Types of degree

Before you decide on a project, you’ll want to make sure you’ve chosen the science and engineering postgraduate research path that works best for you.

We offer several different types of research degree here at Manchester, all of which provide an opportunity to build skills and experiences that will help you to achieve your personal and career development goals.

In the Faculty of Science and Engineering these options are;

• Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT PhD): four-year research degrees which combine research with training
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): three to four-year programmes of supervised research, with a wide range of science PhDs and engineering PhDs available.
• Engineering Doctorate: specialised engineering programmes which incorporate a taught component and industry collaboration.
• Master of Philosophy (MPhil): typically a 12-month programme assessed by the submission and examination of a shorter thesis than that required for a PhD.
• MSc by Research: a 12-month programme including subject-specific taught course units, research skills training and research project(s).

Look through a full list of our postgraduate research options across The University of Manchester >>

A focus on... Centres for Doctoral Training

A Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) is a postgraduate research opportunity provided by a group of institutions, rather than just one university. You’ll be working across several higher education institutions, as well as with industry partners, to contribute to work in nationally recognised priority research areas. Providing cohort-based training and offering generous funding, CDT studentships are an excellent way to gain your PhD while working at the cutting edge of UK research.

The University of Manchester Faculty of Science and Engineering is recruiting for a number of CDTs in 2024 and 2025, with research areas in graphene and 2D materials, artificial intelligence, robotics and nuclear energy.

Find details of Manchester’s CDT opportunities below.

Manchester based CDTs

Recruiting students now:

• AI CDT in Decision Making for Complex Systems
  Led by Dr Mauricio A Álvarez, this CDT will train the next generation of AI researchers to develop AI methods designed to accelerate new scientific discoveries.
• SATURN (Skills and Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear) CDT
  Led by Professor Scott Heath, the primary aim of SATURN is to provide high quality research training in science and engineering, underpinning nuclear fission technology.

Recruiting students from 2025:

• 2D Materials of Tomorrow CDT
  Led by Professor Irina Grigorieva, this CDT will focus on a new class of advanced materials with potential to transform modern technologies, from clean energy to quantum engineering.
• Robotics and AI for Net Zero CDT (coming soon)
  Led by Dr Simon Watson, this CDT will train and develop the next generation of multi-disciplinary robotic systems engineers to help revolutionise lifecycle asset management, in support of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy.

No longer recruiting students:

• Advanced Biomedical Materials CDT
• Integrated Catalysis (iCAT) CDT.

External CDTs

Recruiting students:

• Aerosol Science CDT (Continuing with a new CDT from September 2024)
• Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing CDT (Continuing with a new CDT from September 2024)
• Fusion CDT (Continuing with a new CDT from September 2024)
• Royce CDT in Developing National Capability in Materials 4.0.

No longer recruiting students:

• Advanced Metallic Systems CDT
• BioDesign Engineering CDT
• Future Innovation in Non-Descrictive evaluation (FIND) CDT.