PhD in Geography and Sustainable Development - Geographies of Sustainability, Society, Inequalities and Possibilities (GOSSIP)

The School of Geography and Sustainable Development hosts a diverse and vibrant community of around 50 research students, most of whom are studying for a three-year PhD. PhD (Doctorate), normally of three years duration leading to a thesis of no more than 80,000 words and an oral examination. The University of St Andrews offers beautiful surroundings and a stimulating, interdisciplinary intellectual atmosphere. Coupled with supportive supervision, high-quality library and laboratory facilities, the University provides an excellent environment that enables world-class research into a wide range of topics. The School specialises in the following research areas: environmental change, geographies or sustainability, society, inequalities and possibilities, population and health.

The GOSSIP research group emerged from a series of boundary-crossing conversations between critical human geographers and sustainability scholars (from the arts and social and natural sciences), which first started in 2016.
The group is interested in conceptual debate, social theory and research grounded in the everyday realities of sustainability and society, including the diverse inequalities associated with them. They seek to explore possibilities and look for different ways forward as well as being attentive to other ways of looking backwards across space and time. The group uses mixed methods, qualitative and archival research, and has a special interest in the co-production of knowledge with the non-academic world.

Prospective students with a 1st class or 2.1 degree in Geography or a related discipline can be considered for entry into the School's postgraduate programmes.

Current funded opportunities may have their own specific application process, which will be given along with details of the project. Otherwise, if you are interested in undertaking a research degree, the first stage is to identify and contact a potential supervisor (see Research projects above). You must secure the support of your potential supervisor before proceeding to a formal application.

When you contact your potential supervisor it is helpful to include the following:

Details of project - a specific PhD project proposal of at least 500 words of original and referenced writing.
Funding - identify a source of funding. You may wish to look at the fees and funding section on the University's Apply page.
CV or resume

IELTS - Minimum overall score 6.5 with minimum component scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) to be 6.0.
TOEFL iBT - Minimum overall score 79 with minimum component scores (Listening-12, Reading-13, Writin-21, Speaking- 18)