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Detection and Analysis of Advanced Phishing Attacks (DAAPA)

MSc by Research

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Key facts

Start dates

September 2026

Application deadline

6 July 2026

Location

Headington

Course length

Full time: 1 year

Part time: 2 years

School(s)

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

More details

Bursary p.a.: The stipend is at the UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for the academic year 2026/27)
Fees: University fees at the home rate and bench fees (£1,700) will be met by the University.

This course is not available to students classed as International for fees purposes.

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Overview

In this project our aim is to develop a novel, context-aware, domain-specific NLP framework that protects systems against real-world, low-volume Business Email Compromise and spear-phishing attacks. The objectives are:

  1. To identify and characterise the distinct linguistic and pragmatic and AI-generated stylistic features utilised in contemporary advanced phishing attacks across diverse corpora.
  2. To develop and curate a large-scale, high-fidelity dataset of malicious and benign  communications.
  3. To design and implement the Domain-Adapted Transformer Model incorporating Hybrid Linguistic-Contextual and Anomaly-based features.
  4. To evaluate the model against traditional and general deep learning models using comprehensive de facto metrics.
  5. To develop an interpretability mechanism to attribute classification decisions to specific linguistic features, and so enhance model trustworthiness and operational utility.
New Headington Hill Hall Building at night

How to apply

Entry requirements

The essential selection criteria include:
  • A first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in Computing, Computer Science or acceptable equivalent qualification.
  • Evidence of good programming skills.
  • Capacity to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Excellent written and oral communication and organisational skills.
  • A real passion and commitment for research
The specific selection criteria include:
  • Demonstrable experience with machine learning or data analytics
The successfull candidate will:
  • Collaborate with students and staff accross the School
  • Carry out original research contributing to the School's work in computer science
  • Participate in research meetings and undertake supplementary research training
  • Receive training on research and professional skills

Application process

When completing your application Online please note the following:

Title: MSc by Research Studentship –  Detection and Analysis of Advanced Phishing Attacks (DAAPA)
Select the following course: MSc by Research in Computing 
Please include the following documents:

  • Details of two referees or two full reference letters (at least one from an academic source)
  • A research proposal
  • Copies of your previous degree certificates and transcripts
  • A scan of your passport
  • A CV
  • A cover letter
Applications must be completed by Friday 6 July 2026
Please be advised that the selection process may involve an interview.

For informal inquires about the project/application process contact Dr Matthias Rolf (mrolf@brookes.ac.uk) or Prof. Rachel Harrison (rachel.harrison@brookes.ac.uk)

 

Tuition fees

2026 / 27
Research degree fees and project costs
The studentship covers bench fees, stipend, and tuition fees. The stipend is at the UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for the academic year 2026/27)

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2026 / 27
Research degree fees and project costs
The studentship covers bench fees, stipend, and tuition fees. The stipend is at the UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for the academic year 2026/27)

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk