Automotive Engineering

Studying for a PhD in Automotive Engineering at the University of Surrey means being part of a multidisciplinary environment, where doctoral students come together to work on applied engineering research topics with a direct impact on society.

University of Surrey researchers regularly collaborate with key players in industry, including QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Jaguar Land Rover. We also host the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Thermo-Fluid Systems.

Career opportunities

The Automotive Engineering PhD offered at the University of Surrey will give you the knowledge, skills and expertise needed for a career in engineering, research or academia. You’ll be intellectually challenged, develop research and management skills, and become an expert in your chosen field of study.It normally takes around three years to complete a full-time PhD. You’ll be assigned a minimum of two supervisors, who’ll guide you through your studies. You’ll learn how to conduct literature reviews, develop your ideas and verify them with experiments, and collaborate and perform interdisciplinary research. You will develop your skills over time to become an independent researcher.Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Research themes

• Automotive engineering

• Computational fluid mechanics

• Design

• Hybrid vehicles

• Tyre dynamics

• Vehicle dynamics