Join our vibrant community of PhD students and researchers. We're part of the growth of the photonics industry, including the optical telecommunication technology that underpins the internet as well as solutions in medicine, biosciences sensing, security and manufacturing.
Our inventions are making the world a better place – in air travel, the internet and in life-saving medical devices. We received the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher Education our expertise in fibre optics and photonics.
You'll study at our dedicated Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) based at the Zepler Institute. We have more than 90 state-of-the-art photonics labs to work in and over 200 researchers working in photonics, physics and advanced materials.
We'll make sure you have a thorough grounding in photonics and you'll be supported by a supervisor who'll guide your research. Your supervisor will encourage you to attend international conferences and write journal papers and also recommend additional courses to develop your skills. Courses include training in report writing, project management, time management, presentation skills and safety training.
Our PhD students and postdoctoral researchers have made successful careers in universities worldwide or as scientists and business leaders in industry. The quality of our research outputs, the cluster of spin-off companies and the worldwide network of successful alumni place the ORC amongst the top institutes worldwide for doctoral research.
We'll also introduce you to the the University of Southampton Optics and Photonics Society (OPSoc), which is the hub of a wide variety of social and professional activity among our students.
Our approach is multidisciplinary. You could be working with lasers, metamaterials, optoelectronics, photonics, fibre optics, hollow core fibres and more advanced materials. Our research areas include:
The University of Southampton is pleased to announce that PGR students from EU and Horizon associated countries joining us in 2026-27 will pay the same as UK PGRs for their PhD.
We regularly advertise projects with guaranteed funding. We are currently working to advertise our available projects in the section below. In the meantime, please visit the Optoelectronics Research Centre to find and apply for our structured studentships.
Taking one of our structured studentships will give you access to additional training, conferences and secondments.
Applications are accepted throughout the year but you should apply as early as possible in order to get the best choice of projects.
Contact the supervisor of each project for more information or email Eric Plum with any more general queries at orcadmis@soton.ac.uk.
We offer one of the most attractive packages for talented PhD students with full tuition funding, plus a stipend at the UKRI rate, plus £2,000 ORC enhancement tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years (totalling £22,858 for 2025/26, rising annually).
While this is available for any of our PhD projects, a handful of our research projects have dedicated industry funding and offer an even more attractive package. This would be specified in the project description.
Doctoral training centres offer fully funded studentships which include:
Find out more about doctoral training centres.
To encourage applications from EU and Horizon Europe associated countries, University of Southampton treats PhD students from these countries the same as UK students for fees purposes. We can offer several partial/full scholarships for fees and living expenses. These are available for any of our PhD projects and will be awarded to strong applicants in need of a scholarship.
See here for full information terms and conditions
We offer scholarships and teaching bursaries ourselves. Your potential supervisor can guide you on what is available.
If you’re an international student you may be able to apply for a scholarship from your country.
Find out more about scholarships
Funding for international applicants is very competitive. We can only offer a small number of partial or full scholarships, based on financial need and the strength of your application.
Before you apply, we strongly recommend that you explore other funding options. These could include:
Please start looking into these options well in advance of your application
Once you've found a supervisor, they can help you with potential funding sources. We offer match funding in some cases.
You'll need to state how you intend to pay for your tuition fees when you submit your application.
Find out more about funding your PhD
You may be able to fund your postgraduate research with funding from your current employer or from industry.
You can borrow up to £30,301 for a PhD starting on or after 1 August 2025. Doctoral loans are not means tested and you can decide how much you want to borrow.
Find out about PhD loans on GOV.UK
You may be able to win funding from one or more charities to help fund your PhD.
We charge tuition fees for every year of study. If you’re applying for a fully funded project, your fees will be paid for you.
EU Fee Waiver: If your country is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, you will pay the same fees as UK students.
Find out if your country is part of the Horizon Europe programme
2025 to 2026 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Optoelectronics full time | £5,006 | £26,700 |
| Optoelectronics part time | £2,503 | £13,350 |
2026 to 2027 entry:
| Subject | UK fees and Horizon Programme applicants | International fees |
|---|---|---|
| Optoelectronics full time | To be confirmed Spring 2026 | £27,300 |
| Optoelectronics part time | To be confirmed Spring 2026 | £13,650 |
You're eligible for a 10% alumni discount on a self-funded PhD if you're a current student or graduate from the University of Southampton. This will not apply for programmes that are externally funded. Please check the fees and funding section.
We have 30 research groups working on a variety of individual and collaborative projects. A common theme of our research is to apply our extensive optical toolbox to new and developing areas, such as biosensing and manufacturing.
Applicants should choose an advertised research project or a research group. (They should not create their own proposal.)
Each of our research groups has funding available for their projects. They can offer funding to the right candidates. If you see something you're interested in, then contact the group supervisor to discuss your options.
It's a good idea to email potential supervisors to discuss your research project. It's best to do this well ahead of the application deadline.
You’ll find supervisors’ contact details listed with the advertised project, or you can search for supervisors in the staff directory.
As part of your online application, you’ll need to send us:
The application process is the same whether you're applying for a funded project, or have created a research proposal.
You'll need a UK bachelor’s or master’s degree 2:1 honours or higher in a relevant subject or equivalent qualification.
If English is not your first language, you'll need an IELTS minimum level of 6.0 with a 5.5 in writing, reading, speaking and listening, or equivalent. More information can be found here.
Your awarded certificate needs to be dated within the last 2 years.
If you need further English language tuition before starting your degree, you can apply for one of our pre-sessional English language courses.
Check the specific entry requirements listed on the project you’re interested in before you apply.
Research degrees have a minimum and maximum duration, known as the candidature. Your candidature ends when you submit your thesis.
Most candidatures are longer than the minimum period.
| Programme | Full time | Part time |
| Optoelectronics Research Centre | 2 to 4 years | 3 to 7 years |
