What will I learn?
The UC Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research-only degree, carried out under expert supervision and using world-class facilities. At UC you can complete a PhD in over 70 subjects, joining over 1,000 students from more than 60 nations. A PhD involves extensive, sustained, and original research in your chosen subject, with the results being presented in a thesis that will contribute to intellectual knowledge of the field. It is a mark of intellectual ability, self-discipline, and commitment. A PhD prepares you for a number of careers, including as an academic. Study a PhD at UC? In addition to expert supervision, UC provides all doctoral students with opportunities to gain transferable skills in areas including communication of research, networking, career planning, databases, statistical analysis, ethics, professional practice, and cultural awareness. UC has a number of unique research facilities, collections, resources, and field stations many of which are renowned globally. See more about our Research impact. The University has a thriving postgraduate research community which includes clubs and associations for social interaction and support. To find out more about the research interests of staff, start by searching the database in the UC Research Profile. UC Research Profile provides information about individual researchers, the projects they are working on, the research groups they belong to, the specialist equipment that they use for research, and their affiliations. There are many benefits for international students studying towards a PhD in Aotearoa New Zealand, such as the possibility to work while studying, apply for a work visa once graduated, pay domestic student fees, and school and work benefits for your partner and children. Geography is an exciting and distinctive discipline at the interface between Science and Arts. Its focus is on putting various types of knowledge together to find innovative solutions to problems faced by society such as climate change, poverty, sustainability, health, and inequality. We aim to provide courses and learning that will enable you to make a difference in your chosen career path after university. Studying Geography will allow you to make an informed and analytical view of our changing world, and of your place in it. The relationship between people and their environment is a key geographical theme, as is the way in which this relationship can be made more sustainable for the future. This puts Geography at the core of many important current debates. For example, geographers are able to examine the issue of climate change holistically by looking at both the physical factors that affect the problem and also the human responses to the challenges created. Study Involve: Our world-class research in Geography and related fields attracts students from all over the world, with PhD and master's students coming from across Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and Aotearoa New Zealand. Postgraduate students are able to shape their own study and research questions (see GEOG401 Wellbeing, Community and Place) and we facilitate strong community engagement through programmes such as GEOG402 Resilient Cities and GEOG415 Geography Internship. We have excellent supervisors and postgraduate courses are small and often discussion based. Fieldwork is an integral part of many courses. UC operates climate stations in Ka Tiritiri-o-te-moana Southern Alps and elsewhere in Te Waipounamu South Island, and utilises the University's field stations at Cass and Kawatiri Westport. The Department hosts Te Tai Whenua o te Hauora, GeoHealth Laboratory and has close links with Gateway Antarctica, with staff and graduate students often making summer visits to Scott Base in Antarctica.
