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Research

Geography

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The Department of Geography at the OU has built a reputation for producing rigorous and innovative intellectual work in both human and environmental geography, a serious commitment to active engagement in the world beyond the academy, and the development of an intensive yet flexible research culture. Its achievements are reflected and recognised by having 55 per cent of its research rated as being world leading or internationally excellent in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and are currently being built upon with the new OpenSpace Research Centre which is designed to enhance and extend current research strengths in the politics of culture and space; materialities, space and power and environment, politics and justice.

We offer two research degree programmes: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil).

Key facts

The Department of Geography prides itself on:

  • Cultivating a genuinely collective research culture sustained by regular seminars, collaborative meetings, reading groups, workshops, conferences and visits from external scholars;
  • Linking with external funding bodies and partner institutions to generate major collaborative projects on topics such as biosecurity borderlands, urban aesthetics, creative climate, emergent publics, the development of geriatric medicine, ethical consumption, interdependence and more;
  • Being ESRC recognised for postgraduate research training and holding ESRC quota studentships;
  • Hosting a lively postgraduate community of around 20 students on the campus who play a critical role in our research culture;
  • Maintaining an excellent record in terms of the number of our postgraduate students who go on to further post-doctoral research or permanent academic posts.

  • For further information please visit the postgraduate research degrees section of our departmental website.

Further information

If you have an enquiry specific to this research area please contact:

Name:
Sheree Barboteau
Email:
socsci-geog-pg-admissions@open.ac.uk
Phone:
+44 (0)1908 654472

For general enquiries please contact the Research Degrees Team via the link under 'Your questions' further down the page.