phd in sustainability europe

(1) ESSSR´s Cooperative Doctoral Programme on Sustainable Development Research (CDPhD-SD)

The European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR)  and the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) play a key role in respect of scientific publications on matters related to sustainabledevelopment. Both ESSSR and IUSDRP believe that the training of high levelPhD students is one of the essential steps in fostering the cause of sustainabledevelopment. Consistent with this thinking, ESSSR has started the “ESSSRCooperative Doctoral Programme on Sustainable Development Research” . As the title suggests, the programme is aimed at PhD students undertakingresearch on sustainable development issues, who may benefit from a cooperationwith ESSSR in respect of accessing some complementary training (e.g. seminarson research ethics, statistics, quantitative methods, etc) and contribute to ESSSR publications. By means of a “hands on approach”, the selected candidates willbecome familiar with team work and the operational aspects of scientificpublishing. Participation at the “ESSSR Cooperative Doctoral Programme onSustainable Development Research” is free of charge, but a pre-selection ofcandidates is undertaken. A pre-condition for selection, apart from a goodcommand of the English language, is that candidates are already enrolledfor a PhD at an accredited higher education institution.

Expression of Interests:

Those who may wish to be considered for the programme should send a CV withtheir full contact details, along with an expression of interest to join the “ESSSR Cooperative Doctoral Programme on Sustainable Development Research” to theESSSR team at:  esssr( at )ls.haw-hamburg.de . 

Upon provision of applications, further details will then be discussed with the selected candidates.

(2) MMU’s standard PhD and PhD by Published Works Programme

Implemented by ESSSR partner Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), UK, but supervised by ESSSR professors, two possible routes towards a PhD degree exist: (a) a standard PhD programme for young researchers and (b) a dedicated programme for experienced researchers that already possess a goodtrack record of scientific publications.

• Standard PhD (alternative format: publications forming the chapters of thesis): candidates apply and are registered on the standard PhD and submit via alternateformat (publications forming the chapters of thesis). For further information, please visit https://www.mmu.ac.uk/media/mmuacuk/content/documents/research/research-degrees-regulations-page/Regulations-for-Postgraduate-Research-Degrees-PhD-final.pdf . Please note that fees will apply.

• PhD by Published Works (all works already published): candidates apply and are registered on the PhD by Published Works (all worksalready published). Fur further information, please visit https://www.mmu.ac.uk/media/mmuacuk/content/documents/research/research-degrees-regulations-page/Regulations-for-Postgraduate-Research-Degrees—PhD-by-Published-Works-final.pdf . Please note that fees will apply.

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PhD Programme

The LUCSUS PhD programme educates PhD candidates from different disciplinary backgrounds within the field of sustainability. Our goal is to train rigorous, creative, and empowered future researchers. We have been educating PhD candidates since 2008, and our programme in Sustainability Science was the first in Europe.

Meet our PhD students

A PhD in Sustainability Science at LUCSUS means developing expertise in critical thinking and real-world problem-solving in a creative, interdisciplinary, and collegial international atmosphere. 

LUCSUS PhD programme educates PhD candidates for  successful  careers in academia and society . We  provide students with relevant skills to conduct transdisciplinary research in collaboration with partners outside academia, e.g. social movements, civil society, and policy makers. We train our PhD candidates in  research methods, paper writing, ethics, project management, teaching , communication and  career development . 

A strong international and collaborative research environment

LUCSUS has a well-established, diverse and international research environment to support our PhD candidates through solid science and proven experience. As a PhD candidate you gain excellent capacities for collaboration and networking, and ample opportunity to hone your scientific methods and skills.

LUCSUS protects and supports diversity, pluralism, transparency and collegiality to create an organisational environment that is supportive, participatory, open, collaborative, and fun. We lead by example and we strive to embody the sustainable change we want to see in the world in our work and practices.

LUCSUS staff has varied cultural and geographical backgrounds with over 15 countries currently represented. English is the natural working language at LUCSUS, creating an inclusive work culture for both students and staff.

Admission and Funding

PhD positions at LUCSUS are announced in connection with specific programmes, such as the Agenda 2030 Research School at Lund University, or research projects funded through grants led by senior researchers at LUCSUS, who supervise PhD candidates. 

All vacant positions are publicly announced.

Read more about how to apply for PhD studies at LUCSUS

About doctoral studies

Doctoral studies involves a total of four years of full-time study, forming a total of 240 ECTS credits. A programme consists of both courses and thesis, of which the doctoral thesis is to account for at least 120 credits .

Admitted doctoral students normally get a salaried position. This means that they will be employed as staff members and will get a salary whilst undertaking the doctoral studies. In return, the doctoral student often provides some departmental or teaching duties

Facts and figures

• LUCSUS established the first PhD programme in Sustainability Science in Europe in 2008.
• 22 PhD candidates have graduated from LUCSUS programme in Sustainability Science. 
• Today, the PhD programme has 16 registered doctoral candidates.
• All positions are fully funded for the required four years of study.
• LUCSUS has a full completion rate. All candidates admitted to our PhD programmes have completed and defended their thesis and have done so within the limited time frame.

Director of PhD Studies

Torsten Krause torsten [dot] krause [at] LUCSUS [dot] lu [dot] se (torsten[dot]krause[at]LUCSUS[dot]lu[dot]se)

Joint PhD seminars on environmental challenges

PhD studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences

General information for PhD students at Lund University

Search term

Phd programme.

The interdisciplinary PhD programme in Sustainability Science and Policy (SSP) is designed to educate researchers, university teachers, and world leaders in the social, economic and natural science disciplines that underpin sustainable development.

The research produced by the programme’s doctoral dissertations will focus on integrative, interdisciplinary research that is needed to explore science and policy issues in sustainable development.

Integrated assessment methods and concepts (transitions, modeling, scenario analysis) will be instrumental to provide answers to the central questions of sustainable development.

Sustainability science is a new multi-disciplinary approach to science that recognizes the limitations of traditional scientific inquiry in dealing with the complex reality of social institutions interacting with natural phenomena.

Join the PhD programme

Paid PhD positions (employed researchers) If there are positions available, you will find the vacancies listed here.

PhD student with alternative funding If you have confirmed funding (an estimate of the tuition fee for a 4-year PhD programme is €20.000,-) for the PhD programme you are welcome to contact us for an application package.

Admission requirements

The programme is designed for an international student body and therefore we are interested in candidates from all over the world. The basic admission requirements are:

• A master’s degree (or equivalent to) from a recognized university or institution of higher education in the following fields: economics, humanities, engineering, political science, or other natural/social sciences
• Excellent written and verbal English language skills. Applicants whose first language is not English may be asked to take the IELTS Test. A score of 7 or above is required
• Applicants should demonstrate an ability to pursue independent research through their prior work and academic distinction
• Upon graduation it is expected that the candidates will play an important role as scholars, policymakers and professionals in their home countries and in the international community, taking leadership roles in government, international organisations, non-profit organisations and business

More information about PhD programmes at Maastricht University

Current PhD projects

Better, not more – business strategies to enable sufficient consumption.

This PhD project focuses on the role that business can play in a transition towards sufficient, sustainable consumption. Sufficiency refers to consumption that enables prosperity for all while remaining within the boundaries of planetary capacity. Sufficient consumption is needed as the current economic system is based on the continuous consumption of new products, and overconsumption of resources, which creates negative environmental and social impacts.

Businesses are key creators of demand, through their product and service offering and advertising. While many businesses have recognized the need to work towards sustainability, these efforts remain largely confined to efficiency improvements and moves towards a circular economy (consistency). This, however, is insufficient in tackling sustainability challenges, as rebound effects swallow resource and emissions savings and overconsumption remains unchallenged. This research addresses the more radical proposition of businesses acting as leaders for sufficiency, supporting their consumers to reconsider their consumption behaviour and consume differently, less, or not at all.

Transboundary learning in higher education for sustainable development: Designing learning environments and competence assessments

In the past two decades, education for sustainable development has been increasingly discussed on global, national, and regional agendas, resulting in a blossom of sustainability-related programmes and courses. Higher education graduates are expected to deal with sustainability-related societal problems during their professional and personal lives. The challenge is that these multi-faceted problems cannot be solved by individuals or using a single perspective. To produce competent professionals and improve education quality, universities put effort into defining/adopting relevant competence frameworks that include specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes. However, processes and impacts of learning still appear as Pandora’s box because: 1) Perspectives towards sustainable development are influenced by motivations, demographic, and intellectual backgrounds, but they remain inadequately assessed for the relevance to education; 2) interactions in learning environments can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for individuals, groups, and organisations, 3) complexities in real-world learning cannot be tackled without considering the direct and indirect impact of social, economic, and environmental factors.   

Successful crossing of disciplinary, cultural, and professional boundaries is an encompassing competence and a promising source of learning, which has become popular in designing learning environments. Although the patterns of interactions differ, study exchange, work placement, field trips, intervention workshops, student-stakeholder projects, university-led living labs, and start-up incubators are examples of learning environments that connect different perspectives and enable mutual learning. However, they risk failing to address students’ varying initial capacity and self-efficacy, group dynamics, support/hindrance in and outside the campus, the interplay of stakeholder interests, monitoring of career trajectories, and a lack of rigorous assessments overall.   

My PhD research contributes to fulfilling the said knowledge gaps, focusing on the design of learning environments and assessments for the competence of working across multiple boundaries:   

• Tapping into insights from education and management sciences, specifically taking stock of knowledge in situations of boundary crossing, boundary spanning, and boundary work.
• Linking different views on nature and ways of life from the Cultural Theory to perspectives on sustainable development (students, teachers, researchers, and stakeholders), quantifying the degree of diversity and change of perspectives before and after a study period.
• Designing and experimenting with configurations of learning environments (i.e. alternative classrooms) to enable boundary interactions and learning from different perspectives, offering an open, authentic, inspirational and fun part of higher education for sustainable development. 

Overpassing the hot spot: Climate proofing with in a sustainable development strategy for Central America.

Central America faces decisive moments, not only by the challenges presented in terms of poverty, insecurity, vulnerability and institutional weakness, but also it is at a key time for taking the decisions and actions necessary to build a region of sustainable development.

The region has begun to implement climate proofing for public infrastructure, at national and local level, nonetheless, the region isn’t working to incorporate the climate proofing to the spatial planning, and even, the spatial planning is weak or absent in most of the region. At the same time, the Central American countries are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and also, have a large history of impacts thanks to extreme weather conditions.

In a region as vulnerable as Central America, is of high importance the use of strategies to climate proof their efforts towards its sustainable development. Climate proofing is a term considered new for the region, the Asian Development Bank define it as:

“identifying risks to a development project, or any other specified natural or human asset, as a consequence of both current and future climate variability and extremes, and ensuring that those risks are reduced to acceptable levels through long-lasting and environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially acceptable changes implemented at one or more of the following stages in the project cycle: planning, design, construction, operation, and decommissioning.” (ADB, 2005. P. 2)

The interest of this research is to document relevant international experience incorporating climate proofing strategies to the spatial planning as part of the efforts of adaptation to climate change in cities. Based on these experience, to build a proposal to strengthen the initial efforts of the region to climate proof public infrastructure, especially, elevating the scope to include climate proofing to the spatial planning in Central America’s cities.

The Role of Assumptions in Social Change Processes

This PhD project is concerned with the assumptions that individual actors or actor groups involved in change initiatives towards more sustainable, just and inclusive societies hold about what is at stake and about how change can be brought about. The focus is as much on assumptions that are verbalised explicitly as on assumptions that underlie actions taken and strategies pursued.

Cases considered range from government-supported behavioural change programmes and research projects to civil society social innovation initiatives and activist groups. Findings are evaluated against a range of theories on transformative, social change from across the social sciences.

The Role of Animals and Nature in Learning for Sustainable Development --a Chinese Perspective

Animals had many measurable benefits to both humans and society, such as enhancing physical and psychological well-being, reducing loneliness and depression, improving animal diversity and promoting sustainable nature and society development. From another point of view, the direct presence of public attitudes toward animals, which are somewhat influenced by human culture and knowledge, can contribute to animals’ healthy dietary and decent living environment, and eventually the construction of an optimum animal welfare system. Therefore, it is clear that a better understanding of public attitudes toward animals, animal emotions, as well as what effects the influential factors have on these attitudes, are of fundamental importance to both animals and humans.

My research mainly focused on the sustainable relationships between humans and animals in China, Japan, and the Netherlands. Through this research, I want to know how people attribute emotions to animals, and how the degree of attachment influences the attribution of emotions to animals in these countries. In addition, my research also aimed at finding out Chinese, Japanese and the Dutch people’s attitudes toward animals and their influential factors, such as culture, ethical ideologies, the degree of attachment and other possible variables. Furthermore, Ecological Paw Print as an important variable to measure sustainable development will also be included in my research. Through my research, I want to find out the current situation of animals and human-animal relationships in China (as well as in the Netherlands and Japan), and therefore find ways to improve people’s awareness of animal welfare.

Organisational Transformation and Systemic Change: Navigating pathways towards Sustainability for the University

How can universities effectively navigate pathways of transformation for sustainability? In order to answer this question, international case-study research on pioneering universities and their networks is developing and testing a tool to help evaluate and track fundamental transformation for organisations towards more actionable outcomes across diverse aspects of sustainability. These include but are not limited to: management performance, governance, intrapreneurship and innovation, sustainability in education, inter and transdisciplinary research, communications strategies, stakeholder management and social and environmental responsibility practices.

As part of an Action research approach, structured interventions will be applied to Maastricht University with the Green Office as the implementation agents, aiming to resolve system dysfunction and improve sustainability performance.

The project deliverables, aside from publications and a thesis, will include policy recommendations, management reviews, a transdisciplinary framework for organisational transformation for sustainability at universities, and – from a four year period of observations - executive reports on institutional governance for sustainability, longitudinal organisational assessments, and knowledge on increased social impact of academia through social entrepreneurship.

This PhD will work towards my core objective: to apply action research, for intentional change and improvement, in partnership with organisations that want purpose driven into their core and are committed to a fortuitous movement for sustainable development - whether in the public, private or social sectors. I will continue close participative research with the Green Office, and my network in social enterprise, in order to perform interventions for UM's sustainability performance in 2017. After 2017, the outcomes and continuation of this work will be primarily focussed and applied where there is the most traction and willingness to undertake necessary transformative change; external to ossified administrative, bureaucratic and political systems.

Are energy decisions about energy?

The most challenging element of the energy transition is to reduce fossil fuel energy consumption in the existing housing stock because of the complexity of the system of different actors and their social practices. In this PhD research an interdisciplinary socio-technical approach is used that goes beyond technology and individual behaviour and will also tackle the physical, economic and social context of the different actors. Empirical data is collected in the case-study of Parkstad Limburg (NL) and the results are used to develop recommendations to improve the effectiveness of energy transition policies and product offerings to residents.

Sustainability Assessment tools for Urban Mobility –policy lessons from a China-Europe comparison

This PhD research originates from the argument of The World Health Organization (2016), that ‘good health of all its citizens is one of the most effective markers of any city’s sustainable development’.  This calls for sustainable, health-promoting urban policies. In China, sustainable urban development (SUD) is stimulated by, for example, the National Development and Reform Commission’s ‘low-carbon pilot program’. In Europe, SUD is stimulated by, for example, the new ‘Urban Agenda for the EU’. However, decision-makers do not often apply a ‘health-lens’ to SUD policies. So how can the dual goals of healthy citizens and urban sustainability be integrated in decision-making? And how can we enhance the health co-benefits of existing and anticipated SUD policies?

Sustainability assessment (SA) is nowadays a widely used term that covers a broad range of approaches aiming to operationalize sustainability concepts for decision-making, mostly within but also outside governments. It emerged as a ‘marriage’ between environmental assessment and sustainable development (see Dijk et al 2017). These approaches may be formal or informal, legally prescribed or voluntary, science-driven or policy-driven, etc., and may carry different labels, such as sustainability appraisal, sustainability impact assessment or integrated assessment. A common feature is that they try to integrate various perspectives, interests, and types of knowledge. However, despite scholarly progress, Gibson (2016) concludes that in public and private sectors the speed of sustainable development has been rather slow in the last decade. An important way forward is the development of new and better Sustainable Assessment tools. In this project we focus on the improvement of Sustainability Assessment tools for urban mobility.

An SA is designed to form a logic sequence within an analytic and decision-making process, and within which a range of different methods can be applied. There is no single and commonly accepted procedure for sustainability assessment. A procedure may be formally prescribed by law, such as in environmental impact assessment (EIA) in many countries (but with great variety between countries) and as strategic environmental assessment under the EU SEA Directive (2001/42/EC). A broad range of methods has been applied in SA, with often combinations of methods being used within one study. However, in assessments in the public and private sector, the choice is often poorly explained and, when combining methods, often one method is clearly dominant and basically shapes the SA outcomes. A common problem identified in the literature is the lack of guidance on what methods can be used. Thus, research on how to organize and deploy tools and methods in assessments seems to have a lot of room for improvement.

Understanding Human-Ocean Relationships: A Multi-Perspective Analysis of Chinese Ocean Society

Throughout human history, the ocean has always been playing a crucial role in human society. How people view the ocean is strongly correlated with how they make use of the ocean, and subsequently, what the ocean looks like now. Are we considering human as the dominator of the ocean? Or are we regarding human society and ocean as equally important? Understanding human-ocean interaction would be helpful to build a healthy relationship between human society and ocean.

However, seldom studies look into this area in current academic community. Especially the conditions in developing countries, such as China, still remain unclear. On one hand, large-scale foreign trade and annual seafood consumption justify the significance of ocean to Chinese society. On the other hand, increasing maritime disasters and resource depletion indicate the environment is far from ideal.   

From three aspects, this research project targets at answering the question of how to understand and develop a sustainable human-ocean relationship. This research will assess how Chinese people perceive marine life, recognize marine economic development, and deal with modern maritime disaster. We will delineate a general picture of human-ocean relationship in contemporary Chinese society. And we would like to contribute to the discussion of how to shape a positive and robust relationship between ocean and human society.

Detecting and analyzing assumptions and behavioural changes on pro-environmental consumer behaviour in relation to waste management through Big Data Analysis (BDA)

This PhD research originates from the need to better understand the human behaviour in relation to waste management through the analysis of the huge amount of unstructured data available online (like social media and other free platforms).

Nowadays the attention to sustainable development (SD) issues is continuously increasing as demonstrated, at the supra-national level, by development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their inclusion in the national agenda of many nations. At the individual level, the focus on SD matters is addressed through enhanced education, improved attention to our lifestyle and to the impact of our routine actions, responsible purchasing, respectful behaviours, etc. These concerns are also demonstrated by the creation of new terms as green attitude, pro-environmental behaviour, eco-friendly attitude, green consumption, to highlight the importance of the individual behaviour in pursuing the SD, and to indicate that the development of an environmentally sustainable consumption is also dependant on consumers' willingness to engage in pro-environmental behaviours.

Actually the analysis of human behaviour is very complex and interdisciplinary, especially when considering pro-enviromental factors, as demonstrated by the huge variety of approaches and methodologies adopted by the existing scholars. In the latter years, novel expanded approaches have been proposed with the intention of including all applicable factors in the correct way. These activities are very challenging, and many scholars agree that human actions are the results of a complex economic, social, physical and psychological process, influenced by numerous and heterogenoeus factors related to environment, culture, laws, politics, geography, circumstances, emotions, intentions, just to name a few of them.

Nowadays the researches on human behaviour and its influencing factors can definitely benefits of the analysis of big data (BD). For example, it would be useful to understand from the posts on social media the reaction of the inhabitants of a town to the introduction of municipal novel waste measures, or to comprehend the influence and interactions of economic, social and psychological factors on human perceptions in relation to environmental issues.

Unfortunately the majority of data available on internet are unstructured, but they potentially contain very useful information offering a great opportunity for the advancement of researches on human behaviour.

This does not mean that the key for success is BD itself, but our challenge is to create value from it by creating transparencies and unvealing relsationships, to better understand the human behaviour thorugh the utilization of big data analysis (BDA).

For the above-mentioned reasons this research aims at understanding some specific aspects of the human behaviour by taking full advantage of the most recent big data analysis tools through an interdisciplinary approach open to the collaboration of scholars from different disciplines.

Network leadership for advancing transformative capacity of social innovation

Tim is working half-time as a PhD researcher, investigating learning processes in networks of transformative social innovation initiatives like Impact Hubs, Transition Towns, TimeBanks, Hacker Spaces and Ecovillages.

This research draws on involvement with the recently completed EU-funded TRANSIT project (2014-2017), which developed an empirically grounded theory on how such social innovations relate to transformative social change. The focus lies on better understanding how network leaders can effectively shape the learning processes at various network levels for social innovations to develop transformative capacity.

• Completed PhD Projects

Shared Value Creation and Inter-organisational Collaboration for Sustainable Business Model Innovation       Myrthe Velter

Spatially Modelling the Positive and Negative Effects of Nature on Human Health: a Focus on Optimizing Urban Green Infrastructure       Bram Oosterbroek

Global Sustainable Governance: Partnerships Between Fragmentation and Cohesion       Ceren Pekdemir

Organisational Transformation and Systemic Change: Navigating pathways towards Sustainability for the University       Alex Baker-Shelley

The OPEDUCA Concept - Basing schooling (from primary to higher) on Education for Sustainable Development in a local-to-global multi-stakeholder reality of Learning       Jos Eussen

Climate and ENSO variability effect on dengue incidence in Aruba       Marck Oduber

Certification contracts from an institutional economic perspective      Esther Sri Astuti

Learning for sustainability: the learning process      Anneloes Smitsman

Ecological Consequences of Globalization: Implications for Sustainable Development (2017) Lukas Figge |  Read more

Social and Economic Effects of Coffee Certification, with a Specific Focus on the Livelihood Effects for Farmers (2017) Ibnu Muhammad |  Read more

The Role of Governments on Sustainable Agriculture (2017) Atika Wijaya |  Read more

The Social and Economic Effects of Palm Oil Certification, with a Specific Focus on the Livelihood Effects for Farmers (2017) Nia Hidayat |  Read more

Religion and sustainable development (2017) Laura Kurth

The transition of farmers’ sustainable agricultural production behaviors:  comparative cases study in China and Netherlands Jing Wang

Climate change and health: consequences and adaptation in Europe (2015) Su-Mia Akin |  Download

Climate change and dengue transmission in Vietnam: an integrated assessment (2015) Toan Do Thanh | Download

A sunny future for photovoltaic systems in the Netherlands? An analysis of the role of government and users in the diffusion of an emerging technology (2014) Veronique Vasseur | Download

Stepping stone cities? Exploring urban greening and gardening as a viable contribution to global biodiversity conservation (2014) Carijn Beumer | Download

The Perspectives Method: Towards socially robust River Management. Maastricht University (2012) Astrid Offermans | Download

Regional sustainable development: Barries in Practice (Findings from policy, citizens, practitioners and monitoring) (2011) Annemarie van Zeijl-Rozema | Download

Living with Less: Prospects for Sustainability (2010) Jeanine Schreurs

Sailing on the winds of change. The Odyssey of Sustainability of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Maastricht University. (2010) Niko Roorda

Union democracy: The challenge of globalisation to organised labour in Ghana. (2010) Akua Britwum

Innovation in car mobility. Co-evolution of demand and supply under sustainability pressures. (2010) Marc Dijk

Climate change and tourism: Impacts and vulnerability in coastal Europe. (2010) Alvaro Moreno

The role of future studies in innovation processes Nicole Rijkens-Klomp

• Laura Niessen Better, Not More – Business strategies to enable sufficient consumption
• Ningna Xie Transboundary learning in higher education for sustainable development: Designing learning environments and competence assessments
• Diego Ramírez Overpassing the hot spot: Climate proofing with in a sustainable development strategy for Central America.
• Julia Backhaus The Role of Assumptions in Social Change Processes
• Bingtao Su The Role of Animals and Nature in Learning for Sustainable Development --a Chinese Perspective
• Alex Baker-Shelley Organisational Transformation and Systemic Change: Navigating pathways towards Sustainability for the University
• Wendy Broers Are energy decisions about energy?
• Xu Liu Sustainability Assessment tools for Urban Mobility –policy lessons from a China-Europe comparison
• Mo Chen Understanding Human-Ocean Relationships: A Multi-Perspective Analysis of Chinese Ocean Society
• Alessandro Concari Detecting and analyzing assumptions and behavioural changes on pro-environmental consumer behaviour in relation to waste management through Big Data Analysis (BDA)
• Tim Strasser Network leadership for advancing transformative capacity of social innovation

• UFR Droit Economie Management
• UFR Médecine
• UFR Pharmacie
• UFR Sciences
• UFR Sciences du Sport
• AgroParisTech
• CentraleSupélec
• ENS Paris-Saclay
• Institut d'Optique
• Polytech Université Paris-Saclay
• Accessibility

PhD Program in Earth, Climate, Environment and Planetery Sciences - Graduate School Earth, Climate, Environment and Planetery Sciences

The Doctoral Program in Earth, Climate, Environment and Planetary sciences provide students a cutting edge training through research projects concerning the superficial envelops (hydrosphere, atmosphere) of the Earth and the other planets and their interactions with the subsurface in a context of strong societal challenges (climate change, pollution, natural resources…) using multiple approaches from field work to space missions and numerical modelling.

Geosciences / Environment / Planets / Pollution / Natural resources management / Greenhouse gases / Paleoclimate / Geochemistry / Geophysics / Geomorphology / Geodynamic / Biogeosciences / Space exploration / Climate change / Remote sensing / Climate modelling / Instrumentation.

Program content.

• Environmental Sciences in Ile-de-France (SEIF)
• Mechanical and Energy Sciences, Materials and Geosciences
• Astronomy and Astrophysics for Paris Area

Doctoral School of ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES IN ILE-DE-FRANCE (SEIF)

The doctoral school covers the multidisciplinary fields related to the understanding of the physical, chemical and biological equilibrium of the terrestrial environment such as

• study of the climate and its variations at all scales of time and space,
• dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere and the ocean,
• radiative transfer,
• functioning of the continental and marine biosphere,
• biogeochemical cycles,
• physical chemistry of air, water and soil pollution,
• experimental developments and techniques related to the observation of remote sensing.

Learn more about the doctoral school SEIF 

Doctoral School of MECHANICAL AND ENERGY SCIENCES, MATERIALS AND GEOSCIENCES (SMEMAG) - Geosciences division

The "Astronomy and Astrophysics of Ile-de-France" Doctoral School offers graduates from physics and mathematics studies training in and through research in the vast interdisciplinary field of astronomy and all its techniques of observation, measurement and calculation. The Doctoral School offers physicists and mathematicians training in and through research in the vast interdisciplinary field of astronomy and all its methods of observation, measurement and calculation. It covers a field whose development is considerable and unceasing: discovery of extrasolar planets, renewal of cosmology at the interface with particle physics, development of astrochemistry, in situ exploration of the solar system, space navigation, planetology at the interface with the sciences of planet Earth. Powerful observation tools are being prepared, both in space and on the ground, affirming the place of Europe, using a wide variety of advanced technologies (optics, metrology, cryogenics, automation, etc.).

Learn more about the SMEMAG doctoral school

Doctoral School of ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS OF ILE-DE-FRANCE (AAIF)

L’École Doctorale "Astronomie et Astrophysique d’Ile-de-France" offre aux diplômés issus d’études de physique et de mathématiques une formation à, et par la recherche dans le vaste domaine interdisciplinaire de l’astronomie et de toutes ses techniques d’observation, de mesure et de calcul.

L’École doctorale propose aux physiciens et mathématiciens une formation à et par la recherche dans le vaste domaine interdisciplinaire de l’astronomie et de toutes ses méthodes d’observation, de mesure et de calcul. Elle couvre un champ dont le développement est considérable et incessant : découverte des planètes extrasolaires, renouveau de la cosmologie à l’interface de la physique des particules, développement de l’astrochimie, exploration in situ du système solaire, navigation spatiale, planétologie à l’interface avec les sciences de la planète Terre. De puissants outils d’observation sont en préparation, aussi bien dans l’espace qu’au sol, affirmant la place de l’Europe, faisant appel à une grande diversité de technologies avancées (optique, métrologie, cryogénie, automatique..).

Learn more about AAIF doctoral school  

• Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE) CEA/CNRS/UVSQ
• Laboratoire Atmosphère et Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) CNRS/UVSQ/SU 
• Géosciences Paris-Saclay (GEOPS) UPSaclay/CNRS
• Département Physique, Instrumentation, Environnement, Espace    (DPHY) ONERA
• Département Optique et Techniques associées (DOTA) ONERA  

PhD students admitted to the Phd program will have a public law doctoral contract. The duration of the contract is 3 years. The contractual Phd students are full-time employees with the sole or main mission of carrying out their doctoral project. They may also be entrusted with complementary missions of teaching, scientific mediation, valorization or expertise.

More information 

Possible employers* for PhD students under contract to the program are :

• Université Paris-Saclay (Faculties of Sciences of Orsay)
• University of Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

* This list remains to be completed or specified

ED ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES OF ILE-DE-FRANCE (SEIF) Students are accompanied throughout their doctoral studies. At the beginning of their thesis, they meet with the director of the ED, or one of his or her assistants, to remind them of their rights and duties. At the end of the first and second year, the PhD student presents the progress of his or her work to this committee, which advises him or her on the continuation of the thesis. A sponsor is also designated in the laboratory at the beginning of the thesis. This person can be called upon at any time by the PhD student in case of difficulties that cannot be solved or that involve the thesis director. 

Doctoral days are organized each year by the ED. First year students present their thesis topics. These days are an opportunity for PhD students from the different laboratories of the ED to meet each other, to get to know each other better and to create connections. 

ED ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS OF ILE-DE-FRANCE (AAIF) PhD students are welcomed at the beginning of their thesis during a meeting of newcomers (first year students) by the office and former PhD students of the doctoral school. A supervision is then organized throughout the duration of the thesis by the thesis committee. One meeting is organized per year with the participation of the director and a deputy director of the doctoral school in the second year.

The PhD students of the doctoral school organize and participate in the annual Elbereth conference, which gives them the opportunity to meet and discuss the different research themes covered by the doctoral school.

ED MECHANICAL AND ENERGY SCIENCES, MATERIALS AND GEOSCIENCES (SMEMAG) - Geosciences division

Under construction

The PhDs of the GS "Geosciences, Climate, Environment, Planets" pursue careers in academia or in the private sector in the fields of Earth observation, monitoring, protection and management of the environment, exploitation of oceans or continental surfaces. In the non-academic sector, they work in companies ranging from start-ups (The Climate data factory, LBMS Rockwinds, HD-Rain), to corporations (eLICHENS, ACRI-ST, SANOFI, KEOPSYS, EDF, SUEZ...) and organizations related to the environment and geosciences (AirParif, Bureau de Recherche Géologique et Minière, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sureté Nucléaire, Centre d'études et d'expertise sur les risques, l'environnement, la mobilité et l'aménagement, INRAE...). .

Three years after their thesis defense, on December 1, 2019, 93.3% of PhDs were employed. 6.7% were unemployed.

To help PhD students refine their professional projects, meetings with GS alumni working in the private and academic sectors are organized every year. 

How to be admitted to the doctoral program in Earth, Climate, Environment and Planetary sciences ?

Find below the different steps to apply to the Geosciences, Climate, Environment, Planets doctoral program  

Recruiting sectors

The recruitment of PhD students for the "Graduate School Geosciences, Climate, Environment, Planets" is open to students of the Earth Sciences, Planets, Environment major at Paris-Saclay, but also to graduates of other masters programs at the University of Paris-Saclay, in France and abroad.

The main research fields targeted are those developed in the "Geosciences, Environment, Planets" graduate school, but applications from students from other disciplines (Physics, Chemistry, Engineering Sciences, Biology, etc.) are encouraged, as they contribute to the enrichment and broadening of the multidisciplinary research themes of the Graduate School. 

Evaluation criteria

• the academic level of each candidates
• the adequacy of skills and knowledge to deal with the proposed subject
• the elements of motivation for and appropriation of the subject
• contextual elements: international agreements, priority placed by a laboratory on a given subject (when and only when they are explained in the description of thesis subjects)

The jury also ensures that the students are well distributed among the various laboratories or research teams affiliated with the ED.

Discover the thesis subject offers   

2021 Calendar - Candidates

• Publication of thesis topics: mid-March at the latest.
• Submission of applications: end of April (SMEMAG/AAIF) to mid-May (SEIF)
• Selection of candidates for auditions: May (early May for AA, mid-May for SMEMAG and early June for SEIF)
• Auditions: late May to mid-June (week 21-23)
• Admissions: early July (week 27) at the latest, some results being given just after the auditions.  

How to apply to ED AAIF ?

Everything is clearly explained on the following page:  https://ecole-doctorale.obspm.fr/spip.php?rubrique88

The jury of the competition is composed of members of the doctoral school office and external guests bringing a complementary expertise. Its composition is published each year on the doctoral school's website.

Calendar 2024 - Candidates  

• Wednesday January 31, 2024 Thesis submission deadline
• Friday April 19, 2024 Closing date for submission of thesis topics on ADUM
• May 28, 29 and 30 - June 3 and 4, 2024 Audition of candidates
• Friday June 7, 2024 Announcement of results

How to apply to ED SMEMAG ?

The procedure of the competition is detailed on the ED website :  https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/ecoles-doctorales/sciences-mecaniques-et-energetiques-materiaux-et-geosciences-smemag#edit-group-theses

The jury is composed of the members of the ED Council, except for the PhD student representatives.

Calendar 2024 - Candidates

• Thursday, February 29, 2024 Closing date for thesis submissions
• Thursday, April 25, 2024 Closing date for ADUM applications
• Wednesday May 29 to Friday May 31, 2024 Audition of candidates
• Date to be defined Announcement of results

How to apply to ED SEIF ? 

Candidates contact by e-mail the thesis directors of their choice in order to present their application and to discuss the subject of the thesis  Each thesis director organizes at least one interview with the candidate and sends by e-mail to the laboratory director the file he/she has selected.

The application file is described under ' Documents to be provided' here  

The jury is composed of the members of the ED Council .

• Friday, February 26, 2024 Closing date for thesis submissions
• Sunday May 12, 2024 Closing date for ADUM applications
• Wednesday June 12 and Thursday June 13, 2024 Audition of candidates
• Tuesday June 18, 2024 Announcement of results

Communication tools

The employment status of graduate school earth, climate, environment and planetary phds as of december 1, 2019.

Climate Change, Sustainability and Society PhD

Most students complete this programme in 4 years full-time.

Explore environmental change and the diverse responses needed to foster behaviours, practices and policies which promote sustainability.

In this interdisciplinary pathway, you will investigate sustainability topics using insights and perspectives from multiple disciplines, with a primary focus on social sciences (e.g., psychology, policy studies, political science, development studies, education, economics, social geography, sociology).

Find out what our research graduates go on to do

Department of Psychology

• Programme structure

Most students complete this programme in 4 years. You cannot take less than 2 years to finish your research and the maximum time you are allowed is normally 4 years.

This programme is only available through the Southwest Doctoral Training Partnership. Applications open from October each year and close around January. More information is available to Study as a South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) student at Bath

You may start this programme at any time. Most students start in September.

Occasionally we make changes to our programmes in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in research and the field of studies, and the requirements of accrediting bodies. You will be advised of any significant changes to the advertised programme, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.

Your academic progress and general welfare will be monitored by your supervisor.

Academic milestones

• Registration
• Candidature
• Confirmation
• Give notice of intention to submit a thesis / portfolio
• Submission for examination
• Examination (Viva Voce)
• Examiners report
• Final submission of thesis / portfolio
• Programme content
• Doctoral skills online
• Doctoral skills workshop
• Research project
• Supervisory team

Research content

Sustainability topics can be wide-ranging, with the content of your research determined with your PhD supervisory team. However, in line with the goals of this PhD programme, your thesis will have a primarily social science focus.

While you will have a lead (primary) supervisor, you should also have at least one additional supervisor working in a different discipline to help you develop your interdisciplinary insights.

Professional Development

Professional development is a crucial element of doctoral study, not only in supporting your research but also as part of your longer term career development. Our DoctoralSkills workshops and courses will help you build your skills and help you succeed in your doctorate.

Read more about professional development support

Assessment methods

Assessment description.

Most research students who ‘do a PhD’ register in the first instance as probationer for the programme of PhD. Confirmation of PhD registration is subject to your passing an assessment process, which normally involves submission of written work and an oral examination.

Candidates are expected to carry out supervised research at the leading edge of their chosen subject, which must then be written up as a substantial thesis.

The final stage of the PhD programme is the oral or viva voce examination, in which students are required to defend the thesis to a Board of Examiners.

• Entry requirements

Academic requirements

• A good first degree in a social science subject, or
• an equivalent degree in another subject, together with substantial relevant work experience

Underlying these conditions is a belief that students must bring a minimum combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience to the programme. Marginal cases are often dealt with at interview, and it is not uncommon for relatively inexperienced students to be asked to defer entry.

English Language requirements

You will normally need one of the following:

• IELTS: 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in all components
• The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): 69 with no less than 62 in any element
• TOEFL IBT: 100 overall with a minimum 24 in all 4 components

You will need to get your English language qualification within 24 months prior to starting your course.

If you need to improve your English language skills before starting your studies, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course to reach the required level.

Two references are required for this programme (at least one of these should be an academic reference from ypur most recent place of study).

• Fees and funding

Fees and funding information for Climate Change, Sustainability and Society PhD

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on whether you are a Home or Overseas student.

Learn how we decide fee status

Tuition fees are liable to increase annually for all University of Bath students. If you aren't paying your fees in British pounds, you should also budget for possible fluctuations in your own currency.

Find out more about student fees

Funding options

This is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) recognised programme, suitable for ESRC-funded 1+3 awards or subsequent +3 applications (MRes and PhD)

ESRC-funded students are able to claim (during their studies) for three additional allowances:

• Overseas Fieldwork Allowance
• Difficult Language Training
• Overseas Institutional Visits

For more information on these allowances please see the ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide . Please note that if you anticipate such activities you should outline the details in your application.

Find funding for Doctoral research

Payment options

You can pay your tuition fees by Direct Debit, debit card, credit card or bank transfer.

Paying your tuition fees

• Application information
• Programme title Climate Change, Sustainability and Society PhD
• Final award PhD
• Mode of study Full-time
• Course code RHPS-AFM02
• Department Department of Psychology as part of the ESRC South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) in economic and social science
• Location University of Bath Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY

3 months prior to the intended start date (for international applicants) or 2 months prior to the intended start date (for home applicants). For example, for an end of September start, the deadline is 30 June (international) and 31 July (home).

• Regulator The Office for Students (OfS)

Applicant profile

Your proposal should address a problem or question with strong links to the themes of this interdisciplinary pathway.

Prior to applying, please contact and gain agreement to supervise you from an academic staff member (who will become your lead supervisor), as well as your additional supervisor(s), as their agreement to supervise is critical for acceptance into the PhD program. Your lead supervisor may be able to advise on the most suitable additional supervisor(s). Gaining feedback on your proposal from your potential supervisors prior to submission is strongly encouraged.

The proposal itself should include;

• a brief review of relevant background literature (to contextualise the issue)
• a core research question or theme
• an outline of the possible methods that could be used to address this question.
• how your research will draw on interdisciplinary perspectives

If you wish to study for both the MRes and the PhD (the 1 + 3) you should apply for the PhD but indicate on the Application Form, that you also wish to study for the MRes.

Progression from the MRes to the PhD stage is dependent on achieving an acceptable level of achievement (typically an overall average of 60% on at least the taught component of the MRes).

See our guide about how to apply for doctoral study

Selection process

See our guide for information on how to apply for ESRC SWDTP funding

Immigration requirements

If you are an international student, you can find out more about the visa requirements for studying in the UK .

For additional support please contact the Student Immigration Service for matters related to student visas and immigration.

• Programme enquiries

Doctoral Admissions

• Apply for this programme
• Related programmes
• Climate Change, Sustainability and Society PhD part-time

On this page

• CHE University Ranking
• DAAD database on admission requirements
• Help and Advice

International Programmes 2023/2024

PhD Programme in Environmental and Resource Management PhD Programme in Environmental and Resource Management

Brandenburg university of technology cottbus-senftenberg • cottbus.

• Course details
• Costs / Funding
• Requirements / Registration
• About the university

All courses are held in English. The dissertation is written in English, and the oral defence takes place in English.

Start winter semester: 1 October Start summer semester: 1 April

Applications are welcome throughout the year. For a start in the summer semester (1 April), submission of the complete application online is recommended no later than 1 November. For a start in the winter semester (1 October), submission is recommended no later than 1 May.

The interdisciplinary Environmental and Resource Management PhD programme offers highly-qualified candidates the chance to research current international environmental issues within a stimulating environment of fellow researchers and students and a broad network of regional and international partners who are aiming to improve the quality of professional environmental management for the 21st century.

The programme focuses on research in the areas of environmental science & technology, biotechnology, and environmental & planning law. Thereby, the doctoral research strengthens the research profile of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg in global change and transformation processes, energy reform, and decarbonisation as well as health and life science. The PhD programme is open to national and international students with a Master's degree or equivalent in environmental science, environmental engineering, environmental economics, environmental management, environmental law, applied chemistry, biotechnology or a related subject. For an overview of the research areas, please visit our website .

During the three-year programme, PhD students will be able to write their doctoral theses and complete a mandatory curriculum. The curriculum consists of five modules (30 ECTS) that focus on fostering research skills as well as the transferable skills needed to build a professional career in academia. Every module as well as the doctoral thesis (120 ECTS) and the oral examination (30 ECTS) will be graded individually.

All lectures and seminars are a mandatory part of the programme. Therefore, it is necessary for the PhD students to be present at the university during the lecture periods (April to July and October to February).

The language of instruction, research, and examination is English.

The five modules (6 ECTS each) focus on fostering your research skills as well as transferable skills needed to build your professional career:

• Academic Research and Methods
• Status Seminar ERM: Progress Reports PhD Thesis
• Research Colloquium at your Chair/Department
• Essentials of Grant Proposal Writing
• PhD Thesis Writing Skills

For the full curriculum, semester schedule, and module description, please visit our website .

The BTU Graduate Research School offers additional workshops for all doctoral candidates at BTU on networking, subject-related qualification, scientific techniques, and transferable skills training.

• International guest lecturers
• Integrated study abroad unit(s)
• Projects with partners in Germany and abroad
• International comparisons and thematic reference to the international context
• Content-related regional focus

Stays abroad for research and further qualification (e.g. conferences, field research) are possible and encouraged. Funding is possible through the BTU Graduate Research School.

Teaching and research assistantships are possible.

Apart from a few degree programmes, education offered at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is without tuition fees. However, the university does charge a semester fee of around 350 EUR each semester, which includes the semester transportation ticket. It also covers costs for student services organisation ("Studentenwerk") and the student council (StuRa).

Studies abroad often have different types of expenses from the ones you know from your home country. You are responsible for covering your own living expenses. Accommodation and other essential living expenses will amount to around 600–900 EUR/month. Of course, this amount depends entirely on individual lifestyle. The following list gives you an idea of some fixed and variable costs that you should take into account for your stay in Germany. Monthly costs: rent (including utilities): 200–400 EUR public transportation: 49 EUR groceries: approx. 170 EUR health insurance, medical fees, medication: approx. 120 EUR miscellaneous (clothing, study materials, other activities): 200–300 EUR total: 700–950 EUR

The so-called "Deutschlandticket" allows you to travel using all local public means of transportation throughout Germany.

Studying at BTU is mostly free of (study) fees. Because of this, there are only limited scholarship opportunities for international students. The International Relations Office is nonetheless pleased to be able to award a limited number of scholarships to international students already enrolled at BTU. You can find more information on BTU scholarship opportunities on our websites: https://www.b-tu.de/en/international/international-students/during-studies/scholarships

The PhD programme is open to national and international students who hold a Master's degree or equivalent in environmental science, environmental engineering, environmental economics, environmental management, environmental law, applied chemistry, biotechnology or a related subject. Eligible candidates should have achieved a final grade of at least 2.3 (according to the German grading system) and should have completed a Master's thesis.

The application includes a comprehensive PhD proposal. While you have the autonomy to choose the research topic for your PhD research proposal , it is essential to ensure that the research proposal topic aligns with the research focus of the PhD programme.

A certificate of proficiency in English must be provided, except for graduates of English language Master's programmes in Germany and graduates from certain countries (click this link for the full list) .

Accepted tests and minimum scores include:

• TOEFL with a minimum score of 550 points (paper-based), 213 points (computer-based), or 79 points (Internet-based)
• Cambridge Advanced English test (minimum grade B)
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency (minimum grade C)
• IELTS Academic (minimum 6.5)

For submission of your application, kindly visit our website .

There are job opportunities both in town and on campus. Nevertheless, please do not come to Germany expecting to be able to finance your entire studies by working. The study load is high, and it is not always easy to find a part-time job. Students from non-European countries are allowed to work either 120 whole days or 240 half days annually. The 120-day rule is not affected by mandatory internships or student assistance jobs at university. Students from EU member countries, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland can work without restrictions during their studies in Germany.

BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg is a university with three locations where numerous student dormitories are provided. Students can choose between different room types.

In Germany, it is also very common for students to live alone or with friends. If three or more people share an apartment together, this is called a "WG" in German ("Wohngemeinschaft", which means a shared flat).

The BTU Career Centre team offers support for students and graduates.

• Welcome event
• Buddy programme
• Accompanying programme
• Specialist counselling
• Visa matters
• Help with finding accommodation
• Support with registration procedures

PhD programme coordinator (regular consultations, scholarship application support, Get2gethers), PhD Peer Coaching Programme, Welcome Centre for International Researchers, Graduate Research School (qualification programme, funding opportunities)

Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

Located on three campuses and with about 60 study programmes , BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg offers a broad spectrum of market-oriented programmes as well as traditional degree programmes.

From the natural sciences and engineering to economics, cultural studies, and even health sciences, BTU offers a wide range of courses. Our 13 study programmes taught exclusively in English are very popular among both German and international students from all over the world.

BTU is partnered with over 220 universities throughout the world, which provides students with a multitude of excellent opportunities to spend part of their time studying or conducting research abroad . Furthermore, in cooperation with our international partner universities , BTU offers a wide range of double-degree and joint-degree programmes .

University location

Cottbus is located in the north-east of Germany, between the country’s capital, Berlin (100 km), and Dresden (120 km). With a population of approx. 100,000 inhabitants, Cottbus is the second largest city after Potsdam in the federal state of Brandenburg. The Polish border is only approx. 30 km away. The location of Cottbus offers a convenient starting point for trips into the picturesque region of Lower Lusatia. The landscape of Lower Lusatia is characterised by the Spreewald with its small canals and waterways as well as by the Slavonic minority called Sorbs or Wends. Their language, similar to Polish, is still used and spoken in Lower Lusatia. For this reason, many of the road signs and informational boards in Cottbus and the surrounding region are written in both Sorbian and German. Cottbus gained importance as a trade centre in the 12th century. Parts of the original city wall from the 14th century as well as the beautiful townhouses around the old market square are proof of the city’s early splendour. Additionally, the city is characterised by buildings from the "Wilhelminian" times of rapid industrial growth in Germany, which occurred towards the end of the 19th century. The city that first rose to prominence with its cloth and linen weaving industry soon evolved into a growing centre of brown coal mining. Today, Cottbus is in the midst of a structural transformation. The BTU supports this development with its engagement in the Lausitz Science Park megaproject, which aims to build an appealing innovation landscape.

Senftenberg is the centre of the Lusatia Lake District. Former excavation and mining pits have been flooded in order to create the largest artificial lake system in Europe, with a total of 23 large lakes. The water sports area "Senftenberger See", with its water surface of 1,300 hectares, offers exceptional sailing and surfing opportunities, and it is suitable for all kinds of water sports. Senftenberg has thus become a tourist attraction within the region.

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Doctoral Programme in Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences

The central themes of DENVI are environmental change and sustainable development as well as climate change, land use, and the Baltic Sea and its catchment area. The programme gathers together the essential fields of natural and social sciences, law and humanities that are needed to study the complexity of environmental change and pathways to sustainable development.

Want to know more? Visit our profile & activities page to learn more about the programme.

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• Undergraduate
• Executive education
• Study Abroad
• Summer schools
• Online certificate courses
• International students
• Meet, visit and discover LSE

MPhil/PhD Environmental Policy and Development

• Graduate research
• Department of Geography and Environment
• Application code L7ZS
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Open
• Overseas full-time: Open
• Location: Houghton Street, London

This programme offers the chance to undertake a substantial piece of work that is worthy of scholarly publication and which makes an original contribution to the social scientific study of environmental change and development. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status.

The PhD in Environmental Policy and Development aims to provide a rigorous, research-based approach to the social scientific study of environmental change and development. The doctoral programme provides you with advanced and up-to-date teaching in environmental governance and development studies as well as tailored research skills training. Moreover, the doctoral experience at LSE exposes you to an international, vibrant and multidisciplinary research environment.

The programme is run by the  Environmental Economics and Policy cluster  of the Department of Geography and Environment. The cluster brings together experts in environmental change, geography, political science and economics, with an interest in advancing empirical understanding and in the theory of environmental performance, behaviour and governance across a range of geographic scales. All members have strong expertise in environmental economics and/or policy and are regularly involved in high-profile consultancy work for national and international organisations.

As well as taking your time to look through the sections below, we also encourage you to take a look at our  FAQs , which cover a range of frequently asked questions, including on the application process and funding.

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd environmental policy and development.

The programme is offered in the following formats:

Either  the standalone MPhil/PhD Environmental Policy and Development (+3 route)

Or  combined with the  MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation / MSc Environment and Development  progressing onto the MPhil/PhD Environmental Policy and Development (1+3 route)

+ 3 Route: MPhil/PhD Environmental Policy and Development (2-4 years)

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is a taught master’s degree (or equivalent), with a minimum of 65 per cent average and at least 70 in dissertation, in a related discipline.

1+3 Route:  MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation/MSc Environment and Development  (1 year) + MPhil/PhD Environmental Policy and Development (2-4 years)

The 1+3 pathway – suitable if you do not hold a relevant postgraduate degree – is aimed at students graduating with an undergraduate degree in a related subject. (See entrance requirement for the relevant MSc Programme).

The 1+3 Combined PhD Programme is only available as part of an ESRC Funded pathway. The 1+3 scheme provides funding for a one year research training master's linked to a PhD programme and is designed for students who have not already completed an ESRC recognised programme of research training. The ESRC 1+3 scholarship covers the master’s and the PhD programme and so takes up to 5 years in total. Progression from the master’s onto the PhD programme is dependent upon performance in the master’s programme (Students must score 65 per cent overall and at least 70 per cent in their dissertation to comply with the Department’s usual PhD entry criteria).

To apply for the 1+3 route, an application must be submitted for the relevant master’s programme, including a research proposal for the PhD aspect of the pathway. Applicants must also indicate their wish to be considered for the 1+3 pathway and associated funding within their personal statement. Students who apply for the PhD programme directly, will not be considered for the 1+3 pathway.

Competition for places at the School is high. This means that even if you meet our minimum entry requirement, this does not guarantee you an offer of admission. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate our  staff research interests  before applying.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - outline research proposal - sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.  See our English language requirements .

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 23 May 2024 . However, to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Environmental Policy and Development

Home students: £4,829 for the first year (provisional) Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships , and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.  

Funding deadline for LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 15 January 2024

Annual studentships are also offered by the LSE Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

As part of your PhD training, you will take a range of compulsory and optional courses. Specifically, you will take core courses in human geography, economic geography, environmental economics or environmental policy (depending on your programme) as well as relevant specialist MSc-level courses to take you to the leading edge of your chosen discipline and topic. You can also select from courses offered by LSE's Department of Methodology to help you prepare for your research.

Students who join the PhD programme after having completed either MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation or MSc Environment & Development cannot retake the same course or be waived the one unit of subject-specific training. They should instead discuss with their supervisor a relevant subject-specific training course available in Geography and Environment or elsewhere in the School. This selection is subject to supervisor and programme director approval.

(* denotes a half unit course)

Training courses Compulsory (not examined) Staff/Research Students Seminars Provides background sessions for MPhil/PhD students in their first year of study. It also provides the forum in which first year full-time and second year part-time MPhil/PhD students must present their work in advance of submitting their major review documents.

Either Compulsory (examined) Environmental Regulation: Implementing Policy Provides critical insights into the characteristics, processes and evolving dynamics of environmental policy, regulation and governance. Or Economic Development and the Environment (half unit) and  Politics of Environment and Development (half unit)  Provides critical insights into a number of selected topics concerned with the interface between environment and development, at both the macro- and micro-scale. Provides insight into key themes at the intersection of development and environmental politics, including the applications of political ecology, critical development studies, and materialist human geography to topics in environment and development.

Relevant advanced research methods course(s) to the value of one unit from the following:

Fundamentals of Social Science Research Design* Introduces students to the theoretical and practical foundations of empirical social science research. Qualitative Research Methods* Presents the fundamentals of qualitative research methods. It prepares students to design, carry out, report, read and evaluate qualitative research projects.  Doing Ethnography* Examine how social order is produced as people go about their everyday interactions.   Non-Traditional Data: New Dimensions in Qualitative Research* Examines methods for collecting and analysing data which are not primarily textual or linguistic, and how these can be integrated into qualitative research. Special Topics in Qualitative Research: Introspection-based Methods in Social Research * Looks at techniques such as narrative and episodic interviewing, free-association techniques, survey-based reconstruction and attitudes, critical incident techniques, loud-thinking protocols, experience sampling and self-tracking methods, ecological momentary assessment, self-confrontation interviewing, and 1st person situated video methods, and auto-ethnography and the ‘quantified self’. 

Transferable skills courses Compulsory (not examined) Research Project Seminar Presentations by research students of aspects of their own research, stressing problems of theory, methodology and techniques.

Transferable skills courses Compulsory (not examined) Research Project Seminar Presentations by research students of aspects of their own research, stressing problems of theory, methodology and techniques. 

Transferable skills courses Compulsory (not examined)   Research Project Seminar Presentations by research students of aspects of their own research, stressing problems of theory, methodology and techniques.

Training courses Compulsory (not examined)   Staff/Research Students Seminars Provides background sessions for MPhil/PhD students in their first year of study. It also provides the forum in which first year full-time and second year part-time MPhil/PhD students must present their work in advance of submitting their major review documents.

Transferable skills courses Compulsory (not examined) Research Project Seminar Presentations by research students of aspects of their own research, stressing problems of theory, methodology and techniques. For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page . 

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.  

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision.

You will either be allocated a principal supervisor and a review supervisor, or two joint supervisors. One or both will be specialist in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic. The Department encourages – whenever possible – joint-supervision arrangements. However, please confirm your supervisory arrangements during your first meeting with your supervisor(s).

Joint supervisors will have a joint leading role throughout your studies, and you will be able to meet them separately or jointly. Students with a main and a review supervisor should be aware that the main supervisor will have a leading supervisory role during the doctoral studies, whereas the review supervisor will be involved less frequently, being primarily responsible for progress monitoring and participating in review and upgrading decisions (see below). However, please keep your review supervisor abreast of your progress throughout the year and discuss with him/her any matters arising as soon as possible.

Progression and assessment

Once on the MPhil/PhD programme you will go through a First Year Progress Review, taking place in the Spring Term of your first research year. This is Year 1 for students in the +3 programme and Year 2 for students in the 1+3 programme.

For the First Year Progress Review, you must submit a written progress report containing an extensive and updated research proposal (typically including an introduction to the topic and motivation for the research; aims and objectives/research questions; contribution to knowledge; summary of methods to be used; and outline of the work to be done) and either a comprehensive literature review or a substantive draft of a chapter/paper as evidence of progress made during the year. Normally, there will be a progress review meeting between you and the supervisors (main supervisor and review supervisor) to discuss the written material presented. The work has to reach an acceptable standard to enable you to progress. There is provision for a second Supplementary Review in cases where there are doubts as to whether progress has been sufficient to allow entry to the second year (third year of the 1+3 programme). Progression to the second year (third year of the 1+3 programme) is also dependent on you having passed all required examinations and obtained at least one merit, and having presented your work satisfactorily in the doctoral presentation workshops.

All research students are initially registered for an MPhil and have to be upgraded to PhD status. The upgrade from MPhil to PhD usually occurs during the second year of full-time registration. This is Year 2 for students in the +3 programme and Year 3 for students in the 1+3 route. The exact timing depends on your progress. You are required to submit a formal written upgrade report consisting of an extensive revised research proposal, two substantive draft papers/chapters, of which one can be a literature review, and a detailed plan for completion. You will be asked to discuss your research paper/thesis outline during an Upgrade Meeting in front of an Upgrading Committee normally formed by your main supervisor, your review supervisor and a third member of staff with relevant expertise. The material is evaluated by the Upgrading Committee, who will recommend transferral to PhD registration if your work is judged to be of sufficient quality and quantity. The upgrade is also dependent on you having completed all required training courses and having made a satisfactory research presentation in your doctoral presentation workshop.

In addition to these formal arrangements, each year during the Spring Term and throughout the course of your studies, you and your supervisors have to complete a yearly Progress Report Form, detailing progress made, problems arising and plan/timeline for completion. The forms are sent to the relevant Doctoral Programme Director for approval before you are able to re-register for the following session. If perceived lack of progress is identified, it can trigger a more formal annual review of progress in which you will be asked to produce specific written documents to be evaluated by a review panel. 

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Geography & Environment

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £35,000          

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Government, Public Sector and Policy   
• Financial and Professional Services              
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Real Estate, Environment and Energy 
• Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

The PhD in Environmental Policy and Development provides students with the knowledge and skill to be competitive in both private and public sector employment. Previous doctoral students have found employment in academic and research institutions, as well as in international organisations, the environmental consultancy sector, and high-profile positions in governmental institutions. Recent graduates have gone into careers in the US Treasury, World Bank and the Conservation Strategy Fund.

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd environmental economics.

Code(s) L7ZR

MRes/PhD International Development

Code(s) Y2ZI

MPhil/PhD Economic Geography

Code(s) L7ZQ

MPhil/PhD International Relations

Code(s) M1ZR

MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation

Code(s) F9UG

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Sustainable Resources MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

The interdisciplinary UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources provides evidence, expertise and training to respond to climate change, and to support sustainable transitions for people and planet. Our strong links with industry, policymakers and other academic institutions provide an excellent foundation for PhD study.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

Research degree students start their programme in BSEER in September or January each academic year. Starting at other times is by exception where a strong justification is made.

• Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in a relevant subject, is essential. Where applicants have other suitable research or professional experience, they may be admitted without a Master's degree. Applicants with a lower second-class UK Honours Bachelor's degree (2:2) (or equivalent) must possess a relevant Master's degree to be admitted. We expect any successful application to include a sufficiently strong and convincing proposal, and those holding a Master's degree are typically well prepared to provide one. Relevant work experience is desirable.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

PhD students at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources work on a range of research projects relating to the sustainable use of the world’s resources – including energy, food, minerals and ecosystems. Using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, our research analyses natural and human systems, on global, regional, and local scales. Through undertaking a research degree, our PhD students demonstrate the capacity to organise, carry out and communicate a substantial piece of research, presented in a thesis that demonstrates academic rigour and originality.

If you have a research idea that falls within our research themes, an MPhil/PhD in Sustainable Resources could be the right path for you. To get started with your application visit our ‘ How to apply for a Sustainable Resources MPhil/PhD ’ page. On this page we cover the four steps you need to apply, from writing an outline proposal and choosing a supervisor, through to submitting an expression of interest ahead of making your formal application. 

Who this course is for

Our PhD students come from a wide range of backgrounds, at different career stages. They use their research degree as a stepping stone to careers in a range of sectors. They are united by their passion to make the world a better place, and their commitment to creating and communicating evidence to achieve this goal.

What this course will give you

You will work in a vibrant and cooperative academic research environment. While everyone has their own research project, we strongly encourage students to participate fully in the work of our Institute and to interact with other students and staff. We run internal and external seminar programmes, and the many universities and societies in London offer a rich academic environment for broadening your horizons in anything that interests you.

You will have access to a desk in the department, to libraries, to online resources, to specialist computing facilities, to software and to other resources as required.

You will have access to a wide range of formal and informal training opportunities, including taught courses, to underpin your personal development. The programme does not have a formal taught element. The only formal examinations are the upgrade from MPhil to PhD, at the end of the first year for full-time students, and the oral examination of your thesis.

You will be encouraged to attend and present your work at international conferences and workshops.

The foundation of your career

Our PhD graduates have become senior figures in international organisations (e.g. International Energy Agency, World Bank), government, academia (e.g. UCL, Yale, Columbia), research institutes (e.g. Asia-Pacific Energy Research Centre, EU Joint Research Centre), and companies. Discover some of our alumni’s experiences and career pathways.

Employability

You will learn to be an independent researcher with the ability to identify and understand issues, and design and carry out a research programme to address them.

A wide range of careers are available at the interface of the economy, resources and the environment.  

Supervision and mentorship are available from world-leading researchers with national and international contacts and collaborations across policy, government, industry and academic sectors. These links provide real opportunities to network and collaborate with a wide variety of external partners. Students have the opportunity to showcase their research at national and international conferences. Our students also gain access to networking events, career workshops and exclusive seminars held by UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources and the other institutes within the school.

Teaching and learning

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) consists of a piece of supervised research, normally undertaken over a period of three years full-time. Initially, you will be registered for the MPhil degree. If you wish to proceed to a PhD, you will be required to pass an 'Upgrade' assessment. The purpose of the upgrade is to assess your progress and ability to complete your PhD programme to a good standard and in a reasonable time frame.

Assessment is by means of a thesis, which should demonstrate your capacity to pursue original research based upon a good understanding of the research techniques and concepts appropriate to the discipline.

A full-time PhD is a significant time commitment. You should expect to dedicate around 35 hours per week to your research. You should meet frequently with your supervisors and engage with the departmental and UCL communities more widely through events, training, and networking opportunities.

Research areas and structure

Our research is built around five intersecting themes:

• Abiotic resources
• Biotic resources
• Definitions and indicators of sustainable resource use
• Green economy
• Resource efficiency

Research environment

“My favourite part was that the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources culture gave me the perfect combination of the freedom to pursue my own research interests, and academic excellence through my brilliant supervisors and inspiring colleagues to exchange ideas, develop skills and build long-lasting links. “ - Florian Flachenecker, graduated 2018

UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources has a large PhD cohort working on a wide range of projects on natural and human systems, including global, regional and local studies. Our staff and students have a passion to make the world a better place, and a commitment to creating and communicating evidence to achieve this goal.

We are based in Central House in the centre of London. Desks are available for all students and academics using a hot-desking system.

In the latest national research assessment ( REF 2021 ), our Faculty was number one for Research Power in the built environment, with 91% of research deemed ‘World Leading’ and ‘Internationally Excellent’. Most of our research is undertaken in partnership with government and industry, grounding our work and create real-world impact.

All students are initially registered for an MPhil degree. Those studying full-time for a PhD undertake a formal “upgrade process” at the end of their first year, including a presentation and viva, and if successful are registered as PhD students. Students have up to two upgrade attempts.

The PhD programme normally lasts for three years. Once you have completed this initial period, you are able to enter an additional year of “Continuing Research Status”, with no further fees, if your studies are sufficiently advanced. Some funders instead offer four-year scholarships with no possibility of entering Continuing Research Status. You submit a thesis for assessment in an oral viva at the conclusion of your studies.

It is possible to study for an MPhil rather than a PhD degree from the outset, but this is rare.

Part-time students follow the same programme as full-time students, except that the programme length is five years, with up to two additional years in Continuing Research Status, and the first upgrade attempt normally takes place after 18 months.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

Route code RRDEERSSUR01

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

As a research student, your additional costs may include expenses such as books, conference attendance and field research, in the UK or overseas.

The Bartlett Faculty provides financial support to students through the Bartlett Student Conference Fund, Bartlett Doctoral Initiative Fund, Bartlett External Training Fund and Bartlett Extenuating Circumstances Fund. However, please note that these funds are limited and available through competition. Find out more on ' The Bartlett Scholarships and Funding ' page.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies.

The Bartlett Promise Scholarship is a long-term project from our Faculty to attract students from a broader range of backgrounds and tackle the lack of diversity in the built environment. Please see the UK PhD scholarship page for more information on eligibility criteria, selection process and FAQs.

The ESRC UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Centre for Doctoral Training (UBEL) offers a number of scholarships each year. Please see details of the ' Social and Policy Studies of Energy and the Environment ' grouping.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Bartlett Promise PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 19 May 2024 Value: Full fees, plus £19,668 maintenance (Normal duration of programme) Criteria Based on financial need Eligibility: UK

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (ROS)

Deadline: 12 January 2024 Value: UK rate fees, a maintenance stipend, conference costs and professional development package (3 years) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

Are you ready to start your application for an MPhil/PhD at UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources? Follow this four step process to start you application and read the guidance on our ‘ How to apply for a Sustainable Resources ’ MPhil/PhD page. Once you have identified your project and supervisor, and have submitted an expression of interest to them, they will be able to give you feedback before you submit your formal application. Further details on how to apply to an MPhil/PhD can be found on the UCL Graduate Admissions website.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources

[email protected]

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Science for Sustainability

Science for sustainability graduate programme.

The Science for Sustainability Graduate Programme (GPS4S) boosts the sustainability research at Utrecht University by funding PhD positions in the period 2022-2027. The GPS4S will train eight excellent PhD-students who have written their own research proposal. The research projects will address challenges in the field of sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective. All projects supported by supervisors from two different departments and in some cases even two different faculties.

Current PhD projects

The first four PhD-students in of the S4S Graduate Programme have started their project in the autumn of 2022. The other four projects are starting in September till November 2023. The research projects, which were designed by the excellent students themselves, will address societal challenges in the field of sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Improving carbon dioxide conversion with sunlight

Marianne Bijl

The use of sunlight to convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into useful chemicals is promising with a catalyst called titanium dioxide. The efficiency of this catalyst, however, is limited due to loss of energy to heat. In addition, the catalyst cannot efficiently utilise visible light, which means that only a small fraction of sunlight is used. PhD candidate Marianne Bijl wants to enhance the performance of titanium dioxide by overcoming these two main weaknesses, using colloidal nanoparticles.

Bijl graduated from the Master’s programme Nanomaterials Science at Utrecht University. Her research project combines expertise in both physics and chemistry.

Making solar cells more efficient

Ayla Dekker

Solar cells and other devices that convert light into electricity are not very efficient. This stands in the way of large-scale applicability. Fifty percent of the energy loss is caused by a mismatch between certain characteristics of sunlight and the material that is used to build these devices. In her research, Ayla Dekker aims to design a new material that can improve their efficiency by overcoming this mismatch. The new material does so by reshaping sunlight, so that a larger part of the sunlight (i.e. more wavelengths) becomes available to the device, and can be converted into electricity.

Dekker graduated from the Master’s programme Nanomaterials Science at Utrecht University. Her research project combines expertise in both physics and chemistry.

Biodiversity in lowlands of Western Europe

C.M. (Catrien) Hoffman MSc

In lowlands of Western Europe, biodiversity loss has been dramatic. Effective conservation and restoration are hampered by limited knowledge of baseline conditions and developments of vegetation prior to and during agricultural intensification in the past. With her research, Catrien Hoffman aims to fill this knowledge gap by reconstructing biodiversity trends in agricultural landscapes in this area before, during and after agricultural intensification over the past 500 years.

Hoffman will conduct this research in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team that combines expertise in the fields of environmental biology, and geology. Catrien Hoffman graduated from the Master’s programme Environmental Biology.

Developing sustainable insecticides with a zombie-making fungus

Robin Jonkergouw

PhD candidate Robin Jonkergouw will investigate whether certain fungi (entomopathogenic fungi) that cause deadly infections to insects, can function as an alternative to unsustainable insecticides. Specifically, Jonkergouw will explore the insecticidal potential of certain proteins (effectors) of the zombie-making fungus Ophiocordyceps that target promising receptors (G-protein coupled receptors) of an insect’s cell. The identified fungal proteins and insect targets could form the basis for new, biodegradable insecticides.  

Jonkergouw graduated from the Master’s programme Infection & Immunity at Utrecht University. In his research, he will combine largely unexplored fungus-insect biology with revolutionary tools for analysing proteins.

Energy-efficient computers

T.M. (Tim) Kamsma MSc

The energy consumption of computers is responsible for around 10 percent of the global electricity demand, and this is projected to grow dramatically over the coming years. Neuromorphic computing - inspired by neural networks in the brain - shows great promise for more sustainable methods of computation. The fundamental building blocks of neuromorphic chips are memristors, which can mimic synaptic connections between neurons. Tim Kamsma will research different types of memristors, and the circuits that can be built with them to pursue energy-efficient methods of computation, by combining knowledge from disciplines such as physics, mathematics and neuroscience.

Tim was invited to the NOS & NTR Kennis & Co podcast to talk about his choice for this program at Utrecht University and his research on computers built with water and salt that work like our brain, which might well be much more energy-efficient than current computers.

Shaping human-wildlife coexistence

R.H.M. (Ronja) Knippers BSc

How can we achieve food security  and  biodiversity conservation in areas shared between people on the one hand and animals damaging crops on the other? According to Ronja Knippers, we need to steer human-wildlife interactions from conflict to coexistence. In order to achieve this paradigm shift, we need to deepen our knowledge of the influence of human perception on wildlife tolerance, the influence of the availability of food on the damaging of crops, and the influence of the abundance of humans and wildlife on the wildlife’s perception of being hunted.

This study will present an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Faculties of Science and Geoscience. Ronja Knippers graduated from the Master’s programme Environmental Biology.

New shapable gel to passively cool buildings

G.H.A. (Geert) Schulpen MSc

Inspired by characteristics of white beetle scales, Geert Schulpen will investigate whether a new, shapable gel, called bijel, could be an effective coating for passive radiative cooling. The scales of white beetles have been found to possess more efficient cooling properties than current state-of-the-art coatings. Passive temperature regulation is essential for reducing energy consumption, and the new coating could be used on the outer walls of buildings to reflect large amounts of sunlight.

The research will be particularly interdisciplinary, as it combines the chemistry and physics of anisotropic particles with interfacial assembly, and the analysis of the material's optical properties." Geert Schulpen graduated from the Master’s programmes Experimental Physics and Nanomaterials Science.

Extending the lifespan of antibiotics

B. (Bryan) Verhoef MSc

Bryan Verhoef

Bryan Verhoef wants to learn more about how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, so that the lifespan of existing antibiotics can be extended. He aims to build a computer model of bacterial colonies developing resistance when they are exposed to the antibiotic. The model can then be used to study how specific factors, such as spatial structure of the colony and inhomogeneous exposure effect the development of resistance. The spatial structure of bacterial colonies refers to the way in which individual bacteria are distributed in space within the group they reside. When inhomogeneous exposure occurs, different parts of the bacterial colony are unevenly subjected to the antibiotic.

Bryan Verhoef graduated from the Master’s Programme Theoretical Physics at Utrecht University. His research takes place at the interplay between physics and biology.

Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50

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PhD Programme in Environmental Social Science

The PhD Programme in Environmental Social Science provides a platform for interrogating how we understand and investigate the relationships between society and the environment. The PhD programme aims to educate researchers in undertaking the complex issues created by today's global challenges, and to contribute to the research field through a doctoral dissertation.

The PhD programme

The interdisciplinary Phd Programme in Environmental Social Science meets the growing demand for researchers, policy makers and experts that can work across research fields and develop new theoretical and methodological tools to study the dynamics between society and the environment. The PhD programme approaches different social and natural systems from a social sciences perspective and includes relevant insights from the natural and biological sciences. The aim of the doctoral programme is to educate researchers in undertaking the complex issues created by today's global challenges.

The PhD programme comprises 240 credits in total. Of the total credits, the dissertation comprises 180 credits, and the course work comprises 60 credits. 

The PhD programme is governed by the Higher Education Ordinance, The University’s and the Faculty’s rules and regulations for third-cycle studies, and the General Syllabus.

More extensive information about the PhD programme can be found in the General Syllabus.

Specific entry requirements 

In order to be eligible for the PhD Programme in Environmental Social Science, you must, in addition to the general entry requirements, fulfill the specific entry requirements.

You must have completed a degree at second cycle level in a social and behavioural science discipline including 30 credits at either first- or second-cycle that have an environment focus and a thesis in the second-cycle with an environment focus, or the equivalent degree/knowledge obtained within or outside Sweden.

Doctoral employment

If you are accepted for doctoral education, you will be employed as doctoral students at the department. As a doctoral student, your employment typically lasts four years. Up to 20 percent of the doctoral studies can consist of departmental service, and the doctoral position is then extended by the corresponding time. This means that the total period of employment will be a maximum of five years. Exceptions apply to sick leave, parental leave and union trust assignments.

Salaries for doctoral students are made according to local agreements at the University of Gothenburg and are negotiated by trade union representatives.

Doctoral positions are funded through faculty grants, external research grants or funding from other employers. When financing from another employer, a special agreement is required, that regulates the relationship between the University of Gothenburg/the department, the doctoral student and the employer. The type of financing that is relevant for the position always appears in the position announcement. Please note that student loans or private means are not accepted.

Doctoral students at the University of Gothenburg are government employees and are thus covered by a number of benefits and insurance.

Supervision

Supervisors are assigned in consultation between the doctoral student, and the Director of PhD Studies. Each doctoral student is assigned a main supervisor and an assistant supervisor. Prospective doctoral students do not need to obtain supervisors before applying for a PhD programme.

The dissertation

The dissertation can be written in the form of a compilation, which means several articles and/or papers preceded by an introductory chapter so-called Kappa, or as a monograph, i.e. a coherent book.

Doctoral students are expected to present their work at a number of occasions during the PhD programme. At the beginning of the second year at the programme, the doctoral student presents a detailed project proposal, the dissertation PM, for the entire department, and receives questions and feedback from commentators. When approximately half of the programme is completed, the doctoral student presents parts of the dissertation at a so-called mid-term seminar.

When about six months remain to work on a dissertation, the doctoral student presents the entire dissertation script on a mock dissertation, and receives comments from an external opponent and an third reader.

Finally, the doctoral student defends their dissertation in a public defense, where the student discusses the dissertation with an opponent, and a grading committee decides whether the dissertation is approved.

Future careers

A doctorate in Environmental Social Science can lead to a research career within or outside the academia, to teaching at various levels within the university, or to a career as an environmental analysts in the public sector, in international organizations, in civil society organizations or as environmental managers in companies.

Programme courses

The first two years of your doctoral studies comprise a number of mandatory and elective courses on third cycle level.

More information, rules and laws

• Doctoral Studies at the University of Gothenburg
• The Higher Education Ordinance
• The Swedish Higher Education Act

• News & events
• How to apply

Colorful research for a green future

Phd in sustainable development and climate change.

Discover a program in which several ideas and methods are perfectly integrated into a global vision.

Towards new models of sustainable development

The common goal of the universities participating in the PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change is to build a learning and research community capable of promoting innovative solutions, which are essential to solve even the most complex problems of our society. ‍ We go beyond the purely environmental aspect by embracing themes and sectors that, each in their own way, are having an impact on the planet.

The 6 Curricula of the PhD

Earth system and environment.

Earth system processes and new perspectives in environmental development

Socio-economic risks and impacts

Transition towards a decarbonized and sustainable economy

Technology and Territory

Technologies, systems and approaches for the sustainable transition of communities, territories, and production processes

Theories, Institutions, and Cultures

Cognitive and practical challenges posed by sustainability and climate change at an individual, institutional, and global level

Agriculture and Forestry

Innovative models for resilient and sustainable agri-food and forestry systems

Health and Ecosystems

Climate and global health impacts, from ecosystems to humans

3 Core values of our research

We aim to spread knowledge and to create talents capable of contributing to just and innovative society, in harmony with the planet.

We believe that sustainability is a challenge that should be faced through a plurality of perspectives. That’s why we created an inter-university and multi-disciplinary educational roadmap.

Responsibility

We enable future generations to understand the evolution of the climate. We also design and implement new solutions for a sustainable society.

A network of fully interconnected public and private research centers

A network of public and private research centers fully interconnected

• Publications

PhD in Sustainability Science

A three-year programme with an innovative approach to sustainability issues and a global change perspective.

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Applications for September 2024 entry are now closed.  

The Doctor of Philosophy in Sustainability Science Programme is a three-year programme that takes an innovative approach to sustainability, seeking to promote a better understanding of the issues by incorporating global change perspectives.

This programme will equip graduates with comprehensive, multidisciplinary knowledge of sustainability problems, and deepen their understanding of the role of environmental sustainability in addressing current issues related to global change, specifically those related to climate change and biodiversity. Students undertake problem-oriented research by playing an active role in UNU-IAS research projects, and acquire the quantitative and qualitative analytical skills necessary to understand the underlying principles of various systems involved in sustainability issues and debates.

Students can select courses from those offered by UNU-IAS, while also enjoying the opportunity to take courses at other leading universities in Japan such as the University of Tokyo, Sophia University, and International Christian University.

Programme Structure & Language

Admission requirements, how to apply, diploma programme for specialization on the paris agreement (spa), joint diploma programmes, japan foundation for unu (jfunu) scholarship.

The programme is offered on a full-time basis only. The academic year starts in September. The standard period to complete the degree requirements is 36 months or six academic semesters, excluding time spent on study leave of absence from the university. By July of their third-year students are expected to complete all of the course requirements, obtaining at least 14 credits and completing a doctoral dissertation.

The language of instruction is  English . [ Top ]

Applicants for the PhD in Sustainability Science are required to have met the following requirements by the application deadline in order to be considered:

1. A completed master’s degree (or equivalent) from a recognized university or institution of higher education in a field related to sustainability and a minimum of two years of professional field experience related to UNU-IAS research themes which was acquired after obtaining a university degree (full time equivalent);

Two completed master’s degrees, at least one of which must be in a discipline related to sustainability studies (those who expect to receive a second master’s degree before the entrance period of September 2024 may also apply);

2. A GPA of 2.8 or above on a 4.0 scale (equivalent to 70% on a 100 % scale) for at least one of the master’s degrees earned; and

3. English language proficiency.

The minimum score requirements for English language qualifications required by UNU-IAS are:

• 600 on TOEFL – Paper-Based Testing (PBT) OR
• 100 on TOEFL – Internet-Based Testing (IBT) OR
• 7.0 on IELTS – Academic format

*   Please note that TOEFL and ILTS test scores are valid for two years. Invalid test scores will not be accepted.   UNU-IAS requires original TOEFL/IELTS score reports (no photocopies accepted).

• TOEFL: Please order an official score report using the institution code 6991. For more information on TOEFL, please visit  http://www.ets.org/toefl/
• IELTS: Please request that an official report be sent directly to UNU-IAS. For more information on IELTS, please visit  http://www.ielts.org/  [ Top ]

Applicants who have studied for at least two consecutive years in a degree-granting university programme taught entirely in English may submit a substitute document for the English language proficiency score. [ Top ]

Please refer to the PhD Application Guidelines  for detailed instructions on how to apply. [ Top ]

• 3 March 2024 : Deadline for applications
• Mid-April 2024 : Invitation to an interview and requests for submitting supporting documents by email (shortlisted applicants only)
• Mid to late April 2024 : Interviews (shortlisted applicants only)
• Late May 2024 onwards : Announcement of application results (successful applicants only)

Dates are subject to change . [ Top ]

• Application Processing Fee:  None
• Tuition Fee:  USD 12,000 per year*

To secure admission, successful applicants will be required to pay at least 50% of the tuition fee for the first academic year ( USD 6,000 *,  non-refundable ) by the due date on the invoice issued after the result announcement and prior to enrolment. Students who choose to pay annually must pay a full one-year tuition payment before the commencement of the academic year. Successful applicants are required to submit all documents and pay the tuition fee by the deadline.**

The estimated total expenses for living and studying in Tokyo for three years are approximately  USD 84,000 , including tuition fees. Applicants must ensure adequate financial resources to meet the full costs of educational and living expenses.

* The fee is subject to change .

**  UNU holida ys  are listed in the  UNU-IAS Academic Calendar .  [ Top ]

The curriculum is reviewed on a yearly basis and the course offerings may not be identical to the ones listed below.

Overview Courses (Compulsory)

• Trans-disciplinary Graduate Research Seminar I & II
• Sustainability Science Research Seminar

Elective Courses

• The United Nations System and Sustainable Development*
• Global Change and Planetary Boundaries*
• Principles of International Development Project*
• Water Resources Systems
• Education for Sustainable Development: From Global Agendas to Local Actions
• Understanding the mechanism to implement the Paris Agreement to the UNFCCC
• Frontier of Sustainability Science
• Law and Practice of the United Nations
• Climate Justice and the Right to Education
• Remote Sensing, Geographical Information Systems and Analysis: Theory and Application
• Environmental Statistics and Research Methods
• Studies of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes
• From SDGs to Climate Change: Implementation Strategies for its Adaptation and Mitigation

Courses marked with * are held over a short period as part of the UNU Intensive Core (IC) Courses.

Other elective courses may also be offered. A wide range of elective courses offered by partner universities are also available to UNU-IAS students through credit exchange arrangements. [ Top ]

UNU-IAS offers the SPA Diploma Programme focusing on the implementation of the Paris Agreement mechanisms, such as the enhanced transparency framework, nationally determined contributions, national adaptation planning process, global stocktake and market mechanisms. By strengthening national capacity in these areas, it aims to become an essential means of implementation of the agreement and develop future leaders who will be at the forefront of these vital efforts. The diploma will be granted upon satisfactory completion of the designated courses. [ Top ]

Students of the UNU-IAS PhD programme are also encouraged to pursue one of two joint diplomas in sustainability science, which are offered in partnership with the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (UT-GSFS) and with Sophia University. These diploma programmes require students to gain 18 credits, eight of which must be from courses specified by UNU-IAS and the partner university under the respective joint diploma programme. A joint diploma can only be awarded to students who successfully complete the three-year UNU-IAS PhD degree programme. [ Top ]

The scholarship is competitive and may be awarded to eligible students who have been accepted for enrolment in the PhD programme. There is no separate application form for the scholarship as it is part of the main online application form for admission. Interested applicants must provide the necessary information and documents for the scholarship when applying to the PhD programme.

I. Coverage

The jfUNU scholarship provides a monthly allowance of 120,000 JPY as a support package for a maximum of 36 months. The tuition fees may be waived for the scholarship recipients.

II. Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be from developing countries* who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
• Applicants who are currently living in Japan under a working visa are NOT eligible for the scholarship.
• Applicants who are already enrolled in other PhD programmes are not eligible. This includes those who have already obtained a PhD degree at an institution other than UNU-IAS.

*Developing countries included in the latest  OECD DAC list .

III. Additional Requirements

• Recipients of the jfUNU Scholarship are required to write a short essay on their learning and experiences at UNU, which is submitted to the donor organisation. Before graduation, each recipient is requested to submit a note of appreciation to the donors with reflections on their future plans.
• Recipients agree to foster collaboration with jfUNU through participating in jfUNU activities, events, and other opportunities offered to the student body. [ Top ]

Before contacting the Admissions Office, please read through the  Frequently Asked Questions  to see if your question has been answered. For any unanswered questions, please use the  Inquiry Form . [ Top ]

Innovation for Sustainability

The PhD programme in Innovation for Sustainability is interdisciplinary, applied and project oriented. It is suited for research and development work within private and public sectors as well as academia.

When can I apply?

Positions will be announced early in 2023.

Your employer may also apply for an industrial or public sector PhD, partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council (forskningsradet.no)

Other positions may be available from externally founded research projects, like Research Council of Norway and Horizon Europe projects.

What are the criteria for being accepted?

To be admitted to the PhD programme, you must have completed a relevant bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) + master (120 ECTS) , or equivalent education in the fields of human centered technology, art, design, social sciences, the humanities, and/or other fields relevant to the specializations in the PhD programme. You must have an average of B on the master’s degree and a B on the master thesis, or better General information about Doctoral degree programmes (PhD) (ansatt.oslomet.no)

How will the education be performed?

It is recommended that you complete all the mandatory courses early in the period. Elective courses can be performed later. You may apply for taking courses at other programmes. You will be connected to a suited research group and will have two to three supervisors.

What kind of positions will the education be fit for?

You will be qualified for conducting research, development work and teaching within your own discipline in interdisciplinary environments where scientific insight and production of new knowledge are required.

How do I get funding?

PhD positions are funded either by OsloMet (through the Ministry of Education and Research), by the Industrial sector/Public sector scheme and externally funded research projects. 

General information about Doctoral degree programmes (PhD) (ansatt.oslomet.no )

Application procedures and admission requirements

Application deadline.

Admission to this PhD programme is continuous.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to the PhD programme, you must have a master's degree (120 ECTS credits), a subject at second degree level under the pre-2003 system or an equivalent education in human centred technology, art, design, social sciences, the humanities, and/or fields relevant to the specializations in the PhD programme.

You must document your educational background and completed research work.

Your application must also contain a plan for your doctoral project which includes:

• project description
• plan for the training component
• progress plan
• funding plan
• proposal for academic supervisor(s)

The project description must describe the topic, research question, theoretical basis, and choice of method.

In addition, you must provide information about your need for infrastructure and the language in which you wish to write your doctoral thesis, and you may be asked to provide information pertaining to possible problems in accordance with rights to intellectual property.

In the case of comprehensive data collection, financing for this must be clarified. Reference is made to the application form available on the faculty's website.

Admission is based on a total assessment of the application, including the relevance and quality of the project description and on funding.

The quality of your master's degree thesis / thesis at second degree level and other written work can also be taken into consideration.

Decisions on admission are made by the Doctoral Committee at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD), OsloMet, supported by a representative from the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA).

Upon admission to the programme, the Doctoral Committee will assign the candidate a minimum of two supervisors.

If the main supervisor is not employed at TKD or SVA or otherwise formally associated with the programme, normally a co-supervisor who is employed at TKD or SVA will be assigned the candidate.

The admission is formalized through a contract between the doctoral candidate, the supervisor, and the university, and if relevant also with other professional groups and institutions. The contract regulates the parties' mutual rights and obligations for the contract's period in accordance with paragraph 3 in the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet and is based on the outline developed by the University and College Board (UHR). Admission is granted subject to funding being approved.

The PhD programme is an organized research education, and candidates must participate in research groups. Externally funded candidates participate in research groups at their own workplace or in one of the faculty's research groups.

Useful resources and application form

More on admission and funding OsloMet (ansatt.oslomet.no)

About the programme

The PhD programme in Innovation for Sustainability is based at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD), in cooperation with the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA).

The goal of the programme is to qualify candidates for research, teaching, development work, and other highly qualified work in the field of innovation for sustainability. The programme is based on core competence from the departments of Product Design, Art, Design and Drama and Computer Science at TKD, and SVA.

The courses are also offered to other PhD programmes at OsloMet and to candidates outside OsloMet, provided there are vacant places.

The overall aim of the PhD programme is to contribute to sustainable development and welfare for all through human-centred and cultural research and innovation strategies.

The programme combines theoretical and practice-oriented perspectives through a social constructivist approach with various types of knowledge suitable to a diversity of contexts and professional practices.

It is thus rooted in OsloMet’s position as a university directed towards professional studies, with close links to the community and working life outside academia.

The PhD programme will prepare the candidates for societal needs, related to private and public sector as well as academia.

The programme’s unique approach is its combination of design and aesthetics with computer science and social sciences in an interdisciplinary setting. The programme is characterized by interdisciplinarity and ethical awareness, and by theoretical and methodological pluralism.

It offers three mandatory courses, each 5 ECTS, in philosophy of science, method and innovation, which introduce basic theories and practices with special focus on sustainability and interdisciplinarity.

Additionally, the programme offers five elective courses addressing different perspectives on sustainability: place-based, social, individual, aesthetic, and educational.

Sustainability is understood as a result of cultural, social, artistic, technological, economic and environmental factors and contains an awareness of ethicality and responsibility.

Culture, defined here as human thinking, behaviour, habits, and attitudes, is regarded as the foundational component. Innovation, understood as ideas or inventions that are practically implemented for value creation, is necessary to achieve transformation to a sustainable development.

The programme will push the candidates to develop new and improved products, systems, and processes by ways of interdisciplinary approaches and various technologies.

Design thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship are key elements, and interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and problem-based methodologies that involve a broad spectrum of societal stakeholders in defining and executing research, are central.

The PhD programme consists of an educational (coursework) component (30 ECTS credits) and a research component comprising the doctoral thesis (150 ECTS credits).

The programme is intended to be completed within an effective researcher training period of three years, alternatively four years including mandatory duties such as teaching and applications for external funding.

The requirements for the PhD degree are established in the Provision for the Degree of Philosophiae doctor a (PhD) at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University.

Upon completion and passing of the programme, the candidate will be awarded the degree PhD in Innovation for Sustainability. The candidate’s specialization will be named on the transcript and diploma.

Programme description and structure

For more information about this PhD programme, take a look at the programme description (student.oslomet.no). Tba.

1st year of study

Compulsory courses, 1st semester, specialisation courses, 2nd semester, single courses.

Regarding external applicants to individual PhD courses: The courses are primarily reserved for candidates admitted to the PhD programme, but all courses will be open for other candidates who have completed a master's degree (120 credits) or the equivalent, provided that not all places are taken by internal candidates. 

You may be asked to submit a summary of approximately one A4 page in length containing information about your PhD project or another project/area of interest, stating the topic, method, theoretical approach, how far you have progressed in your PhD studies (if relevant), and why they consider the course in question to be relevant to your project.

The application process is different for internal and external applicants.

Internal applicants

If you are already admitted to one of the faculty's doctoral programmes, choose courses and register your participation through the Studentweb .

External applicants

If you are admitted to a PhD programme at another institution or have completed your master's degree,  this is the application process for external applicants.

Course overview

Single PhD courses in Innovation for Sustainability

The target group of this programme is those who wish to achieve research competence in sustainability studies, within the areas of design, arts, computer science, cultural and social studies, social sciences, urban and regional planning, and others, in order to be qualified for private and public sector, research, teaching and other positions that place high demands on professional competence.

Academic coordinators

Administrative coordinator, questions about this programme.

You can contact us by e-mail if you have any questions regarding this programme.

PhD at OsloMet

Read more about the PhD programmes (ansatt.oslomet.no).

Upcoming PhD defences

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PhD in Sustainability and Management

The Business-Society Management department at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University has re-opened this position. We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate looking to study a topic in the area of sustainability and management. For this position, you will be able to freely choose your own research topic, within our department’s area of expertise. Potential research topics broadly cover the challenges that society and our natural environment face and then consider how organisations can address these challenges. Specific topics include (but are not limited to): systems and resilience thinking, sustainability issues in multinational enterprises and global value chains, corporate communication, sense-making processes, social innovation, business ethics, philanthropy, alternative organisational and governance forms such as social enterprises, commons and cooperatives, corporate social (ir)responsibility, (organisational) stigma, stakeholder management, and aligning corporate value propositions with societal issues.

Overall, we are looking for a candidate who is eager to learn to research how organisations and businesses can be key drivers of social change, and we welcome applications from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Strong applicants typically have backgrounds in business or economics and are looking to pursue an academic career. Creativity, self-direction, and a passion for scientific research are therefore essential qualities.

Grand Challenges, Sustainability, Sustainable Management, Systems Thinking, International Business, Social Evaluations, Social Innovation, Partnerships, Philanthropy, Sense-Making, Social Enterprises, Stigma, Stakeholders, Commons and Cooperatives, Social Movements

Our PhD program seeks to train the next generation of academics in the area of sustainability and management. We want our PhD candidates to become scholars who address societally relevant questions with original research that meets the highest methodological standards. During their five years of study, PhD students define and execute their own research projects. They do this with the support of their supervisory team, but also work with other faculty, including those at other departments and other universities. Through courses, research seminars, applied and theoretical research with faculty, and coaching from the supervisory team, our PhD students gain the requisite experience to do high-quality research independently. We expect our PhD students to become experts in and define a research agenda around a topic of their choosing.

The new PhD student will be part of the Business-Society department. Our department is unique in its focus on sustainability and management, diverse, and highly collegial. We focus on the challenges that society and our natural environment face and then consider how organisations, from small local start-ups, NGOs and social enterprises to large multinational enterprises, can address these challenges. In other words, we interrogate how organisations impact society and the natural environment, and how they can take responsibility in the contexts they operate in. This is an important research agenda because our social and natural environments are changing in drastic and unprecedented ways – examples of which include climate change, growing (social) inequality, and the global displacement of populations – and organisations can play a central role in both causing and solving these grand challenges. Furthermore, traditional business models are starting to alienate parts of the general public by losing track of their interests and concerns. Overall, these issues are complex, because society changes in ways that are difficult to foresee for companies and other organisational actors alike, and thus warrant deep scholarly inquiry.

For the open PhD position, you will choose your own research topic within our department’s area of expertise: businesses acting upon unprecedented social and environmental changes. A common theme underlying this research is that it seriously considers the possibility that the way organisations engage in business – including how they relate to the context in which they operate – needs to be changed fundamentally and that incremental efforts are unlikely to be of sufficient help. Potential research topics include (but are not limited to) addressing sustainability issues in multinational enterprises and global value chains, systems and resilience thinking, corporate communication, sense-making processes, social innovation, business ethics, philanthropy, alternative organisational and governance forms such as social enterprises, commons and cooperatives, corporate social (ir)responsibility, (organisational) stigma, stakeholder management, and aligning corporate value propositions with societal issues.

Our department’s faculty consists of world-class, multi-disciplinary scholars who publish in top journals, develop pragmatic solutions for organisations, and educate future generations of business leaders. Your supervisory team will be formed of a promoter and co-promoter according to topic selected . The department’s faculty who advise on PhD research are (in alphabetical order): Flore Bridoux (Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Governance, Corporate Social (ir)Responsibility), Tine De Moor (Social Enterprise and Institutions for Collective Action), Corinna Frey-Heger (Social Innovation, Grand Challenges, Wicked Problems), Tony Jaehyun Choi (Community Influences on [ir]Responsible Business Behaviours), Jan Lodge (Stigma, Social Innovation, Social Movements), Emilio Marti (Sustainable Investing, Shareholder Pressure), Steve Kennedy (Systems and Resilience Thinking, Sustainable Business Models, Circular Economy), Ferran Torres Nadal (Organizational Paradox, Ontology and Epistemology, Grand Challenges), Khadija van der Straaten (International Business and Sustainability), Marius van Dijke (Behavioural Ethics), and Mirjam Werner (Sense-making).

Our faculty publishes in top journals such as Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Science, Organization Studies, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, and Research Policy. Faculty members teach at Bachelor, Master, and MBA-levels. In their teaching, the department members link state-of-the-art theory and research on sustainability, business-society management, business ethics, and general management with business practice, using innovative teaching methods. The department also has a strong tradition in organizing and participating in research seminars and workshops with both internal and external speakers. We also invest in bringing our knowledge back to society through intensive cooperation with societal partners and transdisciplinary research.

There are many methods that you can use for theory development and/or theory testing depending on your phenomenon of interest, intended theoretical contribution, and the methodological skills you wish to develop. Our faculty form a multidisciplinary team, and have broad experience with multiple research methodologies, both empirical quantitative research (surveys, laboratory experiments, field experiments) and qualitative research (e.g., case studies, ethnographies, longitudinal research).

Required profile

Candidates applying for a Ph.D. position within this research theme should have (or be close to completing) a master’s degree in business studies, management studies, sociology, economics, psychology, or a related discipline. In terms of methodological skills, candidates preferably have experience and interest in statistical, experimental and/or interview skills, and should be eager to learn new methodological tools.

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about research on how organisations can be key drivers of sustainable development, and we welcome applications from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Candidates should have a clear sense of the specific topic they want to study, and what method(s) they wish to apply. Your preferred topic, method(s) and supervisory team should be included in the cover letter.

Students define and execute their own research projects with the support of their supervisory team. Creativity, self-direction, and a passion for scientific research are therefore essential qualities.

Expected output

You will produce research that can be published in top-tier peer reviewed journals in sustainability, management, organisation, strategy, or applied psychology. These star journals are listed on the ERIM´s webpage: http://www.erim.eur.nl/about/erim-journals-list-ejl/ . Your work will also be published as a PhD dissertation.

Cooperation

To strengthen your international research network and complement your time at RSM, you will receive funding for a 3- to 6-month research visit at a top international university. We have strong connections with academics studying sustainability at many other universities such as at the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Stanford University, London Business School, HEC Paris, Imperial College London, and the University of Southampton. Members of the group are also well connected with executives in sustainable and innovative organisations.

Societal relevance

It is becoming increasingly clear that business and management scholarship need to engage much more with questions that go beyond efficiency considerations, performance and profit-maximisation. In your project, you will use management thinking to help address society’s grand challenges by questioning taken-for-granted assumptions and researching alternative and innovative forms of organising. Our business school is dedicated to making research useful for and valued by society and invests in training our students to do so in a responsible and ethical way.

Scientific relevance

Your research should aim at advancing our understanding of highly important aspects of sustainability for organisations, more specifically how they act upon the unprecedented changes that our society and business face. Thereby, your research will contribute strongly to academic knowledge and literature on this topic.

Literature references & data sources

Please refer to the web pages for more information about our current research interests and latest publications ( Business-Society Management - Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (rsm.nl) ).

Employment conditions

ERIM offers fully-funded and salaried PhD positions, which means that accepted PhD candidates become employees (promovendi) of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the  Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO) .

Erasmus University Rotterdam aspires to be an equitable and inclusive community. We nurture an open culture, where everyone is supported to fulfil their full potential. We see inclusivity of talent as the basis of our successes, and the diversity of perspectives and people as a highly valued outcome. EUR provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, functional impairment, citizenship, or any other aspect which makes them unique. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Contact information

For questions regarding the PhD application and selection procedure, please check the Admissions or send us an e-mail via [email protected] .

Supervisors

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Environment and Sustainability PhD

Key information, full-time - 4 years, part-time - 8 years.

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Why choose this programme

The University of Surrey has been leading the way in environment and sustainability research for more than 25 years. From investigating people’s attitudes to the environment to exploring the opportunities for solar power mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa, our researchers are taking innovative approaches for a more prosperous, equitable, safe and secure future.

Established in 1992, the Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES) has gained an outstanding international reputation for multidisciplinary research and teaching in all aspects of sustainability. Some examples of our major contributions include:

• Life cycle assessment and environmental impact analysis
• Industrial ecology and the circular economy
• Techno-economic analysis
• The water, energy and food nexus
• Bioenergy and biorefineries
• Low carbon transitions
• Lifestyles and behaviours
• Prosperity without growth
• Environmental and energy policy.

We champion two of the University’s main research themes, sustainability and urban living, and we are also home to the prestigious Economic and Social Research Council-funded Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP), led by Professor Tim Jackson . We collaborate with staff across the University on a huge range of sustainability-related projects, giving you an excellent opportunity to learn from and contribute to this vital area of human development.

Frequently asked questions about doing a PhD

What you will study

It normally takes three or four years of full-time study to complete our PhD programme, or about twice as long for part-time study. By the end of your programme, you’ll be an independent researcher with expert knowledge on the technical, economic, social and policy aspects of environment and sustainability.

You’ll have the opportunity to work across the full breadth and depth of theoretical and applied approaches to sustainability. Many of our postgraduate researchers are working on projects with local and multi-national businesses, policymakers, and international bodies, such as the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Health Organization.

You’ll be assigned at least two supervisors, who will guide you through your PhD. In addition, you’ll attend a small number of mandatory training courses to ensure you have exposure to the rich diversity of research and data gathering methodologies, and to understand how to apply data analysis techniques. As part of this, you’ll also co-design an individual researcher development programme with your supervisor. This will include several relevant masters-level taught modules in CES or other departments (covering both research skills and subject-based material), as well as training in research budgeting, seminar and conference presentation skills, and research publishing. You’ll also take a number of voluntary training and transferable skills courses provided by the University’s Doctoral College .

A lot of your research will be done on campus and it might also involve fieldwork, including on-site interviews and surveys, and working with external organisations both in the UK and abroad. If your project involves experimentation or sample processing/analysis, you’ll be able to do this work in laboratories at collaborating departments or schools at the University, with external collaborators (such as external research organisations or companies) or through fieldwork in the UK or abroad.

You’ll be encouraged to attend regular seminars where internal and external speakers talk about their research activities, and monthly seminars and Journal Club activities which are led and managed by doctoral students. You’ll also become a member of our Postgraduate Forum, which meets regularly with the Centre Director and the Postgraduate Director to discuss supplementary training, support and the Centre’s social activities.

You’ll also have the opportunity to complete four specified taught modules from one of our CES masters programmes to qualify for the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) professional membership at graduate level. You’ll have the option of taking up this opportunity during your studies as well as the option to complete the Teacher Training for Researchers, which is the first step in your possible career as an academic.

Completing your PhD with us also gives you a strong foundation to apply for the managerial IEMA membership level and to become a Chartered Environmentalist. Depending on the focus of your research, your PhD might be strong evidence for chartered status with other professional bodies, such as those in engineering.

You’ll be assessed by formal progress reports at six-monthly intervals, a confirmation report and a viva examination after around 12 months (times are extended for part-time students).

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Research support

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College , which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

Research themes

• Sustainable development policies and practices
• Energy, water and food nexus
• Behaviour change
• Waste systems
• Environmental-energy-economic system analysis
• Sustainable transportation
• Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
• Built environment
• Social research on sustainability
• Smart local energy systems
• Lifestyles and resource consumption
• Low-carbon energy technologies
• Resource consumption and land use
• Sustainable systems: design and modelling
• Life cycle assessment (LCA), including social LCA and life cycle costing
• Carbon and water footprinting
• Vertical farming
• Low-carbon energy supply
• Organised crime and sustainability
• Energy demand and efficiency
• Policy and strategy: for governments and businesses
• International development and sustainability.

Our academic staff

See a full list of all our  academic staff  within the Centre for Environment and Sustainability.

School and department

Research areas, research facilities.

As a research student within CES, you’ll have access to a newly refurbished office space, personal IT facilities, specialist sustainability software and advanced computer facilities for modelling-based research.

Timothy Chukwu

My Surrey experience so far has been fantastic. From the first day I arrived here, the hospitality I received was so splendid that it did not take me long to adapt to my new environment." 

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a first or upper second-class (2:1) UK degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent overseas qualification), or a lower-second (2:2) UK degree plus a good UK masters degree - distinction normally required (or equivalent overseas qualification).

International entry requirements by country

English language requirements.

IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept. 

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses , designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

Application requirements

Applicants are advised to contact potential supervisors before they submit an application via the website. Please refer to section two of our  application guidance .

After registration

Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.

Selection process

Selection is based on applicants:

• Meeting the expected entry requirements
• Being shortlisted through the application screening process
• Completing a successful interview
• Providing suitable references.

Student life

At Surrey we offer the best of both worlds – a friendly campus university, set in beautiful countryside with the convenience and social life of Guildford on your doorstep.

Start date: October 2024

Start date: January 2025

Start date: April 2025

Start date: July 2025

• Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100 (subject to legal requirements).
• Any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).

View the list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.

Apply online

If you are applying for a studentship to work on a particular project, please provide details of the project instead of a research proposal.

Read our application guidance for further information on applying.

To apply online first select the course you'd like to apply for then log in.

1. Select your course

Select the course you wish to apply for.

To apply online sign in or create an account.

Code of practice for research degrees

Surrey’s postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.

Download the code of practice for research degrees (PDF) .

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures , student regulations , and terms and conditions .

We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:

• First when we make an offer.
• Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).

View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.

It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer .

Course location and contact details

Campus location

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

University of Surrey Admissions

University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH

Online PhD in Climate Change and Sustainability

@ EUCLID | An Intergovernmental University An affordable, fully online doctoral program with an intergovernmental mandate and proven track-record of training world-class diplomats and experts. Breadcrumbs: Home (Direct Links) | DCCS Landing Page Related EUCLID program: https://www.euclid.int/online_phd_energy/ EUCLID Programs page: https://www.euclid.int/degreecourses.asp?DegreeIndex=91

EUCLID (Pôle Universitaire Euclide | Euclid University), an international intergovernmental organization with university mandate, offers to intergovernmental and national civil servants (as well as select students from the general public) a specialized external degree program called the EUCLID Online Ph.D. in Climate Change and Sustainability (DCCS) . This field of study or specialization covers the full scope of climate-related issues from a policy perspective. It is the only fully online PhD program in this field organized by an intergovernmental ( treaty-based ) organization and officially used by diplomats and civil servants over 4 continents. Alumni, students and faculty include current and former ambassadors, minister- counsellors, etc.

Become an  Expert

EUCLID provides comprehensive training cover both the academic as well as professional aspects of a doctoral-level program, including: academic writing (journal publications), grant-writing, communications technologies, resume building, etc.

Academic Presentation

EUCLID's Ph.D. in Climate Change and Sustainability represents 90 US credits (120 ECTS) of coursework beyond the Bachelor's. In practice, students may enter the program with a relevant Master's degree, complete 30 to 35 US credits of core doctoral courses, followed by the actual writing of the dissertation in 5 phases. The resulting thesis should be a publishable book offering a clear contribution to the field and establishing the author as a subjet-matter expert.

Focus & Specializations

Among the suggested areas of focus are: - Climate Change diplomacy -  Small Islands / Small States issues - Cosmic Cycle approaches - International and treaty law - Sustainable development - IGOs and non-governmental organizations - Nation-specific dissertations.

Admissions + Program Brochure

For more information on a specific point, please contact the admissions office. applicants should have a master’s degree or its international equivalent, awarded by a recognized institution (usually listed in the unesco-iau whed system or handbook). fluency in english (spoken and written) is required and will be tested.  students are expected to be in position to dedicate 10 to 15 effective hours of study on a weekly basis..

• Credits: About 55
• Duration: 3 years

Entire Program

With scholarship.

• IGO staff; ECOWAS residents

@ EUCLID: An Extraordinary Network of Memberships and Participations

United Nations

EUCLID's founding treaty is registered and sealed in the United Nations Treaty Series (multilateral 49006/7)

The EUCLID Secretary General is a full member of the International Association of University Presidents

Member (SG)

EUCLID is a formal party to the IACA Agreement (treaty) along with more than 80 UN Member States

EUCLID is an associate member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education

EUCLID is a member of the Academic Council on the United Nations System

EUCLID is a member of the United Nations Academic Impact initiative

EUCLID is a member of the Association of African Universities

EUCLID is a member of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific

Select Courses from Program Curriculum

More information.

Faculty Profiles | Link

Meet EUCLID's dedicated faculty members including active diplomats and active or retired senior government officials.

Alumni Profiles | Link

EUCLID alumni constitute a high-level global network active at the United Nations and many national governments. 

Institutional Brochure | Link

Access both EUCLID's institution brochure and annual reports as well as this program's dedicated programmatic presentation in PDF format.

Institutional Recognition | Link

As an intergovernmental, treaty-backed public institution, EUCLID stands out in a crowded field of for-profit or purely national institutions of higher learning.

'EUCLID: Providing university-level training for staff of the world's foremost institutions'

Current and past students/alumni are employed by the world's foremost institutions, including:.

The world's foremost intergovernmental organization: www.un.org

US Government

Students working for US Federal Agencies including the State Dpt: www.state.gov

European Investment Bank

A major multilateral financial institutions: www.eib.org

Swiss Armed Forces

Swiss excellence, at its pinnacle international peace-keeping: www.ch.ch

The UN specialized agency serving children's needs globally: www.unicef.org

The UN specialized agency based in Geneva, serving and monitoring global health: www.who.int

Catholic Church

One of the world's oldest and most influence institutions: www.vatican.va

A major regional block for economic and political integration: www.ecowas.int

EUCLID Climate Studies Center and Liaison Office 450 Rue Baden Powell 34000 Montpellier FRANCE

Email: [email protected]     Phone: +33 (0) 4 67 69 74 13   Offices: Montpellier FR, Bangui CF, Banjul GM, Washington US

EUCLID (.int) Informations Légales Nous contacter

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