Electrical and Electronic Engineering PhD

Overview

Our PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering has a mission is to foster, promote and conduct research of international quality. We attract high-quality graduates and researchers and train them to international standards.

Electrification is the backbone of modern society. Transport, energy, and manufacturing are sectors moving towards electrification. Advancement in bioelectronics, communication and microelectronics is only possible with experts. These experts have in-depth knowledge of electrical and electronic engineering. The world needs specialists who take on these challenges. You'll become a specialist and will provide innovative solutions and advancements.

Our research groups cover three areas of expertise:

• Electrical Power
• µSystems
• Intelligent Sensing and Communications

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

You'll work with academic supervisors and experts from day one of their PhD. Supervisors will guide the students through the thesis research activities. You'll have access to laboratories. Here you'll have your own desk and computer and can make use of various computer cluster rooms. Off-campus study may be available in some circumstances. This is particularly if you have industrial sponsorship.

 

We offer various training programmes to enhance soft skills such as:

• research methodologies
• presenting skills
• team work etc

You may also have an opportunity to: 

• undertake paid laboratory demonstrations 
• do tutoring to gain teaching experience 

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Thesis
• Viva

Additional assessment information

We offer a wide range of projects for the thesis. These will either be provided by our academics, or you. You can also propose your own topic.

Postgraduate research student support

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• wellbeing
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

Our staff

The Electrical and Electronic Engineering subject group page links to our specialist research areas. You'll be able to:

• explore possible research programmes
• find out more about staff working in these research areas
• identify a potential research supervisor

Your development

Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAgE) researcher development programme 

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, you'll build your transferable skills and increase your confidence. You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements

Your programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) or Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits. The include:

• combining research expertise and training of many leading universities, academic schools and academics
• studying alongside a cohort of other interdisciplinary PhD students

PhDs are usually funded. Opportunities in your subject area will be in the fees and funding section of this course.

The following centres/partnerships may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area:

• IAPETUS2 Doctoral Training Partnership
• Sustainable Electric Propulsion Centre for Doctoral Training
• ONE Planet Doctoral Training Partnership
• EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU)

Your future

Our Careers Service

Our Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. 

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

Electrical and Electronic Engineering use specialist equipment housed in a purpose-built research laboratory. We invest in updating our equipment to maintain a world-class facility.

Some of our equipment includes:

• 10 test beds for electric drives, including a 500kW electric drive test bed
• 240kW battery emulator
• smart grid lab
• battery testing facilities
• environmental chambers
• chiller units
• electronic and mechanical workshops able to build bespoke electric circuits and mechanical components

Electrical and electronic engineering facilities

Benefit from our extensive museum and archive collections such as:

• The Great North Museum: Hancock – our on-site museum. Home to the collections that previously made up the:
  • Hancock Museum
  • Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology (an internationally-renowned collection of over 1,000 Greek and Etruscan artefacts)
  • Museum of Antiquities.
• Special Collections & Archives at The Robinson Library – a rich collection of archival material, including early modern print material,  historical medical texts and rare books.
• The UNESCO-recognised Gertrude Bell Archive – explorer, archaeologist and political diplomat. 

Find out more about the Gertrude Bell Archive

You’ll also have access to:

• first-class computing facilities
• relevant databases
• a dedicated postgraduate computer room
• library facilities on campus and around the city

Find out more about our School's facilities

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

Why is this fee shown as a range?

We are unable to give an exact fee, this is why the fee is shown as a range. This fee range takes into account your research topic and resource requirements.

Your research topic is unique so it will have unique resource requirements. Resources could include specialist equipment, such as laboratory/workshop access, or technical staff.

If your research involves accessing specialist resources then you're likely to pay a higher fee. You'll discuss the exact nature of your research project with your supervisor(s). You'll find out the fee in your offer letter.

PGR Home fee note

Home fees for research degree students

For 2025-26 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee was confirmed in February 2025 by UKRI.

 

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Select your country

How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

 

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

Apply Online  

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We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events