The EPSRC's Engineering Doctorate (EngD) helps students who want to do commercially relevant research in industry and achieve a PhD level qualification at the same time.

Course Structure
Students spend 75% of their time working in industry under their appointed industrial supervisor. They will undertake a single research project or a portfolio of projects, all of which present genuine research challenges. The research project(s) will require engineering solutions that take into account factors such as cost, time scales and personnel. The remaining time will be spent at university attending taught courses covering specialist technical subjects and professional development.

Students will probably be expected to visit their university supervisor once a month. Attendance at lectures, seminars etc ranges from 2-8 weeks per year. The EngD is a full time degree, so it is essential in the case of company employees that their day to day work and their EngD project work are as similar as possible.

Duration
Four years full time. Options for part time study are not available.

Funding
There are 2 types of EngD scheme. If the student is already employed by the industrial sponsor then they will continue to receive there salary. If the student is not already employed by the sponsor then (as of October 2006) they will receive £13,838 p.a. tax free from the EPSRC, plus a minimum tax free top up of £3000 (max top-up £13,838) from the sponsoring company.

International applicants (i.e. non-EU) are not eligible for the EPSRC funding awards which pay for the EngD. It is possible to arrange your own funding, but course fees for international students make this very expensive. For more information on funding see our guide on FindAPhD

Entry Requirements
Although some centres have more stringent criteria, the minimum entry qualification is a 2(i) Honours degree or equivalent. A 2(ii) is acceptable if supplemented with a relevant postgraduate qualification and/or substantial industrial experience. Some industrial experience is usually an advantage.

Whilst the EngD is different from many other Professional Doctorates as candidates with little or no industrial experience can apply it is not exclusively aimed at young engineers. Projects and courses can be tailored to suit research engineers at any stage of their career (up to and including Director level).

Assessment
EngD students will be expected to have completed all taught modules to a satisfactory level and will then be examined on a research thesis. They may also be required to produce a portfolio detailing their progress as a manager.

How to pick a course & when to apply
The EngD is a flagship project of the EPSRC and consequently the centres that they set up are all in prestigious institutions with a good research records and strong industry contacts. All you need to do is look at each of the 20 or so EngD centres in turn and decide which one is of most interest. In most cases you should be applying in April or May for an October start. If you wish to study for an EngD whilst remaining with your current employer then you will need to start the process much earlier - your first task is to convince your employer that it's a good idea.