22 PhD programmes in Sustainable Development in United Kingdom

Study this Development Studies programme from SOAS University of London to realise your potential to tackle global injustice and transform the world with your research impact.

The Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability PhD programme at the University of Surrey is aimed at high-achieving researchers and graduates whose vision is to become a sustainability leader in industry.

From investigating people’s attitudes to the environment to exploring the opportunities for solar power mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa, the researchers in the Environment and Sustainability programme of the University of Surrey are taking innovative approaches for a more prosperous, equitable, safe and secure future.

The Sustainable Development programme offered by De Montfort University develops advanced interdisciplinary research expertise in sustainability, resource efficiency, systems thinking, and societal change, preparing researchers to address complex environmental, economic, and social challenges through applied research and collaboration with policy and industry stakeholders.

The Climate Change, Sustainability and Society programme from University of Bristol  is designed to cultivate a new generation of researchers equipped to tackle the urgent social challenges of sustainability in the context of global environmental change.

The Engineering Division is home to the Urban Water Technology Centre (UWTC) that has a unique focus on the interface between scientific and technological research addressing the challenges of building resilient and sustainable communities. This PhD in Sustainability Assessment and Decision Making and Environmental Management is offered at Abertay University.

Research in Sustainable Energy Technologies at the University of Hertfordshire has been supported with grants from the EPSRC, InnovateUK and industry.

The Environmental Policy and Development programme from London School of Economics and Political Science aims to provide a rigorous, research-based approach to the social scientific study of environmental change and development.

Combine interdisciplinary expertise to explore a global challenge and gain key skills for your career in development, academia or research. The Global Development programme is offered at University of York.

The Sustainability, Development, and the Environment programme offered by University of East London will push you to new levels of innovation - and our world-class academic staff will support you.

The Intelligent Earth programme offered by University of Oxford is a doctoral degree, available in both full- and part-time modes, designed to equip a new generation of students with advanced AI skills to tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues. 

The Strategy, Enterprise and Sustainability programme offered by Manchester Metropolitan University enables researchers to deepen their expertise and develop advanced research and practical skills in strategy, entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation, and organisational development.

The Sustainable Built Environment at Cardiff Metropolitan University enables a broad range of professional disciplines to engage in masterminding a change in practice, leading to an enhanced sustainable built environment; focused on buildings, the landscape in which buildings are situated, or components within buildings or the landscape.

The scope of the Brewing Science programme University of Nottingham ranges from fundamental pioneering research, to applied projects targeted at brewing process improvements, increasing efficiency and sustainability, or the development of novel products and processes.

The Urban Sustainability and Resilience programme at University College London (UCL) provides students with the opportunity to tackle a challenging research problem identified by industry as critical to improving our urban environment and our wellbeing. 

The Open University has a long legacy of research that combines design thinking and innovation approaches with systemic and environmental issues. This Sustainable Design and Innovation programme is offered at The Open University UK.

The School of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews is a leading centre for scholarship in the field of geography and sustainable development.

As a PhD researcher in Development Policy and Management at The University of Manchester you will pursue research as part of a multidisciplinary research community in the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College, a part of the Global Development Institute (GDI).

The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Sustainable Urban Development at the University of Oxford provides outstanding students an opportunity to pursue in-depth and rigorous research about the pressing challenges of urban sustainability and the processes of environmental, economic, and social development in urban environments around the world.

The main aim of our Sustainable Industrial Systems research at The University of Manchester is to help identify sustainable solutions for industrial systems on a life cycle basis, taking into account economic, environmental and social aspects.