Planning Research Degrees - PhD

A built environment PhD can be a pathway to a career in a wide range of related professions, especially in management roles – or in the academic world. If you’re already in such a role, the PhD is a major piece of personal development, developing new knowledge and building skills for your next career step. Birmingham City University has been a major centre for built environment education in the region, and PhD study builds on our expertise and professional and industry networks. We cover the major built environment disciplines including surveying, project management, facilities management, planning, real estate and civil engineering. We are interested in interdisciplinary research building links to areas including engineering, computing, health, law and others.

A PhD enables you to follow a programme of self-directed, independent study, supported by experienced supervisors who are themselves experts in their area. We may use industry experts to support some projects, and others may be run in full collaboration with an industry partner. The Postgraduate Certificate in Research Practice prepares you for study at this level, as most find it a very different experience from previous taught courses. Topic-specific training and support is identified and provided by your supervision team and other experts as necessary. Although you will be developing as an independent researcher, you will be supported both by your supervisors and the wider research community in the School, Faculty and University. There are regular opportunities for you to present and share your work with other research students and staff.

The PhD is a well-established and valued academic qualification within the sector and is highly likely to enhance career prospects. For those wanting to follow a career in teaching and researching in Higher Education, a PhD is highly desirable. The Doctor of Philosophy or PhD is recognised worldwide and is often an essential requirement for those wishing to follow an academic or research career in industry or commerce. Our built environment PhD research degree has been designed to help you achieve a career in one of the wide range of built environment disciplines – surveying, real estate, civil engineering, planning and others – in industry, research or academia. For some jobs a PhD is virtually a necessity – in the academic world, for example. In many professional roles it is an indicator of personal commitment, critical and creative thinking, personal management and ability to work with and even manage others, and is a step to promotion and higher-level, often managerial, roles.

From the very start of your PhD journey we encourage you to think about what happens after you graduate: how the PhD will contribute to your career plan from identifying and getting your first job to beyond. We use the VITAE research career development framework to help you plan for your future. Some PhD topics may allow you the opportunity to work with other institutions and companies as part of your research. This could be as a placement, but this is rare for our PhDs – agreements to work with a company to collect data are much more common. Occasionally, external funding or contacts have provided placement opportunities not directly related to the PhD research: while these contribute to your knowledge, skills and CV, they do interrupt your studies. You can discuss your options with your potential supervisors, if you feel a placement would benefit your research.

Opportunity: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.