Welcome
"With over 200 graduate students from a range of nationalities, professional and disciplinary backgrounds we are one of the largest, most diverse and vibrant graduate schools in the world offering advanced degrees in Geography and the Environment. The inter-disciplinary nature of research and teaching, the interplay between theory and practice, the calibre and enthusiasm of the students and the School's leading position within the University of Oxford combine to produce an intellectually exciting environment. Students without previous experience of geography are encouraged to apply."
Dr Ian Klinke, Director of Graduate Studies (Research), and
Dr Fiona McConnell, Director of Graduate Studies (Taught)
How to apply
For more information on studying one of our graduate degree programmes, please read our guide on how to apply.
To make an application please visit the University of Oxford's Graduate Admissions website.
Our MSc/MPhil courses
MSc/MPhil in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management
MSc/MPhil in Environmental Change and Management
MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance
MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment
MSc/MPhil in Water Science, Policy and Management
Find out more about the MPhil (Master of Philosophy)
Our Graduate Degree Programmes
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Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Geography and the Environment
The DPhil is an advanced research degree which provides outstanding candidates with the support and intellectual environment to complete their own original research.
Find out more about the DPhil … -
MSc/MPhil in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management
Designed to develop critical understandings of conservation and biodiversity science and practice, and the socio-economic, political, cultural and institutional environments within which policy and management decisions are made, the course produces high level researchers and conservation professionals able to operate at the intersection of the natural and social sciences.
Find out more about MSc in BCM … -
MSc/MPhil in Environmental Change and Management
This MSc aims to produce students with a broad appreciation of all aspects of the management of people and institutions in relation to environmental change, who are analytical in their approach, and are competent and aware decision makers. As part of the ECI the MSc emphasises cross-cutting, interdisciplinary approaches to the critical environmental problems of our time.
Find out more about MSc in ECM … -
MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance
Some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time have politics intensely at their core, interwoven with the complexities of historical institutions, social practices, beliefs and material infrastructures. Understanding these complex phenomena requires multiple perspectives and the ability to think across disciplinary boundaries.
Find out more about MSc in NSEG … -
MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment
In 2021 the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment will launch a new MSc within SoGE. This MSc will equip students with the rigorous academic knowledge and applied skills needed to understand and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon, environmentally sustainable economic model that simultaneously improves the quality of life of the world's least advantaged people.
Find out more about MSEE … -
MSc/MPhil in Water Science, Policy and Management
Sustainable water management is an increasingly complex challenge and policy priority facing global society. This MSc aims to equip the next generation of water professionals with the blend of skills necessary to make a significant contribution to sustainable water management pathways across competing priorities of water for ecosystems, food, energy, economic growth and human consumption.
Find out more about MSc in WSPM …
Oxford 1+1 Programme
Our five MSc programmes are part of the Oxford 1+1 Programme which enables exceptional and motivated students to combine their MSc with the Oxford MBA. The MSc will provide you with the in depth understanding of the complex dynamic between environment, society and markets based on theory and empirical evidence. You will then apply this to your enhanced management skills. There is growing evidence that this 'depth + breadth' is what the world needs, and what employers seek.
Successful candidates for the Oxford 1+1 Programme will need to meet the admissions requirements for both programmes and be admitted separately to both. For further information on the MBA programme and how to apply please see the Saïd Business School website. If you are submitting an application for the Oxford 1+1 Programme you should notify us at graduate.enquiries@ouce.ox.ac.uk as well as submitting an application for the relevant MSc course. The MSc application process is explained on the relevant MSc pages of this website.
Geography at Oxford
Geography at Oxford has a long tradition and, we believe, an exciting future in a top-rated department, where new research initiatives and key contributions to scholarship are valued. The origins of the School of Geography as a university department lie in the establishment of the Halford Mackinder Readership in Geography in 1886: the first university position in a British university. Since that date geography has been taught continuously in Oxford, although in the earlier years, the main emphasis was on undergraduate teaching. Graduate studies are now a much more significant part of the School.
Graduate students and academic staff are working within and across the discipline. Research in key areas of environmental, human and physical geography is supported, from studies on migration, through pensions policies, biogeography, climate change, flood risk, desertification, biological and cultural diversity, and many other areas. Research is currently organised into several distinct research clusters, which also build synergies between themes by addressing common, cross-cutting themes. At present these themes include governance, measurement and mobilities. For more details please see the webpages of the research clusters and of individual members of staff.
Our Teaching Approach
The emphasis in Oxford is on independent learning accomplished through research, writing and discussion. Students are expected to take responsibility for planning their own time and study programme and to ensure that the requisite work is accomplished. MSc courses offer a framework of core lectures, field courses, electives, and workshops and symposia for learning. Our courses are not standardised; individual classes reflect the research interests of individual faculty and often mix seminar-style teaching with discussions or practical exercises. We make every effort to treat each student as an individual and to help students customise their own learning. A common comment of students is that to get the most from studying in Oxford you need to be a self-starter and willing to explore opportunities in the wider University, which are exceedingly rich. This is particularly so for DPhil and MPhil students.
Oxford is famous for its small group tutorials. This is a characteristic of undergraduate teaching. Postgraduate teaching is provided on a one-to-one basis for DPhil and MPhil students (in the form of supervisory meetings) and in classes for MSc teaching. Electives are taught in smaller groups of normally no more than 10-12. Most of the rest of the MSc teaching is in class sizes of 20-30 (depending on the programme). Integrated classes (e.g. research skills) are taught in larger groups across the four MSc programmes.
For more information on studying in Oxford please visit the University of Oxford's Graduate Admissions website.
Info for current students
Course information, timetables, and teaching materials for current students are provided through our Intranet and Canvas .
Please also see the main University of Oxford Student Gateway for more information.
SoGE Alumni Network
The School has an active alumni community. With over 5,000 former geography undergraduates as well as more than 1,500 Masters and DPhil graduates this network is a growing source of professional contacts, knowledge, and advice.
Learn more about the SoGE Alumni Network.
Enquiries
Student Services Office,
School of Geography and the Environment,
South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK.
Telephone: +44 (0)1865 285070
Fax: +44 (0)1865 275885
Email: graduate.enquiries@geog.ox.ac.uk
