Geography and Environmental Science MPhil and PhD

We welcome applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in Geography and Environmental Science

Overview

Key insights into a research degree in Geography and Environmental Science

A diverse interdisciplinary and international postgraduate research community
Strong national and international links with research institutions and organisations
Dedicated, state of the art research facilities in our dedicated laboratories, and access to environmental monitoring field equipment including UAVs.
Supportive and inclusive learning and research training environment.
Supervisors involved in cutting-edge research and consultancy in their field within geography, environmental science and sustainable development.
Tailored supervision and support through the Researcher Development Programme (RDP)

Your research will make a difference and have real-world impact. Research in the School of Science and the Environment addresses many of the key environmental and societal challenges facing the world today, from ensuring food security, health and wellbeing, to enhancing biodiversity, sustaining ecosystem services and developing climate resilience. Our impact-driven research has informed policy and practice at local, national and international levels, among civil society organisations and government.

Entry requirements

Entry qualifications

For MPhil

First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or an approved equivalent award

or

Research or professional experience which has resulted in appropriate evidence of achievement

For PhD

Postgraduate Masters Degree in a discipline which is appropriate to the proposed programme of study

or

First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or equivalent award in an appropriate discipline

or

Research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of achievement

International applicants

International applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have the appropriate level of written and spoken English.

For MPhil/PhD this is an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in every component.

Programme structure

After receiving your application, we will establish if we have the expertise to supervise your project. This will normally consist of a Director of Studies (DoS), who will be your lead supervisor, and at least one other supervisor, who will offer you additional support and guidance throughout your studies. If you are offered a place as a student, your programme of study will look like the outline below.

At the start of your MPhil or PhD

At the start of your MPhil or PhD, you will complete a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Research Methods, a mandatory taught part of MPhil and PhD programmes at Worcester. Full-time students complete the PG Cert in 9 months and part-time students in 12-15 months depending on your month of registration (September or January).

The PG Cert is designed to set you up for your research degree, and focuses on establishing your development needs, developing your research proposal, and preparing you for the planning and delivery of your programme of research. You will be taught through a combination of in-person seminars and online delivery. You can also engage with our online researcher development programme workshops.

You will engage with three modules as part of your PGCert:

RSDP4001: Developing as a Researcher
RSDP4004: Planning Your Research Project
RSDP4005: Approaches to Research

Throughout these early stages of your research degree, you will work with your supervisory team to regularly discuss your progress. At the end of each year, you will reflect on and formally review your progress with your supervisory team and Doctoral Programme Leader. We call this annual meeting an Annual Progress Review (APR).

If you are enrolled on an MPhil programme, the remainder of your programme of study will follow a similar pattern as our PhD programme structure outlined below but in a shorter timeframe. Data collection will typically begin in your first year (full-time) and years 2-3 (part-time). Writing of thesis chapters, dissemination and your viva will typically occur in year 2 (full-time) and years 3-4 (part-time).

During your MPhil or PhD

In your second year (full-time) or years 3-4 (part-time), you will be collecting data and working on your research project with the support of your supervisory team through regular meetings.

You may at this point have research papers ready to publish and attend conferences to present your research to other experts in your field. You will be able to apply to our Research Student Conference Support Scheme for some funding for this purpose.

You can also present your work as part of the annual Postgraduate Research Student Conference and our Images of Research event; seminars based within your academic school and our Postgraduate Network Present and Share series in addition to a range of online workshops as part of our researcher development programme.

At the end of the year of your registration, you will go through an Annual Progress Review.

Final stage of your MPhil or PhD

Throughout the final stages of your degree, you will be working with your supervisory team to discuss your progress through supervisory meetings. In year 3 of your PhD (full-time) or year 5 (part-time), you will be writing up your thesis and preparing for your viva voce (viva) examination.

Your viva will take place after you have submitted your final thesis. After the viva, the examiners may ask that some amendments be made to your thesis before the final award is confirmed, and you will have additional time to do this.

It is possible to complete a full-time PhD in three years, but many students do take four years to complete. Similarly, it is possible to complete a part-time degree in 4 years, but it is likely that it will take you five years to complete.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and how these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest MPhil programme specification or PhD programme specification document.

Research areas

Research expertise

Geography and Environmental Sciences research students will lead in-depth advanced research projects that have significant impact on their specific field of study, and society more widely. Students join our research community that brings together researchers with diverse expertise across the Geography and Environmental Sciences in the following areas:

Human geography
Physical geography
Ecology
Environmental science
Environmental management
Sustainable development

Working under the careful supervision of experienced researchers, postgraduate research students have the opportunity to explore key local, national and international challenges, including climate change, biodiversity, conservation, rural and urban transformations, social-ecological resilience and sustainable development. Postgraduate research students are encouraged to apply unique, critical and impact-driven approaches to explore the complex relationships between environment and society, creating new geographical and environmental knowledge and insights that can deliver sustainable futures. Our recent postgraduate research has focused on topics including:

Disaster risk reduction and development in vulnerable regions
Wildlife conservation and human-wildlife interactions
Climate-resilient agriculture and food security in the global south
Nature-based solutions for sustainable land management
Environmental monitoring through technological innovations such as remote sensing and the use of UAVs
Enhancing biodiversity in UK farming and horticulture

We also have links with national and international industry, governments and NGOs across environmental, agriculture, health, and planning sectors. We work closely with researchers in the Department of Biological Sciences, and across our School of Health and Wellbeing within the University. Where possible we support students to collaborate with external organisations to enhance the relevance and application of their research.

Research supervisors

Ecology and Environmental Studies

Dr John Dutton
Expertise: species conservation ecology and habitat management; species reintroductions and translocations; small mammal ecology and conservation; ex-situ species management; recreational management.

Dr Mike Wheeler
Expertise: the population biology of colonising and invasive species; molecular ecology.

Human Geography

Dr Heather Barrett
Expertise: urban geography, town planning, heritage/conservation and urban sustainability

Professor Alan Dixon
Expertise: environment-development relationships and sustainable livelihoods in developing countries; local institutions, local knowledge, and social capital in natural resource management; wetland environments and the political ecology of wetland management; sustainable development.

Professor Nick Evans
Expertise: agricultural geography; family farm businesses and restructuring; women in farming; farm diversification and pluriactivity; rare breeds of farm livestock / animal geography; landscape.

Professor David Storey
Expertise: rural change and development; territory and national identity; sport, place and identity

Physical Geography

Dr Cheryl Jones
Expertise: influence of freeze-thaw activity upon low-strength mudrocks; site investigation; geological conservation; geological tourism; Geographical Information Systems.

Dr Des McDougall
Expertise: reconstructing former glaciers; the impacts of paraglacial reworking and its significance for the interpretation of the geomorphological record in upland Britain.

Dr Fleur Visser
Expertise: remote sensing; Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA); unmanned aerial systems (UAVs/drones); very high resolution (VHR) imagery; remote sensing of submerged vegetation; structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry; field spectroscopy; hyperspectral remote sensing; assessment of pluvial flooding; soil erosion and sediment transport; sediment budgets; floodplain geomorphology and hydrology.

Research groups

Postgraduate Research Students are encouraged to join Research Groups at the University, and those with significant focus on Geography or Environmental Science include the Sustainable Environments Research Group (SERG), which supports and promotes transdisciplinary research at the environment-society interface.

Careers

An MPhil and a PhD in Geography and Environmental Science will prepare you for a wide range of careers. Depending on your study focus, you might become an:

Environmental consultant
Conservation officer
Urban planner
Sustainability consultant
Academic researcher
Leadership and management roles

Fees and funding

Fees	The current fees can be found within the tuition fees document on our figure out finances page.
Accommodation	Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study. We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £136 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £236 per week (2026/27 prices). For full details visit our accommodation page.
Postgraduate and doctoral loans	The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,858 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs. For more details visit our postgraduate loans page. If you are pursing a PhD, you may be eligible for a doctoral loan of up to £30,301 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025. For more information visit our doctoral loans page. To help with the financial responsibility of students, we offer a range of scholarships and alumni discounts. Find out more about these on our scholarships page.

Fees

The current fees can be found within the tuition fees document on our figure out finances page.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £136 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £236 per week (2026/27 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

Postgraduate and doctoral loans

The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,858 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs. For more details visit our postgraduate loans page.

If you are pursing a PhD, you may be eligible for a doctoral loan of up to £30,301 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025. For more information visit our doctoral loans page.

To help with the financial responsibility of students, we offer a range of scholarships and alumni discounts. Find out more about these on our scholarships page.

How to apply

Additional information

Please see guidance on Applying for an MPhil or Applying for a PhD to include application and interview deadlines.

If your research involves working with vulnerable adults and/or children then you may be required to obtain an Enhanced DBS check. There will be a small charge for this. For more information please contact research@worc.ac.uk.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustment. If you require an alternative format for making your application due to a disability, please contact us to discuss your needs on 01905 542182 or research@worc.ac.uk.

Making an application

Please make your application via our online application form. If you have any questions, please contact the Doctoral School on 01905 542182 or research@worc.ac.uk

PhD - September - Full time PhD - September - Part time PhD - January - Full time PhD - January - Part time