Program Overview

Environmental Social Science PhD

The Environmental Social Science PhD programme at the University of Kent is a vibrant and multi-disciplinary course that seeks to understand and find solutions to the environmental issues facing our global society.

Overview

The programme is interdepartmental and benefits from expertise found across the Faculty of Social Sciences. Social science perspectives are crucial to understanding and solving environmental problems. Human behaviour produces many elements of the ‘natural’ environment, from landscapes to floods and famines. Local and national policies and international agreements regulate the environmental practices of corporations, governments, and households. The social sciences have a great deal to contribute to understanding what have become defined as environmental issues, and what measures can most effectively tackle them.

Entry Requirements

• A good honours degree in a relevant subject or equivalent vocational experience.
• All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications, and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
• International students: Please see the International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English Language Entry Requirements

This course requires a Very Good level of English language, equivalent to a high B2 on CEFR. Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on the English Language requirements webpage.

Funding

Postgraduate research is a fantastic opportunity and significant investment in your future, enabling you to expand your knowledge, skills, and career options – all while making a meaningful impact and contribution to an area you are passionate about. At Kent, we also recognise the significant financial investment that comes with postgraduate study, and we offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate researchers, to help keep your mind on your studies, and off your finances.

Study Support

Research programmes involve writing a thesis on a particular topic with specialist supervision. You are given research training, which is tailored to the particular needs of your research and takes into account any training you have previously received. You also have opportunities to attend modules on relevant subjects on a non-assessed basis to fill any gaps in your background.

Research

We offer research supervision across a broad range of topics. We are especially interested in applications that include proposals to investigate the social dimensions of environmental issues in the countries in which we have area expertise, and topics in environmental politics and environmental movements.

Staff Research Interests

Kent’s world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. The academic staff in this school and their research interests are shown below. You are strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your proposed research and potential supervision prior to making an application. Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests.

Your Future

Building on Kent’s success as the region’s leading institution for student employability, we place considerable emphasis on you gaining specialist knowledge in your chosen subject alongside core transferable skills. We ensure that you develop the skills and competences that employers are looking for including: research and analysis; policy development and interpretation; independent thought; writing and presentation as well as time management and leadership skills. You also become fully involved in the professional research culture of the School. A postgraduate degree in the area of Environmental Social Science is a particularly flexible and valuable qualification that can lead to many exciting opportunities and professions.

Fees and Funding

The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:

• Environmental Social Science - MSc by Research at Canterbury
• Environmental Social Science - PhD at Canterbury

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see the Student Finance Guide. Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact the University.

Fees for Environmental Social Science - MSc by Research at Canterbury

• Full-time:
  • UK: £5,006
  • EU: £19,300
  • International: £19,300
• Part-time:
  • UK: £2,503
  • EU: £9,650
  • International: £9,650

Next Steps

Learn more about the application process or begin your application. You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time. International applicants for research programmes: Please note, international applications for September 2025 are no longer being accepted. The deadline for submission was 30 June 2025. Any applications submitted after this date will be considered for the next available intake.