PhD Computer Science
Our Computer Science PhD programme offers advanced training and research opportunities in various areas of computer science. It offers rigorous training, opportunities for collaboration, and the chance to make meaningful contributions to advancing technology and knowledge.
Why choose this
programme?
Our PhD research programme provides you with the opportunity to study a wide range of computer science topics. These include technologies and systems for securing online businesses and our lives, technologies inspired by nature for solving complicated real-world problems in areas such as transport and health, and real-world applications of advanced technologies in cyber security and machine learning. Our expert supervisors, highly rated research activities and excellent facilities mean you’ll be a specialist in your field by the time you complete your PhD.
Surrey Centre for Cyber Security (SCCS), led by the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, is one of only 19 Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research recognised by the UK government. It is particularly strong in interdisciplinary research with subject areas including electrical and electronic engineering, biomedical sciences, psychology, business, sociology and law. We also have strong ties with global research institutes, such as the University of Oxford, Microsoft Research Cambridge, KU Leuven (Belgium), McMaster University (Canada) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) for joint PhD projects.
Many PhD projects are undertaken in collaboration with industrial partners. We strive to excel in our research, with many members of staff publicly recognised as experts in their respective fields.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 ranks Surrey 7th in the UK for research outputs in computer science, with 100 per cent of those outputs recognised as either world-leading (57.1 per cent) or internationally excellent. 100 per cent of our computer science postgraduate research students go on to employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2023, HESA).
What you will study
Our PhD in Computer Science will give you the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for a career in academia, research and development work in industry, and a wide variety of professional opportunities elsewhere.
It normally takes around three to four years to complete a full-time PhD. You’ll be assigned at least two supervisors, a principal and a secondary, who’ll guide you through your studies. You’ll learn how to conduct literature reviews, how to develop your research ideas and verify them with experiments, and how to collaborate and perform interdisciplinary research.
Exactly what your studies will look like will depend on your choice of topic: most of our PhD students conduct their research on computers in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, but some need access to special hardware in a lab setting. We’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to conduct your research.
We offer a diverse programme of academic and social activities, including monthly tea parties between PhD students and staff, and bespoke workshops and social events.
Assessment
Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.
Location
Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
Research themes
Distributed and network systems themes
- Complex network analysis, including controllability and criticality
- Concurrency control
- Development of control policies
- Distributed coordination
- Distributed trust
- Edge networks and cloud computing
- Fault-tolerance
- Formal verification
- Information processing in networks
- Resource management
- Social computing and computational social science
- Web tracking and privacy
- Social networks and online harm
- Resilient architectures and organisations
- Resilient and trustworthy data replication
- System reconfigurability, recovery and resistance
- Algorithms for consensus, fault-tolerance and reliability.
Nature-inspired computing and engineering themes
- Computational intelligence
- Optimisation algorithms
- Machine learning, including deep learning
- Computer vision/pattern recognition
- Reinforcement learning (rule-based, deep)
- Reconfigurability, recovery and resistance in learning
- Machine learning and biologically inspired approaches to cyber-resiliency
- Adversariality, resilience and robustness
- Resilient frameworks for hate speech detection
- Post-compromise analytics
- Morphogenetic engineering
- Neural information processing
- Developmental and cognitive neuroscience
- Time series analysis
- Security and resilience of digital ecosystems
- Signal processing
- Bayesian inference
- Medical image processing
- Robotics
- Systems biology
- Control theory
- Prediction and learning in complex networks
- Data mining
- Natural language processing
- Knowledge extraction.
Secure systems themes
- Hardware security
- Security analysis of critical infrastructure systems
- Quantum-resilient authentication and encryption schemes
- Technologies for trusted components, devices and sensors
- Post-compromise security
- Resilience and security across the cloud-edge-fog-things continuum
- Connected and autonomous vehicles and transport systems
- Cyber crime
- Game theory for security
- Mathematical models and frameworks for resilience
- Intrusion detection
- Digital forensics
- Human factors
- Data loss prevention
- Concurrent and distributed systems
- Applied cryptography
- Security protocols
- Formal verification
- Internet of things security and privacy
- Security visualisation
- Trusted computing
- Privacy-enhancing technologies
- User authentication
- Secure communications
- Network and mobile security and privacy.
Research centres and groups
See a full list of all our academic staff within the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering.
Research support
The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College, which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.
Facilities
We have a range of highly capable computing resources to support your research, including our own high-performance computing clusters, and a modern seminar room with teleconferencing and video recording facilities.
We have GPU facilities for parallel programming and deep learning and an applied laboratory with new machines, and an array of internet of things equipment.
There’s a virtual network to support cyber security research, and a 200-seat computing facility for students where each seat offers access to a dedicated Raspberry Pi and TPM.
Applicants are expected to hold a first or upper second-class (2:1) UK degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent overseas qualification), or a lower-second (2:2) UK degree plus a good UK masters degree - distinction normally required (or equivalent overseas qualification).
English language requirements
IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.
These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
Selection process
Selection is based on applicants:
- Meeting the expected entry requirements
- Being shortlisted through the application screening process
- Completing a successful interview
- Providing suitable references.
Fees per year
Explore UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.
October 2024 - Full-time
- UK
- £4,786
- Overseas
- £26,200
October 2024 - Part-time
- UK
- £2,393
- Overseas
- £13,100
July 2025 - Full-time
- UK
- £4,786
- Overseas
- £26,200
July 2025 - Part-time
- UK
- £2,393
- Overseas
- £13,100
January 2025 - Full-time
- UK
- £4,786
- Overseas
- £26,200
January 2025 - Part-time
- UK
- £2,393
- Overseas
- £13,100
April 2025 - Full-time
- UK
- £4,786
- Overseas
- £26,200
April 2025 - Part-time
- UK
- £2,393
- Overseas
- £13,100
- Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100 (subject to legal requirements).
- Any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).
Additional costs
There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey.
Funding
A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.
Studentships
Browse our frequently updated list of funded studentships open for applications.
Application process
Applicants are advised to contact potential supervisors before they submit an application via the website. Please refer to section two of our application guidance.
After registration
Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.
About the University of Surrey
Need more information?
Contact our Admissions team or talk to a current University of Surrey student online.
Code of practice for research degrees
Surrey’s postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.
Download the code of practice for research degrees (PDF).
Terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures, student regulations, and terms and conditions.
We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:
- First when we make an offer.
- Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).
View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.
Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.
It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer.