Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences

University of Southampton

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Make new discoveries in a research community that’s tackling today’s biggest issues, from the health of the planet to human wellbeing and societal change. At the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences – ranked among the world’s best in Earth and Marine Sciences (QS World Rankings 2024) – you’ll contribute to research at the leading edge of your specialism. Join an inclusive community that champions your ambitions and celebrates your successes, with access to world-class facilities ranging from research vessels to one-of-a-kind analytic instruments. Here your research can shape the future through our cross-disciplinary collaborations, global networks, industrial partnerships, and enterprise and policy initiatives.

Why study at the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences?

Take your place among like minds in our welcoming and dynamic community, where you’ll be supported to thrive, collaborate and lead through dedicated support and mentoring and tailored professional development.

Make your research ambitions a reality through our fully funded programmes and studentships.

Choose from collaborative programmes across biology, psychology, health sciences, ocean and earth sciences, geography and environmental science.

Tap into a wealth of tools for data-driven and experimental research, from the National Oceanography Centre to cutting-edge labs and high-tech platforms in genomics, imaging and informatics.

Contribute to projects with measurable societal and environmental benefits, often in partnership with international organisations.

600

postgraduate students

2

listings on FindAPhD

93%

of faculty research activity is rated either world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021)

Southampton United Kingdom

main campus

About the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences

Research is at the heart of everything we do, and this is reflected in our vibrant postgraduate community. Here you can connect with people who share your passion, develop your skills, work through problems and share learning. It’s an environment where our doctoral researchers shine, with many publishing their work in co-authored journal papers.

Whatever your specialism, you’ll find opportunities for interdisciplinary supervision and collaboration, underpinned by high-spec facilities that support cutting-edge research across our core areas, including:

Ocean and Earth science: Europe’s largest fleet of uncrewed research vehicles at the National Oceanography Centre, plus submersibles, autonomous gliders and ocean sensors, the National Oceanographic Library, a mass spectrometry lab and a multi-use research aquarium.
Biological sciences: imaging and microscopy, an insectary, a glass house, tissue culture facilities, an electrophysiology suite and a proteomics facility.
Health sciences: lab facilities (including skin health and biomechanics) and clinical skills facilities (such as simulated wards and simulation patients).
Geography and Environmental Science: environmental sensing equipment and analysis labs, 3D modelling laser sensors and drone technologies.
Psychology: labs for eye-movement recording, visual haptics, psychophysiology, neuroscience and more.
Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute tackling global marine and maritime challenges.

You’ll also benefit from University facilities including high-performance computing, the Hartley Library’s specialist collections, and digital research environments.

The University offers a range of scholarships and bursaries, including the prestigious Presidential Scholarships, Black Futures Scholarships, and Innovation and Social Impact awards. Visit the Doctoral College funding page for full details.

With funded programmes, scholarships and opportunities to work flexibly, we’re committed to breaking down barriers to postgraduate research. For example, we host or partner in several specialist Doctoral Training Programmes that offer fully funded opportunities:

In addition, each of the faculty’s schools provides internal PhD match-funding each year to complement external funding awards.

Funded PhD programmes in related subject areas

South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (Economic and Social Research Council)

Student life at the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences

Find your place in an inclusive, friendly community, with support at every step of your doctoral research journey.

On campus, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet up with other researchers at seminars, regular coffee-and-cake sessions and in dedicated workspaces. Through our active Doctoral College, you can join the wider doctoral research community for events such as poster conferences and the Three Minute Thesis competition – great for networking, sharing ideas and showcasing your work.

We provide training relevant to your specialism – for example, machine learning and geospatial statistics courses – as well as in core research methods. You can also get involved in teaching and demonstrating activities, with training and support to build these skills. And with more than 400 professional development workshops on offer each year, you can create your own bespoke programme to suit your future ambitions.

We are committed to nurturing research excellence regardless of background or circumstance, for example, through Athena Swan recognition, our Race Equality Charter and Black Futures Scholarships. Dedicated postgraduate networks, including LGBTQ+ and parents’ and carers’ groups, bring together people with different interests and priorities. There are also comprehensive University support services to help with any wellbeing or learning needs you may have.

When you’re not immersed in your work, you can enjoy all that Southampton has to offer. A safe, friendly city with a mild climate, it’s an ideal location for postgraduate life, rich in history and alive with art, culture, cafes and restaurants.

Subjects available at the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences

Applied Statistics

Behavioural Biology

Cultural Geography

Data Analysis

Ecology

Economic Geography

Environmental Biology

Environmental Geography

Human Geography

Machine Learning

Marine Geography

Marine Sciences

Agriculture

Remote Sensing

Social Geography

Zoology

Search all PhDs

Frequently asked questions

Can I propose my own research idea?

Yes, in most cases, you can approach supervisors with a speculative application and a suggested proposal. You can use our guidance on drafting a proposal to help you craft a project outline. In some research fields, this may be more difficult, as the technical aspects of research specialities differ – making an informal enquiry with a prospective supervisor will help you navigate this.

I’m interested in doing doctoral research at your faculty – what do I do next?

Each year, our doctoral training programmes advertise an annual call for funding. In many cases, specific projects are advertised that are linked to funding competitions. If you find a project that interests you, approach the proposed supervisor to express your interest and find out more. They can also support you in taking your application forward. Visit our website for more about contacting a potential supervisor.

To apply you will need to (1) apply for a place on a doctoral programme and (2) apply for doctoral funding from the various schemes available. In some cases, these are joined together, where places are only made available if funding is awarded. While it is possible to self-fund a doctoral programme, you should consider the financial cost carefully. Find out more about the application process.

How competitive are these awards?

Securing a doctoral position and associated funding is highly competitive. Opportunities are limited and we make awards based on academic excellence, research potential, and alignment with our strategic research priorities.

The minimum entry criteria is a UK 2:1 (upper second-class) honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Some programmes may also require or consider a master’s degree.

If you are an international applicant and English is not your first language, you’ll need to demonstrate English language proficiency, often through an IELTS score of 6.5 or above with no individual score below 6.0. All UKRI schemes are restricted to a 30% cap on overseas students, making them very competitive.

Is the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences an inclusive place to work?

We actively promote a culture of respect, collaboration and opportunity where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We have a strong track record of advancing equality, diversity and inclusion, for example through Athena Swan awards, our Race Equality Charter, Black Futures Scholarships and cohort-network, and an LGBTQ+ network.

Throughout your time with us you’ll have access to a wide range of resources and activities to support your wellbeing, provided by our Student Wellbeing Team.

If you have a disability, a long-term physical or mental health condition or learning difference, the Student Disability and Inclusion Team can offer advice and support, and make reasonable adjustments if appropriate.

Main campus

University of Southampton

Southampton

South East

United Kingdom

Supervisors at Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences

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Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences