Environment and Sustainability PhD

Why choose this course

From investigating people’s attitudes to the environment to exploring the opportunities for solar power mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa, our environment and sustainability researchers are taking innovative approaches for a more prosperous, equitable, safe and secure future.

Some examples of our major contributions include: life cycle assessment and environmental impact analysis; industrial ecology and the circular economy; techno-economic analysis; the water, energy and food nexus; bioenergy and biorefineries; low carbon transitions; lifestyles and behaviours; prosperity without growth; environmental and energy policy.

We champion two of the University of Surrey’s main research themes, sustainability and urban living, and are also home to the prestigious Economic and Social Research Council-funded Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) led by Professor Tim Jackson. We collaborate with staff across the University on a huge range of sustainability-related projects, giving you an excellent opportunity to learn from and contribute to this vital area of human development.

What you will study

It normally takes three or four years of full-time study to complete our PhD programme, or about twice as long part-time. By the end of your programme, you’ll have become an independent researcher with expert knowledge on the technical, economic, social and policy aspects of environment and sustainability.

You’ll have the opportunity to work across the full breadth and depth of theoretical and applied approaches to sustainability, ultimately helping you to lead thinking in their respective fields. Many of our postgraduate researchers are working on projects with local and multi-national businesses, with policy makers and with international bodies such as the United Nations, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the World Health Organisation, and others.

You’ll be assigned at least two supervisors, who will guide you through your PhD. Your supervisors will meet with your regularly and monitor your progress. Your supervisor will make sure that you have the support you need throughout your programme.

Research themes

• Sustainable development policies and practices
• Energy, water, food nexus
• Behaviour change
• Waste systems
• Sustainable transportation
• Built environment
• Social research on sustainability
• Lifestyles and resource consumption
• Resource consumption and land use
• Sustainable systems: design and modelling
• Life cycle assessment, including social LCA and Life Cycle Costing
• Carbon and water footprinting
• Low carbon energy supply
• Energy demand and efficiency
• Policy and strategy: for governments and businesses
• International development and sustainability.

Applicants are expected to hold a first or upper-second class degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent overseas qualification), or a lower second plus a good Masters degree (distinction normally required).