PhD/MPhil Computer Science

We offer the following types of award:

• PhD by Major Thesis
• PhD by Prospective Publication
• PhD by Prior Publication
• MPhil.

We also welcome enquiries from candidates who wish to spend one year at City, University of London as part of a PhD Sandwich programme.

Degree Pathway

This takes place towards the end of the first year of registration for full-time candidates. Review for part-time candidates will be towards the end of the second year.

The PhD programme concludes with the candidate submitting their research in the form of a PhD thesis. Then attending a viva voce examination with two examiners, at least one of whom will be external to City.

For full details about the City PhD programme structure, please see the Guide for Research Students.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a record of high academic achievement. The minimum requirement is a good undergraduate degree (first or upper second class honours) in a relevant subject from a UK university, or a recognised equivalent from an overseas institution.

In exceptional cases, we will consider applications from individuals whose undergraduate degree is in a less relevant discipline but who hold a relevant Masters degree with at least a merit level pass. We will also consider applications from individuals with extensive professional experience in the area of their proposed research.

English requirements

Proof of English language proficiency is required for applicants whose first language is not English. We require a minimum IELTS overall score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the four components.

Please note that the UK Border Agency currently requires us to confirm that you are at level B2 or above in all components of English before issuing visa documents.

For more information see our English language proficiency requirements at City.

Visa requirements

If you are not from the European Economic Area / Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study.

The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:

• Students on courses of more than six months
• Students on courses of less than six months
• Students on a pre-sessional English language course.

For more information see our main Visa page.

Some applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate before joining a course. ATAS is a certificate issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which gives you security clearance to study certain postgraduate programmes at City, University of London.

Non-EEA students who choose to study certain subjects at MSc or MEng or PhD level in the UK have to apply for and receive clearance under the ATAS scheme regardless of if they are required to apply for a Student visa or not.

For more information see Applying for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

For the 2025/26 year of entry:

• The Writing-up fee for all candidates is £600 per year (max 1 year)
• External candidate study of this course costs £2,380 (UK) or £7,460 (Overseas/EU) for full time study and £1,190 (UK) or £3,730 (Overseas/EU) for part-time study.

Fees for doctoral candidates are charged annually and cover registration, supervision and examination. Fees are subject to review each year and are likely to increase by approximately 3% annually.

Fees are subject to review each year and may vary during your period of registration. Where applicable, fees for City's programmes will be subject to inflationary increases in each academic year of study commencing in September. Our policy for these increases is set out in our terms and conditions of study.

Support for PhD study

Prospective students are encouraged to explore doctoral Grants and funding opportunities such as:

• PhD Studentship in Industrial Artificial Intelligence
• School of Science & Technology Doctoral Studentships
• Research Council studentship awards, if available.

Our bursaries are non-repayable sums of money granted by the University, usually based on need.

Our loans are repayable sums of money granted by the University or other body.

Our scholarships are when the University pays towards your Study fees. You may also be eligible for further funding.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loans

The Government has introduced a new Postgraduate Doctoral Loans scheme which can provide a loan of up to £25,000.

This will be over three years to support study for a doctoral degree.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study. It can be used alongside any other forms of support you may be able to receive.

For more information, please see our Postgraduate Doctoral Loans page.

We welcome applicants funded through a wide range of schemes including:

• The Science Without Borders scheme for Brazilian citizens
• The Indonesia-UK DIKTI Scholarship Programme, for faculty members at Indonesian Universities to study for a doctorate in the UK.
• The EU Erasmus Mundus programme.

City has a well-established structure and processes to support your research.

Supervision

All research students are appointed a supervisory team consisting of at least two supervisors. One of these will be designated as the first point of contact with responsibility for ensuring that effective supervision is provided.

Training

The supervisory team will discuss training requirements with the candidate when study is commenced. We may recommend that a candidate takes a number of taught modules. This way they will benefit from the specialist Masters courses in the Department of Computer Science.

Development

Research students are provided with a desk, PC and bookshelves in a shared office space and have access to shared printing facilities. Specialist facilities, such as the City Interaction Lab, are also available where relevant to the research topic.

All research students are strongly encouraged to contribute to our research environment and to attend regular research seminars and meetings.

The City Doctoral College can provide more information about graduate degrees.

We accept applications on an ongoing basis for entry in October, January and April. Please see the requirements section above for eligibility criteria.

If you are applying for a specific scholarship or studentship, please make this clear within your application. Your scholarship/studentship will then be considered alongside your application. Please note, individual scholarships and studentships may have specific application deadlines.

It is essential that you contact a member of staff in the department you are interested in. You can then discuss your ideas for research (research proposal).

Unfortunately, we will not be able to consider your application without this pre-requisite.

Details of relevant academic staff can be found here.

You are advised to submit your application at least 12 weeks before your proposed start date. This will allow for us to consider and process your application.

Once you have identified a supervisor who will accept to guide through your research, please submit an application online.

Supporting documents

To apply online, an applicant will need to submit the following supporting documents:

• Research proposal. The Research Proposal should be a maximum of 3 sides A4. See guidance on writing your research proposal.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts – original will be requested before an offer is made.
• Official work e-mail addresses (not private ones) for two referees (one of which must be an academic).
• Proof of English language proficiency (if applicable).
• Evidence of sponsorship (if applicable).

See guidance on writing your research proposal

For further application enquiries please contact our PGR enquiries team.