Program Overview

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Introduction to the Materials 4.0 (EPSRC CDT) Program

The Materials 4.0 EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) is a cohort-based training program designed to train the next generation of doctoral scientists. This four-year doctoral course (eight years if studying part-time) focuses on the digitalization of materials research and innovation, linking the digital and physical via cyber-physical systems for prediction, classification, and control of material performance.

About the Course

The program aims to equip students with the skills to exploit new developments in high-throughput approaches for making, characterizing, and testing new materials. This will enable them to tackle a broad range of materials science challenges. The CDT has been developed by a consortium led by the Henry Royce Institute, along with seven universities and two national institutes, and has a large industrial base collaboration.

Course Structure

The course interleaves activities with ongoing research, building from basic learning to leadership over four years. It is delivered using traditional (face-to-face) and modern (remote online) learning formats. In the first two years, students learn core skills such as basic programming, data analysis and visualization, machine learning, research data management, experimental design, and communication and coaching. In the last two years, students take the lead in developing and delivering training materials for younger students and become advocates for the digitalization of materials discovery and manufacturing in industry and academia.

Attendance and Duration

The course can be studied full-time or part-time, with both modes requiring attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements, while part-time students are required to attend course-related activities in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year. The full-time course is usually studied over four years, and part-time pathways (up to eight years) are also offered.

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 department has excellent and wide-ranging research resources, including electron microscopy facilities, clean room facilities, and nanomechanical characterization equipment.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Materials. Typically, you will have the opportunity to meet with your supervisor approximately every two to three weeks.

Assessment

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Normally, after six terms as a full-time PRS student (and 12 terms as a part-time PRS student), you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. A successful transfer of status will require completion of the taught aspects of the Materials 4.0 course and a report on the first months of work on your DPhil project.

Graduate Destinations

Materials graduates are highly regarded by a wide range of employers, including universities, high-tech start-up companies, engineering consultancies, industry, and the financial and business sectors.

Changes to the Course

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration.

Course Components

In the first two years, you will learn core skills such as basic programming, data analysis and visualization, machine learning, research data management, experimental design, and communication and coaching. These core-skill courses will provide you with the personal toolkit required to conduct your research.

Research Areas

You will have the opportunity to undertake research within the specialized themes of this course, including the digitalization of materials research and innovation. The set of skills you will acquire during the CDT will enable you to exploit new developments in high-throughput approaches for making, characterizing, and testing new materials to tackle a broad range of materials science challenges in areas such as 2D materials, advanced metal processing, and biomedical materials.

Entry Requirements

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honors in a suitable science subject. Other subjects may be acceptable depending on the area of research chosen. For candidates offering a UK bachelor's degree or UK integrated undergraduate master's degree, normally, we require an overall grade of at least 65%.

Degree-Level Qualifications

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honors in a suitable science subject such as materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering, and mathematics.
• Other subjects may be acceptable depending on the area of research chosen.

English Language Proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's standard level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement.

References

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The primary purpose of the three references is to provide the department with evidenced insight into your potential to excel as a research student.

Supporting Documents

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

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Statement of purpose

Funding and Costs

All applicants who are 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. The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis, and the annual course fees for the academic year at the University of Oxford are:

• Full-time study: Ł10,470 (Home), Ł34,700 (Overseas)
• Part-time study: Ł5,235 (Home), Ł17,350 (Overseas)

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. You will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed or ask us to find a college for you.

How to Apply

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents. There is no need to contact any supervisor before making an application. Details of projects being offered that are suitable can be found on the Department of Materials website under Materials 4.0 CDT projects.

Proposed Field and Title of Research Project

You are not required to complete this field of the application form. Instead, you are required to list up to four research projects (and the associated supervisors) in which you are interested, in order of preference, as part of your Statement of Purpose.

Proposed Supervisor

Under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) whom you would like to supervise your research. You should list all of the supervisors names that are associated with the projects (up to four) that you are interested in, and will be listed in your Statement of Purpose.

Referees

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete.

Official Transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution, and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

CV/Résumé

A CV/résumé is compulsory for this course. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Statement of Purpose

A detailed research proposal is not required. Instead, you should provide a single document comprising both a list of up to four research projects (and the associated supervisors) in which you are interested, in order of preference, selected exclusively from the subset of currently advertised projects on the department's website, and an outline of your research interests, written in English, that clearly indicates the rationale behind your choice of projects.

After You've Submitted Your Application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.