Postgraduate Research
Postgraduate Research Degrees offer a level of specialism that cannot be attained in a postgraduate taught course.
The postgraduate research community in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is vibrant and involved in tackling the cutting edge of development.
The School offers MPhil and PhD research degrees and every year the School has several PhD studentships available. All studentships on offer provide fees and a maintenance tax-free grant for the duration of the project.
DEL and Strategic Priority studentships are only available to UK nationals or EU nationals who have lived in the UK for over 3 years (EU nationals not resident in the UK are only eligible for the fees element). Candidates meeting the DEL funding criteria should indicate this on each application.
A PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy, is the highest academic degree awarded at Queen's University Belfast. It's typically earned after completing three years of advanced study in a specialist field.
Doctorates are awarded for the creation and interpretation of knowledge, which extends the forefront of a discipline, through original research.
PhD holders are often considered experts in their field and may pursue careers in academia, research, industry, or other specialised areas.
An MPhil, or Master of Philosophy, is a postgraduate research degree. Typically, it is considered a higher level of academic achievement than a bachelor's degree but is generally one step below a PhD.
Research undertaken for an MPhil should advance the boundaries of knowledge in a discipline through research and the systematic and creative application of research techniques to complex problems.
Entry to the MPhil programme requires at least an honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate scientific or engineering discipline. The programme runs for 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.
Applications to study for an MPhil or a PhD are handled centrally by the University’s Postgraduate Admissions Office. To apply, you should use the online application system available below. We encourage early applications. The normal deadline for applications is 14 February. Late applications are possible, subject to the availability of places, but those received before the deadline will be given preference.
Please choose your referees carefully, since we shall be contacting them for an opinion as to your suitably for research. Also, take care to describe clearly the level of your primary degree. If you obtained your primary degree from a university outside the UK it can speed up the application process if you can relate your qualification to the UK system.
Before submitting an online application form, applicants are strongly recommended to contact a member of academic staff to discuss their research interests and current research projects available in that area.