A young woman with dark hair and protective glasses works with brightly coloured equipment in a dark room

Postgraduate Research

Physics and Astrophysics research degrees

Choose a research programme

Mode and duration

Start date

The length of programme registration will be longer as it includes the maximum writing-up phase.

Apply now

Find a researcher

How to applyHow to apply

We offer a range of postgraduate study options at MSc by Thesis and PhD level in Physics and Astrophysics, both full and part-time.

About our Physics and Astrophysics research degrees

Our research broadly covers the following areas:

Lasers and their applications
Theory of condensed matter
Experimental solid-state physics
Astrophysics and gravitation

Research is funded from a range of sources, including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Royal Society, as well as government and industrial establishments. Our work also benefits from strong interdisciplinary links within the university and with other groups at the national and the international level.

We have well-established links with a number of industrial companies and research centres with whom we conduct collaborative research.

Research topics

The Postgraduate Training Scheme

It is now widely recognised by employers, professional bodies and research funding agencies that specialist expertise alone is not sufficient preparation either for research or a subsequent career. With this in mind, we require all our postgraduate research students to follow a research training programme relating both to their particular field of study and to generic skills; for example, information technology and communication skills.

Find out more

Programme structure

PhD structure


Full time	Part time
3 years of research, with up to 12 months writing up if required	6 years of research, with up to 24 months of writing up if required

Masters structure


Full time	Part time
1 year of research, with up to 12 months writing up if required	2 years of research, with up to 24 months of writing up if required

Writing up and thesis submission

A standard full-time PhD programme comprised three years of research plus up to 12 months of thesis finalisation (also referred to as “writing-up”). Part-time is six years plus up to 24 months thesis finalisation if needed. Full-time standard Masters programmes are comprised one year of research plus up to 12 months of thesis finalisation needed; and part time Masters programmes have two years of research with up to two years of thesis finalisation.

For full-time students, the thesis finalisation phase should take three months but may be extended to one year without further paperwork. For part-time students, thesis finalisation should take six months, but may be extended to two years without further paperwork. The maximum thesis finalisation period is included in your overall programme length, which means that international PGRs will not need to apply for an additional visa to cover this phase.

If you need to move into the thesis finalisation period of your research degree, you must enrol for this phase and you will be liable to pay a continuation fee.

Thesis submission timelines

It is expected that you will submit your thesis within the timeframes outlined below:

Masters degrees

Submission by one year and 3 months full-time.
Submission by 2 years and 6 months part-time.

Doctoral degrees

Submission by 3 years and 3 months full-time.
Submission by 6 years and 6 months for part-time.

Entry Requirements

What do I need?

You should normally have, or expect to obtain, at least 2:1 Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject.

Please contact your prospective supervisor in the first instance. Once a member of staff has agreed to supervise your research project in principle, please make a formal application.

Typical offer

2:1 in a relevant subject area