Department of Materials
PhD or MPhil
PhD: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time. MPhil: 2 years full-time; 3 years part-time.
Research Proposal
Applicants need not submit a detailed research proposal with their application, though they are welcome to do so if they wish. However, they should indicate which area of research they wish to pursue and/or the names of staff members they would be interested in working with.
Entry Qualification
Good degree or equivalent experience. These are in addition to the General Entrance Requirements.
Departmental Support and Training for Research Students
All research students are provided with:
- their own desk and storage space in a communal environment
- access to photocopying facilities, usually paid for by the research project
- opportunities to attend conferences in the UK and overseas
- academic and pastoral support from their project supervisor, plus a Director of Research, who also ensures adequate progress is being made
Research students:
- must complete 30 days training prior to submission of a PhD thesis (20 days for an MPhil), usually spread across the duration of study; training encompasses technical skills as well as presentation skills, business issues, etc
- are expected to attend all Departmental seminars (typically 6 pa) and the Departmental Research Day in May/June. During the latter, 1st and 3rd year students give oral presentations on their work, whilst 2nd year students present posters, ensuring all students receive practice in these essential skills
- have employment opportunities as laboratory demonstrators
- have a very healthy Departmental social life, largely run by postgraduate and undergraduate students via the Materials Engineering Social Society (MESS), including a Christmas quiz, sporting events ranging from a skittles evening in a traditional English pub to a softball competition, and occasional wine tasting
Research Groups
With an annual research income of £1.5-2M, our activities centre on the interactions of structure and properties with processing and product performance for polymers, metals, ceramics and their composites. Our work covers both fundamental and applied aspects and is often multidisciplinary in nature, involving partners from our extensive network of contacts in the UK and worldwide. Our work is supported by excellent support staff and extensive facilities ranging from materials synthesis to processing and characterisation. The latter is provided by the Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre, which houses state-of-the-art, world-class facilities as well as providing a service to industry.