MPhil/PhD in Global Sustainable Development

at University of Warwick

There is a global need for researchers who are skilled in challenge-led, transdisciplinary methods to help close knowledge gaps around research and practice related to the sustainability of human-environment interactions.

Our Global Sustainable Development MPhil/PhD is for those driven to develop innovative approaches to complex challenges of sustainable development. With the support of a supervisory team, you will work on a transdisciplinary project addressing a sustainability challenge.

Through structured training, you will be equipped to integrate methods and perspectives from different academic and practice fields to address current and future sustainable development challenges. In the first year, you will have the opportunity to undertake postgraduate module(s) and establish a personal development plan in collaboration with your supervisors.

Throughout the programme, you will have the opportunity to gain methods training designed to broaden your research approach. Collectively, this training will prepare you to co-produce transformative, transdisciplinary research projects.

We are excited to welcome students with diverse backgrounds and skills to this programme.

Our research
Research on this programme is currently organised around the following clusters:

Climate resilience and socio-environmental justice

This cluster draws on Warwick’s expertise in areas such as complex systems modelling, geographic information, and critical research on environmental justice, enabling students to investigate transformations of human-environment interactions towards resilience to climate change and environmental risks.

Sustainable urbanisation, health and wellbeing

This cluster concentrates on research for transforming urban human-environment interactions, investigating the interlinkages between the built environment, human behaviour and health and wellbeing outcomes.

Sustainable economies and the food-water-energy nexus

This cluster draws on Warwick’s research excellence in sustainable materials, critical data studies, business strategy and food supply systems, in order to enable students to study transformations to the food-water-energy nexus towards sustainable economic and financial relationships.

We also welcome research proposals in global sustainable development which may not fall directly into one of the above clusters.

Minimum requirements

2:i undergraduate degree and a Master’s (or equivalent) in a related subject.

English language requirements

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.
   

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information, however we are awaiting guidance from the UK government regarding fee status for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members living in the UK for academic year 2021/22 onwards. We are not able to confirm the fee status for these students until the relevant eligibility criteria have been confirmed. Once we have received further information from the UK government, we will provide you with an update on your fee status and let you know if any additional information is required. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.