Find out why Southampton is one of the best universities in the UK for your postgraduate studies.

Why choose Southampton for your PhD?

Ranked in the top 100 universities worldwide (QS World University Rankings 2019), Southampton has a global reputation for leading-edge research and innovation. You’ll become part of a dynamic research community working alongside some of the most talented academics and students and with access to first-class facilities .

You’ll have access to an extensive portfolio of training and development opportunities provided by our Doctoral College . Our entrepreneurial approach and strong links with industry – we work with more than 300 companies worldwide – also open up a wealth of possibilities for our postgraduates.

We have a strong track record for attracting research funding – in 2013/14 our research income exceeded £110m and we ranked 8th in the country for UK research council income.

Key facts

Choose from more than 90 research courses .

Work on projects with global businesses such as Rolls-Royce, Lloyd’s Register, Formula 1 and PwC.

We are among the top 10 per cent of UK universities for attracting research funding.

We develop your research skills

You’ll have access to the training and support you need to develop as an independent researcher and build your profile – from writing research papers and enhancing your presentation skills, to applying for funding to attend international conferences and research visits.

As well as the support provided within your discipline, you’ll be able to tap into numerous personal and professional development opportunities offered by our Doctoral College, a hub for the University’s postgraduate researcher community . These will enable you to hone your research skills as well as developing the important transferable skills that will help you to succeed in your career.

The Doctoral College’s Professional Development Programme includes face-to-face training as well as online courses , which are available via one of our virtual learning environments , Blackboard. They cover essential areas such as critical thinking, management skills, career development, teaching skills, funding, ethics, patents and copyright and communicating your research.

We help you achieve your career goals

Enhance your career prospects with our comprehensive training, career-specific support and opportunities generated by our close links with industry.

Southampton is among the top 20 universities targeted by the largest number of top 100 graduate recruiters. Our graduates are recruited high-profile organisations such as Apple, Ernst & Young, IBM, the Ministry of Defence, the BBC and the NHS.

We offer industry-focused research opportunities

We host five University technology centres with leading organisations including Airbus, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Lloyd’s Register and Rolls-Royce, enabling intensive research, innovation, development and opportunities for students.

We host several doctoral training centres

You may be able to apply for a fully funded four-year studentship through one of our UK Research Council-funded doctoral training centres (DTCs). Covering a range of themes from food security to Web science, they fund research projects that address some of society’s biggest challenges, including climate change, energy, our ageing population and high-tech crime.

Visit us

Join us on one of our Postgraduate Open Days to see our superb facilities for yourself and find out more about studying here.