Human Geography and Environmental Sciences PhD

This programme draws on the expertise of the Research Institute of Geography and the Lived Environment (RIGLE) at the University of Edinburgh.

It is a vibrant intellectual home for more than 100 researchers working across the physical sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Research areas

We work with a broad range of geographic themes and approaches and have particular research strengths in:

• critical and qualitative human geography
• quantitative and statistical geography and GIS
• geohumanities and environmental humanities
• cultural, development, environmental and urban studies

We study:

• critical and popular geopolitics
• the cultural politics of ‘race’, gender and sexuality
• energy futures and extractivism
• food security and sovereignty
• health inequalities
• hazards and disasters
• human-animal relationships
• media and mobilities
• political activism and protest
• sustainable development and environmental resource management
• urban change and gentrification

Collaboration

We work closely with communities and groups outside the academy in Scotland, Europe and beyond.

We exchange knowledge regularly through the four research groups that sit within the Institute (Health, Population and Place, Historical and Cultural Geography, Human Geography and Environment and Society) through regular seminars and other events, reading groups, writing retreats, and collaborative research programmes. We also work closely with colleagues in other schools in the University.

Decolonising initiatives

Our PhD feeds into the coordinated efforts throughout the university to ensure that our faculty and students reflect the talent and brilliance of all communities, and benefit from the presence, approaches and methodologies of racially and ethnically diverse thinkers.

We receive funding from all the UK Research Councils, including the AHRC, ESRC and NERC as well as from a number of other funders.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a related subject.

We may also consider your application if you have other qualifications or experience; please contact us to check before you apply.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements