Program Overview

Information Security PhD

Key Information

• Duration: 4 years full time
• Institution code: R72
• Campus: Egham
• UK fees: £5,006
• International/EU fees: £25,500

About Us

The Information Security Group (ISG) is a world-leading interdisciplinary research group dedicated to research and education in the area of information (cyber) security.

• The ISG comprises more than fifteen full-time academic faculty members, including a mix of computer scientists, mathematicians, and social scientists.
• They are supported by visiting academics, research assistants, and a large number of research students, making the ISG one of the largest academic information security teams in the world.
• We also host an EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber Security for the Everyday, which funds a four-year PhD programme (first year of taught training followed by three years of research).

Research Facilities and Environment

• The ISG has more than 15 permanent research-active members of academic staff, a number of distinguished visiting professors and consultants, as well as a large group of postdoctoral research assistants and a large PhD research student community supported by the CDT in Cybersecurity for the everyday.
• This exciting research environment is enhanced by a range of research seminars and working groups.
• We also boast exceptional research facilities, including our own dedicated research centre, the Smart Card and IoT Security Centre.
• The Systems Security Research Lab (S2 Lab) was founded in September 2014, focusing on devising novel techniques to protect systems from a broad range of threats.

Assessment

• Once the research has been successfully completed, the student must write and submit a final report in the form of a PhD research thesis.
• This will be evaluated by at least two experts, and the student will be invited to attend an oral examination where they must defend their thesis.

Entry Requirements

• The minimum entry requirement for an MPhil or an MPhil leading to a PhD degree is the equivalent of a UK Second Class Honours degree in an appropriate subject, although in many cases a Masters level qualification will also be expected.
• Candidates must also be demonstrably proficient in English.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 overall, Writing 7.0, No other subscore lower than 5.5.
• Pearson Test of English: 61 overall, Writing 69, No other subscore lower than 51.
• Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
• TOEFL ib: 88 overall, with Reading 18 Listening 17 Speaking 20 Writing 26.

Country-Specific Requirements

• For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country, please see here.

Your Future Career

• The degree can be used as an entry into corporate information security research or academic research, or may serve as a method to demonstrate the candidate's advanced skills in a manner beyond that demonstrated by a taught course.
• Ex-students can now be found working at high levels in all branches of information security and in such companies as Microsoft and Google.

Fees & Funding

• Home (UK) students tuition fee per year: £5,006
• EU and International students tuition fee per year: £25,500
• Other essential costs: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
• Please note that for research courses, we adopt the minimum fee level recommended by the UK Research Councils for the Home tuition fee.
• Each year, the fee level is adjusted in line with inflation (currently, the measure used is the Treasury GDP deflator).
• Fees displayed here are therefore subject to change and are usually confirmed in the spring of the year of entry.
• For more information on the Research Council Indicative Fee, please see the UKRI website.
• This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2025/26.
• Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase fees for all students annually.
• Be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year.
• For further information, see fees and funding and the terms and conditions.
• These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide.
• Costs, such as accommodation, food, books, and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.