Geography postgraduate research
Studying for a PhD
The University of Manchester is one of the UK’s leading centres for geographical research. All of our 28 full-time members of staff are research-active and Geography at Manchester has risen to become one of the top tier institutions for its size, being widely recognised for the quality of our contributions to the international research community. In the Research Assessment Exercise of 2008 94% of our outputs were considered internationally-recognised, with an exceptionally high proportion (65%) judged to be internationally-excellent or world-leading. Geography at Manchester also sets international research agendas in other ways. Over half of our staff hold editorial positions with leading research publications including the editorship of major journals such as Antipode, Area, European Urban and Regional Studies, Geoarchaeology, Geoforum, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, New Political Economy and Progress in Human Geography. Manchester is known too for the impact and influence of its post-docs and PhD students. Graduates have been appointed to Chairs at leading universities in Europe, North America and the Far East, while others now shape national and international policy environments through their work in government agencies, research institutes and activist organisations.
We currently supervise around 30 PhD students, who are funded by a range of internal and external sources, including the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and Economic and Social Research Council, among others. Geography is home to four research groups: Geographical Political Economy, Transforming Cities, Environmental Processes, and Quaternary Environments and Geoarchaeology and we also have strong working relationships with research centres within and beyond the School of Environment and Development. Our staff and students benefit from interactions with the 45 other academics and 100 other PhD students in the School of Environment and Development. As well as taking up research and faculty academic posts, recent graduates have gone on to take senior positions in the UK’s Food Ethics Council and the Institute of Public Policy Research, as well as various local and national government organizations worldwide.
Applying for PhD study – What to do next
If you are interested in studying for a postgraduate research degree in Geography at Manchester, please follow the links found at the top left of this page. Detail are provided about the experience of studying for a PhD, research areas and staff specialisms, some suggested topics for study as well as details of the research currently being undertaken by PhD students. Guidance on how to apply, funding and fees is also provided.
If you already have any idea of what you would like to research, please contact potential supervisors in advance of making a formal application. Each member of staff has a personal webpage which will help you find a suitable person to approach in your area of interest. If you find that you need assistance in making an initial contact, Dr Mark Jayne the Geography Co-ordinator for Postgraduate research will be happy to help.
Our postgraduate administration team is also available to offer advice and guidance on the application process itself and on sources of available funding.