Postgraduate research in electronics and computer science at the University of Southampton

Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) is the leading university department of its kind in the UK. We were on of the first universities to be named an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) by the UK government.

Our research is organised around research groups and centres. You'll join one of these groups. This means that specialist academics will always be on hand to hear your ideas and offer help and encouragement. With around 250 staff, ECS has unrivalled depth and breadth of expertise.

You'll have the freedom to run your own project, and a team of supervisors will support you. Direct and regular contact with your supervisors will help you develop your scientific insight, and steer you towards creative and original thinking.

Our graduate school provides training on transferable skills, courses on research methodology, and a working framework to help you settle into a disciplined working routine. You'll also have opportunities to travel to international conferences and events to present your work.

ECS holds an annual careers fair that attracts major companies. The majority of our graduates take up roles in the technology industry or develop their research interests further. If you have a great idea our Future Worlds startup accelerator is there to nurture aspiring entrepreneurs through one-to-one support and its network of investors.

PhD

This is our standard 3-year research degree. When you apply, you'll choose one of the following:

•  Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Web Science

UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Sustainability (SustAI)

SustAI is a multidisciplinary and inclusive doctoral training programme. The CDT will provide 70 fully funded PhD studentships over 5 cohorts. SustAI will equip students with state-of-the-art AI technical skills and a deep understanding of how these skills can be applied to address pressing environmental challenges. Register your interest with SustAI.

Main areas of research

A key feature of ECS is that we are truly interdisciplinary. Many of our research groups sit at the interface between electronics and computer science, including cyber security and cyber physical systems. Areas include:

• Agents, Interaction and Complexity
• Cyber Physical Systems
• Cyber Security
• Digital Health and Biomedical Engineering
• ECS Education Group
• Electrical Power Engineering
• Next Generation Wireless
• Smart Electronic Materials and Systems
• Southampton Research Software Group (SRSG)
• Sustainable Electronic Technologies
• Vision, Learning and Control
• Web and Internet Science

Find a research project

Funding Opportunities  

We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students. Horizon Europe fee waivers automatically cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for qualifying students.

Competition-based Presidential Bursaries from the University cover the difference between overseas and UK fees for top-ranked applicants.

Competition-based studentships offered by our schools typically cover UK-level tuition fees and a stipend for living costs for top-ranked applicants.

Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early to increase your chances of being considered.

For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.

More information on how to apply