MRes in Photonic and Electronic Systems (PES)

A joint UCL and Cambridge training programme will produce the next generation of photonics researchers—scientists who manipulate light to build faster communications, sharper medical imaging, and more precise manufacturing tools. Photonics underpins the fibre-optic cables that carry internet traffic, the lasers used in eye surgery, and the sensors that guide autonomous vehicles. Yet the UK faces a shortage of researchers who can bridge fundamental optics with practical electronic systems. This 1+3 programme—a Master's in Research followed by a PhD—addresses that gap by giving students a broad skillset across both universities before they specialise. If successful, the programme will feed skilled researchers into industries that rarely make headlines but quietly keep modern life running: high-speed data networks, semiconductor fabrication, environmental monitoring, and medical diagnostics. Students will work on real projects defined by active research groups, meaning their training directly feeds into ongoing scientific and engineering challenges. The result is a pipeline of experts who can turn light-based science into working systems—from better endoscopes to more energy-efficient data centres.