'The UK is a world leader in research and innovation. Studying in the UK gives you the chance to make your own discoveries and be an innovator.'
Among the factors that contribute to UK institutions’ reputation for research excellence are well-established links between universities, colleges and businesses, a flare for innovation and the development of sustainable, green technologies.
Investment and innovation
World-leading science projects in the UK recently received a £1 billion joint industry, university and Government boost. Projects benefiting from this funding include:
- A partnership between the University of Warwick, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), for a new National Automotive Innovation Campus with the aim of developing new technologies to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.
- A partnership between the University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce, for a world-leading research centre for high temperature metallurgy and associated processes for components including turbine blades.
- A partnership between the University of Oxford and a research consortium, for a new centre for drug target discovery and for research based on medical data sets.
- A partnership between the University of Surrey and an industry consortium (including many mobile communications global industry leaders), to build a new collaborative international research centre to support the development of 5th Generation cellular communications.
Many international students who choose to carry out their postgraduate research in similar areas take advantage of scholarships to help fund their studies. These are often provided by sponsoring organisations or UK universities and research institutes themselves.
You can search for scholarships using the Education UK scholarship tab in the Search (above, top right).
Green research
The UK is also at the forefront of research into green technologies and it is integrating them into its higher education research facilities. For example, the University of Nottingham recently came top of the Greenmetric of World Universities, where institutions are ranked according to their:
- energy management programmes
- sustainability-related teaching and research
- waste and water management
- percentage of green space on campus
- application of eco-sustainability policies.
Durham University, Sussex University and Imperial College London are working with others to help developing economies create low-carbon energy. Meanwhile researchers at Manchester and Bristol – working with a laboratory in the US – have uncovered a naturally occurring molecule that may clean up emissions already in the atmosphere.
A huge range of research-based courses
If you wish to pursue your research interests at Master’s level it is usual to apply for an MA or MSc by research (as opposed to a taught Master’s). The newer MRes (Master of Research) qualification allows you to gain the whole qualification through the submission of one extended piece of work. Each of these courses typically takes one or two years to complete full-time, with part-time and distance learning options available.
If you want to carry on your research by studying for a Doctorate, you usually need to have completed a Master’s degree first (either a taught or research course). The PhD or DPhil (Doctor of Philosophy) typically requires a three-year, full-time commitment to researching a chosen topic, under the direction of a supervisor, though study options which allow you to complete the qualification over a longer period are available.
You can search for postgraduate courses by using the course finder to the top-right of this page.
QS World University Rankings
Government investment secures £1 billion for university and private research
