Electronic and Computer Engineering Integrated PhD
Overview
PhD student loans
The UK Government has introduced PhD loans of up to £25000 to UK and EU nationals, residing in England, for postgraduate research programmes starting in the academic year 2018-19. Read more here.
About the course
The Brunel Integrated PhD combines PhD research with a programme of structured research, professional and subject training. The programme typically takes 4 years (compared to 3 years for a non-integrated PhD programme). On successful completion, you will be awarded a PhD with an Integrated Postgraduate Diploma in Research in your chosen subject specialisation.
You will benefit from this programme immensely if you want to:
- receive a more much guided and hands-on supervision of your learning and research process, especially if you come from more traditional teaching cultures
- increase your changes for a timely completion of your PhD programme in comparison to students taking traditional route PhD, cutting down the expenses associated with prolonged study
- access to tailored, highly specialist research training not available as part of the support provided to traditional route PhD students
- maximise your changes for a successful research analysis by applying practical assignments and training which are part of the integrated PhD directly to the research you do for your thesis
- receive an official Postgraduate Diploma in Research in addition to your PhD award to certify the completion of skills training which may be required by employers in some countries if you wish to pursue an academic career
Research profile
Research activities in Electronic and Electrical Engineering cover a wide range of areas which have direct compliance with the industry vision and requirements, formed around two broad thematic areas namely, telecommunications, sustainable energy and systems.
The Department has an extensive research portfolio totalling £7.5M worth of ongoing research grants and contracts. This is in addition to a large set of comprehensive high-quality teaching and learning resources coupled with strong research links with industry and an excellent record of employment amongst our graduates. Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Brunel also benefits from geographical proximity to most of the country’s information engineering and telecommunications industry.
Research Groups
Research in Electronic and Electrical Engineering is undertaken in five well established research groups;
Centre for Media Communications Research (CMCR)
Wireless Networks and Communications Centre (WNCC)
Brunel Institute for Power Systems (BIPS)
Centre for Electronic Systems Research (CESR)
Centre for Sensors and Instrumentation (CSI)
Research Centres
Our College hosts four research centres:
Big Data Analytics
Autonomous Systems and Robotics
Human-Centred Research
Brunel Automotive Hub
Enquiries
Contact our Enquiries team.
Course Enquiries: +44 (0)1895 265599 (before you submit an application)
Admissions Office: +44 (0)1895 265265 (after you submit an application)
Course content
Employability
PhD+ Award – An internship to work in the industry or perform a research outreach or enterprise activity.
PhD Plus is a career development scheme designed to provide an opportunity for excellent PhD students to undertake work experience and mentoring, and to facilitate their transfer into a career area of their choice. The awards are targeted at exceptional PhD students who have submitted their thesis within the expected submission date and will provide up to three months’ funded support for the period after submissions of their thesis and before the confirmation of the award. The precise number awards each year will depend on the quality of the applicants, up to a maximum 8 awards. The maximum amount to be awarded will be in line with RCUK rates for research training support grants: http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/skills/training/
At Brunel we provide many opportunities and experiences within your degree programme and beyond – work-based learning, professional support services, volunteering, mentoring, sports, arts, clubs, societies, and much, much more – and we encourage you to make the most of them, so that you can make the most of yourself.
» More about EmployabilityEntry criteria 2019/20
The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree. All international students must show evidence that they meet the English requirement for their course of study. The Senate reserves the right to assess the eligibility of applicants on an individual basis.
Research statement
As part of our application process for entry on our research degree (MPhil and PhD) programmes, we ask you to provide a 500-1,000 word research statement, excluding any references/bibliography you may include, setting out your research motivation, ideas and aspirations. Learn how to prepare a research statement here.
Entry criteria are subject to review and change each academic year.
International and EU entry requirements
If your country or institution is not listed or if you are not sure whether your institution is eligible, please contact Admissions
This information is for guidance only by Brunel University London and by meeting the academic requirements does not guarantee entry for our courses as applications are assessed on case-by-case basis.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
- Pearson: 58 (51 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 65% (min 60% in all areas)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason.
We offer our own BrunELT English Test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options at the Brunel Language Centre.
Fees and funding
Fees for 2019/20 entry
2019/20 Fees:
Home/EU students
Full time: TBC
International students
Full time: £18,720
2018/19 Fees:
Home/EU students
Full time: £4,260
International students
Full time: £18,000
Some courses incur additional course related costs. You can also check our on-campus accommodation costs for more information on living expenses.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.