Environmental Sustainability PhD

You will be based at the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, Dumfries Campus. Our staff are experts in many areas of environmental sustainability, including sustainable tourism, environmental risk, community resilience, hydrology and environmental stewardship.

PhD: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time; Thesis of 70,000-100,000 words

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Overview

The Environmental Science and Sustainability research group are based at the University of Glasgow's School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, at the Dumfries Campus in southwest Scotland.

The research carried out within the group covers a broad range of environmental science topics, such as:

environmental impacts of tourism
hydrological modelling
marine pollution
environmental chemistry
environmental education

All research students have two supervisors, providing complementary expertise. You will receive training in Dumfries. And also be offered training opportunities in Glasgow for:

Research Design
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Data Analysis
Introduction to Social Theory for Researchers
Applied Qualitative Methods
Generalised Linear Models

Study options

PhD: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time.

Final assessment involves the submission of a thesis of between 70,000 and 100,000 words and an oral examination (viva voce).

We particularly welcome research proposals in the areas of:

Ecology
Biodiversity and conservation
Ecosystems and ecosystem services
Environmental education
Embedding sustainability within the curriculum
The ecotoxicological impacts of microplastics and other novel contaminants
The formation and distribution of microplastics
Ecological restoration
Community land ownership
Upland management
Sustainable rural tourism
Resilience of coastal and deltaic social-ecological systems
Water pollution and risks to people and ecosystems
Climate extremes and water hazards
Hydrological modelling and forecasting
Hydrologic deep learning
Groundwater and surface-water interactions

In addition, we welcome applications from PhD students interested in the intersection of Education, Tourism, Sustainable Development and Environmental Science. Our unique PhD (Interdisciplinary Studies) option allows students to enrol for co-supervision on topics that span the different subject areas within the school.

Entry requirements

Our regular standard of admission is usually a Master's degree, with a significant component in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Ecological Sciences, GIS and applications, Environmental Chemistry, Conservation, Natural Sciences, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Nature-based Solutions, Environmental Risk, Geography, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental Education, Environmental Humanities, Sustainable Tourism, or Climate Science. Candidates will also usually be expected to have a 2.1 honours degree.

Required documents

Applicants should submit:

Academic Transcripts and Degree Certificates
CV
Research Proposal
Two References
Named Supervisor information

You must demonstrate academic proficiency and a commitment to the core research themes of the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability.

English language requirements

For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English language proficiency level.

Accepted English language tests

We accept a wide range of English language tests for entry to this programme. Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date, and requirements must be met using a single test.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

7.0 overall with no subtest less than 6.5
IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
We do not accept General Training

TOEFL iBT (Including MyBest and Home Edition)

Tests taken up to 20 January 2026

96 Overall, no subtest lower than Reading 23; Listening 23; Speaking 23; Writing 24

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

98 overall with no subtest less than Writing and Listening at 5 and Reading and Speaking at 4.5

Pearsons PTE Academic (test centre only)

70 overall with no subtest less than Reading 62; Listening 62; Speaking 75; Writing 68
We do not accept the online PTE Academic

Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency

185 overall, no subtest less than 176

Oxford ELLT

8 overall with Reading and Listening no less than 7 and Writing and Speaking no less than 8

LanguageCert Academic SELT/Academic/Academic Online

75 overall with two subtests at 75 and no subtest less than 70

Password Skills Plus

7.0 overall with no subtest less than 6.5

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English II

105 overall with no subtest less than 105

Kaplan Test of English

Any two subtests at 510 or higher, and any two subtests at 480 or higher

PSI Skills for English

C1 Pass

Duolingo English Test

130 overall with Writing at 130 and no subtest less than 120

Oxford Test of English Advanced

146 overall with no subtest less than 136

Alternatives to English language qualification

Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)

Students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within 6 years of programme start.

TNE degree for UK University taught at a campus outside of the UK.

Students must be awarded the degree by the UK university and must have completed the degree within 6 years of programme start.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

Pre-sessional courses

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

Heriot Watt
Kingston Upon Thames
Middlesex University
Manchester University
Reading University
Edinburgh University
ST Andrews University
UCL
Durham

Fees and funding

Fees

2027/28

UK: To be confirmed [26/27 fee was £5,238]
International & EU: £28,275

Fees are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Tuition fees for part-time study will be charged at half the full-time annual fee.

Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.

Fee status and policies

Alumni discount

We offer a 15% tuition fee discount to eligible self-funded alumni starting a Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Masters or Postgraduate Research (PGR) programme in the 2027/28 academic year.

This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme, Exchange programme, International Summer School or Erasmus programme with us. This discount can be awarded alongside most University scholarships. No additional application is required.

Full details of our Alumni Discount

Possible additional fees

Re-submission by a research student £540
Submission for a higher degree by published work £1,355
Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed £350
Submission by staff in receipt of staff scholarship £790

Depending on the nature of the research project, some students will be expected to pay a bench fee (also known as research support costs) to cover additional costs. The exact amount will be provided in the offer letter.

Funding

Opportunities for postgraduate funding are available through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences and other grant funded programmes. Applications from self-funded students are also welcome.

Fully funded scholarships

Support

The College of Social Sciences Graduate School draws together internationally recognised scholars and respected practitioners to offer a range of research programmes.

Our programmes are based on thorough training in research methods and we encourage you to take part in numerous exciting seminars, conferences and events. We offer modern library, IT services and a wide-range of support services.

Our Graduate School Researcher Development Programme will support you to plan your professional development over the course of your PhD and ensure your employability.

How to apply

Identify potential supervisors

All Postgraduate Research Students are allocated a supervisor who will act as the main source of academic support and research mentoring. You may want to identify a potential supervisor and contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please note, even if you have spoken to an academic staff member about your proposal you still need to submit an online application form.

You can find relevant academic staff members with our staff research interests search.

Gather your documents

Before applying please make sure you gather the following supporting documentation:

Final or current degree transcripts including grades (and an official translation, if needed) – scanned copy in colour of the original document.
Degree certificates (and an official translation, if needed): scanned copy in colour of the original document.
Two references on headed paper and signed by the referee. One must be academic, the other can be academic or professional. References may be uploaded as part of the application form or you may enter your referees contact details on the application form. We will then email your referee and notify you when we receive the reference. We can also accept confidential references direct to pg-research-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk, from the referee’s university or business email account.
CV
Name of potential supervisor
Research proposal. Candidates are required to provide a single page outline of the research subject proposed (approximately 1000 words). This need not be a final thesis proposal but should include:
- a straightforward, descriptive, and informative title
- the question that your research will address
- an account of why this question is important and worth investigating
- an assessment of how your own research will engage with recent study in the subject
- a brief account of the methodology and approach you will take
- a discussion of the primary sources that your research will draw upon, including printed books, manuscripts, archives, libraries, or museums
- an indicative bibliography of secondary sources that you have already consulted and/or are planning to consult