PhD Mechanical Engineering

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded for a research study, normally over a three-year period, which makes a significant contribution to knowledge. Candidates must demonstrate that they have made an original personal contribution to the understanding of a problem in a specific field, the advancement of knowledge, or the generation of new ideas.

Candidates normally register for Master of Philosophy (MPhil) with the expectation of transfer to the PhD programme upon acceptance of a Transfer document around the one-year point. MPhil (2 years full-time) or Research Masters (ResM/one-year full-time) are also offered for shorter duration research. These degrees are appropriate where funding for the full duration of a PhD is not available, especially for research in an industrial context. All research degrees can be studied in part-time mode.

Key features

• Mechanical engineering research is embedded in three research groups; Autonomous Marine Systems, Materials and Structures, Engineering and Society, and supports Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport.
• Autonomous Marine Systems (AMS) research group comprises a multidisciplinary team with expertise across artificial intelligence (AI), advanced control systems engineering theory, multi-sensor data fusion, dynamics, thermodynamics and fluids, smart materials, marine power plant, marine vehicle performance prediction, propulsors, integrated navigation systems and marine renewable energy.
• MAterials and STructures (MAST) research (including Civil and Structural Materials, Composites Engineering, and Structural Integrity) covers many aspects of mechanics in materials and structures. This includes structural integrity focusing on fatigue and fracture of materials, multi-scale and multi-phase modelling of materials, and structural modeling using FEA.
• Composites Engineering addresses fibre-reinforced polymer matrix composites with specialisations in composites manufacture, process-property-mesostructure relationships, marine composites, natural fibre reinforcements, or smart materials and intelligent structures.

This full time or part time doctoral programme is suitable for people who have a particular research question or topic in mind, and wish to explore this through independent study in order to produce an original contribution to the subject. If you aspire to a research career this is the most appropriate research degree to undertake.

You will be guided by a small supervisory team of academic experts under the direction of a Director of Studies. Even if you already have a masters degree, you will normally be registered as an ‘MPhil/PhD’ candidate and may apply to transfer to ‘PhD’ status around 10–22 months after registration, based on your progress.

Overseas applicants must submit their application 4.5 months prior to the proposed programme start date. For Home/EU applicants the deadline is 2.5 months prior to the proposed programme start date. There are three possible start dates per year, 1 October, 1 January and 1 April.