Geography MPhil / PhD, or option of joint PhD with HKU/Humboldt/NUS

Overview

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

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

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

Scholarships - Find out more about scholarships available here.

Key information

Duration Expected duration: full-time MPhil (two years); part-time (three-four years); full-time PhD (three years); part-time PhD (five years)

Study mode Full-time, Part-time

Further details

Awarding institution King's College London/King's and HKU/Humboldt/NUS for joint programme

Faculty Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

Department Department of Geography

Locations

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Course detail

Description

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

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

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

Information is current, but staff members can change.

Course study environment

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

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

Contact with part-time students is generally less frequent, depending on individual circumstances, although regular progress meetings are required.

Postgraduate training

To ensure that you develop the skills necessary to complete your research programme and fulfil your career goals, the Department will provide you with research training in accordance with the specific guidelines set out by ESRC for human geography and NERC for physical geography.

During induction you will meet with your primary supervisor to assess your skills and training needs and design an individualised training programme for you, which is set out in a research plan that must be approved by the Departmental Postgraduate and Research Committee (PaRC). Although the specific training programmes provided for physical geography and human geography students differ somewhat, both use a variety of means, including lectures and practical classes, individual reading and study, and informally through discussion with other graduates.

Head of group/division

Daanish Mustafa

Contact for information

Postgraduate Admissions Team, Admissions Office
tel: +44 (0)20 7848 7429
fax: +44 (0)20 7848 7200

Contact email

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/enquiry-form.aspx

Course website

Find out more by visiting the course website

Entry requirements

Entry requirements
Minimum UK requirements		Bachelor’s degree with 1st class or 2:1 honours and/or a good master's degree
International requirements		Visit our admissions webpages to view our International entry requirements
English Language requirements	Band B	Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements

Those applying for one of the joint degree programmes are encouraged to contact an academic at King's to develop research links with the partner institution. Students applying for the joint PhD programme with Humboldt University may be required to hold a master’s degree in order to meet the requirements of Humboldt University.

Application procedure

Completed applications will be accepted at any time prior to the start of the degree programme. However, early applications are encouraged particularly as deadlines for outside funding can fall several months before entry.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

Research checklist
Personal statement	Yes	A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages).
Research proposal	Yes	The proposal should explain in some detail precisely the field of study that you want to contribute to and current research gaps, as well as what you want to do and how you propose to do it. For advice on how to write a winning application, please visit the following page.
Previous academic study	Yes	A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
References	Yes	One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago.
Travel plan	Yes (joint programme only)	If applying for the joint programme, please include the names of your supervisors from both institutions and include a completed travel plan form.
Other	Optional	You may also wish to include a CV (resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application.

Course intake

Variable

Joint PhDs - Application advice

Applicants for the Joint PhD programme must contact the relevant departments at both universities before submitting an application in order to discuss the suitability of their topic for the joint programme and to locate potential supervisors. Applications should initially be submitted to the proposed home institution only, ie where the student will start and finish their programme. Students should note that acceptance onto the programme may take slightly longer than for single-institution PhDs because of the additional steps involved. Further details, including FAQs, can be found on the King’s Worldwide web pages.

Applicants who choose King’s as their home institution should apply through the online system, selecting the appropriate Joint PhD option from the drop-down list. In addition to the standard supporting documentation, applicants should submit a travel plan form indicating how they intend to divide their time between the two partner institutions. Students must spend a specified amount of time in each institution, details of which can be found in the ‘Notes’ section of the travel plan form.

It is recommended that students submit applications for the Joint PhD programme by the end of March to begin the following September.

Application closing date

We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible as we may need to request further information from you to assess your application. This is also important if your application is successful and you are required to meet any offer condition, and/or you need a Student Visa to study here at King's.

The final application deadlines are detailed below; on these dates, the programme will close at 23:59 (UK time) and we will open for the corresponding intake in 2023 soon after the same intake has passed in 2022.

February 2022 entry – 12 November 2021 for Overseas fee status and 6 December 2021 for Home fee status
June 2022 entry – 1 April 2022 for Overseas fee status and 11 April 2022 for Home fee status
October 2022 entry – 29 July 2022 for Overseas fee status and 26 August 2022 for Home fee status
February 2023 entry – 21 October 2022 for Overseas fee status and 22 November 2022 for Home fee status
June 2023 entry – 3 April 2023 for Overseas fee status and 17 April 2023 for Home fee status

Please note that funding deadlines may be earlier than the application deadlines listed above.

Help and support

If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, or if English isn't your first language, our academic preparation courses can help you get ready for study in the UK.

International Foundation

Fees and funding

UK Tuition Fees 2021/22

Full-time tuition fees:

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Arts) Research)

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Arts) Research with National University of Singapore or University of Hong Kong)

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Science) Research)

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Science) Research with National University of Singapore or University of Hong Kong)

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography Research with Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin)

Part-time tuition fees:

£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Arts) Research)

£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Science) Research)

£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography Research with Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin)

International Tuition Fees 2021/22

Geography (Arts) Research

Full-time tuition fees: £21,870 per year

Part-time tuition fees: £10,935 per year

Geography (Arts) Research with National University of Singapore or University of Hong Kong

Full-time tuition fees: £21,870 per year

Geography (Science)

Full-time tuition fees: £21,870 per year

Part-time tuition fees: £10,935 per year

Geography (Science) Research with National University of Singapore or University of Hong Kong

Full-time tuition fees: £21,870 per year

Geography Research with Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin

Full-time tuition fees: £21,870 per year

Part-time tuition fees: £10,935 per year

UK Tuition Fees 2022/23

Full-time tuition fees:

£6,120 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Arts) Research)

£6,120 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Arts) Research with National University of Singapore or University of Hong Kong)

£6,120 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Science) Research)

£6,120 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Science) Research with National University of Singapore or University of Hong Kong)

£6,120 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography Research with Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin)

Part-time tuition fees:

£3,060 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Arts) Research)

£3,060 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography (Science) Research)

£3,060 per year (MPhil/PhD, Geography Research with Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin)

International Tuition Fees 2022/23

Geography (Arts) Research