Research degrees in Architecture, Design and the Built Environment PhD
- Level(s) of Study: Postgraduate research
- Start Date(s): 4 entry points: January, April, June and October
- Duration: Usually between 4 - 8 years
- Study Mode(s): Full-time / Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
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Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
Our PhD courses offer the opportunity to carry out a significant body of research, in a discipline related to the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment. As part of the application process, you'll submit a research proposal, and we'll work to match your themes, objectives and scope to a member of our broad academic team. You'll join a thriving community of postgraduate researchers, based at our City Campus.
Who is this course designed for?
Our PhD routes are suitable for professionals working in a related industry; we offer a part-time as well as the full-time study route, enabling you to fit study around employment. The expected length of your studies will extend according to how much time you commit to your research.
The PhD routes are also suitable for high-achieving honours (undergraduate) graduates, enabling those who complete an undergraduate qualification to pursue a route into postgraduate research. This opens up opportunities for significant career progression, and is a route into employment in academia.
Why study this course?
- Our flexible study options support part-time learners, who wish to balance employment with further study. Significant academic support and guidance is in place to help students returning to study after extended periods in employment, and students who are pursuing high-level study for the first time.
- Benefit from our industry-standard facilities in our Maudslay building. You’ll be allocated desk space, and have hands-on access to our workshops and laboratories, supported by our team of expert technicians
- You'll have a team of academic support staff to help focus your research and prepare for key milestones throughout your studies. You'll have regular meetings and be allocated time with your lead supervisor, and a small team of co-supervisors, benefiting from their academic expertise, active research, links to industry and significant experience of working in practice.
- Take part in a series of professional researcher training seminars through our NTU Doctorate Plus Programme. This combines general research training with specific topics, associated with your discipline. The training focuses on the requirements of external research funding bodies and government requirements. We also provide a structured programme of transferable skills training and career development. This is informed by the work of Vitae, the national organisation which supports researchers throughout their careers.
- Study at a university with an outstanding reputation for producing world-leading research. In the most recent Research Excellent Framework 2014, 90% of our research was judged to be 'world-leading', 'internationally excellent', or 'internationally-recognised'.
- Gain inspiration and meet other researchers by attending our series of inaugural lectures. Running throughout the academic year, inaugural lectures are an opportunity hear from world-leading researchers and prestigious leaders in their field.
- Benefit from peer-to-peer learning by joining a community of postgraduate researchers, based at our City Campus. You'll share desk space and facilities, enabling cross-discipline working and sharing of research. Our research students benefit from becoming student ambassadors or course representatives, and a structured series of research seminars further consolidates the course community.
- Apply for our comprehensive offering of studentships and research bursaries, to support you financially while you study.
What you’ll study
Aims of postgraduate research degrees
The aim of a postgraduate research degree is to investigate and create new ideas and designs, which contribute to new perceptions, products, processes and the development of new systems and solutions. You'll contribute to advancing our understanding of the built environment, and improving the quality of products, processes and systems that exist within that environment.
Areas of research expertise in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
We can offer supervision in following research areas*:
*Please be aware that once you submit your research proposal, we will work to match your objectives and research themes to a member of our academic team who's specialisms are broadly aligned to your research area. If we're unable to identify a suitable lead supervisor, we may advise that we are unable to offer you a position as a PhD student at NTU.
- Architectural Design and Product Design
- Civil Engineering and Construction Management
- Property Management and Development
Architectural Design
- Architecture
- Interior Architecture
Product Design
- Creative Technology
- Design Management
- Engineering Design
- Furniture Design
- Industrial Design
- Integrated Design and Manufacture
- Product Design
- Sustainable Design
- Web / Internet Based Engineering.
Construction Management
- Building and Construction
- Construction Management
Civil Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Property Management
- Real Estate
- Surveying
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
How you’re taught
There are three key stages to a PhD degree course. Your progression through the course depends on your success at each stage, and how long you prepare to meet the assessment criteria for each milestone.
Stage one: Preparing your research proposal
You'll spend the first 6 months (full-time) - 1 year (part-time) of your PhD preparing your research proposal. This is where you outline the scope of your research project and identify exactly how you propose to contribute new knowledge and ideas to the built environment. During this time, you'll read widely and become aware of existing research in your field of interest, enabling you to identify areas where you contribution and progress can be made.
Stage two: Preparing for your transfer stage
Once your research proposal is passed, you'll work towards the transfer stage. For the transfer report, you'll produce a substantial document identifying what it is about your research that will add new knowledge to the field of the built environment. Establishing a novel perspective and clearly articulating a new contribution will set you on a path to a PhD.
Stage three: Viva voce examination
The time between stage two and stage three varies significantly between students. Between stage two and three, you'll be 'writing up' - this is where you produce your PhD body of research, assisted by the advice of your supervisory team, working within the established and agreed parameters of your research proposal. You'll read widely, experiment in our facilities, travel to sites or other universities to pursue further study, and work with our academic team to push the boundaries of your research further. Once you've fully completed your body of research, you'll work towards your final milestone - the viva voce examination.
The exam takes the format of a panel meeting, whereby a team of assessors will choose areas of your research to ask further, more detailed questions about. You'll be expected to talk widely and with authority on the research you've undertaken, further evidencing your expertise in the field. The viva voce is the last step in your PhD before graduation. There are several outcomes, which include a straight pass, or advised corrections - with varying degrees of amends to be made. If you are required to make corrections, you could be working on your research piece for up to another twelve months, before re-taking the viva voce exam. A pass at this stage will result in graduation and a PhD award.
Careers and employability
Your career development
All our research degrees incorporate a programme of supporting studies designed to develop knowledge and skills of all aspects of the research process, including the funding and dissemination of research. This will ensure that you have the necessary expertise to successfully complete your doctoral programme.
Participation in academic conferences, seminars and external networks will cultivate contacts, skills and knowledge essential for successful research practice. These abilities are also transferable to a wide range of other careers. Researchers are also invited to take part in our own Research Conferences giving you the opportunity to present your work and discuss with other researchers at NTU.
Support with your career development
As a research student at NTU, you'll benefit from:
- The opportunity to apply for a £600 bursary to support you for three years, helping you to meet costs for field work and conferences.
- Access to a free researcher development programme through our internal Organisational Development department.
Pursuing a career in academia
There are opportunities for research students to prepare for an academic career by teaching undergraduate students or supervising laboratory work. Our Organisational Development team offer an Introduction to Learning and Teaching in Higher Education training programme, providing the knowledge and skills needed to pursue academic teaching.
NTU Enterprise
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.
What our students are doing now
Nottingham Trent University wins highest national honour for cultural heritage science research
Cultural heritage research at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has earned a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education: the highest national honour for a UK university.
Green housing project involving NTU to be showcased at COP26
Researchers of NTU: Yousif Al-Daffaie
Campus and facilities
Facilities for research students
As a research student at NTU, you'll benefit from:
- An allocated desk, a PC (with on-site IT support) and storage;
- Access to a printer specifically for use by research students;
- Provision of free stationery to meet your requirements.
We’re committed to helping you expand and refine your research development with some truly great tools, software, equipment and workspaces. Our School facilities include everything from studio space to materials workshops, machinery, CAD suites and quiet spaces to work in.
To view our facilities in detail, follow the links below.
- Architectural design facilities
- Architectural technology facilities
- Construction and quantity surveying facilities
- Civil engineering facilities
- Product design facilities
Dedicated resource centre
Students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment have access to a dedicated resource centre. This centre, based in the Maudslay building, enables students to undertake private study in a facility equipped with computers, large format plotters and desk space, together with the latest, and archived, journals and publications.
This resource centre is open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday.
Alongside our resource centre, you will be allocated desk space alongside other research students studying related disciplines.
IT resources
Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City Campus, with PCs providing access to Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, networked file storage, and high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student). Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.
Books and library resources
In the library, you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the Built Environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.
You'll also benefit from a liaison librarian, who has specialist subject knowledge. They can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.
Fees and funding
How to apply
How to apply
Applications for a research course are made through the NTU Doctoral School.
For a step-by-step about how apply, visit our Doctoral School application page.
Entry requirements
- An applicant for admission to read for a PhD should normally hold a first or upper second class honours degree of a UK university; or,
- An equivalent qualification, or a lower second class honours degree with a Master's degree at Merit level of a UK university or an equivalent qualification.
Application process
To apply for a PhD please submit a research proposal (between 1,000 and a maximum of 2,000 words) which addresses the following points:
- provisional title
- the topic or area to be investigated (the subject or field that you are going to investigate)
- the problem or hypothesis to be tested (the research questions or problem you want to address, the research objectives)
- the relationship of the proposed research to the published literature and to current research in the field (how your project relates to other work)
- an indication of the contribution to knowledge that the thesis is anticipated to make (what you hope to find out)
- the methods and techniques to be used in the research (how you propose to go about the research)
- a provisional timetable for the project, indicating anticipated activities
- details of your previous work in the proposed field, or relationship to prior experience or study
- bibliography of sources already consulted or identified as of relevance to your proposal.
As you're applying for a Research degree, you may also like to have a look around our Research pages. This may help you to spot academic staff, research areas or projects that interest you.
How to apply
Applications for a research course are made through the NTU Doctoral School.
For a step-by-step about how apply, visit our Doctoral School application page.
Entry requirements
- An applicant for admission to read for a PhD should normally hold a first or upper second class honours degree of a UK university; or,
- An equivalent qualification, or a lower second class honours degree with a Master's degree at Merit level of a UK university or an equivalent qualification.
- If you are an international applicant, you will require an English language qualification, normally an IELTS with a score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill). For a list of our language requirements please visit our English language page. If you need to do a pre-sessional English language course to meet the English requirements please visit our pre-sessional English course page.
- Applicants who have taken a higher degree at a UK university are normally exempt from the English language requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English language proficiency requirement will normally be asked to complete an English Language course.
- For advice on applying for a visa please visit our visa information page.
Application process
To apply for a PhD please submit a research proposal (between 1,000 and a maximum of 2,000 words) which addresses the following points:
- provisional title
- the topic or area to be investigated (the subject or field that you are going to investigate)
- the problem or hypothesis to be tested (the research questions or problem you want to address, the research objectives)
- the relationship of the proposed research to the published literature and to current research in the field (how your project relates to other work)
- an indication of the contribution to knowledge that the thesis is anticipated to make (what you hope to find out)
- the methods and techniques to be used in the research (how you propose to go about the research)
- a provisional timetable for the project, indicating anticipated activities
- details of your previous work in the proposed field, or relationship to prior experience or study
- bibliography of sources already consulted or identified as of relevance to your proposal.
As you're applying for a Research degree, you may also like to have a look around our Research pages. This may help you to spot academic staff, research areas or projects that interest you.