The reputation for pioneering and topical research is built on a long and successful history with aeronautical and automotive engineering. With programmes dating back to 1919, our reputation for research has been built on nearly 100 years of excellence. In our Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering department we have 37 academic staff and nearly 150 postgraduate students on taught and research programmes. We aim to deliver world-class research across a range of engineering, technology and science activity essential to the fast paced Aeronautical and Automotive industry. In our Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Department, we have four major research groups working across the technologies of automotive and aeronautical engineering. Each group works on a variety of research topics. These range from the development of new low emissions combustion systems for gas turbine engines through to fundamental investigations into the operation of hydrogen powered fuel cells. You will be assigned a supervisory team who, together with the Director of Doctoral Programmes, provides academic and pastoral support. Training and departmental seminars will help you to develop your skills, and you will be expected to present your own research papers. You will be provided with your own desk and computer in a shared departmental office, with access to library and IT facilities. Each of our programmes provides students with the skills and knowledge required to face the challenges of today's built environment and develop a better quality of life for people in the future. A PhD programme will give you the opportunity to develop new and highly sought after skills which can set you up for a range of careers. It’s a chance to make a novel contribution to knowledge, to become a world expert in a particular field, and it can open a range of doors with different employers. You'll also enhance your interpersonal skills, such as networking and relationship building, which will be invaluable in your future career.