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Computer Science (4 Year Programme) MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2026/27 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Computer Science (4 Year Programme) MPhil/PhD (2025/26), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

UK tuition fees (2026/27)

£6,400

£3,200

Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)

£34,700

£17,350

Duration

4 calendar years

5 calendar years

Programme starts

October 2026

Applications accepted

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis but should be submitted at least three months prior to your preferred start date.

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A UK Master's degree in a relevant discipline with Merit, or a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Work experience may also be taken into account.

The English language level for this course is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g. Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance. This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

This PhD programme allows you to work within research groups on challenging projects in computer science. UCL's research groups cover leading-edge topics, offering numerous opportunities to enhance your knowledge and skills, both in your specific research area and in broader career development.

Who this course is for

This programme is best suited for people wishing to embark on an academic career, as well as those interested in finding work in industry.

To support this, you'll be assigned a first and second supervisor who will guide you in the development of your research project and your abilities as a researcher. The research groups, the department, and UCL provide numerous opportunities for you to learn more about your field (e.g. seminars, conferences, and journal clubs) and the skills required for you to develop your research and future careers (e.g. training courses).

Many of our students have had their research results published and recognised at leading international conferences during their time on the PhD programme.

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

This degree offers you the following benefits and opportunities:

Recognition from a top-ranked university: UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (ranked 9th in the QS World University Rankings 2026), providing you with a prestigious qualification that is highly regarded by employers worldwide.

High-quality education from leading experts: Learn from world-renowned academics who are at the forefront of computer science innovation. UCL Computer Science is recognised for its research excellence, ranked first in England and second in the UK for research power in Computer Science and Informatics in the UK's most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

Impactful research: UCL’s contributions include software used across mobile phone networks, advancements in medical imaging, and innovations in human-centred security solutions. This PhD programme not only challenges you intellectually but also offers a pathway to a varied and fulfilling career, with access to valuable academic and industry contacts.

Strong employability with high employment rates and starting salaries: the Graduate Outcomes survey data shows that UCL Computer Science graduates are highly sought after in the job market, thanks to UCL's strong reputation and the practical, industry-focused skills gained during the programme. You'll be well-prepared to enter a variety of high-demand roles in academic and industry.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

Your employability will be significantly enhanced by working with world-leading researchers in cutting-edge areas such as virtual environments, networked systems, human-computer interaction, and financial computing. UCL’s multi-disciplinary approach allows collaboration across departments, preparing you for diverse career paths.

Alumni of the programme have successfully transitioned into academia, industry, and even launched their own start-ups, thanks to their deep understanding of industry challenges and innovative solutions. Recent employers include Amazon, Google, JP Morgan, Nokia and Synthesia. Graduates have also taken up positions at Imperial College London, Stanford University, University of California, University of Edinburgh and University of Oxford. Source: Graduate Outcomes survey.

Employability

Graduates from UCL Computer Science secure roles in global IT consultancies, City banks, and specialist manufacturing companies. The department offers placements and internships with leading technology firms - previous employers have included companies on Silicon Roundabout, and global giants like Google, Skype, and Meta, as well as multinational finance companies like Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and network with peers and members of academia and industry as part of your programme.

UCL Computer Science is located in the heart of London and has strong links with industry.
You will have regular opportunities to undertake internships at world-leading research organisations.
The department frequently welcomes industry executives to observe project presentations and hosts networking events with technology entrepreneurs.
You will benefit from a location close to the City of London and Canary Wharf, allowing you to work on projects with leading global financial companies.
London is home to numerous technology communities, such as the Graduate Developer Community, which provides regular meet-ups and mentoring for students interested in developer roles.

Teaching and learning

You are assigned a first and second supervisor who you will meet regularly. You are also assigned a research group, who usually meet regularly for research seminars and related activities in the department.

Throughout the PhD programme, regular scheduled progression points are used to review academic progress. This will include a first year viva, transfer/upgrade and a final viva examination.

These are useful feedback opportunities and allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the literature, your progress in your research and eventually, your final thesis and research. For each viva, you will be expected to produce a detailed report of your work to date and to attend a 'verbal exam' with supervisors and/or external academics/experts.

During your research degree, you will have regular meetings with your primary supervisor, in addition to contact with your secondary supervisor and participation in group meetings. Full-time study should comprise 35-40 hours per week; pro-rata for part-time.

Research areas and structure

Bioinformatics: protein structure; genome analysis; transmembrane protein modelling; de novo protein design methods; exploiting grid technology; mathematical modelling of biological processes
Financial computing: software engineering; computational statistics and machine learning; mathematical modelling
Human centred systems: usability of security and multimedia systems; making sense of information; human error and cognitive resilience
Information security: human and organisational aspects of security; privacy-enhancing technologies; cryptography and cryptocurrencies; cybersecurity in public policy and international relations; systems security and cybercrime
Intelligent systems: knowledge representation and reasoning; machine learning
Media futures: digital rights management; information retrieval; computational social science; recommender systems
Networks: internet architecture; protocols; mobile networked systems; applications and evolution; high-speed networking
Programming Principles, Verification and Logic’: logic and the semantics of programs; automated tools for verification and program analysis; produce mathematically rigorous concepts and techniques that aid in the construction and analysis of computer systems; applied logic outreach in AI, security, biology, economics
Software systems engineering: requirements engineering; software architecture; middleware technologies; distributed systems; software tools and environments; mobile computing
Virtual environments: presence, virtual characters; interaction; rendering; mixed reality
Vision and imaging science: face recognition; medical image analysis; statistical modelling of colour information; inverse problems and building mathematical models for augmented reality; diffusion tensor imaging

Research environment

UCL Computer Science is one of Europe’s leading centres for computer science research. The department is deeply involved in multi-disciplinary research projects and collaborates extensively with other universities and industry partners in the UK and internationally.

UCL provides strong support for technology transfer and start-ups, with several spin-outs acquired by major companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon.

Month 0 Registration: initially MPhil registration.

Month 0-6: General reading, directed by the supervisor, in the area of interest. This should bring you up to the sharp end of the area and allow you to appreciate what the research problems are.

Months 6-9: More detailed reading aimed at becoming expert enough to tackle a thesis project. A small, focused project is in order here to pin the reading on. A report on the year's activities should begin to be prepared.

Month 9: Formal 1st year viva (10-12 months for Part-time). This is the first major examination, and must take place no later than 9 months from the start date. Your supervisor, secondary supervisor and an 'assessor' review the work submitted with the aim of providing you with detailed feedback on your work. This is also a good opportunity to get feedback for the Transfer Viva and is often used as a “mock transfer”, giving you the opportunity to address any areas that require more attention before your transfer viva takes place.

Months 12-18: Formal transfer viva (15-21 for Part-time). Also known as the “Upgrade Viva”. This is where you would upgrade your expected qualification from MPhil to PhD. A substantial project report is expected, demonstrating the ability to conduct research, with initial research results and a plan for completion of the work and writing of the thesis. The outcome of the viva will determine whether you are allowed to transfer registration from MPhil to PhD. The transfer viva is formally assessed.

Months 24-36: Thesis project work being tidied up and turned into a unified piece of work. Thesis writing being planned and chapters being drafted. You are now eligible for Completing Research Status.

Month 36: Mock viva (48-60 for Part-time). A draft thesis and mock viva. This is to be attended by the supervisor, second supervisor and assessor and any others thought relevant. Thesis submission forms (aka Entry forms) completed and submitted.

Months 36-42: Complete the writing of the thesis.

Month 42: (60-72 for Part-time) Submit thesis.

See full-time summary

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time	Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£6,400	£3,200
Tuition fees (2026/27)	£34,700	£17,350

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

The Additional Fee Element (AFE) for each research project is determined individually by your academic supervisor.

Students will require a modern computer (PC or Mac) with minimum specifications of 8GB RAM and 500GB SSD storage with a camera and microphone. While it is not a requirement, we recommend at least 16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage. Approximate costs may range from £800-£1500. If you are considering undertaking a machine learning project, there will be computational capability available to you from within the Computer Science department. Nevertheless, you may find it helpful to have a capable GPU in addition to the above.

The department offers a conference and travel fund to support costs associated with attending and presenting at conferences. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. To be eligible for funding, students must be either presenting a paper or a poster, and must have passed both their first-year viva and their transfer viva.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students, please visit our estimated cost of essential expenditure page.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

UCL offers various funding opportunities for postgraduate students. Please see UCL's Scholarships website for more information. For UCL Computer Science scholarship opportunities, please visit here.

Home students will have the opportunity to apply for EPSRC DTP Studentships where available.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

: China Scholarship Council - UCL Joint Research Scholarship

NOW CLOSED FOR 2026/27

Value: Fees, maintenance and travel (Duration of programme)

Criteria Based on academic merit

Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Next steps

Below you will find step by step advice on how to make an application.

Check you meet the entry requirements
Identify a proposed supervisor and submit a research proposal.
As part of the application, you are required to submit a research proposal and to identify a potential supervisor. Please visit the UCL Computer Science research pages for detailed information on the work of our research groups and information on our academic staff's research interests.
You are advised to contact the member of staff with whom you are interested in working before applying. This enables you to discuss your proposed project and ascertain whether the supervisor will be available and able to take on a new student.
If applying for a studentship, you should provide a personal statement that is tailored to the requirements of the vacancy.
Complete an online application via UCL Select.
Before submitting your application, please ensure that you have all of the necessary information and documentation. References will only be requested once the application is complete. Two academic references are preferred.
It is your responsibility to follow up on references. We strongly encourage you to contact your referees before submitting your application to ensure that they complete the references as soon as possible after receiving the request.
Your research proposal should be uploaded to the 'personal statement' section of the application.
Any transcripts or references used as part of the application must be in English. Official translations must be verified by your original university, a solicitor or an official translation service, such as that provided by the British Council. Translations must also be accompanied by a certified copy in the original language.
Finally, applicants should keep us informed of any changes in their contact details.

When to apply

There are usually two deadlines for October 2026 entry. Please see below:

Application cycle 1

Applications in by 13 February 2026
Panel one afternoon week commencing 4 March 2026

Application cycle 2

Applications in by 17 April 2026
Panel one afternoon week commencing 13 May 2026

If you wish to be considered for the UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (UCL-RES) and the UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS), please note that these scholarships have their own deadlines. You can find full information on application cycles on the links provided above.

Interviews

It is departmental policy to interview qualified candidates who our academic staff are interested in supervising. We do not admit any applicant unless they have been interviewed in person, online, or by phone. Typically, the interview panel will be formed of two members of academic staff. Overseas applicants will be interviewed by videophone/conferencing, where available. The interviewers will call at a time agreed in advance with the candidate.

Part-time student additional requirements

While we do offer our PhD programme on a part-time basis, the following additional requirements must be addressed at the application stage before an offer is considered:

You must be able to devote 20 hours per week, with at least one full day within the working week (Mon-Fri) included
You must be formally endorsed or supported by their employer or line manager, in writing, if they are in full time employment (or they must only be in part-time employment)
You are expected to work on a PhD topic that overlaps with the work you are doing in employment.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

This course requires two references. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.