Top 18 PhD Scholarships for Software Engineering Students 

Get the highest Education status as a software Engineer just for free. With Ph.D. Scholarships for Software Engineering Students, you as just as good as nice.

In the present digital age, software engineers are the creative brains behind the various computer programs we use daily. The world is always searching for new software, mobile applications and computer systems to make living easier and more secure.

That is software engineers are on high demand and employment in the field of software engineering is on d increase.

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About Software Engineering

Software engineering scholarship offers is and has been a great opportunity for students both local and foreign to fund their studies on the design, development, and maintenance of software.

The discipline is a meeting point between computer science and programming that focuses on developing software systems that operate effectively.

So if you wish to dive deeply into the field of software engineering especially at the doctorate level, it can be quite expensive due to the high cost of tuition fees and research expenses. However, we have in this article, outlined the 18 best scholarship opportunities available for funding your Ph.D. studies in the field.

Secure data compression and analytics for IoT at Aarhus University

The aim of the opportunity is to finance Ph.D. students to design and develop secure data compression and analytics for future IoT ecosystem leveraging advanced signal processing techniques.

The support is partially funded by Innovation Fund Denmark and is targeted at the development of data compression scheme with in-built security with advanced signal processing techniques for IoT ecosystem, including sensor devices, and communication, storage, and computation infrastructure and to create a machine learning and data analytics on compressed and encrypted data.

The applicant is expected to deploy such designs in practical systems to demonstrate the results.

  • As one of the major criteria, it requires students with a strong theoretical profile in implementation/programming or both.
  • The applicant must have a certified master’s degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or applied mathematics.
  • Good background on signal processing, machine learning, communication systems, and networking is highly desired.
  • Also, knowledge of mathematics, probability and/or encryption, programming, particularly Python, C++, and Java, or experience with the embedded system is needed.
  • The candidate must possess good English verbal and written skills.

3D Interactive Virtual Reality System for Dental Radiography Training at Bournemouth University

The scholarship aims to develop a new interactive and immersive Virtual reality system for simulation and visualization of dental radiography training. It is a partnership project between Dr. Simant Prakoonwit (Department of Creative Technology, Bournemouth University), Dr. N. L. Bolstad (Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Tromsø, Norway) and Dr. W Khan, Caspia Research, UK.

The selected candidates will get a maintenance grant of £14,777 per year for a 36 months fee waiver and expenses during the research.

Some of the necessary requirements are as follows;

  • Candidates must show outstanding qualities and motivation to complete a Ph.D. in 4 years.
  • Application is opened for UK, EU, and international students.
  • Applicant must have a first-class honors degree and/or a relevant Master’s degree with distinction.
  • Candidates must a minimum score of 6.5 in IELTS especially if English is not your first language.
  • In addition to satisfying minimum entry criteria, the school will look closely at the qualities, skills, and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project in order to ensure successful completion.

All applications must be done on the school website and all inquiries should be directed to the email section.

Artificial intelligence assisted virtual reality system for blockchain network at Bournemouth University

This academic aid is targeted at projects of a proposed new visualization system that will address drawbacks as large size of the full transaction graphs, a compromise between a subset of data to visualize and how to suppress the unnecessary details in graph visualization.

In this project, the student will get the opportunity to work with Caspia and harness its intensive experience in software/app development and Blockchain, to gain more real-life experience.

The applicant will get a maintenance grant of £14,777 per year for a 36 months fee waiver and expenses during the course of their research. They will also be a participant in the active research community in the department and faculty as well as the main research team.

They will be entitled to the provision of and specialist development needs, personal, professional, career learning and development and will have access to peer learning and support with adequate supervision and monitoring.

This opportunity is meant for all international students unless otherwise specified.

Fully-funded Engineering Doctorate studentships available in Animation, Games and Visual Effects

This fully-funded studentship by ESPRC doctoral training Centre for Digital Entertainment (CDE) is for outstanding candidates to venture into fully-funded research on computer games, animation, visual effects and other topics in the graphics/vision area.

The offer is for a four-year doctoral program which will make available for the student, a tax-free stipend of £16,277 per annum, £4,000 when the placement starts and the contractual agreement is signed, £10,000 for conferences and equipment, as well as everything needed for a research career in the games, visual effects or computer animation industries.

Students can pitch their ideas to leading computer games, animation and visual effects companies like BBC R&D, Electronic Arts, Sony Entertainment, Double Negative Visual Effects, Ninja Theory, Natural Motion, and organizations that require digital technology expertise such as BMT Defence Services, Emteq, TotalSim, Cityscape, Plymouth Marine Labs, National Trust, National Museums Liverpool, and Imperial War Museums or be trained in starting their own company.

The candidates will be assessed based on their research potential and academic excellence.

  • Candidate must have a good first degree in Computer science, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics or related subjects.
  • Candidate must have excellent technical ability and programming skills.
  • Candidate must be a citizen of the UK/EU or be able to prove you have “indefinite leave to remain” in the UK.

All applications should be done via the CDE website.

Cyber-secure Predictive Control in Chemical Plants at Brunel University London

The offer is towards a project to develop a software and implementation strategy to identify, predict, prevent and mitigate Cyberattack in a chemical plant. It is aimed at supporting students to develop a Cyber-secure predictive control strategy for chemical plants that affect the resilience of the control process to Cyberattack.

When the framework is done, it can be used to detect potential threats and weaknesses, manage live threats, quantify risk and economic cost of consequences and evaluate control strategies that stop potential threats.

The applicant for the studentship will be expected to develop digital twins for a range of chemical plant assets and use these models to test, detect and respond to attacks.

The scholarship will make available a stipend of £16, 777 per year for UK/EU candidates and £10,000 for international and full tuition for 3years.

  • The candidates are to have a First class 2:1 honors degree in mathematics, computer science, process systems engineering or a closely related discipline.
  • The applicant should have experience in scientific computation and/or database technologies.

Natural Language Voice User Interface for Intelligent HCI at Brunel University London

Opportunities are now available for Ph.D. studentship to research and develop a natural language voice user interface for intelligent HCI. The research is geared towards adopting an approach to language recognition and understanding and develops practical methods and robust algorithms to achieve more accurate and reliable speech recognition.

Selected candidates will have access to £16,777 (UK/EU candidates) or £10,000 (international candidates) along with their full-time tuition fees for 3 years. In addition, the student will be based in Brunel’s Uxbridge campus and be part of the College of Engineering Design and Physical Sciences research team and participate in conferences both national and international scenes, interact with partners and have the opportunity to travel to Chengdu, China, to work with partners linked with the Chengdu High-Tech zone, in China.

The offer is a collaborative effort of Brunel University London and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) which supports the interdisciplinary research institute of innovative Quality Engineering and Smart Technology (I2QUEST).

  • The applicants are to have a First class 2:1 honors degree in computer science, software engineering or a closely related discipline.
  • Having a master’s degree could also be a great advantage.

EPSRC iCASE Ph.D.: Intelligent Malware Profiling for Automated Campaign Detection at Cardiff University

The scholarship is to sponsor a task to produce a novel computer sciences articles and service for Airbus Security Operations Centre (SOC) through students that will research on the linking analyses to threat vectors, which constitute certain kinds of malware, infection mechanisms, and device/software type. The project will need a combination of creative thought around infection pathways, artificial intelligence methods for representation of behavioral profiles and scalable analysis using the distributed cloud services.

The offer has cash support of full tuition fee a period of three years prior to the start of the course, and £14,777 which is a stipend for maintenance and other expenses. Plus, the students will have access to the facilities at Airbus in Newport and be integrated with the Cyber Operations team as a member of the research unit which will provide a first-hand industry R&T experience.

The research will develop skills in malware reverse engineering, artificial intelligence methods for representing malware behavior, and Cloud deployment of machine learning models on massive datasets.

  • Applicants must be the UK or EU nations that have been in the UK for at least years prior to the beginning of the course.
  • Must present a cover letter of approximately 1000 words, which specifies the experience of direct relevance to this topic.

All applications should be emailed burnapP@cardiff.ac.uk.

The non-linear states of convection in the Earth core at Coventry University

This fully-funded scholarship project is geared at sponsoring research students to conduct comprehensive research on convection under a magnetic field in the so-called tangent cylinder region of the Earth’s core. It will involve a framework that will collaborate with an experimental study that will reproduce and visualize these non-linear states in an experimental model of the earth’s core.

The offer has with it, the tuition fee and a bursary of £15, 000 and a comprehensive research training including technical, personal and professional skills and will be part of the Doctoral College and Centre for Research Capability and Development, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities

  • The applicants must have a taught Masters degree in the necessary disciplines indicated, involving a dissertation of standard length written in English in the relevant subject area with a minimum of a merit profile: 60% overall module average and a minimum of a 60% dissertation mark
  • Candidate must have the potential to engage in innovative research and to finish it within the course of 3 years.
  • Candidate should have English language proficiency (an overall minimum Academic IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the four components).
  • Candidate must be a UK/EU or international student
  • Successful candidates are expected to hold or be on course for an MSc or equivalent in fluid mechanics or a related discipline (Physics/ Mathematics), and to have demonstrated excellent abilities in mathematics and programming.

Two Ph.D. Scholarships in Software Engineering in Healthcare at UNU-IIST, China

The United Nations University – International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST) in Macau is offering Ph.D. Scholarship in Software Engineering in Healthcare involves carrying out research in Electronic Governance for Sustainable Development. It will be focused on enabling and mediating role of ICT in the networks.

The applicant will analyze the organization, behavior, evolution and value systems underpinning ICT-enabled governance networks – networks of government organizations, businesses, social enterprises, volunteer groups, and other non-state actors, all working together, supported by ICT tools to deliver public services, create public value and generally contribute to the larger policy objectives.

  • The applicants must have a Masters’s degree in information systems, computer sciences, information technology or any related discipline.
  • Candidate must have a background in Electronic governance or socio-economic application of ICT.
  • Candidates must have excellent English writing skills.
  • He must have the ability to work both independently and with a team.

ASI Data Science & Data Engineering Fellowship for Software Engineers in the UK

The new ASI Data Science & Data Engineering Fellowship is now opened for 2024 January Ph.D. graduates, postdoctoral researchers and experienced software engineers’ transition into a career in data science.

By way of its support, the recipients will receive a London living wage for four days a week for the duration of the six-week project plus a free of charge two weeks training at the beginning of the fellowship. These benefits exclude accommodation.

The selected candidates are required to have

  • A Ph.D. in a STEM subject.
  • A high level of mathematical competence and programming experience.
  • Ability to code.
  • Some experience with theoretical concepts of statistical learning (e.g. hypothesis testing, Bayesian Inference, Regression, SVM, Random Forests, Neural Networks, natural language processing, optimization).
  • Experience with some coding libraries frequently used in data science.
  • The ability to communicate effectively with different audiences.
  • Experience composing and following a project plan/sticking to self-imposed deadlines/proactively solving your own problems.
  • Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.

Apply Here

The University of Glasgow, Faster Route International Excellence Scholarships in UK

The Faster Route International Excellence Scholarships up for grab at the School of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow for students who have a conditional or unconditional offer for a single or integrated program in Computing Science or Software Engineering.

The scholarship has a cash offer of about £5,000 for personal research expenses.

  • Candidate must be an international student for fee purposes.
  • Candidate must have a conditional or unconditional offer for the faster route programme in Computing Science or Software Engineering

Apply Here

International Max Planck Research School for Computer Science Fully-Funded Ph.D. Fellowships in Germany

Offers are now available for The International Max Planck Research School for Computer Science (IMPRS-CS) for 15 Fully-Funded Ph.D. Fellowships for International Students in Germany. The award is a partnership funding between the organization and Microsoft Research Cambridge (MSRC).

The International Max Planck Research School for Computer Science (IMPRS-CS) is a graduate school jointly operated by the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems and Saarland University.

  • The funding will be in the form of a support contract.
  • The candidate must have or about to receive a Masters degree in Computer Science or a related degree from a research-based institution of higher learning.
  • He/she must have excellent academic performance.
  • Candidate must possess excellent oral and written English skills.
  • Must show an aptitude for independent, creative work
  • Must have performed research and published (or submitted for publication) the results
  • Applicants are required to deliver a 15-minute research presentation on their Master’s project, followed by a question and answer period, in front of the admission committee and other audience members.

Apply Here

Ph.D. scholarship in Software Engineering Analytics at UOW Australia

The University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia is making available a Ph.D. scholarship in the area of Software Engineering Analytics (SEA) in the school to leverage machine learning and data analytics (including deep learning) to automatically predict and rectify defects and security vulnerabilities in software code.

The selected candidate will have access to funding for conference travels and the opportunity to work with local and international collaborators.

  • The candidate must have a master’s degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering or a first-class (or its equivalent) undergraduate degree with an excellent GPA.
  • The applicant must a strong research potential (as evidenced by published papers at good venues)
  • Candidate must have a strong interest in software engineering, machine learning, and data analytics as well as, possess good programming skills.
  • Applicants are to have good oral and written communication skills.

Apply Here

Ph.D. Scholarship in Software Engineering at the University of Groningen

This offer by The Software Engineering & Architecture (SEARCH) group at the University of Groningen is geared towards encouraging the participants in the advancement of the state of the art research in software architecture design and knowledge, software product lines, architecture patterns and pattern languages, architecture-centric evolution, and service-oriented architecture.

The university is determined to enhancing the field of software architecture and intends to achieve that by carrying out joint research projects with universities, research institutes, and industrial partners.

  • The candidate is required to have a cover letter with the GPA of BSc and MSc and the name of the Universities where they were obtained, as well as potential awards, distinctions, publications.
  • He/she is also required to have
  • Curriculum Vitae (name, address, degree(s), academic transcripts, dates, etc.)
  • Three professional reference letters
  • Candidate should have an M.Sc. or equivalent in computer science or a related discipline.
  • Applicants are expected to have an excellent academic record (list of examination marks from your university degree) and be curious, creative, ambitious and with a well-developed scientific mindset.
  • He/she should be able to write scientific articles and reports (proven by your graduation thesis or another comparable report) and be fluent in English.
  • Applicants should have an affinity to research with an industrial focus, be a team player, open-minded and actively participate in knowledge sharing.

Ph.D. Scholarship in software testing and machine learning

Offers are ongoing for students to apply for a Ph.D. scholarship in the field of software engineering, particularly software testing and machine learning in partnership with a software testing company.  The offer is from the University of Wollongong and will contribute to an Australian Research Council Linkage Project which involves a network with other companies that develop innovative software testing technologies for machine learning, big data, and cybersecurity applications.

The benefit for the offer is three years full-time with a stipend of $AUD 27,082 per annum (tax-free and indexed annually) plus tuition fee waiver. The students are to explore the connection between software testing and machine learning and use it to develop techniques to solving difficult problems such as self-driving cars, big data analytics, image, and natural language processing, as well as cybersecurity and techniques for testing its effectiveness and efficiency.

Eligibility Requirements (Criteria)

  • The candidate must possess a first-class honor or a good 2:1 (or equivalent) undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline related to computer science or software engineering, or the equivalent combination of professional experience and academic qualifications, or a research master’s degree related to computer science or software engineering.
  • Candidates must be prospective Ph.D. students at the University of Wollongong in 2018.
  • Applicants are expected to commit to full-time study and have the capacity to be based at the Wollongong campus.

Apply Here

Ph.D. Scholarship in the Software Engineering at RMIT University

Applications are invited for one Ph.D. Scholarship at RMIT University. RMIT is a global university of technology, focused on creating solutions that transform the future to benefit people and their environments.

The scholarship is valued at A$27,000 per annum for 3 years. They collaborate with other experts from RMIT University and worldwide as required.

  • Candidates must meet RMIT entry requirements for the Research Programs.
  • Be an Australian/New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident.
  • The applicant should have a degree in computer science and sound working knowledge of software development tools.

Fully-funded Ph.D. in data mining for mixed methods energy data sets at Coventry University

Coventry University (CU) is inviting applications from suitably qualified graduates for a fully-funded Ph.D. studentship (part of the CU Global Challenges Research program) working to understand energy needs and providing new technical solutions for displaced populations in Rwanda and Nepal.

This Studentship will be based on an EPSRC-funded project called HEED-Refugee. The successful applicant will be working with energy survey data collected by the project team as well as data that is streamed from hundreds of wireless sensors embedded in deployed energy interventions (such as mobile lanterns, cookstoves, street lights and microgrids in the camps) in order to perform real-life evaluation of the innovations that support refugees in Rwanda and Nepal.

All Coventry University Global Challenges Research Studentships include £15,000 bursary plus tuition fees – UK/EU/International.

The candidate must possess the following;

  • A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.
  • the potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the Ph.D. within 3.5 years
  • a minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component)
  • Relevant degree in Mathematics, Computer Science disciplines or Social sciences
  • A desire and ability to work across disciplines and in an interdisciplinary subject area focusing on data and mixed research methodologies – essential
  • Programming skills in a language/tool of choice
  • Strong Mathematics or Statistics background
  • Demonstrable experience with data analysis and data processing principles and tools
  • The desire to participate in fieldwork
  • Working knowledge of machine learning tools and techniques

Apply Here

Fully-funded Master/Ph.D. Scholarships in Data Science and Software Engineering @ UofAdelaide, Australia

The University of Adelaide is offering Master/Ph.D. scholarships in the broad areas of Data Science and Software Engineering. We are looking for highly-motivated and exceptional candidates who are interested in researching big data analytics in software engineering.

The scholarships provide:

Course tuition fees for two years for a Masters’s degree by Research and three years for a Doctoral research degree (an extension is possible for doctoral programs only), and

An annual living allowance ($26,288, tax-exempt) for two years for a Masters degree by Research and three years for a Doctoral research degree (an extension is possible for doctoral programs only), plus conference travel awards.

To apply for one of these scholarships, you must complete an application consisting of:

  1. An email titled “[(Master/Ph.D.) Scholarship Application] …your name …”
  2. A cover letter outlining
  3. the degree that a candidate would like to apply
  4. your summary of the accomplishment
  5. why you want me to be your supervisor and how you think you fit into my research program
  6. A one-page research proposal outlining your interest and suitability for the project;
  7. A detailed curriculum vitae;
  8. Undergraduate and honors/master transcripts;
  9. If English is not your first language, please provide us with proof of English language proficiency (Only TOEFL and IELTS are eligible); and
  10. Contact details for two academic referees.

Universities offering Software engineering doctoral programs

Software engineering programs at the Ph.D. level are meant for candidates who have obtained a master’s degree in computer science or software engineering. Such programs are quite a few, thus most schools around the world offer it as a higher level in the study of computer science majors.  There are very few numbers of universities in the world that offer the course as a separate doctoral program. Most of these institutions are based in the United States and they include;

  • Boston University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • The University of Texas at Dallas
  • North Dakota State University
  • The University of California at Irvine
  • University of California San Diego
  • Oakland University
  • George Mason University
  • Naval Postgraduate School
  • Stanford University
  • Harvard University
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Duke University
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • University of Groningen
  • University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia
  • University of Glasgow
  • United Nations University – International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST) in Macau
  • Coventry University
  • Cardiff University
  • Brunel University London

Some of the specific areas of concentration in the doctoral study of software engineering include Software modeling, user interface design and development, quality of service, maintenance, critical systems, data mining, database management systems, network security

Prerequisites for Software Engineering Doctorate Program

Like any other course, Software Engineering Doctorate Program has certain requirements that must be fulfilled or looked out for when applying for admission into the program. These requirements may differ according to the institution involved.

The general requirements are a master’s degree in computer science or software engineering and its transcript.

Other requirements may include the following:

  • Strong programming ability
  • Graduate study in computer science or a related field
  • Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score for applicants for whom English is a second language
  • Transcripts
  • Residency requirements

We recommend other scholarship opportunities

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