PhD school

The SGI offers students the opportunity of undertaking a PhD in Serious Games and Virtual Worlds at the Internationally leading centre. Staff including Prof Sara de Freitas, Dr Fotis Liarokapis, Dr Ian Dunwell and Dr Aristidis Protopsaltis are currently supervising students in areas including: Augmented Reality and Gaming; Affect and Motivation in games; Business games as effective teaching tools. The work builds upon the internationally leading work being undertaken by the Research and Development Team. The four main areas of research include: artificial life and intelligence; multimodal interface integration; neuropsychology and educational research approaches to the efficacy of game-based learning and visualisation and modelling.

The SGI is building upon the expertise within the team to develop a PhD School intended to provide additional support for students looking to become part of the serious games, games and virtual world sectors, through work attachments and internships with leading edge industrial partners within the SGI cluster of companies and out into the European and International networks. The SGI aims to develop students with a balance of skills and with specific skills aimed at supporting ongoing research or industrial positions beyond the end of the study.

Opportunities for self-funded students, work-based students and grant funded students will be considered.

Frequently asked questions:

How long is the duration of study?

The duration of study for a full-time PhD is three years. For a part-time PhD the period can range from 4-6 years depending on time commitment. In the event a student is not in a position to successfully defend their thesis at the end of the proscribed period of study, extensions are available, although we strongly urge and support students to complete on schedule.

How much does it cost?

For a UK (or EU) student, the annual fee payable is £3,420 per annum. For an overseas (non-EU) student the annual fee payable is £10,590 per annum.

Can I get funding support?

In the event we have a full or part-funded PhD position available, this will be advertised through jobs.ac.uk and open to application. Otherwise, students will be required to self-fund their period of study, or identify a source of funding on an individual basis.

How do I apply?

In the case of funded positions, these will be advertised via jobs.ac.uk and supporting information provided. For students able to self-fund, or wishing to seek an individual arrangement, a formal meeting either in-person or via teleconference is used to establish the relevance of their proposed topic of study and fit to applied research at the SGI. Prospective students are expected to provide evidence of academic qualification to at least undergraduate level, in a subject relevant to their proposed study, and present their proposal for study to academic staff. We welcome informal queries from prospective students in advance of this meeting to assist them in their preparation.

For the application process and forms please click here

How is the programme structured?

We appreciate that every PhD is different, and as such, work closely with students to ensure the structure of their PhD meets their needs, as well as supporting timely and successful completion. Each student is assigned a supervisory panel which provides a point of contact for day-to-day queries as well as monthly review meetings. Students also have access to taught modules at Coventry University to aid them in the development of key technical and research skills. Although interim assessments can aid students in identifying key areas for improvement, as with any PhD, the formal assessment and award is based entirely on the final submitted thesis and subsequent examination viva voce of the candidate.

Can I complete the programme through distance study?

Distance study programme also can be offered but students need to be able to attend some on-site events. Furthermore, we do support Location Independent Working (LIW).

I'm an overseas (non-EU) student. Is there anything else I should know?

We are currently unable to offer part-time study programmes to PhD students due to VISA restrictions. Please refer to Coventry University's main site for overseas students for further information: http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/international/Pages/index.aspx

For further information or an informal conversation, please contact Prof Sara de Freitas at the SGI.