Join Us
If you’re interested in joining the Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab, please review the information below to inform your consideration. We encourage you to meet the lab and explore our research, which is centred around three main themes: 1) Seascape Ecology and Conservation; 2) Cultural Seascapes and Ecosystem Services; and 3) Linking Geospatial Science to Ocean Governance Solutions.
At the moment we do not have any funded MSc or PhD positions. Any funded graduate and postdoctoral scholar opportunities will be noted here as they become available. While we currently welcome MSc and postdoc inquiries, PhD advising is at capacity and we will open up consideration again for applicants with a start date of Fall 2025. To get in touch you can email lisa.wedding@ouce.ox.ac.uk with the email subject line ‘Prospective student’ for supervision queries. Please include the following in your email, with items 1-4 as a single pdf document:
A brief cover letter detailing your research interests, background, career goals and how these might align with the Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab vision and mission. Include a short description of a potential proposed project you would like to undertake with the lab.
A CV summarising your related work and academic experience.
1-3 samples of writing that you have led, such as an assessed essay, project report or peer-reviewed publication.
Unofficial copy of transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate programme(s) if applicable. If you have not yet finished your undergraduate degree, please send your most recent transcripts, and specify what modules you have taken / intend to take next.
Advice for Prospective Students
To find out more about the Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab ethos and Codes of Conduct, see our Values page. The Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab has a limited number of spaces available for supervision of undergraduate or postgraduate students to ensure that sufficient resources are available for all members. For this reason, we encourage you to contact us early in the process in order to discuss potential projects, research funding, grants, and fellowships.
To find out more about the School of Geography at the University of Oxford, follow this link. Find more information on studying Geography as an undergraduate here, and graduate programmes here.
It is recommended that prospective students think critically about the resources and funding opportunities available to them before applying to the lab. This includes funding opportunities (particularly for graduate students - see the following Scholarship section for SoGE-specific information) in addition to the tools and skills you wish to acquire during the undergraduate / graduate programme, and how the department or supervisor may support these goals.
Timeline for Prospective Students
Undergraduate supervision
For undergraduates seeking dissertation opportunities, please get in touch prior to Michaelmas term of your second year. For information regarding undergraduate student supervision, see here. Students will be expected to start planning dissertations during their second year and usually spend the summer vacation conducting research and starting their write-up.
Graduate supervision
For Oxford School of Geography and the Environment graduate programmes, it is recommended you contact the lab and discuss potential research projects prior to applying. Most post-graduate courses at the University of Oxford have a January deadline (see below). You must apply by this time if you wish to be considered for Oxford scholarships (see here), or if you are requesting an application fee waiver because you are resident in a low-income country and meet the eligibility criteria. Some scholarships may have November deadlines however, so ensure you check the appropriate course & funding pages (linked below, in Fees & Scholarships respectively). Applying in November means you are more likely to receive an earlier decision and is therefore encouraged.
Previous Master of Science & Master of Philosophy application deadlines:
Friday 13 November 2020 - Applications more likely to receive earlier decisions
Friday 22 January 2021 - Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships. Final application deadline for entry in 2021-22
Previous Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) application deadlines:
Friday 13 November 2020 - Applications more likely to receive earlier decisions
Friday 22 January 2021 - Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships
Tuesday 2 March 2021 - Final application deadline for entry in 2021-22
For information regarding topics such as choosing a college, graduate housing, visa and immigration information, and research proposals, see here. See here for FAQs regarding graduate applications.
University Fees
You will be liable to pay full course fees for the following period of time:
Undergraduate Geography (BA) degree: 3 years.
Master of Science (MSc) Courses: 1 year.
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) 2 years.
Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) Full-time 3 years; Part-time 6 years.
Follow the links included to find out details regarding annual fees for each course.