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MSc by Research at Huddersfield

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    This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.
    This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.
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    Overview

    A Master of Science (MSc) by Research allows you to undertake a one-year (full-time) research degree. It contains little or no formal taught component. This type of study gives you the chance to explore a research topic over a shorter time than a more in-depth doctoral programme.

    Our research degrees are available as full-time, part-time and some are offered distance learning.

    Research Master's students choose a specific project to work on and have a greater degree of independence in their work than is the case with a taught Master’s course.

    You’ll be expected to work to an approved programme which you will develop in conjunction with your supervisor within the first few months of starting your studies. Whilst undertaking the research project you will also develop your research skills by taking part in training courses and events.

    You will be appointed a main supervisor who will normally be part of a supervisory team, comprising up to three members. The research supervisor will advise and support you on your project.

    At the end of the project, you write up your findings in the form of a short thesis of around 25,000 words, which will then be examined.

    On successful completion, you will be awarded your degree and if you have enjoyed this taste of research, you may then decide to apply for the full research doctoral degree (PhD).

    Key Information

    Entry requirements

    The normal level of attainment required for entry is:

    • An upper second honours degree (2.1) from a UK university or a qualification of an equivalent standard, in a discipline appropriate to that of the proposed programme to be followed.

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

    Start dates

    21 September 2026

    1 October 2026

    11 January 2027

    19 April 2027

    Application deadlines

    For September 2026

    12 June 2026 for International and Scholarship Students

    03 July 2026 for Home Students

    For October 2026

    12 June 2026 for International and Scholarship Students

    03 July 2026 for Home Students

    For January 2027

    16 October 2026 for International and Scholarship Students

    13 November 2026 for Home Students

    For April 2027

    22 January 2027 for International and Scholarship Students

    19 February 2027 for Home Students

    Duration

    The maximum duration for an MSc by Research is 1 year (12 months) full-time or 2 years (24 months) part-time with an optional submission pending (writing-up) period of 4 months.

    Sometimes it may be possible to mix periods of both full-time and part-time study.
    If studying on a part-time basis, you must establish close links with the University and spend normally not less than an average of 10 working days per year in the university, excluding participation in activities associated with enrolment, re-registration and progression monitoring. You are also expected to dedicate 17.5 hours per week to the research.

    What can I research?

    There are several research topics available for this degree. See below examples of research areas including an outline of the topics, the supervisor, funding information and eligibility criteria:

    Outline

    One reason for screening vision in young children is to detect “lazy eye” early in life. If left undetected, it can lead to unrecoverable poor vision in adulthood. Current UK vision screening programmes for children measure visual acuity, the smallest recognisable letter. If age norms are not met, recommendation to attend a full eye examination with an eye care clinician is made. Recent research results suggest that clinical measures of crowding distance significantly enhance detection of “lazy eye” in children, so should be used for screening. Crowding distance measures also relate better to reading performance in children than visual acuity, so they may hold potential value for teachers.

    Crowding distance is a measure of visual crowding, the inability to recognise a target object in clutter. When objects are too close together, they perceptually jumble. If separated by the crowding distance, they are free from clutter. Crowding distances are especially large in children with “lazy eye” associated with an eye turn. For them, visual acuity may be degraded in one eye compared to the other, but crowding distance differs considerably more.

    A new clinical crowding distance test has now been designed for use on computer screens. Crowding distance data has been gathered with this test in normal healthy children, as well as children with “lazy eye”.

    Can we design a flip-chart test that is effective at measuring crowding distance in children?

    Funding

    Self-funding applicants are welcome. In addition to tuition fees, bench fees of between £3-£15,000 per annum are required depending on the nature of the project.

    Deadline

    Our standard University deadlines apply. Please see our Deadlines for Applications page to find out more

    Supervisors

    How to apply

    There are different ways to find the right research topic for you:

    1. Find a supervisor and design your own research project – explore the Huddersfield Research Portal to find research and researcher expertise to find the area you’re interested in.

    2. For research in science, computing, engineering, health, and social science we have named projects you can search and apply for instead of developing a research proposal.

    3. Browse our listed funded opportunities.

    As a minimum you can expect to meet with your supervisors at least once a month (once every two months for part-time students). In practice you may meet with your supervisors more frequently. This time should include at least an hour of one-to-one supervision with each student.

    Self-directed study is to be agreed in liaison with you and your supervisor. Self-directed study and supervision time should equate to 35 hours per week (for full-time research degrees).

    Teaching

    A research degree has no compulsory taught element, the study period is for 52 weeks a year with a 35-day annual leave allowance. You are expected to study for at least 35 hours a week for full-time study.

    Variation for Professional doctorates - For professional doctorates there is a taught element, and you are required to attend and pass a core programme in research methods in the first 16 Months of study. Progression at the end of Module 4 will be dependent upon attendance and successful completion of these modules.

    Feedback

    Feedback, normally written, is provided on all assessments following submission. Submission and feedback dates will be provided to you upon enrolment.

    Progression

    You may progress to the next stage of your course or research degree, subject to meeting University assessment criteria and professional, statutory, or regulatory body guidelines.

    Researcher Environment

    Our postgraduate researchers contribute to our thriving research culture at Huddersfield, in return we provide an experience that enhances your potential and inspires you to think big and become a globally competitive researcher.

    Join our community of like-minded people who are passionate for research and gain access to world-leading facilities, advanced research skills training, and expert careers advice.

    World-leading

    We are in the top 50 UK universities for research power, and nearly two thirds of our research environment is classified as world leading and internationally excellent (REF2021).

    As a researcher, you’ll gain access to our bespoke training programmes which are delivered in a variety of ways to take advantage of online platforms as well as face-to-face workshops and courses. You can access a range of tailored training opportunities available at each stage of your journey, including: * sessions on PhD thesis writing, publications and journals, post-doctoral opportunities, poster and conference presentations, networking, and international travel opportunities * opportunity to work and study abroad via the Turing Scheme through The Graduate School * externally accredited training programme with Advance HE (HEA) and CMI * online research training support accessed through a dedicated researcher module in Brightspace, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment * We also hold a series of PGR focussed events such as 3 Minute Thesis * PGR led research conference * informal events throughout the year

    Student support

    At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    When you are offered a place on a research degree, your offer will include confirmation of your supervisory team, and the topic you will be researching and will be governed by our terms & Conditions, student handbook and relevant policies. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

    Whilst the University will use reasonable efforts to ensure your supervisory team remains the same, sometimes it may be necessary to make changes to your team for reasons outside the University’s control, for example if your supervisor leaves the University, or suffers from long term illness. Where this is the case, we will discuss these difficulties with you and seek to either put in place a new supervisory team, or help you to transfer to another research facility, in accordance with our Student Protection Plan.

    Changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, for example pandemics, other disasters (such as fire, flood or war) or changes made by the government. Where this is the case, we will discuss these issues with you and agree any necessary changes.

    Your research project is likely to evolve as you work on it and these minor changes are a natural and expected part of your study. However, we may need to make more significant changes to your topic of research during the course of your studies, either because your area of interest has changed, or because we can no longer support your research for reasons outside the University’s control. If this is the case, we will discuss any changes in topic with you and agree these in writing. If you are an international student, changing topics may affect your visa or ATAS clearance and if this is the case we will discuss this with you before any changes are made.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.