Join over 500 PhD students in one of the largest and most diverse engineering, environmental science and audiology faculties in the UK. We develop solutions in areas including sustainable energy, green transport, resource efficiency and resilient infrastructure.
Engineering at the University of Southampton has subjects ranked within the global top 100 and the UK’s top ten in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022.
You'll be supported by a team of academic supervisors who'll be on hand to guide your research and provide advice. Working alongside our world-class team of researchers means you'll be working on cutting-edge research and pioneering solutions.
We'll provide you with the grounding you need to become a successful researcher. You'll benefit from both technical and personal training. You'll also be able to develop your skills further through placements in industry, mentoring, attending conferences and presenting your work.
Most of our research projects have strong links with industry so you'll be able to conduct experiments at a variety of facilities to ensure your research has real world impact.
If you've completed your undergraduate and masters degrees and want to continue in the same field, then the standard research PhD is probably the right option.
Our research areas include:
The University of Southampton is pleased to announce that PGR students from EU and Horizon associated countries joining us in 2024-25 will pay the same as UK PGRs for their PhD.
You can either apply for a structured studentship or propose your own PhD idea.
Taking a structured studentship will give you access to additional training, conferences and secondments. Full studentships typically cover tuition fees (at EU/UK level) and provide a tax-free bursary which varies depending on the programme.
We offer our structured studentships in partnership with our Centres of Doctoral Training (CDT).
In this project we aim to develop a technology enabling high-fidelity, high-resolution, robust 3D topology optimisation for multi-physics problems including thermos-fluid and fluid-structure interaction.
A current research project is preparing the code set for the next generation of exascale computing, including development of tools for analysis of large data sets. The methods used for the research will be direct numerical simulation, using multi-block structured grids, and modal analysis based on simulation databases.
The project will focus on understanding the dynamic response of meta-structures subjected to multiple impacts, analyzing the material properties required for effective impact resistance, and developing optimized structural designs to mitigate damage and enhance overall structural resilience.
This project aims to examine the role of the hard phase in supporting galling resistance and developing a microstructural model. This allows the role of the hard phase to be investigated under a range of operating loads informed by experiments. This PhD studentship is open only to UK, USA and Australian applicants.
We offer a wide range of fully funded studentships. We run several of our PhD studentships in partnership with doctoral training centres, meaning you'll benefit from enhanced training and guaranteed funding.
These studentships:
Doctoral training centres offer fully funded studentships which include:
We offer funded iPhD through our CDTs in:
In association with the UK joining the EU Horizon Programme, the University of Southampton will be introducing and applying an EU fee waiver for students joining us from EU and Horizon associated countries. This means that PGR students joining us from 2024-25 will pay the same fees as UK PGR students.
See here for full information terms and conditions
We offer scholarships and teaching bursaries ourselves. Your potential supervisor can guide you on what is available.
If you’re an international student you may be able to apply for a scholarship from your country.
Find out more about scholarships
Once you've found a supervisor, they can help you with potential funding sources. We offer match funding in some cases.
You'll need to state how you intend to pay for your tuition fees when you submit your application.
Find out more about funding your PhD
You may be able to fund your postgraduate research with funding from your current employer or from industry.
You can borrow up to £28,673 for a PhD starting in 2023. Doctoral loans are not means tested and you can decide how much you want to borrow.
Find out about PhD loans on GOV.UK
You may be able to win funding from one or more charities to help fund your PhD.
We charge tuition fees for every year of study. If you're applying for a fully funded project, your fees will be paid for you.
EU Fee Waiver: If your country is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, you will pay the same fees as UK students.
Find out if your country is part of the Horizon Europe programme
2023 to 2024 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and the environment full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Engineering and the environment part time | tbc | £12,750 |
| Engineering and the environment (energy storage and applications) full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Engineering and the environment (next generation computational modelling) full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Engineering and the environment (sustainable infrastructure systems) full time | tbc | £25,500 |
2024 to 2025 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and the environment full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Engineering and the environment part time | £2,393 | £13,050 |
| Engineering and the environment (energy storage and applications) full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Engineering and the environment (next generation computational modelling) full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Engineering and the environment (sustainable infrastructure systems) full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
2023 to 2024 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Energy storage applications full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Next generation computational modelling full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Sustainable infrastructure systems full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Defence and security mobility full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Defence and security mobility part time | tbc | £12,750 |
2024 to 2025 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Energy storage applications full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Next generation computational modelling full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Sustainable infrastructure systems full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Defence and security mobility full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Defence and security mobility part time | £2,393 | £13,050 |
Precise topics each year are determined by the research interests of the sponsoring companies, and may be aligned with our current CDTs in
2023 to 2024 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and the environment full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Engineering and the environment (sustainable infrastructure systems) full time | tbc | £25,500 |
| Transport and the environment full time | tbc | £25,500 |
2024 to 2025 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and the environment full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Engineering and the environment (sustainable infrastructure systems) full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
| Transport and the environment full time | £4,786 | £26,100 |
You're eligible for a 10% alumni discount on a self-funded PhD if you're a current student or graduate from the University of Southampton.
Several national centres, industrial units, interdisciplinary research centres and spin-off companies operate under the umbrella of the School of Engineering.
Our research groups are aligned with recent UK Government priority areas, as set out in the UK Industrial Strategy.
We offer 1 programme:
PhD
If you choose a standard research PhD, decide whether to apply to an advertised research project or create your own proposal.
Whichever programme you choose, you'll need to identify potential supervisors. Therefore, it's a good idea to email potential supervisors working within your field of interest to discuss potential PhD projects. It's best to do this well ahead of the application deadline.
You’ll find supervisors’ contact details listed with the advertised project, or you can search for supervisors in the staff directory.
As part of your online application, you’ll need to send us:
The application process is the same whether you're applying for a funded project, or have created a research proposal.
You should have a 2:1 honours undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification.
If English is not your first language, you'll need an IELTS minimum level of 6.5 with a 6.0 in writing, reading, speaking and listening.
Your awarded certificate needs to be dated within the last 2 years.
If you need further English language tuition before starting your degree, you can apply for one of our pre-sessional English language courses.
Check the specific entry requirements listed on the project you’re interested in before you apply.
Research degrees have a minimum and maximum duration, known as the candidature. Your candidature ends when you submit your thesis.
Most candidatures are longer than the minimum period.
| Programme | Full time | Part time |
| Engineering and the environment | 2 to 4 years | 3 to 7 years |
| Engineering and the environment (energy storage and applications) | 2 to 4 years | Not available |
| Engineering and the environment (next generation computational modelling) | 2 to 4 years | Not available |
| Engineering and the environment (sustainable infrastructure systems) | 2 to 4 years | Not available |
| Programme | Full time | Part time |
| Energy storage applications | 3 to 5 years | Not available |
| Next generation computational modelling | 3 to 5 years | Not available |
| Sustainable infrastructure systems | 3 to 5 years | Not available |
| Defence and security mobility | 3 to 5 years | 4 to 8 years |
Our engineering doctorates are only available to study full time.
| Programme | Full time |
| Engineering and the environment | 3 to 5 years |
| Engineering and the environment (sustainable infrastructure systems) | 3 to 5 years |
| Transport and the environment | 3 to 5 years |