PhD in Geography

Working towards a PhD at the Department of Geography has been both an enjoyable and challenging experience. Although starting during the COVID pandemic was very difficult and I felt like I was making slow progress, when I reached out to other Cambridge academics in my field I received many positive replies that stimulated my PhD project and lead to some ongoing collaborations. I believe it is absolutely crucial to make use of the Cambridge environment as much as possible. There are many excellent academics in Cambridge keen to help and collaborate. Being proactive when it comes to reaching out and having confidence that your project has relevance to other researchers have been key to my PhD journey.  

Martin Baur (April 2022)

Undertaking a PhD at the Department of Geography has been a satisfying and enjoyable experience. Students applying for this degree can expect to enter a welcoming community where they will spend the next few years being supervised and mentored by exceptional scholars. Over the past three years, I have been offered the chance to polish both my academic and professional skills by participating in various Departmental workshops, which cover everything from research ethics to exploring possible career paths. I also benefitted from the University’s Researcher Development Programme, as well as the Social Science Research Methods Programme in my first year. The Department offers a range of regular interdisciplinary seminar series, where experts speak about their newest research findings. Attending the City Seminar sessions was one of the highlights of the week and allowed me to meet other researchers from different departments who were interested in similar topics. For students like myself whose work necessitates fieldwork, securing research funding is not a problem; several generous Departmental and University-wide grants are available to support your work as well as your chance to participate in conferences. The staff and students in this Department have been a continuous source of guidance and assistance for me throughout my time here. 

Hafsah Siddiqui (April 2022)

I started my PhD in the Department of Geography following several years working in East Africa. I felt that a PhD was the next step for me, but I knew it was no easy undertaking, so it had to be in the right place and for the right reason. After careful thought I chose geography at Cambridge because I knew that it was home to both innovative critical thinkers, and interdisciplinary research; exactly what I wanted.

My undergraduate degree at University College Cork was in zoology so I knew I would have plenty to learn in geography. I took full advantage of all the incredible learning opportunities at my disposal: lectures, seminars, training sessions and workshops. My research has also benefitted tremendously from the guidance of my supervisor and the network of people who work on similar questions, particularly because the department are part of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. Being exposed to the thinking and work of world-leading academics both within the department and university, as well as other visiting academics, constantly challenges my own work.

Throughout all of this I have really enjoyed the friendship and support of my cohort of Geography PhD students. We are all studying such different but fascinating questions from the global to the local, from the tropics to the polar regions, from the human to the more-than-human! Yet we are all happy to help each other wherever needed, whether it’s a methodological question or a helping hand in the veggie-patch.

Peadar Brehony (April 2020)