Offshore Renewable Energy (Industrial Doctorate Centre) EngD

The EPSRC Industrial CDT for Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE) is a partnership of the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Exeter and Swansea University, together with the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

IDCORE’s four-year engineering doctorate programme is a doctoral-level research and training programme, equivalent in academic standing to a conventional PhD, but achieved through research that is much more industrially focused.

Who this programme is for

We recruit students from across:

• engineering
• science
• technology
• mathematics
• other numerate disciplines

The integrated training programme in the first year will ensure all students are trained in electrical, offshore and mechanical engineering.

Why Edinburgh

IDCORE addresses future challenges to develop leading technologies and train the world-class scientists and engineers essential for the UK to sustain its global lead in the ORE sector.

It takes an integrated approach to the whole ORE system from the wind and oceans to the end user, with experts from many disciplines contributing to a taught programme delivered in a research environment using state-of-the-art facilities.

Strong engagement with industry allows us to train the next generation of researchers and innovators to develop and deliver the necessary new technologies, know-how and capacity. IDCORE delivers:

• a strong, focus on engineering, science and inter-disciplinary training to address the need to supply sustainable, affordable, and resilient energy contributing to industrial and economic growth while reducing carbon emissions
• impact from excellent research in integrated vertical and cross-cutting inter-disciplinary themes from ocean to the end-user including: resource analysis; offshore energy generation and delivery technologies; data science and technology; materials science; marine science and environment; deployment and O&M strategies; autonomous technologies; bioenergy; energy storage; complementary energy vectors; energy policy; socio-economic impact; and blue-energy literacy
• training throughout the full life cycle of research by providing an academic and industrial environment, spanning theory to practice and including responsible research and innovation, ethical engineering, data management, commercialisation, entrepreneurship, leadership and societal engagement skills

Project

You will be undertaking a project, based entirely with your sponsor, that tackles a genuine commercial problem in a real-world environment, offering the chance to develop both research and commercial skills.

Projects are proposed by offshore renewable energy companies in areas agreed between the sponsoring companies and the IDCORE management in order to ensure that your work meets the standards needed for the award of an EngD.

You are matched with a research project part way through the second semester of the teaching programme (in February).

Your sponsoring company may be based anywhere in the UK and you are likely to be required to move away from Edinburgh, from June of the first year. Being immersed in work environment of the sponsoring company provides a hugely valuable industrial experience, while simultaneously studying for the Doctorate.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK first class honours degree, or its international equivalent.

We will also consider your application if you have a UK 2:1 honours degree and a MSc degree with distinction, or their international equivalents, and substantial relevant work experience.

We expect you to have a good understanding of one or more branches of science or engineering and some relevant research experience.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which 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 65 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

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:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

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).

• Approved universities in 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.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements