Program Overview

DPhil in Engineering Science IDLA: Gas Turbine Heat Management

About the Course

This Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project in the DPhil in Engineering Science will require students to investigate a particular project in depth and write a thesis that makes a significant contribution to the field. The course is focused on a single project funded by the EPSRC Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA): Gas Turbine Heat Management, with Rolls-Royce as the industrial partner and Professor Peter Ireland as the academic supervisor.

Attendance

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements. Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a 'well-founded laboratory' outside of the University.

Resources to Support Study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources, including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources, and IT services. The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK, with over 13 million printed items and access to e-journals. The University's IT Services is available to support students with core university IT systems and tools.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Engineering Science. You will join your supervisor's research group, which normally includes post-doctoral researchers and other research students working on broadly similar research themes. Typically, you would interact daily with members of the group and have weekly contact with your supervisor.

Assessment

You will receive ongoing assessment and feedback from your supervisors. At the end of your first year, you will be required to Transfer your Status from a Probationary Research Student (PRS) to DPhil Student. For the transfer process, you need to write a report and give a presentation on your research to date and your plans for progressing. Your work is assessed by two faculty members or researchers in the department who are not your supervisors and involves an oral exam.

Graduate Destinations

Doctoral graduates from Engineering Science are ideally equipped for careers in a wide range of engineering fields. Most enjoy engineering-related careers, including engineering companies, consulting companies, start-up companies, research and development companies, and academia. Others enter professions where their high degree of ability in mathematical and systems modeling is required, such as finance and patent law.

Entry Requirements

Proven and Potential Academic Excellence

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown.

• A first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honors in engineering or a related discipline relevant for the proposed area of research, such as physics, materials science, computer science, applied mathematics, or chemistry.
• A previous master's qualification is not required.
• For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0.

English Language Proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are:

• IELTS Academic: 7.5 (with at least 7.0 in each component)
• TOEFL iBT: 110 (with at least 22 in Listening, 24 in Reading, 25 in Speaking, and 24 in Writing)
• C1 Advanced: 191 (with at least 185 in each component)
• C2 Proficiency: 191 (with at least 185 in each component)
• Oxford Test of English Advanced: 165 (with at least 155 in each component)

References

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. At least one academic reference must be provided.

Supporting Documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including:

• Official transcript(s) that give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date
• A CV/résumé that highlights your academic achievements and any relevant professional experience
• A research proposal of 1,000-1,500 words that outlines your proposed research, written in English

Funding

This studentship project is funded by UKRI. Due to restrictions on international student recruitment to UKRI grants, only applications from applicants who meet the residential eligibility criteria for UKRI funding will be considered. The successful applicant who is offered a place on this course will be offered a fully-funded scholarship, covering all course fees for the duration of their course and a living stipend.

Costs

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis. For the academic year, the annual course fees are:

• Home: Ł10,070
• Overseas: Ł33,370

Living Costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course. The estimated living costs for a single, full-time graduate student in Oxford are:

• Food: Ł330-Ł515 per month
• Accommodation: Ł790-Ł955 per month
• Personal items: Ł200-Ł335 per month
• Social activities: Ł45-Ł100 per month
• Study costs: Ł40-Ł90 per month
• Other: Ł20-Ł40 per month
• Total: Ł1,425-Ł2,035 per month

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. The following college accepts students for this course:

• Wolfson College

Research Areas

The project will explore the science of novel cooling technologies, such as phase change materials and heat transfer enhancement, for the air systems used to condition the turbine cooling air. The research will focus on improving the fuel efficiency of ultra-efficient engines, which are an important component in the UK's strategy to achieve net-zero aviation.