Full-time
1 year
Part-time
2 years
Typical Offer
Department
Campus
Brayford Pool
Validation Status
Validated
Fees
Course Code
GEHRESMA
Dr Mark Schuerch - Academic Contact
Dr Mark Schuerch is a Physical Geographer with research interests in coastal processes and management, including coastal hydro- and morphodynamics. His specialisms include coastal and estuarine sediment dynamics, climate change and sea level rise, coastal ecosystems, coastal management, and coastal adaptation. Mark is also Deputy Director of the Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health and Postgraduate Research Lead for the Department of Geography.
Academic Staff List Make an EnquiryGeography is an integrative subject that considers the relationship between human society, their environment, and the global challenges facing the world in the 21st Century. Through independent research, supervisory meetings, and departmental seminars, this research programme provides the opportunity for further research in an area of human geography, and aims to build key skills in preparation for positions in research, spatial/social planning, and development consultancy and management.
Subject areas may reflect the Department's current research strengths and specialisms. These include national and international migration; rural development; spatial dimensions of social and technological innovations; environmental history and geoarcheaology; environmental management,governance and behaviour; and analysis and mapping of economic and social inequalities across international and sub-regional scales.
Staff in the Department of Geography have expertise spanning social, political, and economic issues alongside environmental health, water, and climate change.
Due to the nature of postgraduate research programmes, the vast majority of your time will be spent in independent study and research. In addition to this, you are strongly encouraged to attend School seminar and guest speaker events, and engage in a range of research and skills training opportunities in support of your studies.
You will have meetings with your academic supervisor, however the regularity of these will vary depending on your own individual requirements, subject area, staff availability and the stage of your programme.
Potential areas of work are aligned with the Department's current research strengths and specialisms and include (but are not limited to):
Development, Inequality, Resilience, and Environments (DIRE)
Development, Inequality, Resilience and Environments addresses the most urgent and immediate threats to the resilience of human environment systems and seeks to understand the complex interactions between societies and the landscapes they inhabit that precipitate vulnerability, including rural and urban dynamics. Our scope also contributes to the growing body of research undertaken by University of Lincoln academics around sustainability, in particular environmental justice, and the role of governance, both within the UK and abroad.
Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health (LCWPH)
The Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health (LCWPH) focuses on solving the most pressing global environmental and societal challenges related to aquatic ecosystems and water resources. These include hydrological and sea-level impacts of climate change, flood-related contamination from metal mining and processing, and water-borne and vector-borne diseases affecting humans and animals, as well as behavioural, political, and economic adaptation mechanisms to mitigate environmental and human health impacts.
As part of the LCWPH, we have recently established the Lincoln Climate Research Group (LCGR), which addresses the physical, social, environmental, and political causes and drivers of climate variations over a range of temporal and spatial scales in the Global North and Global South. The interdisciplinary nature of this research group also feeds into other key themes within the University, such as 'Rurality' (e.g. through climate impacts on agricultural production) and 'Communities' (e.g. through climate change impacts of and adaptation to floods and droughts, migration and cites).
Find out more on the Department's research pages:
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/geography/research/
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/geography/research/postgraduateresearchprojects/
The MA by Research involves the writing of a Master's thesis under the supervision of a member of academic staff on a topic to be agreed with the course supervisor. The MA by Research is usually awarded based on the quality of the students thesis and their ability to present and successfully defend their chosen research topic in an oral examination (viva voce).
The key to a successful programme is to find a research subject that you are passionate about, and a supervisory team that have expertise in this area. The first thing that all students should do is directly contact a member of staff who works in an area that they are interested in. We have wide areas of expertise in the Department spanning climate change, river and coastal processes and pollution, waterborne diseases, biogeography, environmental behaviour, rural economy, social and political geography, development studies, and more.
Please visit the pages of the Department to find the areas you are interested in, and then identify potential academic supervisors:
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/geography/
You are invited to contact the supervisors that you feel are best suited to your research area to discuss the process further. Applications should include a CV and a research proposal (not exceeding 3000 words, including references) with an indicative structure as follows: Names of proposed academic supervisors, aims and purpose of the research, overview of the academic literature relevant to your field, proposed methodology, and expected outcome/impact of your research. Upon positive evaluation of your proposal, you will be invited for an interview to discuss your personal/academics skills and your research project.
Enrolment Dates
To support your experience within the postgraduate research community, new students are encouraged to enrol in October, February, or May. In addition to meeting peers across the University who are starting their research programme at the same time, there is access to a central training programme designed around the first three months of study, and targeted support aligned to each stage of the postgraduate research journey. Alternative enrolment dates may be agreed with your supervisor on an individual basis.
First or second class honours degree in Geography or related discipline.
Postgraduate study is an investment in yourself and your future, and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.
For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, you can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.
Geography provides a broad range of career opportunities, including roles in the environmental and health sectors, the geographical information systems (GIS) industry, management and financial services, social and environmental consultancy, and teaching.
Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.
Find out More
Our research themes cover a unique set of areas, reflecting our role as a civic university and our aspirations to become thought leaders.
There are opportunites to get involved in exciting research projects by applying for a studentship.
Support is available across the University, offering a friendly, creative, and academically challenging research environment.
At Lincoln, we strive to make sure our student experience is engaging, supportive, and academically challenging. That is why, in response to the issues presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been prioritising face-to-face teaching sessions for our new and returning students in areas where they are the most valuable, such as seminars, tutorials, workshops, and lab and practical sessions. Additional online opportunities have been introduced where they support learning and have been shown to be successful and popular with our current students.
Safety remains a key focus. We are fully prepared to adapt our plans if changes in Government guidance makes this necessary, and we will endeavour to keep current and prospective students informed. For more information about how we are working to keep our community safe, please visit our coronavirus web pages.