Environment and Society

PhD

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Full time 3 - 4 years, Part time 4 - 7 years
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Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • Engage with leading, socially-engaged academics

  • Hone your research skills via a group project

  • 96% Satisfaction with Learning Resources Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2023

This degree is for those who want to engage critically, practically and creatively with global and local environmental problems by developing their own research expertise related to the intersection of the environment and society.

We currently have staff who research a range of socio-environmental issues including the implications of the declaration of a new geological epoch of the Anthropocene, the socio-environmental conflicts regarding urban and development projects in the Global South, the socio-cultural changes triggered by climate change and more-than human social world. This work is often marked by engagement with theoretical concepts from Science and Technologies Studies, mobilities research, and practice theories.

You will join an international and interdisciplinary community with students working on PhDs in Sociology, Gender Studies, Science Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, and Applied Social Science. You will have two PhD supervisors, and consideration will be taken to match you with supervisor(s) whose current active research interests and expertise are relevant to your chosen topic. Please consult the directory for potential supervisors working in your research area: Experts - Environment and Society - Lancaster University. Close working relations are enjoyed with other departments at Lancaster, and in some cases there is cross-departmental supervision.

Students on this PhD have the opportunity to enjoy close links with the Centre for Mobilities Research, Lancaster Environment Centre, Centre for Practice Theory at Lancaster and the Centre for Science Studies.

A programme of skills and dissertation workshops designed specifically for postgraduate students within the Sociology Department runs throughout the year.

In addition, you are encouraged to attend any relevant MA taught modules, but are not required to take any for credit as part of your degree.

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

Bachelor's degree: 2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a relevant subject, including Sociology, Geography, Philosophy, Politics, Linguistics, Anthropology, Science or Engineering

Master's degree: a good Master's degree in the same subjects.

We may also consider non-standard applicants, please contact us for information.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional Requirements

As part of your application you will also need to provide a viable research proposal. Guidance can be found on our writing a research proposal webpage.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Fees and funding

The tuition fee for students with Home fee status is set in line with the standard fee stipend provided by the UK Research Councils. The fee stipend for 2025/26 has not yet been set. For reference, the fee stipend for 2024/25 was full-time £4,786 and part-time £2,393.

The international fee for new entrants in 2025/26 is full-time £21,920 and part-time £10,960.

General fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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