
Program description
Geography and Planning
The School of Geography and Planning is a major international centre for research in the areas of city and regional planning, human geography and urban design.
As a top-rated research school with the ambition to play a leading role in academic and policy debates at national and international levels, we aim to recruit committed research students for the pursuit of innovative, cutting-edge research at PhD level.
With our international linkages and research profile, we provide a rich and lively scholarly environment in which to conduct doctoral research work. At present there are around 30 full-time PhD students in the School.
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Admission requirements
Applicants should normally hold a first or second class Honours degree (or equivalent) or a Masters degree in a discipline relevant to the particular area of research.
All candidates will be required to demonstrate competency in English language prior to arrival in the UK. We look for the following standard: IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 with at least a score of 7.0 in the writing section, and no less than a score of 6.0 in other sections.
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the university website
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Learn moreProgram content
Our research structured around the following broad themes:
- Sustainable consumption and production systems
- Poverty, social justice and entitlement
- Regional, city-region and neighbourhood governance
- Innovation and regeneration
- Complexity, urban evolution and environmental systems
- Pedagogy, knowledge and the built environment
These themes are explored at multiple scales (supra-national, national, regional and local), in urban and rural spaces, and across different sectors (such as housing, environment, labour markets).
Research work is organised into five main groups with a number of crosscutting research centres.
Some of these focus work within research groups and others operate across research group boundaries.
We play a leading role in theSustainable Places Research Institute, and play a leading role in theWales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD)other research centres include
- Animal Geographies Research Cluster
- Centre for Economic Geography
- Energy Research Cluster
- Informal Economy Research Observatory
- Research Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Food.
Research areas
- Environment
- Social and Cultural Geography
- Spatial Planning and Analysis in City Environments
- Urban and Regional Governance
Scholarships & funding
For more information about scholarships, please visit the university website.
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About this institute

Cardiff University
Founded in 1883, Cardiff University combines a prestigious heritage with impressive modern facilities, on one of the most beautiful campuses in the UK. As part of the Russell Group, our students benefit from our outstanding research quality and reputation, while...
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Cardiff University
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