Program Overview

Overview of the Mechanical Engineering PhD Program

The School of Engineering at the University of Kent offers a PhD program in Mechanical Engineering, providing students with the opportunity to undertake cutting-edge research projects in advanced fields of mechanical engineering. The program is available for full-time or part-time study, with a duration of three to four years for full-time students and six to eight years for part-time students.

Key Information

• Study mode: Full-time or part-time
• Duration: 3 to 4 years full-time, 6 to 8 years part-time
• Start date: September, January, April
• Location: Canterbury

Entry Requirements

• A 2:1 or higher honors degree or MSc with Merit or above in suitable subjects such as mechanical, material, civil, and structural engineering, mathematics.
• All applicants are considered on an individual basis, and additional qualifications, professional qualifications, and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
• International students: Please see the International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information.

English Language Entry Requirements

• This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.
• Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on the English Language requirements webpage.
• Examples: IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test, a degree from a UK university, or a degree from a Majority English Speaking Country.

Funding

• The University of Kent offers a range of scholarships for postgraduate researchers.
• Scholarships can be broad or specific to the student's situation, background, or country.
• Research partnership funding with research councils and government schemes is also available.

Study Support

• The School of Engineering provides research students with excellent supervision and support through individual supervision, specialized research seminars, and general skills training programs.
• The School has state-of-the-art facilities and experimental equipment, including a 3-D printer, wind tunnel, dynamic testing machines, mechatronic units, and non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment.

Research

• The Mechanical Engineering Group has research strengths in areas such as computer-aided design (CAD), failure of materials and structures, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), automation and manufacturing, risk and reliability, industrial maintenance, robotics and autonomous systems, and digital mechanics.
• Research projects are available in various areas, including communications, intelligent interactions, and instrumentation and control.

Staff Research Interests

• Kent's world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision.
• The academic staff in the School of Engineering and their research interests are available on the School's website.

Your Future

• The University of Kent has an excellent record for postgraduate employment, with over 96% of postgraduate students who graduated in 2015 finding a job or further study opportunity within six months.
• The School of Engineering has developed its programs with a number of industrial organizations, which means that successful students are in a strong position to build a long-term career in this important discipline.

Fees and Funding

• The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
  • Full-time: £5,006 (UK), £23,500 (International)
  • Part-time: £2,503 (UK), £11,750 (International)
• For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see the Student Finance Guide.
• Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of the course.

Next Steps

• If you would like to study as an external research student (i.e., remotely), please contact the University to discuss your application.
• Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on the link below.
• You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.