Postgraduate (PhD) Study

The School of Physics and Astronomy is a vibrant centre of research in a wide range of fields, this has been recognised over the years by excellent scores in the UK-wide research assessment exercises, consistently high levels of funding for research, and national and international honours for our top researchers.

We have studentships available for the degrees of PhD and MSc by research to work in our various research groups. Some of these are provided by the UK research and innovation (primarily STFC and EPSRC)‌ and are primarily designed for those who fill UK residency requirements, but other scholarships are available (see also Scholarships and funding). More details on stipends may be found under Postgraduate tuition fees.  

There are additionally Centres for Doctoral Training funded by the EPSRC that we are part of, namely the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Photonic Integration & Advanced Data Storage in partnership with Queen's University Belfast.  This provides a PhD based on doing one year of MSc level study including a short research project, followed by 3 years of research study leading to a PhD.  As with all UKRI funding, this is primarily for those with UK residency.

Application Procedure

If you are looking to apply for a postgraduate research degree in Physics and Astronomy at Glasgow, there are a number of clear steps to take:

1. Find out about our research groups and potential projects/research areas.  Links are provided on the right, describing potential research topics from our research groups.  You do not need to propose your own research project.
2. Contact potential supervisors to discuss your application and how you would fit into their research group.
   (For PPE, please register your interest in any project by sending an email to the PPE Postgraduate Admissions Tutor, Prof Aidan Robson, or the specific contact person if one is given at this page).
3. Consider sources of financial support (do you need a scholarship? are there closing dates for this?).  If you wish to apply for a CSC Scholarship or a College Scholarship, your application must be submitted by 31st January. 
   Information on all PGR Scholarships can be found on the PGR Scholarships Webpage.
4. Once you are clear about a potential project, a supervisor and where you wish to apply for financial support then please go to the College of Science and Engineering Graduate School Website where application instructions and a link to the online application system are provided.  (We do not charge any application fee, unlike some Universities in other countries).
5. If you have any questions about the research aspects, please contact your potential supervisor.  If you have more general questions about application procedures, then please contact our postgraduate admissions tutor.