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Course options

  • Qualification

    PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

  • Location

    Queen's Campus

  • Study mode

    Full time

  • Start date

    08-DEC-25

  • Duration

    3 Years

Course summary

Overview

The research undertaken within Geography falls under two interdisciplinary Research Clusters; Environmental Change & Resilience (ECR) and Culture & Society (C&S).

Physical Geography-related projects focus on themes such as long-term landscape and environmental change, resilience of ecosystems, environmental change impacts on heritage structures, and analysis of contaminated lands. Investigative approaches include a range of geo-spatial technologies such as remote sensing, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), big data analysis and spatial and temporal modelling. Much of our research spans several disciplines, for example projects on the hydrogeology and restoration of bogs, climate change implications for resilience and stability of soil, geoforensics and coastal geomorphology.

The four main research themes are:
The Geographies of Knowledge:
Research is focused on the geographies of knowledge, with particular emphasis on the cultures of science. The cluster has expertise on the relationships between science, race and religion since 1650; the historical geographies of scientific knowledge; the cultures of botanic gardens in the age of empire; the reception of Darwinism; the role of climate in debates about human cultures; the geopolitics of apocalyptic thought, and the ways in which cultures of science, technology and outer space are connected to questions of place, landscape and identity in the twentieth century.

Landscapes, Critical Cartography and GIS:
Research consists of quantitative spatial analyses of socio-economic data and qualitative cultural analyses of landscapes and cartographic knowledge from the medieval to the modern period. Critical cartographic/GIS techniques have been deployed to interrogate the veracity of the knowledge universe of the map, while digitally-translated documentary data have been used to re-configure our understanding of medieval urbanism and agrarian economies, as well as the spatial dynamics of religion and the politics of cartographic rhetoric.

Political Geography:
Research is focused on nationalism and regional conflict; critical geopolitics of religion; monumental landscapes and the politics of memory; international relations in a globalised world; colonial and postcolonial geographies of India; the processes of border making, geographies of embodiment and the securitisation of public spaces. This work has been carried out from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

The Population Dynamics of Contemporary Societies:
Research is focused on the population dynamics of contemporary societies and includes census analysis; research on travel to work; employability and labour markets; as well as social and religious segregation particularly in divided cities such as Belfast; the study of borders and external migration.

Assessment

Assessment processes for a research degree differ from taught degrees. Students will be expected to present drafts of their work at regular intervals to their supervisor who will provide written and oral feedback; a formal assessment process takes place annually.

This Annual Progress Review requires students to present their work in writing and orally to a panel of academics from within the School. Successful completion of this process will allow students to register for the next academic year.

The final assessment of the doctoral degree is both oral and written. Students will submit their thesis to an internal and external examining team who will review the written thesis before inviting the student to orally defend their work at a Viva Voce.

Tuition fees

Students living in United States
(International fees)

£ 25,600per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast

  • University League Table

    24th

  • Campus address

    Queen's Campus, University Road, Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom

Queen's is a member of the UK's Russell Group of research-intensive institutions.
Its historic campus with cutting-edge facilities is set in the heart of the affordable city of Belfast.
Queen's commits to preparing students for the future. It provides international students with dedicated careers support to help them fulfil their potential.

Subject rankings

  • Subject ranking

    31st out of 72 5

  • Entry standards

    / Max 210
    139 66%

    27th

  • Graduate prospects

    / Max 100
    80.0 80%

    24th

    31
  • Student satisfaction

    / Max 5
    3.13 78%

    37th

    22

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