Program Overview

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Overview

The School of Geographical Sciences is a leading international centre for research. In the Times Higher Education analysis of the Research Excellence Framework assessment (2021), we were ranked joint first in the UK for Geography and Environmental Studies. The graduate school is integral to this success. We have a large and vibrant postgraduate research community, with students following PhD and MSc by research (MScR) programmes. The postgraduate community is international and interdisciplinary and offers an exceptional academic environment for postgraduate research.

Key Information

Programme Duration

• Up to four years full-time; up to eight years part-time.

Start Date

• Most students will start in September, however other dates can be considered.

Application Deadline

• Not fixed, but funding application deadlines will usually be between January and March.

Delivery Method

• On-Campus

Location

• Clifton

Awards Available

• PhD

World-Leading Research

• The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education).
• 94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry Requirements

• An upper second-class honours degree (or an equivalent qualification) in a relevant subject.
• See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
• Admissions Statement: Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
• English language requirements: If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level D.

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

• Home: full-time - £4,850 per year
• Home: part-time - £2,425 per year
• Overseas: full-time - £26,700 per year

Alumni Discount

• University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study.

Funding and Scholarships

• Each year the school is awarded several scholarships, funded by the University itself or by funding bodies such as the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the China Scholarship Council and the EU, as well as industry-funded studentships.

Career Prospects

• Students who complete a PhD in Physical Geography typically move on to careers in academia (post-doctoral research, lectureships), further research in government or private institutes, environmental consultancy, teaching, the civil service, computer programming, or IT consultancy, among other fields.

Meet Our Supervisors

• Professor Jonathan Bamber
• Professor Paul Bates
• Dr Rory Bingham
• Dr Stephen Cornford
• Dr Gemma Coxon
• Dr Josh Dean
• Professor Rachel Flecker
• Professor Anita Ganesan
• Dr Jo House
• Dr Rachel James
• Professor Penny Johnes
• Dr Elizabeth Kendon
• Dr Charlotte Lloyd
• Professor Dan Lunt
• Dr Fabien Maussion
• Professor Katerina Michaelides
• Professor Dann Mitchell
• Dr Fanny Monteiro
• Professor Jeffrey Neal
• Professor David Richards
• Professor Patricia Sanchez-Baracaldo
• Professor Paul Valdes
• Dr Peter Watson
• Dr Christopher Williamson
• Dr Ce Zhang

Research Groups

Global Environmental Change

• The Bristol Research Initiative for the Dynamic Global Environment (BRIDGE) group aims to improve the understanding of natural climate and environmental variability and the relationship between global carbon cycling and climate.

Glaciology

• The Bristol Glaciology Centre leads world-class research into ice sheet processes, subglacial environments and sea level change.

Hydrology

• The Hydrology Research Group focuses on research into the modelling of hydrologic and hydraulic problems using advanced numerical methods.