concisely written and well-argued and shall show a satisfactory knowledge of both primary and secondary sources. It shall contain a full bibliography and, where appropriate, a description of methods and techniques used in the research.

The maximum length of the thesis is 70,000 words for PhD in the Faculty of Science. These limits are exclusive of appendices, footnotes, tables and bibliography. The total length of all appendices combined may not exceed 5,000 words in length.

You must attend an oral examination (viva voce), which shall cover the thesis itself and the field of study in which the thesis has been written. The examiners may also require that you take a written and/or practical examination. You must complete the oral examination and written and/or practical examination satisfactorily to satisfy the requirements for the degree.


General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree in a related subject or Master’s degree at merit level (or equivalent).


English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:

  • Band A
  • IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.


Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

Areas for supervision

Overarching research themes

Our organisational structure connects our research with our study programmes to ensure quality research-led teaching.

We have four disciplines shaping our framework, they are:

  • Civil and Environmental
  • Electrical and Electronic
  • Mechanical, Materials and Process
  • Systems and Information

Discipline streams

Civil and Environmental

Our Civil and Environmental researchers work on a broad range of global research challenges underpinning civil engineering.

Combining modelling with practical experimentation, they tackle issues such as:

  • Low carbon structures and structures using high-performance materials.
  • Structural dynamics and structural health monitoring
  • Vibration serviceability
  • Human interaction with structures
  • Resilient infrastructure to Climate Change
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Sustainable ground improvement material and techniques
  • Geohazards prediction and mitigation
  • Offshore geotechnics
  • Tunnelling and underground space

Key specialisms within the Civil and Environmental Engineering stream include Water and Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering, and Geotechnical Engineering.

Electrical and Electronic

The Electrical and Electronic Engineering research group covers a range of Power, sustainability, and improved communications at the heart of our Electrical and Electronic stream.

Key areas of research include:

  • Artificial olfaction (or 'electronic nose')
  • Electrical energy conversion
  • Grid-scale energy storage
  • Nanoscale communications
  • Quantum devices

Key specialisms include Communications, Electrical Power and Sensors and Devices.

Mechanical, Materials and Process

Our Mechanical, Materials and Process Engineering discipline is our largest and most diverse stream. The stream has research groups in the fields of:

  • Chemical engineering
  • Fluid mechanics
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Sustainable thermal energy technologies

Current research interests include: efficient production of green chemicals and low carbon fuels; investigating flow dynamics from the nanoscale to global environmental systems; atomic scale modelling of materials to improve their functional properties; experimental materials science for applications including silicon photovoltaic solar cells, terahertz imaging, optoelectronic devices based on 2D materials, sensing, and photoelectrochemical water splitting; developing methods of precision measurement for automotive, aerospace, bioengineering, healthcare applications; developing new technology for sustainable energy systems such as solar collectors, heat pumps and thermal storage.

Systems and Information

The Systems and Information research group bring together expertise in:

  • Nonlinear and stochastic systems
  • Modelling of human activity
  • Biomedical Systems Modelling and Data Analytics
  • Neural engineering
  • Telemedicine
  • Imaging
  • Synthetic biology

Much of the research undertaken is around health and security and the nature of the work means that many labs are cross-group. Key specialisms include Biomedical and Biological Systems, Data Analytics and Systems Modelling and Control.

Explore our research areas on our Engineering web pages.Link opens in a new window

Find a supervisor

Find your supervisor using the link below and discuss with them the area you'd like to research.

Explore our Engineering Academic Staff DirectoryLink opens in a new window where you will be able to filter by your disciplinary interest.

Please note our Modelling of Heterogenous Systems PhD offers a range of research projects. A research proposal is not required. Instead, you should nominate one to three projects that you are interested in, in order of preference.

Learn more about our groups and projects.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.


Research proposals

An important part of your PhD application is the research proposal. We want to know what your research interests are so that we may direct your application to potential supervisors. The proposal does not need to be long, but the quality should be high and no more than 2-3 pages should be sufficient.

Ideally, your proposal should address the points below - however, as long as we get a clear idea of your research interests then we can consider your application. Ensure that your research interests match those in the School of EngineeringLink opens in a new window, or contact us for clarification of research areas.

  • Outline the main objectives of your research, providing details of two or three key aspects.
  • State your target audience for this project.
  • Explain what the main outcomes of the project are that you would want to see.
  • Outline what methods/approaches you intend to use to achieve the aims of your project.
  • Indicate your suggested data collection procedures, including sources and any possible difficulties.
  • Explain any analytical techniques you intend to use for your research.

Avoid:

  • Broad research areas which would be unmanageable as a PhD topic or that have no relevance to the University of Warwick research areas.
  • Vague descriptions of your research interests.

Please note our Modelling of Heterogenous Systems PhD offers a range of research projects. A research proposal is not required. Instead, you should nominate one to three projects that you are interested in, in order of preference.

Learn more about our groups and projects.
 

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees


Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status


Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

  • Core text books
  • Printer credits
  • Dissertation binding
  • Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Department content block about careers

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2025 will open on 2 October 2024.

For research courses that start in September and October 2025 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2025. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course  

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

Explore ways to connect with us

We understand how important it is to visit and explore your future university before you apply. That's why we have put together a range of online and in-person options to help you discover more about your course, visit campus, and get a sense of postgraduate life at Warwick. Our events offer includes:

  • Warwick hosted events
  • Postgraduate Fairs
  • Live chats
  • Talk and Tours
  • Department events