Physics Graduate School

A very warm welcome to the Physics Graduate School. The Graduate School is the body that pulls together all the activities and functions of the Postgraduate Research (PGR) community in Physics, and is here to support our PGR's throughout their studies to ensure they have the best chance of success as well as a pleasant student experience.

Dr. Ian Lindsay, Director of the Graduate School

Your Research Degree

A research degree is really an individual journey for each student. This journey starts with an ambition to do ground-breaking research and pioneer new discoveries. It concludes with examination of the thesis and advancement to the next stage of your career. Whilst the key stages of any PGR journey are the same, there is a great diversity according to each unique individual experience:

Each student will sit within one of our 6 unique research themes.
PGR degrees can be funded by a research council studentship; industry; a student’s national scholarship body; charitable donation from one of our alumni; or self-funded.
We offer a 4-year PhD degree and a 1-2 year MSc(R) (Masters by Research) degree.
Flexibility is important so our degrees can be undertaken part-time; placements with companies to build career experience are popular and encouraged and external research visits are common.
A student may additionally be part of a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) focussed on a specific research topic.

What does the Graduate School offer?

We are here to support all PGR students throughout the research experience. We work to provide full-spectrum advice and assistance:

Advertising of specific opportunities and providing advice on application.
Run the Physics PGR Induction programme.
Work closely with PGR student reps through our student-staff meetings to design and deliver activities, and support student initiatives.
Provide personal advice at all the various stages and interfaces with the other parts of the University.
Support undergraduate teaching opportunities for PGRs, and help build this important professional practice.
Organise a rolling programme of PGR Training and Personal and Professional Development (PPD) activities.

Our Students

Our Graduate School students are engaged in various, exciting research programmes across the whole spectrum of Physics, at all levels from full PhD's, to MSc(R) as well as some CDT's. The student cohort is also very diverse: across our 250 (approx.) students, more than 33 nationalities are represented. Below you will some find some excerpts from current and previous Physics Graduate School students, about their experience.

Read our student stories

Photo of a group of Physics Graduate School students, from 2022.

At the Graduate School, we are big on student voice. Our student reps meet with School staff 6 times a year to discuss, review and plan activities as well as resolve any issues that may be affecting our students studies.

Each academic year, many of our PGRs take part in undergraduate teaching as a paid activity, and the Graduate School is here to support our PGR's with their introduction to teaching as well as balancing this with their studies.

The Bristol Doctoral College grows, develops and supports our thriving community of postgraduate researchers across all research degree programmes at the University of Bristol and is there to help support CDT students during their studies. Please visit the Bristol Doctoral College website for more information and support.

Our students also have access to other University support services and information to help them during their studies, such as Student Wellbeing, Student Support, Student Finance.