Research course

Ocean and Earth Sciences

Institution
University of Southampton · Ocean and Earth Science
Qualifications
PhD

Entry requirements

A UK bachelor’s degree with upper second-class honours or higher in one of: biological sciences (or a closely related discipline), marine biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental sciences, geography, geology, geophysics, mathematics, natural sciences, oceanography or physics

Months of entry

September

Course content

Join the University of Southampton, a global top 100* research-intensive university.

The National Oceanography Centre Southampton (NOCS), one of the world’s largest centres devoted to research and teaching in Earth and marine science, attracts experts from around the world. The combination of direct access to ships and ocean technology, and a strong research emphasis, provides many opportunities for fieldwork and scientific cruises not traditionally found in university environments.
We offer postgraduate training at PhD level. You’ll carry out research of the highest quality, leading to publications in top journals. We are a large, world-ranking and interdisciplinary community.
Our research generally focuses on one of these areas:
- Geology and geophysics
- Marine biology and ecology
- Palaeoceanogreaphy and palaeoclimate
- Marine biochemistry
- Geochemistry
- Physical oceanography
*QS World University Rankings 2025

Information for international students

If English is not your first language, you'll need an IELTS minimum level of 6.5 with a 6.0 in writing, reading, speaking and listening.

Your awarded certificate needs to be dated within the last 2 years.
If you need further English language tuition before starting your degree, you can apply for one of our pre-sessional English language courses.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • PhD
    full time
    24 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    • Distance learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
Email
enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Phone
+44(0)23 8059 5000