Environmental Humanities PhD

University of Bristol

The University of Bristol has one of the world’s greatest concentrations of Environmental Humanities scholars, with expertise in fields including the energy humanities, oceanic studies, polar histories, animal studies, and creative writing. It has run an MA in Environmental Humanities since 2023, and from 2027 it will extend its offering to a PhD in Environmental Humanities – the only such programme in the UK, and one of only two globally. Students will benefit from participation within the Centre of Environmental Humanities (CEH), a research collective of over 100 members, as well as the Cabot Institute for the Environment, a university-wide organisation to which arts and humanities scholars make a significant contribution. Bristol was the first UK city to be named European Green Capital in 2015, and it is home to many organisations in the environmental sector. PhD students will be based in the School of Humanities, whose staff members currently include world-renowned experts in History, English, Creative Writing, History of Art, Classics and Ancient History, and Religion and Theology. All PhD students will have at least two supervisors, and, given the interdisciplinary and innovative nature of Environmental Humanities research, they may wish also to seek supervision from the wider university: for example, from experts in Modern Languages, Philosophy, Geography, Film and Television, Theatre, Music, and Archaeology and Anthropology; as well as, in some cases, the sciences, law, social sciences, and engineering. Applicants should identify a potential main supervisor from the list below and to contact them to discuss possible supervisory arrangements. They are also welcome to contact the programme director in the first instance. The programme would appeal especially to students who have completed a master’s degree in Environmental Humanities or a similar field. It is also open to those who have previously explored environmental questions in historical studies, literature, or other arts and humanities disciplines, or who have a strong track record in those fields and now wish to tackle environmental matters. It will also be open to applicants with a background in the environmental sciences who can demonstrate the capacity to conduct research within the humanities.