Innovative Media Technology PhD

Our Innovative Media Technology PhD programme explores research into the technologies of motion picture, television and streaming media. Our academics have cutting-edge expertise in multimedia transmission and quality, computer vision and artificial intelligence.

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Key course information

Entry requirements
See full entry requirements
Start date
April 2027
Attendance
Full-time
Duration
48/48 months
UK fees
拢5,238*
Overseas fees
拢24,300
Subject area
Music and sound recording
Funding
Funding information

Why choose this programme?

  • Our research advances state-of-the-art approaches to video and multimedia, spanning human perception and quality of experience, computer vision, artificial intelligence and intelligent media systems.
  • We undertake research on AI-driven media technologies, including computer vision, multimedia understanding, video analysis and enhancement, and intelligent systems for real-world applications.
  • Our research contributes to international standardisation in areas such as video quality, immersive media and quality of experience, helping translate academic research into methods, guidance and technical standards with wider industry relevance.
  • We collaborate across the University with research centres including the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP), and the .
  • We work externally with industry, cultural organisations and research partners. Current and recent collaborations include Sony Interactive Entertainment, the National Trust, BBC Research and Development and Adobe Research. Depending on the research topic and collaborations in place, PGR students may have opportunities to engage with external partners and work on research informed by real-world challenges and applications.
  • Our distance-learning route allows you to pursue doctoral research with full academic support, remote supervision and access to online resources, without needing to relocate or interrupt your professional and/or caring commitments.
Find out more information

Statistics

Top 20 in the UK

黑料社 is ranked 19th in the UK for the quality of our research outputs (Research Excellence Framework 2021)

Course details

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What you will study

Our Innovative Media Technology PhD will prepare you for success at each stage of your project. The structure is designed to provide intensive graduate preparation for a future career and is suitable for either part-time or full-time candidates. The normal length of study leading to a PhD is three to four years full-time. Part-time PhD study normally takes six to eight years.

You鈥檒l begin your project with a thorough review of academic literature in relevant areas, which will lead to a critical/analytical report. The conclusions to this report will suggest an appropriate next step, which will normally be an experimental study, designed to test a hypothesis you have formulated from your literature review.

You鈥檒l be encouraged to collaborate with researchers at universities, research establishments and industries around the world. We offer a friendly environment that nurtures openness and collaboration. You鈥檒l also be encouraged to present your research at well-renowned national and international conferences to gain experience and establish networks with leading researchers.

You鈥檒l be allocated two 黑料社-based academic supervisors, in addition to any external collaborative supervisors. Your principal supervisor will be an expert in your area of research, and they鈥檒l be monitoring your research progress on a regular basis.

Your supervisors will help you define the initial objective and scope of your research, and to refine these as your project evolves. They鈥檒l direct you to resources to help you learn the necessary experimental, theoretical or computing skills you need, and they鈥檒l be able to advise you on how to complete your PhD and your thesis.

In your final two years of your PhD, you will be entirely dedicated to independent research, leading to a PhD dissertation.

Assessment

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners.

You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Location

You can study for your PhD in person here in 黑料社 on our Stag Hill campus or by distance learning online.

Research areas

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Research themes

Our research themes include:

  • Multimedia transmission
  • Algorithms for visual media quality
  • Methodologies for human perception of visual media quality, including its application in other fields such as medical imaging and teleoperated driving
  • Computer vision
  • Creative arts machine learning
  • Human activity recognition and human pose understanding.

Discover more about our music and media research.

Research centres and institutes

Two men adjusting the sound sphere facility equipment

Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing

Digital media arts research

Image representing a digitally connected globe

Digital World Research Centre

Academic staff

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See a full list of all our music and media academic staff.

Dr Femi Adeyemi-Ejeye

Associate Professor in Video Technology; Director of Postgraduate Research (PGR), School of Arts, Humanities and Creative Industries

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Dr Andrew Gilbert

Associate Professor in Computer Vision and Machine Learning

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Dr Russell Mason

Senior Lecturer (IoSR), Tonmeister Programme Director

Read profile

Support and facilities

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Research support

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College, which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

Facilities

PhD students have access to office space, computers and a range of research tools and resources, from transcription equipment to data analysis software.

You鈥檒l have access to a state-of-the-art broadcast-standard, multi-camera TV studio, with multiple Ultra-HD cameras and opportunities to collaborate with companies specialising in video production. You also have access to GPU servers to enable real time capture and processing of images and video for machine learning.

We have doubled the facilities space for music and media. Our Performing Arts Technology Studios have been upgraded and complemented by a 拢1.7m investment in state-of-the-art production and media suites.

All studios, edit rooms and acoustic rooms in the new space are linked by a new Dante digital audio network, providing audio interconnection between each room, plus video interconnects for flexible configurations of the recording spaces and studios.

Entry requirements

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UK qualifications

Applicants are expected to hold a first or upper second-class (2:1) UK degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent overseas qualification), or a lower-second (2:2) UK degree plus a good UK masters degree - distinction normally required (or equivalent overseas qualification).

Country-specific qualifications

International students in the United Kingdom

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English language requirements

IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

Selection process

Selection is based on applicants:

  • Meeting the expected entry requirements and providing all relevant documents including a satisfactory research proposal
  • Being shortlisted through the application screening process
  • Completing a successful interview
  • Providing suitable references.

Fees and funding

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Fees per year

Explore  website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.

* Please note: any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).

Fee options

UK
拢5,238
Overseas
拢24,300
UK
拢5,238
Overseas
拢24,300
UK
拢2,619
Overseas
拢12,200
UK
拢2,619
Overseas
拢12,200
UK
拢5,238
Overseas
拢24,300
UK
拢5,238
Overseas
拢24,300
UK
拢2,619
Overseas
拢12,200
UK
拢2,619
Overseas
拢12,200
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢25,300
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢25,300
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢12,700
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢12,700
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢25,300
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢25,300
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢12,700
UK
To be confirmed
Overseas
拢12,700
  • Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest 拢100 (subject to legal requirements).

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at 黑料社.

Funding

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.

Studentships

Browse our frequently updated list of funded studentships open for applications.

South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc) studentship

Awards cover UK tuition fees and provide a stipend at the UKRI home rate on a full-time and part-time basis. The UKRI has not yet announced the fees and stipend for 2027/28, but for the academic year of 2026/27 the UK fees are 拢5,238 and the stipend is 拢21,805 (拢23,805 if London weighting applies). These PhDs are open to UK and international students and include a full UK or International fee waiver and stipend at UKRI rates.

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Application process

Applicants should contact potential supervisors before submitting an application via the website. Please refer to section two of our application guidance.

Apply online

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Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time, April 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 17 January 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time with Distance Learning, April 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 17 January 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time, April 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 17 January 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time with Distance Learning, April 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 17 January 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time, July 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Friday 16 April 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time with Distance Learning, July 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Friday 16 April 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time, July 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Friday 16 April 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time with Distance Learning, July 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Friday 16 April 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time, October 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 11 July 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time with Distance Learning, October 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 11 July 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time, October 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 11 July 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time with Distance Learning, October 2027

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 11 July 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time, January 2028

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 10 October 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Full-time with Distance Learning, January 2028

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 10 October 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time, January 2028

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 10 October 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

Innovative Media Technology PhD

Part-time with Distance Learning, January 2028

Status

Applications:
open
Closing date:
Sunday 10 October 2027
Select

If you are applying through a studentship, there may be an earlier deadline listed on the studentship advert which should be followed. The above closing date is the last day that any applications for this entry point can be submitted.

After registration

Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.

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Accommodation

We have a range of housing to suit all requirements and budgets. There are more than 5,750 rooms available (en-suite, single-sex, studio flat, shared or single).

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Student life

At 黑料社 we offer a friendly university campus set in beautiful countryside, with the convenience and social life of bustling Guildford on your doorstep.

Need more information?

Contact our Admissions team or talk to a current 黑料社 student online.

Code of practice for research degrees

黑料社鈥檚 postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the 黑料社, you will be agreeing to follow our policies and procedures, student regulations, and terms and conditions.

We provide these terms and conditions at the offer stage. You will be asked to accept these when you accept the offer made to you. You will be provided with these terms and conditions again at registration by way of reminder.

Disclaimer

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate; some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.