Geography MPhil / PhD at Kings College London

Overview

The Department of Geography provides a range of opportunities for PhD research. We have over 100 doctoral students drawn from across the world, many of whom are funded by national research councils and international organisations. With 50 full-time academic staff, we provide specialist supervision on topics that range from climate change and hazards mapping to risk analysis, geocomputation and urban futures.

We have a vibrant seminar series that brings in guest speakers from universities across the world and run workshops to showcase doctoral research projects. We also provide a full range of training and support for our PhD students, including opportunities to present your research at national and international conferences.

Joint PhDs available: exciting opportunities to gain a joint PhD with the National University of Singapore, Hong Kong University or Humboldt University (Berlin, Germany)

Description

The Department of Geography has a vibrant community of scholars – most are members of one of five research groups: Urban Futures; Geocomputation; Environmental Dynamics; Risk & Society; and Contested Development. Staff research also ranges well beyond those groups and involves both individual scholarship and colleagues in other institutions, as well as the department. 

These groups operate through staff-funded research and PhD student collaboration on research projects. The research themes provide the central focus of our international reputation centre on: cultural, political and social change in cities; urban governance and public policy in cities; urban sustainability; environment and development in low-income locations; monitoring and modelling of terrestrial environmental processes and investigations of the politics of environmental policy. In addition, we have thematic research specialisms in historical geography, geographies of disability, architecture and the built environment, rural development, and remote sensing of the environment.

Joint PhD programme 

Exciting opportunities are now available to undertake a joint PhD programme with Hong Kong University or, for topics specifically relating to comparative urbanism, Humboldt University (Berlin, Germany) or the National University of Singapore, bringing together expertise in urban (social and/or economic) geography, physical geography, political geography, political ecology, risks and hazards.

Course study environment

We believe that individualised tuition from a committee of supervisors who are themselves experts in your chosen research area is the foundation for PhD programme of study.

Accordingly you will meet regularly with a primary and secondary supervisor. In the first year you will have at least three formal meetings and a minimum of two each year thereafter to discuss the biannual student training and research progress reports. In addition you will usually have more informal meetings with your primary supervisor, fortnightly in the first year, and as often as necessary thereafter to discuss work.