PhD Physics

For more than 100 years, the Bristol School of Physics has made major research contributions, including the discovery of the pi meson (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1950) and fundamental advances in quantum mechanics.

The School of Physics has a world-class reputation for cohort-based research training and has over the past ten years received UK national funding for Centres of Doctoral Training in Functional Nanomaterials, Condensed Matter Physics, Quantum Engineering, Particle Physics, Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning, and Advanced Computing.

Our Physics Graduate School community comprises more than 200 students from a diverse global background, and with a very good gender balance. We have very strong interactions with industry, and are very well connected to the unique Bristol start-up and SME community, including joint training activities.

As a research student you will be a member of the Physics Graduate School, which organises social and scientific events to support you, coordinates skills training in Physics, organises induction, builds a community, and helps you navigate through the University procedures.

Our research degree programmes are offered across six diverse Research Themes (see below). For informal discussions before making an application, prospective students are encouraged to contact either the academic lead in the Research Theme of interest for guidance, or the potential supervisor for project discussions.

Once you have settled on a research area and/or supervisor, you will need a CV, a Personal Statement introducing yourself and outlining your motivation for research, and details of your qualifications.