Programme structure

Throughout the course students will have joint registrations in both Manchester and Sheffield. The first year´s formally taught material will be delivered before Christmas in both Manchester and Sheffield, and mini projects, which run after Christmas, can be carried out in either institution.

In the later part of the first year, in collaboration with academic advisors, you will develop your own PhD project. Our aim is that these projects should involve more than one supervisor from more than one discipline so that you get the chance to work in an interdisciplinary project. We aim to involve industry, Government and regulators in the DTC PhD projects, through placements and secondments, or through converting the projects into collaborative CASE projects.

In a conventional PhD, the research topic is generally chosen by the supervisor before the student starts, and the student has 3 to 3.5 years funding. In practice, most students take a few months longer, without funding, to write up, generally making the total duration around four years.

Your PhD project must be completed at the University where you are primarily registered, with visiting status at the other. Your lead supervisor must be at the University where you are originally registered however; you can have a co supervisor at the other institution.

Before you can apply to the Nuclear FiRST Centre, you need to decide which University will be the best place for you to study for a Ph.D. as the university you are recruited to will be the university you will be awarded your degree from. Click on Manchester or Sheffield to take you directly to lists of the research areas that are on offer. Take a look at the lists and decide which institution will be your best base for the 4 years.

Qualification

The qualification you will receive at the end of a successful four-year DTC programme is a PhD; this can be awarded from either Manchester or Sheffield; depending on which university you originally applied to and has therefore been the main base for your research project.