Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures PhD

Awards: PhD

Funding opportunities

Centre for Doctoral Training

The Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures (WAMESS) is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and offered in partnership with the University of Oxford and Strathclyde.

The Centre's multi-disciplinary research teams are working closely with industry to help develop its global position in the field and meet ambitious renewable energy targets.

The Centre is committed to developing the new wave of highly skilled professionals needed to meet the energy challenge.

Recruiting graduates

The Centre is recruiting 70 graduates over 5 years.

The first intake started in October 2019.

This unique opportunity combines training and research to enable graduates to make the transition into the wind and marine energy sector - a rapidly expanding area in the UK and overseas, with an overwhelming demand for well-qualified people.

Aims and objectives

The overall aim of the Research Centre is to meet the needs of the fast-growing offshore wind, wave and tidal energy industry, by providing high caliber PhD and EngD graduates with the specialist, generic and leadership skills necessary to lead future developments in offshore energy systems.

The objectives are to ensure all students from different disciplines gain competencies in core aspects of offshore energy systems engineering and understand the socio-economic impact of these systems.

Depending on the specific research project and choice of optional training courses, you will be awarded either an EngD or a PhD with Integrated Studies in Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures.

In the first 4 months of the PhD/EngD (from October to January), you will attend the following courses:

  • Wind, Waves and Tides in ORE
  • Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics of ORE
  • Nacelle Mechanical and Electrical Technologies in ORE
  • Socio-Economic and Environmental Aspects of ORE
  • Safety, Risk and Reliability Offshore

These courses will be taught at Strathclyde University (Glasgow) by experts from industry and from the Universities of Edinburgh, Oxford and Strathclyde.

In February of the first year, the students will begin their research project, which will be completed by the end of the 4th year.

During this period, the student will also take additional taught courses including

  • Offshore Electrical Infrastructure
  • Mechanical Loading, Materials and Design in ORE
  • Intelligence and Control in ORE Turbines and Devices
  • Introduction to Offshore Geotechnics
  • Dynamics of Offshore Structures for ORE
  • Environmental Impact Assessment for ORE
  • Offshore Structural Integrity
  • Offshore Foundation Design
  • Numerical Analysis for Offshore Geotechnics
  • Advanced Fluid Mechanics for ORE
  • Scale and field testing for ORE

These additional courses will be delivered in blocks of one or two weeks at one of the three partner institutions (Edinburgh, Oxford and Strathclyde).

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:

Studentships are available to the UK and eligible EU citizens with (or about to obtain) a 1st class or 2.1 degree or a Master degree in a Physical Science or Engineering discipline.

The studentships will begin on the 1st of October each year (since 2019) and cover University fees and a highly competitive stipend for four years.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures
  • Graduate School of Engineering
  • Sanderson Building
  • The King's Buildings Campus
  • Sanderson Building
  • EH9 3FB

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures
  • Graduate School of Engineering
  • Sanderson Building
  • The King's Buildings Campus
  • Sanderson Building
  • EH9 3FB