Geography postgraduate research
The PhD experience
Geography at Manchester offers a stimulating and supportive research environment for postgraduate students, where you can expect:
- expert supervision from committed and internationally renowned scholars;
- a high quality research training programme;
- access to excellent resources, including extensive laboratory and computing facilities with dedicated support staff, both within Geography and through the wider University;
- to be a valued part of a vibrant research community in Geography and the wider School.
Alongside the formal academic support and guidance you will receive, Geography staff and PhD students take pride in our collegiality and sociability. During your PhD studies there will be lots of opportunities to make friends and have fun!
Our approach
Postgraduate studies in Geography
The postgraduate training programme in Geography supports the production of both theoretical and policy-relevant research. Our first step on admitting a new postgraduate is to integrate them into the research culture of the discipline of Geography. The supervisor-student relationship is instrumental in this, helping you to develop your ideas, plan your programme of study and identify any additional research skills you will need to successfully achieve your goals. All new students have two supervisors with whom you will meet regularly (often every fortnight for the initial period of your study). You will be asked to record the content and outcome of each meeting – e.g. topics discussed and decisions made – a process both students and supervisors find extremely useful.
We are also committed to providing all our doctoral students with excellent formal research training. All research students in Geography can therefore take advantage of a School in-house research training programme, supplemented by subject-specific courses. This ensures that you emerge from the doctoral programme not only with a PhD in a specialised area, but with a broader awareness of research skills, theory and current debates in Geography and the social and physical sciences more broadly. All postgraduates accepted onto a doctoral programme, whether in human or physical geographers, will be able to demonstrate a sound foundation of knowledge in how to carry out research.
All PhD students follow a School level programme of research training comprising a taught course in the philosophies of producing knowledge, research design, research methods, and laboratory and fieldwork practice. The School’s training provides additional guidance on the process of doing a PhD, and there are a number of Faculty skills-based courses that you can also select from. All Geography PhD students also attend a Geography Graduate Seminar module where discussion centres on key debates across the discipline. Physical and Human geographers also discuss their specific requirements with their supervisory team, and any additional training needs can be met through selecting a package of course units from those available in Geography, from other relevant Schools, and elsewhere in the University.
Just to be absolutely sure that you are on track, we also formally review your progress at appropriate intervals, bringing in a staff member familiar with your research area but not formally involved with your supervision. You will also participate in the School’s PhD conference, giving a poster presentation of your work in your first year, and oral presentations in your second and third. By the second year of a doctoral programme, all postgraduates are encouraged to attend and present at academic conferences, in many cases supported by additional funds. By the third year of study, we have found that many of our students become involved in the convening of sessions at conferences, both in the UK and internationally.Research facilities and environment
All our PhD students have access to desks, storage space and IT facilities in a dedicated work area located at the heart of the discipline and next to staff offices. Weekly research seminars, reading groups and other research-related events provide a forum where you can also interact with staff and other students.
PhD students make up a significant proportion of those attending our daily coffee get-togethers and the annual SED postgraduate welcome event and Geography Christmas parties are just two examples of times where staff and students enjoy each other’s company.