PhD in Cultural Geography

PhD students in Cultural Geography explore the interaction between culture and place. The field examines how landscapes are reflective of the cultures that have produced them, and vice versa. By the end of your PhD, you’ll produce an extended dissertation that should make a substantial contribution to the field.

What’s it like to study a PhD in Cultural Geography?

You will be assigned a specialist supervisor to oversee your progress, and likely be placed in a research group comprised of fellow PhD candidates and researchers that share your interests.

Alongside independent research, you’ll undertake any additional training and duties required by your department and may have the opportunity to publish your work or present it at academic conferences.

Possible research areas include:

• Indigenous populations and colonisation
• Tourism and migration
• Postmodernism and poststructuralism as applied to geographies
• Urban restructuring
• Globalisation

Alongside analysis of existing literature, your research will likely involve the collection of original qualitative, quantitative and spatial data. You might achieve this through a number of methodologies including interviews, surveys, focus groups and fieldwork.

There are only a small number of advertised PhDs in Cultural Geography, so most students will need to propose their own project. This means you’ll determine your research objectives and parameters independently.

PhD in Cultural Geography entry requirements

The minimum entry requirement for PhD projects in Geography is usually a 2:1 Bachelors degree in a relevant discipline, though a Masters degree is occasionally required. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, so it’s likely that a postgraduate qualification will be an advantage, even if it is not required.

PhD in Cultural Geography funding

Cultural Geography PhDs may be funded by one of two UK research councils – the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), or the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Which council you can apply to will depend on the focus of your project. Both offer fully funded studentships which usually cover tuition fees, living costs, and any expense related to travel of research trips.

You’ll need to have a confirmed place at a university before applying for research council funding. If you’re applying for a predesigned project, it may have funding attached.

Research council funding is extremely competitive, meaning many students will have to ‘self-fund’ their PhD. There are numerous options for candidates taking this route, including the UK government’s doctoral loan, support from charities or trusts, and part-time employment.

PhD in Cultural Geography

Many graduates may wish to pursue a career in academic research. Your PhD will equip you will all the skills needed for this, such as abstract reasoning, academic writing and conference presentation. You’ll also be well-positioned to seek work in numerous other sectors such as arts and culture, publishing and urban planning – to name just a few.