Minimum 36 months full time; minimum 72 months part time
Fees per academic year 2013-14
UK and EU: full time £4,320 part time £2,160
International: full time £14,180 part time fees
More information is available about tuition fees and discounts.
We offer PhD supervision in topics relating to:
Nanomaterials and electronics
Strained Si technology for high-speed low-power integrated circuits; SiC for high-temperature, high-power electronics; reliability of interconnects; high-k dielectrics and developing novel electrical characterisation; ferroelectric materials for tunable capacitance and integration with silicon technology; biomedical devices; sensors and electronics for hostile environments; Si-based photovoltaics; nm scale material characterisation; diffusion in semiconductors; Atomic Layer Deposition; device fabrication; technology CAD; molecular electronics; integrative systems and applications; first-principles simulation of defects in semiconductors; theoretical modelling of the properties of materials. The group has many international collaborative research programmes and has been successful in placing PhD students at other world-leading research laboratories for three- to nine-month periods, including IMEC and SEMATECH. (Professor N Wright – Head of Group, Dr P Briddon, Professor N Cowern, Dr J Goss, Dr A Horsfall, Dr S Olsen, Professor A O’Neill.)
Nanoscale Science and Technology
Microelectronic system design
Asynchronous systems design and test; design automation, synthesis and verification; concurrent systems modelling and implementation; metastability modelling and characterisation; on-chip synchronisation; dynamical systems methods in IC design; networks-on-chip; wireless sensor design; secure IC design; logarithmic scale computing; self-timed FPGAs; variability analysis and variation-tolerant IC design; power scavenging and power elastic computing; fault tolerant systems; design for testability and testing; biomedical interface electronics; optical-electronic interface; 3D stacked IC design. The group has international leadership in asynchronous systems design and successful track record of research collaboration with industry. This includes multinational microelectronics giants, EDA start-ups, and world leading laboratories such as IMEC, where the group's students have three to nine month placements. All students have access to Europractice CAD tool training and chip fabrication facilities. (Professor A Yakovlev - Head of Group, Dr A Bystrov, Dr E Chester, Dr J Coleman, Dr A Koelmans, Dr G Russell.)
Power electronics, drives and machines
The group’s activity is principally directed in the renewable energy, aerospace, automotive and consumer product sectors. All aspects of power electronics and drive systems are covered including: stand-alone and grid-connected converters for renewable generation; fault-tolerant machines and drives; ultra high-speed machines/low cost drives; exploitation of insulated, compacted iron-powder for novel and improved performance machines; novel power converter topologies and thermal management ; novel energy storage systems; sensors and drive controllers for safety-critical applications; power semiconductors; drive configurations; advanced nonlinear modelling, control and optimisation strategies and applications. The group is recognised as one of the leading European research groups in this sector, working in areas from ‘blue sky’ research to product applications. Projects may involve one or more of the following themes: electrical machines, power electronics or control engineering. (Dr V Pickert – Head of Group, Dr M Armstrong, Dr D Atkinson, Dr G Atkinson, Dr W Cao, Dr. S. Gadoue, Professor B Mecrow, Dr B Zahawi.)
Communications and Signal Processing (CSP)
Major research themes in the group fall into the following four areas:
The group has an excellent track record for attracting overseas researchers and international visitors, with rich national and international collaborative research programmes. The group actively undertakes world-class multidisciplinary research, balancing technology-driven and application-driven research.
(Prof S Boussakta– Head of Group, Dr Z Ding, Professor S Dlay, Professor O Hinton, Dr S le Goff, Mr J Neasham, Professor B Sharif, Prof G Tian, Dr C Tsimenidis, Dr W L Woo.)
For examples of recent research topics please see our website.
We offer a number of different routes to a research degree qualification including full-time supervised research projects and industry-based research. Part-time and off-campus models are also available. The Science, Agriculture and Engineering Graduate School provides training in professional/key skills and research techniques, supports personal development and hosts postgraduate events.
An upper second-class Honours degree, or equivalent, in electrical or electronic engineering, computer engineering or a related subject. Applicants whose first language is not English require IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 79 (Internet-based), or equivalent.
Our INTO Newcastle University Centre can provide extra tuition to help you meet the University's English language requirements.
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has rules for international students regarding minimum English language requirements.See the School's website.
International Students, consult your own government for funding. The University offers International Scholarships, and there are funding opportunities by external organisations available.
Students should consult their employers for sponsorship opportunities.
Visit our postgraduate application site.
Applications are considered throughout the year although specific deadlines for funding may apply. Candidates are encouraged to contact the School to initiate discussions about their proposed research at the earliest opportunity. Further application advice is available from the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering.
There are three possible start dates for your research degree:
• 7 January 2013
• 15 April 2013
• or 23 September 2013
However these dates are not mandatory and in some circumstances permission can be granted for alternative start dates.
Please note: As a formal condition of the offer to study at Newcastle University, students from outside the UK/EU are required to pay a deposit of £1,500 or submit an official letter of sponsorship for their chosen programme. The deposit payment is non refundable, but will be deducted from tuition fees upon registration.
For further information please contact:
Postgraduate Admissions Tutor
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 222 7341
E-mail: eee.pgr@ncl.ac.uk
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/eee/study-with-us/postgraduate/research/
This programme is within the subject area of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.