Program Overview

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Postgraduate research in civil engineering

Ready to start your research career? Explore our postgraduate research degrees in civil engineering.

Research degrees

Find out about our PhD, MPhil and PhD by Publication opportunities in Civil Engineering, including how to apply, entry requirements and funding your degree.

Civil Engineering PhDs and MPhils

Explore our pre-approved funded and self-funded PhD projects in Civil Engineering, or submit your own research idea.

PhD and MPhil projects

Funded projects

There are currently no funded PhD projects available in this area – for more information on funding your own research project, visit our pages on funding your research degree.

Self-funded projects (A-M)

• Addressing the climate emergency by decarbonising the service sector
• Advanced engineering analysis of chalk in construction
• An artificially intelligent camera imaging algorithm for monitoring multi-scale damage
• Assessment and development of waste plastic building blocks
• Blast resistant cladding systems: Novel material characterisation development
• Blast resistant cladding systems: Secondary structural elements
• Cement Replacement Strategies for High Density Concrete Radiation Shielding under Thermal and Impact Loads
• Characterisation and applications of trommel fines derived from recycling of construction, demolition and excavation wastes
• Combined Thermal and Impact Effects on Main Gas and Oil Pipelines
• Community-focused heritage regeneration: Developing a sustainable regeneration framework for historic industrial-military and associated residential heritage in southern England
• Development of non-sewered sanitation for developed countries
• Developing a sustainable mixed-use regeneration strategy for historic industrial-military heritage in southern England
• Development of the prefabricated incremental adaptable modular housing units with the support of the digital twinning technology
• Dynamic soil-structure interaction of offshore wind turbine foundations
• Effect of cement replacement on properties of Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC)
• Exploiting Smart Contracts and Blockchain Technology: Blueprint for a new AEC Industry
• Forecasting natural and engineering slope failure under heavy rainfall
• Incorporating water leakage reduction in the automatic creation of water supply zones
• Mapping the global impact of litter

Self-funded projects (N-Z)

• Numerical simulation of natural stabiliser compressed earth blocks
• Predicting building performance in future climate change scenarios: a comparative study of actual and simulated data
• Predicting natural and engineering slope failure propagation
• Recovery and reuse of phosphorous from wastewater using modified waste sea shells as a reactive media
• Remediation of eutrophic waters through passive adsorption
• Repurposing military heritage in southern England: Constructing a holistic sustainable regeneration framework to reclaim an exceptional and challenging legacy
• Soil reinforcement interaction mechanics
• Sustainable soil strengthening technique using natural fibres
• The Combined Effect of Blast and Thermal Loading on Structural Connections
• The use of 3-D modelling of flow patterns and pollutant retention to optimize the layout of vegetated detention ponds
• Transparent soil modelling of soil-structure interaction under dynamic conditions
• Use of Iterative multi-parametric design enabling tools for the optimisation of structural response and seismic behaviour
• Using simulation to design comfortable housing for the poor in the low income tropics
• Water Management System for Mineral Handling Operations

Submit your own idea

If you already have a research idea, find a supervisor whose research interests match yours by searching our Find a PhD Supervisor page. Once you've identified someone suitable, contact them to discuss your idea.

PhD by Publication

A PhD by publication is a postgraduate research degree based on research you've already undertaken and had published (excluding self-publishing) before registering with us.

Eligible research outputs include peer-reviewed academic papers, complete books or chapters in anthologies, and other materials accepted for publication, exhibited or performed. You'll have to submit these materials for examination between 6–12 months after registering with us.

Duration, fees and funding

What do my tuition fees cover?

If you're self-funding your PhD, you'll pay tuition fees to the University to cover course and university costs.

Your tuition fees cover:

• The cost of your postgraduate research programme at the University as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision, and examinations
• Bespoke training, professional development courses, networking, and research support through The Doctoral College
• Research seminars and workshops (university-wide and faculty-specific)
• A contribution to funding to attend a conference or development activity in your research field
• Tailor-made weekly and monthly events, including weekly, themed experienced researcher-led talks and workshops
• Helping you become part of our thriving research community, including Research and Innovation services where 77% of our research is world leading and internationally excellent in REF 2021
• Your graduation ceremony
• Viva examination and administration costs
• The facilities and equipment you need to complete your studies, such as computer rooms, access to laptops, the Library, and laboratories
• Access to resources including electronic journals, alternative guide to funding, and thousands of hours of educational videos on LinkedIn Learning
• University support services including academic, financial, careers and wellbeing support and personal tutors
• Membership of the Students' Union (giving you the right to vote in elections, join clubs and societies, and get free independent advice)
• Access to software such as Microsoft Office, SPSS and Adobe Creative Suite (this includes Photoshop, InDesign, and Adobe Premiere Pro)

How long will my research degree take?

• MPhil: 2 years full-time, 4 years part-time
• PhD: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time
• PhD by Publication: 1 year part-time

How much will my degree cost?

February 2025 and April 2025 fees

• PhD and MPhil
  • UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £4,786 per year (full-time), £2,393 per year (part-time and part-time distance learning)
  • EU students (including Transition Scholarship): £4,786 per year (full-time), £2,393 per year (part-time and part-time distance learning)
  • International students: £19,200 per year (full-time), £9,600 per year (part-time and part-time distance learning)
• PhD by Publication: £4,786 (external candidates), £1,950 (members of staff)

October 2025, February 2026 and April 2026

• PhD and MPhil
  • UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £5,006 per year (full-time and full-time distance learning), £2,503 per year (part-time and part-time distance learning)
  • EU students (including Transition Scholarship): £5,006 per year (full-time and full-time distance learning), £2,503 per year (part-time and part-time distance learning)
  • International students: £19,200 per year (full-time and full-time distance learning), £9,600 per year (part-time and part-time distance learning)
• PhD by Publication: £5,006 (external candidates), £2,000 (members of staff)

Bench fees

Some PhD projects may include additional fees – known as bench fees – for equipment and other consumables, and these will be added to your standard tuition fee.

Funding support

MPhil full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the Government Postgraduate Loan (UK/EU students only).

PhD full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the Government Doctoral Loan (UK/EU students only).

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for a PhD, or MPhil include an upper second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, or a master’s degree in an appropriate subject. Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications may be considered. All applicants are subject to interview.

If English is not your first language, you'll need English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Support and facilities

When you join us, you'll be supported by our Doctoral College, alongside your assigned supervisory team, who'll help you get the most from our facilities.

Our key facility is the Environmental Technology Field Station at Petersfield sewage works, where we have labs and testbeds for pilot plants. We also have environmental engineering and hydraulics laboratories at the main campus.

What can a postgraduate research degree do for my career?

Once you complete your postgraduate research degree, you'll be a highly-skilled researcher with the knowledge and skills to make an impact in many different industries.

Your postgraduate research qualification demonstrates to potential employers that you're an intelligent, capable and motivated person, with provable abilities and experience in critical thinking, problem-solving, project management, communication, leadership and creativity.

Current research

Explore the work we're doing in our areas of research expertise in Civil Engineering.

Building Design, Construction Management and Surveying

We're working to understand the increasingly complex and pressurised nature of modern construction, and developing new approaches to project management that take these new challenges into account.

Environmental Technology and Management

We're finding sustainable ways of tackling pollution, developing the technology needed to deal with new pollutants, and finding ways to build sustainable, environmentally-friendly urban landscapes.