Postgraduate research
Geography and environmental science
Join our researchers working on major global challenges including poverty, climate change and conservation.
About
Geography and environmental science at Southampton ranks 5th in the UK for research outputs. Our PhDs include field work and lab time using the latest equipment and techniques.
You'll join a friendly, diverse and international community of postgraduate researchers while working within one of our world-leading research groups. Our PhD students make use of outstanding facilities including ancient DNA and chemical preparation labs, environmental sensing systems and extensive field equipment. We also support human geography fieldwork around the globe.
You'll be supported by supervisors who combine social, economic and environmental expertise. our interdisciplinary approach means that your project may be jointly supervised by colleagues from areas including engineering, ocean and Earth sciences, and economic, social and political sciences.
You'll be mentored by a 2nd or 3rd year PhD student when you join us. Alongside your project, you'll have opportunities to teach, help out with field courses and work with schools. We also offer employability workshops.
Main areas of research
- population, health and wellbeing
- landscape dynamics and ecology
- environmental change and sustainability
- economy, society and governance
Similar research degree topics
Find a research project
You can either apply for a structured PhD or propose your own research project idea.
Taking a structured PhD will give you access to additional training, conferences and secondments.
We offer our structured studentships in partnership with:
- the Inspire Doctoral Training Partnership, funded by the Natural and Environmental Research Council (NERC)
- the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
We also partner with the South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership for arts and humanities interdisciplinary projects.
Advertised PhD research projects
1 advertised project
Geography and environmental science
The role of aeroelasticity in the convergent evolution of mammalian wings
This multidisciplinary project focuses on addressing why thin flaps of skin (membranes) repeatedly evolve to form wings. Our hypothesis is that aeroelastic interactions simplify the task of evolving flight, and therefore similar wings may be useful in developing simple low-cost micro air vehicles
Funding and fees
Find a funded PhD project
We offer a wide range of fully funded studentships. We run several of our PhD studentships in partnership with doctoral training centres, meaning you'll benefit from enhanced training and guaranteed funding.
These studentships:
- are fully funded
- come with a maintenance grant to help towards living costs
- are open to UK and international students
Doctoral training centres
PhD funding is available from the following sources. This is not an exhaustive list. In each case, please check the website of the DTP for specific dates and details of applying:
- South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP)
Timeline for student applications: mid-November – mid-January (no supervisor-led project applications). - Arts and Humanities Research Council South, West and Wales DTP2 (AHRC SWWDTP2)
Timeline for student applications: late-November – late January (supervisor-led project applications and student-led applications are welcome). - Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Inspire DTP
Timeline for project applications: mid-October – early January
Scholarships
We offer scholarships and teaching bursaries ourselves. Your potential supervisor can guide you on what is available.
If you’re an international student you may be able to apply for a scholarship from your country.
Find out more about scholarships
Fund your own PhD research project
Once you've found a supervisor, they can help you with potential funding sources. We offer match funding in some cases.
You'll need to state how you intend to pay for your tuition fees when you submit your application.
Find out more about funding your PhD
Get industry sponsorship
You may be able to fund your postgraduate research with funding from your current employer or from industry.
Take out a PhD loan
You can borrow up to £26,445 for a PhD starting in 2022. Doctoral loans are not means tested and you can decide how much you want to borrow.
Find out about PhD loans on GOV.UK
Apply for funding from a charity
You may be able to win funding from one or more charities to help fund your PhD.
Fees
2022 to 2023 entry:
| UK | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | £4,596 | £24,600 |
| Part time | £2,298 | £12,300 |
2023 to 2024 entry:
| UK | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | To be confirmed | £25,500 |
| Part time | To be confirmed | £12,750 |
Alumni discount
You're eligible for a 10% alumni discount on a self-funded PhD if you're a current student or graduate from the University of Southampton.
Potential supervisors
Research institutes, centres and groups
Landscape Dynamics and Ecology
Researching the changing environments and landscapes using the appliction of novel methodological approaches.
Economy, Society and Governance
Our research addresses the changing relationships between contemporary economies, societies and politics, and focuses on the ways in which human geographies are central to these changes.
Environmental Change and Sustainability
We carry out geospatial analysis and experimentation to understand environmental change and potential solutions.
Population, Health and Wellbeing (PHeW)
We combine expertise in population, health and wellbeing with the application of technical excellence in geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analysis and qualitative methods.
How to apply
-
Choose your project type
Decide whether to apply to an advertised research project or create your own proposal.
-
Contact your potential supervisors
It's a good idea to get in touch with potential supervisors to discuss the specifics of your project. You can find out more about their research interests by visiting their staff profiles.
It's best to do this well ahead of the application deadline.
-
Gather your supporting documents
You'll need to send us:
- your CV with details of your academic record and research interests
- your academic transcript
- details of 2 current academic referees, with their institutional email addresses
- a short statement of your research interests and reasons for choosing the projects you're applying for
- IELTS or TOEFL certificate if English is not your first language
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Apply
Facilities
Entry requirements
You'll need to have a 2:1 honours undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. You can also apply if your grade was lower than 2:1 - you'll need to show you've made good process since your degree.
If you have completed a master's degree, you should have achieved a merit or above including 60% for the dissertation. If you have not completed a master's, you'll need to show you can produce high quality writing and analysis.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
| overall score | 6.5 |
|---|---|
| writing | 6.0 |
| reading | 6.0 |
| speaking | 6.0 |
| listening | 6.0 |
Your awarded certificate needs to be dated within the last 2 years.
Advertised projects
Check the specific entry requirements listed on the project you're interested in before you apply.
Programmes and durations
Our geography and environmental science PhDs are available to study in person or remotely.
A geography PhD can cover both human and physical geography, including areas such as remote sensing and geographic information systems.
If you choose an environmental science PhD, your lead supervisor must be based in the Centre for Environmental Science.
Research degrees have a minimum and maximum duration, known as the candidature. Your candidature ends when you submit your thesis. Most candidatures are longer than the minimum period.
| Degree type | Full time | Part time |
| Geography PhD | 2 to 4 years | 3 to 7 years |
| Environmental science PhD | 2 to 4 years | 3 to 7 years |