EPCC: High Performance Computing, Computational & Data Science, Software Engineering PhD

Level: Postgraduate research

Subject: Computing and Informatics

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Full-time
  • PhD | 3 years | Start date: multiple dates
Part-time
  • PhD | 6 years | Start date: multiple dates

Key facts

School

School of Informatics

College

College of Science and Engineering

Programme website
PhD by Distance

Not available

School location

Central Area

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About the degree programme

EPCC (formerly the Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre) offers the opportunity to study for a PhD in areas related to: 

  • high performance computing
  • computational and data science
  • software engineering and sustainability
  • parallelism

Founded in 1990, EPCC is one of the leading supercomputing centres in Europe and a major provider of training in high performance computing. EPCC’s expertise includes:

  • advanced research
  • technology transfer
  • commercial consultancy
  • the provision of supercomputing and data services to academia and business

EPCC hosts an exceptional collection of high-performance and novel computing facilities including, on behalf of UKRI, 'ARCHER2', the UK’s Tier-1 research supercomputer. Other systems include the Arm-based 'Fulhame' system as part of the Catalyst UK programme and the heterogeneous (CPU/GPU) 'Cirrus' system, a national Tier-2 HPC service. EPCC will also host, as part of the Edinburgh International Data Facility (EIDF), the first European deployment of a Cerebras CS-1 High Performance AI Computer.

How to apply

You must submit an application through the EUCLID application portal and provide the required information and documentation. 

We only progress complete applications to the academic selection stage.

We would usually expect applicants to discuss their application with a potential supervisor before applying either by emailing the supervisor directly or through phd@epcc.ed.ac.uk.

When to apply

Applications are now open and can be submitted all year round.

Submit your completed application at least three months prior to your desired entry date (at least six months if you require an ATAS certificate and visa).

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

and, if applicable:

  • your research topic
  • details of any published work

You will also need to provide some or all of the following supporting information and documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

A complete application for this programme contains all the following elements:

  • the name of a proposed supervisor
  • a Curriculum Vitae (CV) of up to two pages
  • a research proposal (three to five pages long)
  • degree certificates and official transcripts for all completed and in-progress degrees (plus certified translations if academic documents are not issued in English)
  • evidence of English proficiency that meets our requirements
  • contact details for two academic references

Interview

Once your application has been received and all relevant documents have been checked, you will be invited to interview (often remote, but in-person is also possible) with your potential supervisor and at least one other member of staff.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

The Informatics Graduate School receives a lot of applications, and you will need to be proactive in keeping up to date with the progress of your application. 

Checking your application status

Once your application is submitted, you will receive your login credentials to access your Applicant Hub on the email address you indicated as your 'Correspondence' email. This can happen either immediately after you submit your application, or at any point up to 5 working days afterwards. 

You must log in to create your account and check whether any documents are missing (and read any notes from the admissions team).

Decisions (rejection or offer) will be sent through your Applicant Hub only.

Additionally, you may be required to complete a Fee Status Questionnaire, which will be accessible through your Applicant Hub. 

Post online application help

Fee Status questionnaire

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

If you need to apply for a student visa, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

Funding

Most PhD students in Informatics receive full scholarships to cover their tuition fees and living costs.

Others may use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • scholarships
  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

EPCC holds multiple EPSRC studentships.

EPSRC eligibility criteria

School of Informatics scholarships for research students

EPCC PhD applicants may not be eligible for some of the PhD scholarships on offer by the School of Informatics.

Research scholarships for international students

University of Edinburgh Graduate Scholarship Scheme

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a subject relevant to your project, typically one of: computational science (physics, biology, chemistry), cognitive science, artificial intelligence, computer science, mathematics, informatics, data science, engineering, or geosciences. 
 
We may also consider a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in fields such as linguistics, philosophy, or psychology if a relevant project is available.
 
You should be a competent to strong programmer in a language (or languages) relevant to your chosen project, typically at least one of C, C++, Java, Fortran, or Python. Individual projects may contain specific requirements relating to their topic.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • 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.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We 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

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

Research profile

EPCC has a team of experienced researchers with a wealth of expertise in the latest technologies. We have active research interests in various and varied areas including:

  • computational modelling, including computational fluid dynamics
  • programming models and software for future HPC systems
  • performance characterisation and benchmarking
  • HPC at the Exascale level
  • big data and data science at scale
  • software sustainability
  • quantum computing for HPC
  • FPGAs and novel hardware

Our software specialists have an impressive portfolio of projects, including many industrial applications. We work at the forefront of the field, for example through our leadership of the UK’s Software Sustainability Institute, ensuring that today’s new software continues to be improved and supported in the future.

At any time EPCC may be working on dozens or more nationally and/or internationally significant projects often in collaboration with academia, industry or both. For up-to-date examples, visit our website.

Learn more about our current projects

Programme structure

The PhD in High Performance Computing, Computational and Data Science, Software Engineering trains you as a researcher and allows you to develop advanced techniques and in-depth knowledge in a specialist area. You will develop an all-round knowledge of your discipline and a broad range of transferable skills.

You will carry out independent research, resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen area, working under the guidance of your supervisors.

The prescribed period of study is 36 months if studying full-time, or 72 months if studying part-time.

In year 1, your supervisor will identify your training needs, if any, and invite you to attend lectures relevant to your research topic. These lectures may be selected from those offered to MSc students or may be specialist courses and seminars organised by the School's various research groupings.

Towards the end of Year 1, you will be expected to submit a thesis proposal which:

  • identifies a specific research topic
  • reviews the relevant literature
  • outlines a plan of research to address the topic
  • describes progress made so far

Progress during your PhD is assessed by annual reviews, which formally determine whether you can progress with your PhD. You will be required to complete and pass a PhD annual review at the end of each year of study, and we expect you to submit your thesis at the end of Year 3. Following thesis submission, you will be required to attend an oral examination (or viva) which will be conducted by an external and internal examiner.

Support

You will carry out your research within EPCC under the guidance of a supervisory team.

You will be expected to attend seminars and meetings of relevant research groups and may also attend lectures that are relevant to your research topic. You may also be encouraged to contribute to EPCC's seminar series.

Periodic reviews of your progress will be conducted to assist with research planning.

A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development in a wide range of topics, from writing and presentation skills to entrepreneurship and career strategies. With the support of your supervisor, you will conduct an annual Training Needs Assessment, during which you will agree and plan your schedule of complementary training.

You will have full access to the courses delivered as part of EPCC's MSc programmes in HPC and HPC with Data Science. To help further develop your skills, you will be welcome (if not encouraged) to attend any areas of these with which you are unfamiliar. Some PhD students also contribute to teaching, training and outreach activities at EPCC, including as paid demonstrators/teaching assistants.

Opportunities may also arise to contribute to external or internal hackathon events or to support activities such as the Student Cluster Competition.

Facilities

EPCC is home to some of Europe’s most advanced supercomputing systems that enable high-level grid computing, data integration, computer simulation and process optimisation. These include national-level facilities used by researchers on behalf of various UK research funding councils:

  • ARCHER: UK national supercomputing facility provided by RCUK
  • DiRAC: UK national supercomputing facility provided by STFC
  • UK Research Data Facility (UK-RDF): UK national data facility provided by RCUK

Career opportunities

Graduates from EPCC have found rewarding employment across an immensely wide range of areas including:

  • EPCC and University of Edinburgh
  • other major supercomputing centres in the US and Europe
  • defence industry
  • medical imaging sector
  • gaming industry

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Postgraduate Programmes Manager, Jemma Auns

EPCC

Floor 2, The Bayes Centre

47 Potterrow

Central Campus

Edinburgh

EH8 9BT

phd@epcc.ed.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)131 651 3398

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