Members of the research group have come from many parts of the world, including the USA, Russia, Slovakia, China, France, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and the Ukraine. These degrees can also be taken part-time over a longer period. Each research student has a supervisor and also an advisor and a moderator, who offer aditional advice when needed, and assess each student's progress. Some of these schemes provide full payment of fees and a maintenance grant, others only provide partial support. A distinctive MSc course is available, designed to provide a foundation for those wishing to undertake research for the MPhil and PhD degrees.
Students experience the exhilaration of undertaking research in a field of their choice.
A selection may be made from the list of research areas, and an emphasis on experimental, theoretical or computational work is possible. They join an existing research group and work on a specific project, on which they write a report. They also attend advanced lecture courses and take examinations. Enquiries about such posts are always welcome. The department welcomes enquiries from scientists who wish to visit the research groups.