Which degree

We offer two postgraduate research degrees, each of which can be studied either full-time or part-time. The degrees both have a different emphasis but they emphasise aspects that are at the core of engineering or computer science: you will be part of a community of scholars, with an interest in engineering or computer science research, responsibilities that are defined by the nature of the degree that you are studying, and a role to play within the research community of the School. In return for these roles and responsibilities, we will aim to provide you with the intellectual environment and facilities necessary to complete your research successfully. A range of scholarships are available which can be used to fund your study at ECS.

You can apply for a one year Master of Science (by research), MSc degree, or a three year Doctor of Philosophy, PhD. When you arrive, you will be assigned a supervisory team of academics, who are international experts in their field. In the MSc programme, you have the option of attending advanced taught courses across all topics covered by the School. You are not examined in these courses and the choice will be in conjunction with your academic advisers.

Doctor of Philosophy, PhD admits any student with a Bachelors or Masters Degree, of the required standard and relevance. This is a research degree, leading to presentation of a thesis and, if University conditions are met, graduation with a PhD degree. Full time students must study for a minimum of three and maximum of four years to obtain this degree.

Master of Science, MSc admits any student with a Bachelors or Masters Degree, of the required standard and relevance. This is a research degree, leading to presentation of a thesis and, if University conditions are met, graduation with an MSc degree. Full time students must study for a a year to obtain this degree.

Browse our Research webpages to discover the many attractions of research at ECS, and take the time to consider the exciting and challenging potential projects on offer. When you have found an area of serious interest, let us know about you, by sending your Curriculum Vitae directly to us, stating the project title and supervisor's name in the 'subject' field. Once your potential supervisor has received your CV and considered the suitability of your experience and previous study, we will contact you directly to know whether or not an application from you would be sucessful. If you are sucessful we would help you to prepare your application to the University.

How to find a supervisor and a research topic

A key challenge in starting a research degree is to find the right supervisors. At ECS, we require all students to have at least two supervisors. There are two ways to achieve this. The first is to read through our web pages of available PhD (and MSc) projects. Having chosen, then you can contact the listed staff member for advice and further information. The second way to find a suitable supervisor is to look through staff web pages. If this does not prove successful, then email engineering.pgadmissions@durham.ac.uk for further assistance.

Once you have the right supervisor, there will be a period of iteration between you and them as you together develop a research idea into a research proposal. This should become the backbone of your application to the University to study in the School. It can normally be done by email, but we will be happy to arrange a tour of the School for you should you wish to and be able to visit in person.