Mathematical Sciences, MPhil/PhD

Program Overview

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Mathematical Sciences, MPhil/PhD

Join world-leading research teams with diverse expertise to study for a research degree in Mathematical Sciences (MPhil/PhD) at the University of Greenwich.

We offer advanced research training opportunities across a broad range of areas, including mathematics, statistics data science, and numerical analysis.

Research activities are supported by three world-class research centres: the Centre for Sustainable Cybersecurity, the Centre for Safety, resilience and Protective Security and the Centre for Advanced Simulation and Modelling.

You will initiate and interpret new knowledge, led by your understanding of a substantial body of knowledge in your academic discipline. Recent projects by our research students span an incredibly diverse range of topics including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics and Pure/Applied Mathematics. Once you complete your training, you'll be ideally suited to work in academic or industrial research environments.

You are highly encouraged to identify and contact a potential MPhil/PhD supervisor among the School of Computing and Mathematics staff members. They will guide you with your application and help you shape your research proposal.

School

Computing and Mathematical Sciences

Location

Medway Campus

Duration

• 3-4 years full-time
• 4-7 years part-time

Start month

• September
• October
• November
• December
• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July

Home /international fees 2025/26

• £5,006 /£17,975

What you should know about this course

• Typically, you register for the MPhil and transfer to the PhD at the end of the first year, subject to satisfactory progress
• You will benefit from dedicated research lab space and state-of-the-art facilities at our Greenwich Campus
• The MPhil is 18-36 months full-time and 30-48 months part-time. The MPhil/PhD is 36-48 months full-time and 48-84 months part-time
• You can enrol on the MPhil/PhD programme at any time during the academic year.

What you will study

Your PhD will centre on a specific research area and topic. With guidance from your supervisory team, you will select areas to study that align with your project. You may also attend extra classes or participate in training events to support your research. This can include seminars and workshops provided by the Faculty and your Research Centre. In addition, you will be part of the Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme (PGRDP). The PGRDP offers both mandatory and elective sessions designed to assist research students in enhancing their skills.

Tim Tilford

Associate Head of School - Research & Knowledge Exchange (CMS)

About the course team

The course is designed by the School of Computing and Mathematics, covering a wide range of fields including computer science, artificial intelligence, games development and mathematics. The majority of our academics are members of our world-leading research centres. We have 10 professors in the school and a growing number of Fellows and Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

Entry requirements

An undergraduate (honours) degree with minimum 2:1 (or equivalent), or a Master’s degree with minimum 60% overall (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.

Applicants who don’t meet the above but have significant experience may be considered subject to the approval of the Associate Dean for Research and Knowledge Exchange and the Programme Leader.

Further information about entry

• Suitable applicants will be required to attend an interview.
• Applicants will also be required to:
  • Provide a detailed research proposal of approx. 1,500 words (for scholarship applications, please see specific instructions in the advert and include the scholarship reference to the personal statement section).
  • Provide a Curriculum Vitae (CV).
  • Provide 2x academic or professional references.
• Applicants are highly encouraged to identify and contact a potential MPhil/PhD supervisor. They will guide applicants through the application and help shape the research proposal. Where possible, include the name of the potential supervisor(s) contacted in research proposal and personal statement.

How you will learn

Teaching

This course creates a structured route into computing, mathematics and data science research. Research students are provided with a specialist supervisory team to guide you through your research project. Your supervisors are usually research staff from within the faculty, although we may augment with academic staff from another department or from outside the university where appropriate.

Class sizes

The School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences is home to approximately 30 MPhil and PhD students across three research centres.

Independent learning

A research degree is a major piece of original work. Most of your study time will be spent working independently, with support from your supervisory team.

You may also wish to factor in other research activity, such as participation at seminars, events and conferences, or working towards publications.

Overall workload

If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job over a 3-year period. For part-time students, this will adjust accordingly.

Assessment

The MPhil/PhD Programme is assessed by a written thesis and a viva including an external examiner, an internal examiner and a panel chair. For PhD study, students initially register for MPhil and undergo an internal transfer review after one year of research, to determine their readiness for full PhD registration.

Feedback summary

You receive regular feedback from your supervisory team, which meets formally every two weeks, but informally much more often. A faculty-level committee reviews your progress annually and helps to shape the direction of the project.

The oral examination (or viva) takes place a few weeks after the submission of the thesis and is assessed by an external researcher knowledgeable in the field of study.

Dates and timetables

Enrolment on the PhD/MPhil programme can take place at any time during the academic year.

Fees and funding

University is a great investment in your future. English-domiciled graduate annual salaries were £10,500 more than non-graduates in 2023 - and the UK Government projects that 88% of new jobs by 2035 will be at graduate level.

(Source: DfE Graduate labour market statistics: 2023/DfE Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035).

Cohort | Full time | Part time | Distance learning
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Home | £5,006 | £2,503 per year | N/A
International | £17,975 | £8,988 per year | N/A

Fees information

Accommodation costs

Whether you choose to live in halls of residence or rent privately, we can help you find what you're looking for. University accommodation is available from £126.35 per person per week (bills included), depending on your location and preferences. If you require more space or facilities, these options are available at a slightly higher cost.

Accommodation pages

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries.

The Greenwich Bursary

This bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income, entering Year 0 or 1 who meet the eligibility criteria.

The Greenwich Bursary

EU Bursary

Following the UK's departure from the European Union, we are supporting new EU students by offering a substantial fee-reduction for studying.

The EU bursary

Financial support

We want your time at university to be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress, so planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.

Funding your studies

Careers and placements

What sort of careers do graduates pursue?

Graduates from this programme can pursue a wide range of career opportunities in industry, government and academia.

Do you provide employability services?

We have a team dedicated to enhancing student employment outcomes. Our Employer Partnerships Manager develops relationships with companies to provide employment opportunities.

Support and advice

Academic skills and study support

Each student is assigned to at least two supervisors, of whom one is designated the lead supervisor. The supervisors would have complementary technical knowledge and project management experiences in the student's area of investigation. In addition, all members of related research Centre will provide advice and support as required. The Programme Leader will also provide general guidance and support, as will the teaching team. In many cases, industrial supervisors are included in the supervision team to provide timely industrial requirements, trends, knowledge and support.

Support from the department

All students prepare a research proposal identifying a programme of work and the equipment and resources required. The School is fully equipped to support students across a range of disciplines, providing access to state-of-the-art industrial technologies during projects with our collaborators, including Diamond Light Source (DLS), European Synch Radiation Facility (ESRF), Ford Motor Co, Renishaw, Anton Paar UK Ltd, Constellium, Kaiser Aluminum, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Phoenix Scientific Industries (PSI), Wartsila, Maher, Argos, European Space Agency (ESA), Faculty AI, Transforming Systems.