Program Overview

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Materials Engineering PhD

The Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing at Brunel (WCBU) focuses on materials science. Established in 1987 by Professor Mike Bevis with the help of a generous grant from the Wolfson Foundation, the centre has grown to become a distinguished international centre of excellence for materials technology, attracting over £10.0 million in funding since 2006.

Research Profile

Find out about the exciting research we do in this area. Browse profiles of our experts, discover the research groups and their inspirational research activities you too could be part of. We've also made available extensive reading materials published by our academics and PhD students.

Browse the Work of Subject-Relevant Research Groups

• Advanced Powertrain and Fuels
• Aerospace Research Centre
• Assessment of Structures and Materials under Extreme Conditions
• Biomedical Engineering
• Bioprocess and Biopharmaceutical Engineering
• Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST)
• Brunel Composites Centre
• Brunel Innovation Centre
• Circular Metals
• Design and Manufacturing
• Digital Manufacturing
• Energy Efficient and Sustainable Technologies
• Equitable Development and Resilience
• Experimental Techniques Centre
• Flood Risk and Resilience
• Flood, Coastal and Water Engineering
• Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering
• Heat Pipe and Thermal Management
• Institute of Digital Futures
• Institute of Energy Futures
• Institute of Materials and Manufacturing
• Liquid Metal Engineering Hub
• Mechanics of Solids and Structures
• Non-traditional Manufacturing Technologies
• Organ-on-a-Chip
• Quality Engineering and Smart Technology
• Resilient Structures and Construction Materials
• Resource Efficient Future Cities
• Robotics and Automation
• Sustainable Energy Use in Food Chains
• Two Phase Flow and Heat Transfer
• Wolfson Centre for Sustainable Materials Development and Processing

Find a Supervisor

Our researchers create knowledge and advance understanding, and equip versatile doctoral researchers with the confidence to apply what they have learnt for the benefit of society. Find out more about working with the Supervisory Team.

PhD Topics

While we welcome applications from students with a clear direction for their research, we are providing you with some ideas for your chosen field of research:

• AI (Artificial Intelligence) enabled autonomous robots for non-disruptive inspection of utility and sewage systems, supervised by Md Nazmul Huda
• Developing Sustainable Decarbonised Polygeneration System Concept for the Production of Hydrogen, Chemicals and Energy, supervised by Kok Siew Ng
• Development of a miniature capsule robot for capsule endoscopy, supervised by Md Nazmul Huda
• Dynamics of seawater intrusion in heterogeneous coastal aquifers, supervised by Ashraf Ahmed Mohamed
• Study of stray current induced corrosion in railway construction, supervised by Kangkang Tang
• Sustainable production of functional materials from waste, supervised by Abhishek Lahiri
• Sustainable production of Vitamin K1, supervised by Dale McClure
• The sustainability of hydrogen production for future energy uses, supervised by Colin Axon and Peter Hewitson

Research Journey

This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time, starting in January. Or this course can be studied 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time, starting in October. Or this course can be studied 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time, starting in April.

Research Support

Excellent research support and training. The Graduate School provides a range of personal, professional and career development opportunities. This includes workshops, online training, coaching and events, to enable you to enhance your professional profile, refine your skills, and plan your next career steps as part of the Researcher Development Programme.

Library Services

Brunel's Library is open 24 hours a day, has 400,000 books and 250,000 ebooks, and an annual budget of almost £2m. Subject information Specialists train students in the latest technology, digital literacy, and digital dissemination of scholarly outputs.

Careers and Your Future

You will receive tailored careers support during your PhD and for up to three years after you complete your research at Brunel. We encourage you to actively engage in career planning and managing your personal development right from the start of your research, even (or perhaps especially) if you don't yet have a career path in mind.

UK Entry Requirements

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1). An interview will be required as part of the admissions process and will be conducted by at least two academic staff members remotely via MS Teams, Zoom, or face to face.

EU and International Entry Requirements

Select your country to find out the entry requirements. If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS).

English Language Requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
• Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all)

Fees and Funding

2025/6 Entry

• International: £24,795 full-time, £12,395 part-time
• UK: £5,006 full-time, £2,503 part-time

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase. Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both.

PhD Studentships

• Best practices for minimising dross formation during melting of scrap aluminium
• Development of natural-ageing-resistant, heat-treatable lean aluminium alloys for automotive applications

Scholarships and Bursaries

• Brunel Graduate Discount
• Doctoral Researcher / PhD Studentships
• Doctoral Researcher Funding Opportunities