Mechanical engineering sciences research courses

We have a strong focus on research and our postgraduate research students have access to leading technologies and the opportunity to gain industry experience within our related research centres.

What we are researching

The research interests in our School sit at the intersections between engineering resilience, green living and healthy living.

Explore our research

Studentships

Modelling and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions with robots

Funding information:

UKRI standard stipend of £19,237 (2024/25), Full UK tuition fee waiver (£4,786).

Find out more

View all studentships

Facilities

The University invested over £6.5m in new and upgraded facilitates in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

This video showcases some of the mechanical engineering facilities that have benefitted from upgrades.

Explore our facilities

Expert support

Doctoral College

The Doctoral College supports the academic and professional development of postgraduate researchers to ensure our world-leading research continues to grow.

Researcher Development Programme

There is an extensive Researcher Development Programme that provides training and development opportunities.

What our students say

Simon Noel

Aerodynamic and Environmental Flow PhD

My supervisors have been very supportive throughout my research. Furthermore, the range of facilities available will be invaluable for the implementation of my techniques.

Victor Mazzilli

Automotive Engineering PhD

It’s a friendly and collaborative environment. We work mostly in a wide and comfortable office and, occasionally, we have the opportunity to run experiments with real cars or in the test rig lab.

Jacob Pimenta-Richardson

Micro- and NanoMaterials and Technologies EngD

The support I’ve received from my School, my University supervisors and my sponsors at Thames Water Utilities Limited has been excellent. They’ve helped guide my research so that it’s both novel and useful.

Student achievements

Medical devices

PhD student, David P Harvey, selected for Conception X, a deeptech incubator programme, for creation of a portable pressure sensor to measure human breath

Exciting careers

Dr Nick Brown, who studied for an Engineering Doctorate at Surrey, has a lead engineering role in McLaren’s Formula 1 team

Industrial fellowships

The highly prestigious Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 has awarded two talented young researchers from the University of Surrey Industrial Fellowships worth up to £100,000 each

Research news

University of Surrey's autonomous Zebra car drives on the ice rink at Guildford Spectrum

29 NOV 2023

Car drives round ice rink to test AI-powered traction control

Three scientists stand in front of an image of a nuclear reactor

22 FEB 2022

Surrey research is helping to usher in safe, low-carbon electricity generated by nuclear fusion

12 JAN 2022

EnFlo lab is part of £2.5m project to develop next generation weather models

See our latest news

Find a PhD course

If you are interested in doing a PhD with us, please look at the interests of our Department's research groups and get in contact with an academic.

Aerodynamic and Environmental Flow PhD

Automotive Engineering PhD

Biomedical Engineering PhD

Engineering Materials PhD

Robotics and Autonomous Systems PhD

Sustainable Energy PhD

Study in industry

Our students have the opportunity to spend four years in industry via our unique engineering doctorate programme hosted through our prestigious EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Micro- and NanoMaterials and Technologies (MiNMaT). This programme combines working on research with an industrial partner and taught courses on our campus.