The School of Engineering houses a community of engineering scientists across a broad range of disciplines. It has a truly international collective, which shares a passion for engineering. We take pride in offering a friendly atmosphere for both staff and students. Staff members will take time to get to know their students, and to support you throughout your studies. In turn you will have the opportunity to learn under the supervision of world-leading researchers, and to take part in activities at the forefront of engineering research. PhD students complete an independent research project under the guidance of a supervisory team. The research is normally completed over a maximum period of 3.0-3.5 years (full-time) or 6.0-6.5 years (part-time). A fourth year (full-time) or seventh year (part-time) or the remaining part of this can be used to prepare the thesis for examination. The thesis should not normally exceed 50,000 words and must make an original contribution to knowledge and contain work of publishable quality. The thesis must then be defended in a viva voce (oral) examination before a degree can be awarded.