Information about PhD studies
Studying for a PhD is demanding: it requires academic ability, of course, but even more important are persistence, curiosity, drive, determination and real enthusiasm for your subject. It is also hugely rewarding: by the time your thesis is bound and sitting on the shelf, you will have made your own original contribution to the topic you chose, written the equivalent of a short novel (though with rather more equations) and learned how to work confidently and independently without knowing the outcome in advance. Whatever you decide to do next, your new-found skills will be useful, though perhaps not everyone will want to hear all the details of your most elegant proof over dinner.
The PhD programme usually takes three to four years to complete full-time or approximately four to six years part-time. Most students are initially registered for an MPhil, with progression to full PhD registration following 18-24 months of satisfactory progress. As a PhD student, you will work with one, or perhaps two, supervisors. Your supervisor will oversee your progress and offer advice throughout your PhD, in a number of different ways. For example, early on in your studies, he or she will formulate a programme of support and training designed specifically to meet your needs. You will also have frequent meetings with your supervisor throughout your PhD, usually at least once a week, to discuss your progress and plan the future direction of the research.
The Department
Our department is friendly and informal, with about 20 academics, 6-10 post-docs and visitors, and about 20 PhD students. As a PhD student, you are allocated your own desk in a shared office. You will have a computer and all the software necessary for your PhD project. The usual administrative facilities, such as photocopying and interlibrary loans are available to you free of charge.
The department has one of the largest research groups in the UK working on nonlinear mathematics and its applications. This group is complemented by a smaller, but active research group in statistics focusing on Bayesian statistics and experimental design. Staff members have contacts with many other research groups, both national and international, and we encourage you to visit other institutes and attend conferences during the course of your PhD studies.
The department has several seminar series that PhD students are encouraged to attend: the weakly nonlinear mathematics seminar, the bi-weekly themed semester seminar and the informal seminar. There is also a bi-weekly seminar in which PhD students discuss their work amongst themselves in an informal setting. PhD students can also learn about new areas of research by attending our reading groups - informal discussion groups that meet on a weekly basis.
The department is part of the several UK networks: Astronet (an EU-funded Research Training Network), the London Dynamical Systems Group, the PANDA (Patterns, Nonlinear Dynamics and Applications) network, and the One-Day Ergodic Theory Meetings network. These groups organise regular meetings and workshops, including graduate schools for PhD students.
The Faculty and University
The Department of Mathematics is part of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The Faculty has an active Graduate School. Information about accommodation, funding, costs and so on, can be found on its pages. University accommodation is available for most first-year PhD students whose first degree is not from the University of Surrey. There is an active social scene within the PhD student community and new students are made to feel very welcome. The University has extensive sporting facilities.
Opportunities and training for PhD students
The faculty offers an integrated training programme over the full period of your PhD studies. It covers all of the principal areas that will help you develop your research and prepare for a future career. In addition, the university runs a Postgraduate Skills Development Programme that complements the Faculty training programme. Furthermore, all PhD students are encouraged to participate in graduate schools and workshops related to their research.
PhD students have the opportunity to help with undergraduate teaching in the Department, spending a few hours a week on activities such as marking coursework, running small group tutorials and assisting in lab sessions. This allows you to acquire some teaching skills and earn a bit of extra income. Most of our PhD students do get involved in this way, though it is by no means compulsory.
The application process
First you should find out which areas of research you are interested in. You are very welcome to visit us to discuss your research interests and find out more about our research. This also gives you an opportunity to see the Department and university and meet some of our currrent PhD students. Just contact the admissions tutor Dr Gianne Derks to arrange a visit. If you can't come, but would like to know more about certain research topics, contact a staff member in those research areas or email the admissions tutor Dr Gianne Derks.
Once you have decided that you would like to be considered for a PhD place in the Department, complete the Graduate School Enquiry Form or the general application form on the university web pages. If you need help, please contact our:
Make sure that you indicate which research group or staff member you would like to work with.
Studying for a PhD is demanding, so we normally require a good first class honours degree or a higher qualification such as an MMath or MSc. If your qualifications are of a slightly lower standard, but you have a lot of enthusiasm for your chosen research topic, please contact the admissions tutor Dr Gianne Derks to discuss your case.