The Department offers full time and part time research programmes for a PhD, MPhil and MSc degrees. Details of these programmes are available in Applied Science and Technology Postgraduate Study 2005.
Research degrees focus on the pursuit of a research goal, through a supervised research project. The research topic is selected to fit departmental research strategy and supervisor expertise. There are taught elements to a research degree, but the major component is research. All research students belong to one of the Department’s four research groups.
- MSc by research - Involves 1 year of supervised research resulting in a thesis.
- MPhil (Master of Philosophy) - involves 2 years of supervised research resulting in a thesis.
- PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) - involves 3-4 years of supervised research resulting in a thesis. PhD graduates may use the title “Dr”.
It is usual for a PhD student to be initially registered for an MPhil and then progress to a PhD during their 2nd year of study.
The Department
The Department has a vibrant and mature research culture. There are some 30 postgraduate research students organised into 4 research groups who pursue research in four modern open plan research offices. A research student is supported by a supervisor, a supervisory panel, dedicated research officers and a training program tailored to the individual needs of the field of research study. The research environment is further enhanced by a programme of colloquia and the Department's own annual Graduate Research Conference. In addition the students run their own Postgraduate Forum to foster social activities and networking between the four research groups.
Together the research groups of the Department pursue a broad range of fundamental and applied research. The groups collaborate widely with other Departments in the University, with companies and hospitals in the UK and numerous national and international research institutions around the world. The reseach groups and themes can be seen in the graphic below.
We welcome postgraduate research applications from students with research interests related to the overall remit of a group, as well as applications who have interests more closely identified with specific themes of a group. Applicants may suggest a project of their own choice or identify an existing research theme / project cluster of one of research groups.
Given the applied nature of some of our research, the department also invites applications from graduates from other disciplines, including mathematics, engineering and geography.
Entry requirements
You should normally have, or expect to obtain, at least an upper second class Honours degree, or equivalent, in a computing or related discipline appropriate to your intended research.
Admissions procedure
You should complete the application form, on which you indicate your preferred research theme or project cluster, and return it to the university’s Admissions Office. At the same time, you should send the pink reference forms to your two referees for prompt return to the university (but please try to ensure that your application arrives at the Admissions Office before the referees’ forms). It is very helpful to have your email address, particularly if we require further information, as this speeds up the process. Please quote your email address (if you have one) on your application form, somewhere within the address panel.
Your application will be passed to this department from the Admissions Office. When your referees’ forms arrive, all the papers for your application will be referred to potential supervisors according to your research preferences. You may then be invited for an interview to meet and discuss projects with those potential supervisors, and you may have to make a choice between several projects. For students based outside the UK we may ask for an interview by telephone. You will also have the opportunity, while visiting, to view the facilities of the university and the department, and to discuss funding.
When a decision has been made on your application, our reply will normally be one of the following:
- an unconditional offer of a place on the programme
- a conditional offer of a place (which might be conditional on, for example, satisfactory references or achieving a particular level in a degree result)
- a request for further information to help assess the application
- a rejection of the application
Any formal offer will be sent to you from the university’s Admissions Office. If you wish to take up the place, it is important that you communicate your acceptance of the offer, in writing, to the university’s Admissions Office so that registration material can be prepared for you.
International Graduate Scheme (IGS)
The IGS replaced the Science and Engineering Graduate Scheme (SEGS) on 1 May 2007 with a new ‘staying on’ scheme which is not academic subject specific. IGS will enable international students who have acquired a bachelor degree or higher degree in any subject from the University of Hull to be able to apply to stay on to work in the UK for up to one year.
Click here for more information.
