PhD Materials and Structures

About the course

Our research expertise in Materials and Structures specialises in areas including Advanced Materials processing, nanoparticles with anti-bacterial and anti-microbial functionality, C-C and natural fibre composites, Biomedical Engineering (brain and muscle stimulation, condition monitoring techniques for humans), Civil Engineering Materials and Structures, Materials Recycling and Manufacturing and Operations Research. Established in 1997, Materials and Structures research at the University of Hertfordshire has been supported with grants from the European Union, EPSRC, DTI, EEDA, Innovate UK, KEEP and industry.

Why choose this course?

Our PhD courses enable students to develop specialist research skills and knowledge. We aim to provide PhD projects that will challenge and in some cases even inspire our students. If you are self-motivated and want to improve your ability to understand and solve engineering problems, then a PhD with us may be right for you.

Teaching methods

Each student will be assigned a Principal and a second supervisor who are experts in the research topic. The research will be conducted in our labs which are well-equipped for research in the topics of our expertise. Students studying on Full-Time mode are expected to submit their registration and progression reports in the first and second years of the research programme respectively and are formally assessed in the form of a viva by (usually) an internal examination panel. In completion of their 3rd year students are expected to start the preparation for their final assessment and to submit their thesis which is examined in the form of a viva by an external and an internal examiner

Applicants must have a First class Honours BEng degree in a relevant Engineering discipline including Materials, Manufacturing, Biomedical, Civil, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Strong applicants with a 2.1 qualification may also be considered. Personal attributes including a drive to conduct research, self-motivation and the ability to work independently and within a team are essential.