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We welcome applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in Computing.

Research at Worcester has grown significantly in the last 10 years as the University itself has expanded. As a research student you will join a vibrant student community in our Research School and become part of our dynamic research environment.

Throughout your MPhil or PhD, you'll benefit from a dedicated research student office in the Business School, membership of our research groups and a second research supervisor, who will offer you additional support and guidance throughout your studies. 

Our supervisory team have expertise in a wide range of computing areas, but are particularly interested in supporting topics in such as computer games, e-business, social media, and technology-driven behaviour change. Applications that align with the interests of our Digital Innovation and Intelligent Systems research group are particularly welcome.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Two intakes during each academic year - October and January
  • Can be studied on a part-time or full-time basis
  • You will be allocated to one of two research pathways, depending on your experience and knowledge as a researcher
  • You'll be offered a wide range of optional training workshops throughout the programme
  • The opportunity to apply to our Research Student Support Scheme for some research funding (LINK)
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry qualifications

For MPhil

  • First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or an approved equivalent award

or

  • Research or professional experience which has resulted in appropriate evidence of achievement

For PhD

  • Postgraduate Masters Degree in a discipline which is appropriate to the proposed programme of study

or

  • First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or equivalent award in an appropriate discipline

or

  • Research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of achievement

International applicants

International applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have the appropriate level of written and spoken English.

For MPhil/PhD this is an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in every component.

Programme structure

Programme structure

PhD year by year

After receiving your application, we try to establish if we have the necessary expertise to supervise your project and we begin to form a supervisory team for you. This will normally consist of a Director of Studies (DoS), who will be your lead supervisor, and at least one other supervisor, who will offer you additional support and guidance throughout your studies. If, following a successful interview, you are offered a place as a full-time student, your programme of study will look something like this:

First year

You will have submitted a draft research outline with your application. In your first year, you will be working towards submitting a more complete research proposal. You will be aided in your research by meeting with your supervisory team to discuss your progress. You will also be supported through your first year by engaging with a series of three modules as part of our Researcher Development Programme:

  • RSDP4001: Developing as a Researcher
  • RSDP4005: Approaches to Research
  • RSDP4004: Planning Your Research Project

At the end of each year, beginning with your first year, you will reflect on and formally review your progress with your supervisory team and MPhil/PhD Course Leader. We call this annual meeting an Annual Progress Review (APR).

Second year

In your second year, you will be collecting data and working on your research project under the supervision of your supervisors through regular meetings. You may at this point have research papers ready to publish and you may wish to attend conferences to present your research to other experts in your field. You will be able to apply to our Research Student Support Scheme for some funding for this purpose. Students normally undergo Transfer from MPhil to PhD towards the end of their second year. This will be part of your Annual Progress Review for this year.

Third and fourth year

In your third and fourth year, you will be writing up your thesis and preparing for your viva voce examination. This is an oral exam with two examiners and a chair. You can also request that your supervisor be present at the exam. The exam will take place after you have submitted your final thesis. After the exam, it is not unusual for the examiners to ask that some amendments be made to your thesis before the final award is confirmed and you will have additional time to do this. It is possible to complete the course in three years, but we have found that the majority of students do take four years to complete the course. At the end of each year of your registration, you will go through an Annual Progress Review.

Resources

Access to the University of Worcester’s virtual resources and its state-of-the-art library facilities. A dedicated research student office in the Business School and membership, as appropriate, of our Customer Interactions Group, Entrepreneurship Research Group and Sustainable Organisations Research Group.

Current MPhil/PhD research projects in Computing include: research and development in the field of suitability of educational video games for both students and educators.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest MPhil programme specification or PhD programme specification documents.

Part time students follow the same structure as full-time students but normally complete the PhD over a period of five to six years. Part-time students take two modules in each of their first two years, and will normally transfer to PhD in their fourth year.

Research areas

Research areas

Benefit from a professional and challenging relationship with your supervisory team, drawn from experienced academics working at the forefront of their disciplines.

Supervision areas

The Worcester Business School has a strong mix of academics with a high degree of professional and personal experience, enabling you to get the most out of your programme. Our staff have expertise in a range of computing areas but are particularly interested in supporting topics in the following more specific areas: computer games, e-business, social media, and technology-driven behaviour change.

Current MPhil/PhD research projects in Computing include developing a method for accounting for the presence of sarcasm in sentiment analysis.

Supervisors

Please click on the name of the supervisor to follow a link to their webpage and find out more about their research interests and potential areas of PhD supervision. We recommend contacting a potential supervisor with your research outline before submitting a formal application, please read our guidelines for writing your research outline first.  Please only contact one supervisor. If another supervisor is better suited to your project, we will redirect your query.

Some supervisors have put forward ideas for potential PhD projects that they would be interested to supervise. These are listed below the name of the relevant supervisor. We also welcome original research proposals.

Dr Chris Bowers 
Expertise: mobile and ubiquitous computing; interactive intelligent systems; human-computer interaction; computational intelligence; evolutionary computing; data driven behaviour modelling; technology driven behaviour change; energy demand monitoring, modelling and management; habit cessation technologies.

Self-funded project: Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, Health & Wellbeing

Dr Hayder Ghazi Alwattar
Expertise: Wireless networks, distributed systems and system simulation, mobile wireless sensor networks, system analysis & design and data mining.

Dr Colin Price
Expertise: computer science education; modelling and simulation; design and development of educational immersive environments; physics simulations using 3D digital technology.

Dr Marc Price
Expertise/research interests: modelling and simulating influence of spine posture on physiology and mood; modelling and simulating biomechanics and physiology of internal martial arts; modelling and simulating biomechanics and physiology of other internal exercises (e.g. breath, sound, etc). Video processing: HDR Video Capture and Production.

Dr Andrew Tomlinson
Expertise: data science, cybersecurity, internet of things, automotive cybersecurity, system requirements gathering, IT strategy, using data for health care planning.

Careers

Careers

All students engage with our Researcher Development Programme (RDP). The RDP aims to develop and enhance the skills, both generic and specific, that you will need to complete your research degree but also to become an effective researcher. The RDP is organised around thematic clusters, consisting of modules, and workshops, delivered face-to-face by subject specialists from across the University and the dedicated Researcher Development Team, or online through our virtual learning environment.

As part of the RDP, you will complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods (PG Cert). All students must complete the PG Cert in order to progress on their MPhil/PhD Programme. The PG Cert is strongly focused on developing your programme of research, starting from establishing your development needs, and preparing you for the planning and subsequent delivery of your programme of research.

Full-time students will complete the PG Cert in 12 months and part-time students in 24 months.

Fees

Fees and funding

Fees

The current fees can be found within the tuition fees document on our figure out finances page.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.
How to apply

How to apply

Additional information

As part of the application process, you will be asked to submit a research outline. We recommend preparing your research outline before beginning your online application. Some guidance on preparing your research outline is available here.

If your research involves working with vulnerable adults and/or children then you may be required to obtain an Enhanced DBS check. There will be a small charge for this. For more information please contact research@worc.ac.uk.   

We are committed to making reasonable adjustment. If you require an alternative format for making your application due to a disability, please contact us to discuss your needs on 01905 542182 or research@worc.ac.uk.

Information about application and interview deadlines

How to apply

Please make your application via our online application form. If you have any questions, please contact the Doctoral School on 01905 542182 or research@worc.ac.uk

Before you submit a full application, please contact Dr Catharine Ross (c.ross@worc.ac.uk) to discuss your research project and the availability of appropriate supervision.

Application links

MPhil

MPhil - September - Full time MPhil - September - Part time MPhil - January - Full time MPhil - January - Part time

PhD

PhD - September - Full time PhD - September - Part time PhD - January - Full time PhD - January - Part time

Get in touch

Dr Catharine Ross

c.ross@worc.ac.uk
01905 855299

Research School

research@worc.ac.uk
01905 542182

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