Postgraduate research degree PhD

Course overview

Research degrees offer a challenging and exciting opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research that makes a difference to industry practice, finds solutions to real-world challenges and helps improve the lives of people and animals. Hartpury offers a rich, dynamic and supportive environment to pursue research.

PhD's can be studied on a full or part-time basis; full-time programmes are normally 3 years in length with part-time programmes 4 to 6 years long.

PhD study is usually self-funded and doctoral loans are available, subject to eligibility, to support your study. We offer limited funded full-time PhD studentships in our priority research areas annually.

Your PhD

As a research student, you’ll become part of our active postgraduate and research communities. You'll generate research that creates evidence-informed practice and drives change across sport and exercise science, equestrian sports and promotes positive animal and equine health and welfare, as well as increasing our knowledge of human-animal interaction and developing new technological approaches to agriculture and digital farming.

You’ll design and complete an independent research project supported by our experienced researchers who make up your supervisory team. You'll also have access to our extensive postgraduate research student support workshops and up to 120 credits of taught Masters modules at no additional fee, providing you with the opportunity to develop your research skills and subject expertise whilst making a difference in an area that matters to you.

We welcome applications from students wanting to develop their own research ideas linked to our Research Centres: Animal and Agriculture, Equestrian Performance and Sport and Exercise.

High-quality research environment

Throughout your doctoral study, you’ll be supported by our specialist academics and established researchers who are also leading coaches, trainers, scientists, behaviourists, nutritionists, veterinary professionals, psychologists and more.

You’ll also have access to our world-leading facilities and specialist populations to support your research. You'll have the opportunity to network and build exciting industry and academic partnerships by attending and presenting your work at industry events and conferences at national and global levels.

Awarding body: University of the West of England (Hartpury).

For a supervised PhD, we normally expect that applicants will hold at least a 2:1 or a Masters qualification from a UK university or a degree of comparable standing from a university outside the UK. We also require a recognised English language qualification prior to making an unconditional offer.