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Department of Environment and Geography
HomeDepartment of Environment and GeographyStudyPostgraduate research degrees in environment and geographyPhD in Environment and Geography

PhD in Environment and Geography

Research topics of global environmental importance and seek solutions across natural and social science.

Supervisors

Funding

Our research

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International fees

  Length Start dates (semester dates)
PhD

3-4 years full-time
6-8 years part-time

Apply for PhD

Apply for PhD (by distance learning)

January
April
July
September

Carry out advanced independent research in an multidisciplinary environment that inspires and interests you.

Your research

You can choose to complete a PhD in one of four research areas:

  • Environmental Geography
  • Environmental Science
  • Human Geography and Environment
  • Environmental Economics and Environmental Management

You should contact potential supervisors early on. They will be happy to give you advice on the feasibility of your research ideas and offer feedback on a draft proposal. For each academic year, we also offer a number of funded studentships to exceptional applicants.

Explore our PhD projects

Assessment

The PhD requires a thesis of up to 80,000 words, to be submitted by full-time students after a period of three years' study (or six years for part-time students), with a further maximum of one year allowed for writing up. Following the thesis submission, PhD candidates will be required to sit an oral examination known as a viva.

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Related links

Joint 2nd for research impact
according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (2021).
Athena Swan Silver Award
for our continuous commitment to equality.
12th in the UK for sustainability
The University has been ranked 12th in the UK and 34th globally in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2025. These rankings assess 1,744 universities worldwide on their impact in addressing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) challenges, in which York achieved the number one global position for governance. See the full QS World Sustainability Rankings.

Funding

Supervision

Training and support

When you start your postgraduate journey with us, you'll receive a warm welcome, a desk space, and a supervisor to guide your research.

Progress is monitored through regular meetings with a Thesis Advisory Panel. This will be every six months for full-time students and annually for part-time students. The panel offers feedback and guidance. You'll also attend an annual two-day departmental conference with opportunities to contribute at each stage of your studies.

Course location

This course is run by the Department of Environment and Geography.

You will be based on Campus West where all of our facilities are housed. 

Careers and skills

A research degree is essential if you plan a career as an independent researcher with responsibility for your own research programme, whether in academia, research institutes or industry.

Our dedicated careers team offer specific support including a programme of professional researcher development and careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. They will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will build up your skills and experience within and outside of your research work.

There are opportunities to gain experience of demonstrating to undergraduate and taught Masters students, and receive practical advice on career planning. We hold a series of research seminars across all disciplines which are open to all researchers. There are also opportunities to present your own work through posters and talks.

Career opportunities

  • Government environmental consultancy positions
  • Careers in environmental services
  • Scientific research
  • Postdoctoral positions
  • Teaching and lecturing

Entry requirements

PhD applicants should have, or be expecting to achieve, a 2:1 undergraduate degree in a relevant, related discipline or a higher qualification such as MSc or Masters by Research. International equivalent qualifications are accepted. We have research students from a range of backgrounds on a variety of projects. A 2:1 is the minimum requirement to be considered for a PhD, funded studentships are very competitive and it is likely that you would need to be predicted a high 2:1 / First-class degree.

If you are an international applicant, please check the entry requirements for your country.

International entry requirements

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

Check your English language requirements

Applying

Apply for the PhD

Apply for the PhD Distance Learning

Take a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

How to apply

  • Take a look at the research interests of our staff and our list of PhD projects to identify some specific members of staff with whom you would like to work. Please feel free to contact potential supervisors directly. You may wish to discuss your plans before starting your application.
  • Complete the online application for your chosen research degree by selecting the appropriate link above. Only one application per PhD programme should be submitted. You can apply for more than one project on the same application by listing the projects in the Research Proposal section.
  • Include the name(s) of the supervisor(s) whose research groups you are interested in joining, and the project title if you are applying for a specific project. You can list more than one.
  • There is no need to provide a full research proposal, although applicants not applying for advertised projects should give an indication of areas in which they would be interested in working.

Find out more about how to apply.

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Accommodation

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.

Why York

Discover more about our researchers, facilities and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Next steps

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