Don't miss our weekly PhD newsletter | Sign up now Don't miss our weekly PhD newsletter | Sign up now

We have 1,100 Computer Science PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Discipline

Discipline

Computer Science

Location

Location

All locations

Institution

Institution

All Institutions

PhD Type

PhD Type

All PhD Types

Funding

Funding

All Funding


Computer Science PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 1,100 Computer Science PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

PhDs in Computer Science are doctoral research degrees that allow students to deeply explore a particular aspect of computing and technology.

Specifics vary drastically between programmes, but may involve research into the complexities of algorithms, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the impact of computing technologies on society.

Entry requirements typically include an undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject such as Computer Science, Mathematics, or Engineering. A relevant Masters degree may also be required depending on the programme.

Why study a PhD in Computer Science?

Develop Skills and Knowledge

A PhD in Computer Science allows you to not only develop your own knowledge of Computer Science, but also to make a unique, original contribution to the subject as a whole. By doing so, you will hone a variety of transferable skills, such as:

  • Research and Analytical Skills: Ability to design, conduct, and analyse complex research projects.
  • Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Expertise in evaluating computing theories and practices to address challenges.
  • Communication and Presentation Skills: Proficiency in effectively conveying ideas and findings to diverse audiences.

Further Career Development

If you're hoping for a career in academia, a PhD is typically required. Other research-based careers may likewise require a PhD, and even when they don't, employers will value the research skills and knowledge developed during your degree. For more information, please visit our PhD employability guide.

After completing your PhD in Computer Science, a potential career option might be employment as a Computer Systems Engineer. According to UK salary data from Glassdoor, a Computer Systems Engineer earns an average of £36,166 per year, dependent on factors such as experience, employer and employment location.

Improve Employability

Completing a PhD may also improve your employability. According to the UK government's LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes survey, 82% of Computer Science PhD students were in further education or employment three years after graduation.

What do prospective Computer Science PhD students think about study?

We host the Pulse postgraduate survey to understand the motivations, concerns and expectations of students just like you. For prospective Computer Science PhD students in 2023:

  • 76% were either positive or very positive about employment after graduation.
  • 71% preferred on campus learning, 10% preferred online/distance learning, and 19% preferred a blended approach.
  • 18% were interested in part-time study.
  • In order of popularity, the top three study motivations were:
    • Subject interest
    • Challenge
    • Career progress

If you'd like to make your voice heard, why not complete our survey? Your feedback will help us ensure our site is as helpful as possible for students like you!

Note: This guidance was produced with the assistance of AI. However, all data is derived from reliable, authoratitive sources, and all content has been reviewed by humans.

read more
More details

Automation of fNIRS research by ontological analysis

Efforts have been made to create guidelines [1] and standards [2] to improve the quality of the fNIRS experimentation and of the fNIRS research in general. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr F Orihuela-Espina
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
More details

Manifold based modelling of fNIRS neuroimages

In order to answer the myriad of specific research questions related to the brain as observed with fNIRS, current fNIRS analysis is based on ad-hoc models, whether from statistics e.g. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr F Orihuela-Espina
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
More details

fNIRS neuroimaging data analysis of surgical neuroergonomics

Evaluating surgical expertise and fitness is of critical importance for patient safety. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr F Orihuela-Espina
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
More details

Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare: Generative AI and Trustworthy Machine Learning for Early Disease Detection and Clinical Decision Support

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare by enabling earlier disease detection, improving diagnostic accuracy, and supporting clinical decision-making. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr I Ghafir
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
More details

Innovative environmental conditions classification to unlock standardization and mass manufacturing of floating offshore wind turbines

BACKGROUND. FLOATING WIND TURBINES. High costs and very slow deployment rates of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are preventing the UK offshore wind sector from reaching its target of 5 GW of FOWT capacity by 2030 (currently at approximately 0.07 GW). Read more
 Supervisors: Dr M Collu, Dr S L Li
 30 July 2026  PhD Research Project  Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
More details

AI‑Facilitated Cognitive Engagement for Healthy Ageing

  Research Group: Psychology
As populations age, maintaining cognitive health and quality of life has become a major public health priority (WHO, 2025). Read more
 Supervisors: Dr R Vaportzis, Dr V Lesk
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
More details

Evidence to inform targeted infection testing strategies for migrants to high-income countries

A 3.5-year teaching PhD Studentship in infectious disease epidemiology and health economic modelling is available within the Institute of Health Informatics. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr R Baggaley
 23 June 2026  PhD Research Project  Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
More details

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Enhance Cyber Security

  Research Group: Communication and Networks
Cyber security is a critical issue in today's digital landscape, as more systems, services, and data are being transferred and stored online. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr I Ghafir
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
More details

Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Blockchain Technology: Mitigating Cyber Attacks and Detecting Malicious Activities in Network Traffic

  Research Group: Applied Computing
Cyber attacks have become more widespread and several attacks have made headline news over the past decade, targeting industrial companies and governmental organisations. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr I Ghafir
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
More details

Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts for the Security of Internet of Things and Wireless Communications

  Research Group: Applied Computing
The broadcast nature of Wi-Fi has made the wireless access open to new forms of cyber attacks against the IEEE 802.11 standard protocol. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr I Ghafir
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
More details

Changing How We See the World: Inclusive Augmented Reality for Health and Wellbeing

This research offers an exciting opportunity to explore how Augmented Reality (AR) can be designed and applied to improve health, wellbeing, and inclusion. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr G Johnson
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
More details

PhD Sundaland Reimagined: The Reconstruction of a Lost Cenozoic Continent

  Research Group: Institute of Life and Earth Sciences
The Sunda Shelf, also known as Sundaland, lies at the heart of Southeast Asia and represents one of the most important, yet still incompletely understood, continental regions on Earth. Read more
 Supervisors: Dr A Gough, Dr U Nicholson
 26 June 2026  PhD Research Project  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
More details
Last chance to apply

Space2Health: Turning Pixels into Health Evidence

Space2Health explores how satellite imagery can be transformed into meaningful measures of environmental exposures linked to health. Read more
 Supervisors: Dr R Mahabir, Dr D Arribas-Bel
 12 June 2026  PhD Research Project  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
More details

Causal AI and EEG Analysis to Characterise Sleep in Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions

We are seeking an ambitious and proactive PhD student to characterise sleep in young children with neurodevelopmental conditions by analysing electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings as part of our interdisciplinary research team. Read more
 Supervisors: Dr J Escudero Rodriguez, Prof S.A. Tsaftaris, Dr JS Shetty
 9 June 2027  PhD Research Project  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
More details

Dislocation-informed Crystal Plasticity Modelling of Hydrides in Zr-alloy Materials

This project is part of cohort 3 of the EPSRC CDT in Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0, with the Henry Royce Institute. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr E Tarleton
 30 June 2026  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Filtering Results