Human Geography and Sustainability Research MA

To develop sustainable lifestyles, communities, environments and resources, we must first understand how we, as humans, interact with, modify and depend on our surroundings; and how these interrelationships vary spatially and temporally across and between locations. Accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and compliant with the research training requirements for ESRC PhD scholarships, our MA equips you with skills, knowledge and 'hands-on' experience of human geography and sustainability-related research to generate the new insight needed to make a positive difference to our world, now and for the future.

Why choose this course?


• Subject-specific and broad social science research training - accredited by the ESRC - develops wide-ranging research competencies useful in academic, policy and practice-based settings



• Membership of the 'Geography and Environmental Studies' pathway of the ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership provides access to funding for outstanding students



• Gain practical experience of 'live' research working with leading experts tackling society's greatest challenges - from mobility and inclusion to diversity and sustainability



• Our 600 acre campus has become a ‘true Living Lab’, a testbed for a range of smart and sustainability-related initiatives



The complex challenges facing the world today - including social and spatial inequalities, new migration flows, climate change and pollution - have led society to question the interactions between humans and the environment, demanding answers and new ways of working that human geography can provide.

Studying the ways in which people interact in economic, political, social, and spatial contexts can help us identify issues and challenges, and understand what causes them. Only then, can we develop solutions to improve long-term human wellbeing and protect the planet as a whole, distributing and managing our natural resources more equitably and sustainably.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the MA in Human Geography and Sustainability Research not only draws on social sciences more generally, but also brings together Keele’s internationally recognised expertise across the two distinct disciplines of human geography and sustainability.

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.