Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

University College London

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UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering offers PhD opportunities across a wide range of cutting-edge fields, from communications and AI to energy systems and photonics. Based at a global top 10 university in London, our doctoral researchers benefit from world-class supervision, state-of-the-art facilities, and deep connections with industry - making UCL EEE an outstanding place to pursue ambitious, high-impact research.

Why study at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering?

Study at a global top 10 university (QS 2025) in the heart of London, within one of the UK's most research-intensive EEE departments.

Choose from PhD projects spanning AI, machine learning, photonics, communications, robotics, clean energy, bioelectronics and more, with supervisors at the cutting edge of each field.

Benefit from dedicated supervision by world-leading academics, alongside structured researcher development programmes designed to help you thrive throughout your PhD journey.

Be part of London's unrivalled tech, engineering and innovation ecosystem - with access to leading companies, start-ups, cultural institutions and a global alumni network right on your doorstep.

Gain access to a strong network of industry partners, collaborative research projects, and internship opportunities that connect your doctoral research to real-world impact.

173

postgraduate students

1

listing on FindAPhD

2nd

in the UK for Electrical & Electronic Engineering in the Times UK University Rankings 2026

London United Kingdom

main campus

About the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering has been at the forefront of research and education for over a century. At University College London, a world top 10 university, we're home to academics and doctoral researchers pushing the boundaries of what technology can do.

Our research spans communications and information systems, photonics, intelligent systems and robotics, power electronics and energy, bioelectronics, nanotechnology, semiconductors and neuromorphic computing. Whatever your research interest, you'll find expert supervisors and an active research group to match.

We're committed to research that matters - work that addresses global challenges in sustainability, health, connectivity and intelligent systems. As a PhD student here, you're a researcher in your own right from day one, embedded in a live research group and contributing to work that gets published, patented and applied in the real world.

You'll also benefit from strong industry connections, state-of-the-art facilities, and the advantages of being based in London, one of the world's great cities for technology and innovation.

If you're ready to pursue ambitious, high-impact research, UCL EEE is an exceptional place to do it.

Student life at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering

UCL EEE has a close-knit research community where PhD students are supported not just academically, but socially too. You'll be joining a diverse, internationally connected group of researchers who collaborate across projects, share ideas, and look out for one another.

Each year, we organise a residential retreat for PhD students - a dedicated chance to step away from the lab, build connections with fellow researchers, and take part in training and development. All costs are covered.

Back on campus, regular seminars, research showcases and social events bring the wider department together throughout the year. UCL's Bloomsbury location also gives you easy access to the UCL Students' Union, with hundreds of clubs and societies to explore outside the lab.

And of course, London itself remains one of the world's great cities for engineers and technologists, with a thriving start-up scene, major firms, and a global community of innovators right on your doorstep.

To hear directly from our PhD students and supervisors about what it's like to study with us, watch our short video: Why do a PhD at UCL Electronic & Electrical Engineering?