Postgraduate research 

Electronics & Nanoscale Engineering PhD/MPhil/MSc (Research)

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Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering PhD opportunities

The Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering research division is home to more than 70 research students working in fields as diverse as atomic force microscopy, quantum sensors, high speed optical devices and atomistic device simulations.

  • PhD: 3-4 years full-time; 6-8 years part-time; Thesis of Max 80,000 words
  • MSc (Research): 1-2 years full-time; 2-3 years part-time;
  • MPhil: 2-3 years full-time; 3-4 years part-time;

Overview

You will have access to the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC) and the Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre. The JWNC holds a number of world records in nanofabrication including for the performance of nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Over 250 international companies have worked with the JWNC in the last five years. Over 90 different universities from around the globe collaborate with us in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Research areas

The Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering research division carries out leading-edge research in the following areas:

Electronics

  • High Frequency Electronics
  • Microwave and THz Electronics
  • Communications, Sensing and Imaging
  • Microsystem Technology
  • Microelectronics
  • Intelligent Devices and Systems
  • Advanced Semiconductor Materials & Devices
  • Ultrafast Systems
  • Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies

More information: Electronics

Photonics

  • Novel Light Sources
  • Structured Photonics
  • Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics
  • RF and Microwave Photonics

More information: Photonics

Quantum & Nano Technologies

  • Quantum Sensors
  • Quantum Circuits
  • Spin Electronics and Photonics
  • Nanotechnology
  • Device Modelling
  • Semiconductor Devices

More information: Quantum & Nano

Study options

  full-time
(years)
part-time
(years)
Phd 3-4 6-8
EngD 4-5 8
MSc (Res) 1-2 2-3
MPhil 2-3 3-4

Entry requirements

2.1 Honours degree or equivalent

Required documentation

Applicants should submit:

  • Transcripts/degree certificate 
  • Two references
  • A one-page research proposal
  • CV
  • Name of potential Supervisor

Research proposal

Candidates are required to provide a single page outline of the research subject proposed (approximately 1000 words). This need not be a final thesis proposal but should include:

  • a straightforward, descriptive, and informative title
  • the question that your research will address
  • an account of why this question is important and worth investigating
  • an assessment of how your own research will engage with recent study in the subject
  • a brief account of the methodology and approach you will take
  • a discussion of the primary sources that your research will draw upon, including printed books, manuscripts, archives, libraries, or museums
  • an indicative bibliography of secondary sources that you have already consulted and/or are planning to consult

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

  • 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test
  • IELTS One Skill Retake accepted.

Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme:

TOEFL (ibt, my best or athome)

  • 79; with Reading 13; Listening 12; Speaking 18;Writing 21
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements , this includes TOEFL mybest.

Pearsons PTE Academic

  • 59 with minimum 59 in all subtests
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)

  • 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
  • Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.

Oxford English Test

  • Oxford ELLT 7
  • R&L: OIDI level no less than 6 with Reading: 21-24 Listening: 15-17
  • W&S: OIDI level no less than 6

Trinity College Tests

Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests.

University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses

Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.

Alternatives to English Language qualification

  • Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
    • students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have complete their degree in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years
  • Undergraduate 2+2 degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
    • students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

Fees and funding

Fees

2025/26

  • UK: To be confirmed [24/25 fee was £4,786]
  • International & EU: £31,800

Prices are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Fees for part-time study are half the full-time fee.

Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.

Alumni discount

We offer a 20% discount to our alumni on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed Junior Year Abroad, Exchange programme or International Summer School with us. The discount is applied at registration for students who are not in receipt of another discount or scholarship funded by the University. No additional application is required.

Possible additional fees

  • Re-submission by a research student £540
  • Submission for a higher degree by published work £1,355
  • Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed £350
  • Submission by staff in receipt of staff scholarship £790

Depending on the nature of the research project, some students will be expected to pay a bench fee (also known as research support costs) to cover additional costs. The exact amount will be provided in the offer letter.

Funding

Support

Resources

Our outstanding facilities include an environmental lab, structural testing apparatus and high-performance computing facilities for modelling and simulation.

Graduate School

PhD students iwill have at least two supervisors, one of whom will be very closely engaged in their research. With over 50 students in the Division, students enjoy a great sense of camaraderie, and often life-long friendships are formed.

You will be part of a Graduate School which provides the highest level of support to its students.

The overall aim of our Graduate School is to provide a world-leading environment for students which is intellectually stimulating, encourages them to contribute to culture, society and the economy and enables them to become leaders in a global environment.

We have a diverse community of over 750 students from more than 50 countries who work in innovative and transformative disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields. An important part of our work is to bring our students together and to ensure they consider themselves an important part of the University’s academic community.

Being part of our Graduate School community will be of huge advantage to you in your studies and beyond and we offer students a number of benefits in addition to exceptional teaching and supervision, including:

  • A wide-ranging and responsive research student training programme which enables you to enhance your skills and successfully complete your studies.
  • Mobility scholarships of up to £4000 to enable you to undertake work in collaboration with an international partner.
  • A diverse programme of activities which will ensure you feel part of the wider-research community (including our biannual science slam event).
  • A residential trip for all new research students.
  • The opportunity to engage with industry-partners through training, placements and events.
  • Professionally accredited programmes.
  • Unique Masters programmes run in collaboration with other organisations.
  • State-of-the-art facilities including the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre and the Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre.
  • Highly-rated support for international students.

Over the last five years, we have helped over 600 students to complete their research studies and our students have gone on to take up prestigious posts in industries across the world.

Email: scieng-gradschool@glasgow.ac.uk

Career prospects

Our graduates have excellent prospects ranging from careers in academia,to  start-up entrepreneurship, to blue-chip engineering. Recent examples include:

  • a research fellowship in the USA
  • pioneering gene sequencing technology with a US start-up
  • joining a GU spin-out to build PhD research into a new product
  • joining a major integrated circuit design company.

Our doctoral graduates have consistently been in demand in a great variety of challenging and exciting roles, and benefit immensely from the experiences, friends, and networks they have gained while studying at Glasgow.

Collaborations

The Research Division works in close partnership with a range of leading companies and government bodies including:

  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
  • European Space Agency
  • Honeywell
  • IBM
  • Motorola
  • NASA
  • Philips
  • Scottish Enterprise
  • Scottish Funding Council
  • SELEX Galileio
  • SEMATECH

How to apply

Identify potential supervisors

All Postgraduate Research Students are allocated a supervisor who will act as the main source of academic support and research mentoring. You may want to identify a potential supervisor and contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please note, even if you have spoken to an academic staff member about your proposal you still need to submit an online application form.

You can find relevant academic staff members with our staff research interests search.

Gather your documents

Before applying please make sure you gather the following supporting documentation:

  1. Final or current degree transcripts including grades (and an official translation, if needed) – scanned copy in colour of the original document.
  2. Degree certificates (and an official translation, if needed): scanned copy in colour of the original document.
  3. Two references on headed paper and signed by the referee. One must be academic, the other can be academic or professional. References may be uploaded as part of the application form or you may enter your referees contact details on the application form. We will then email your referee and notify you when we receive the reference.  We can also accept confidential references direct to rio-researchadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk, from the referee’s university or business email account.
  4. Research proposal, CV, samples of written work as per requirements for each subject area.
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