PhD Planning, Property and Environmental Management

Our virtual week took place October 2024 – to find out about future sessions to explore postgraduate research opportunities across the university, please visit our study fairs and events page.

To stay up-to-date with future events and recorded sessions in the Faculty of Humanities, please join our postgraduate research email update list .

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 19 January 2026.

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this date has passed.

• For September 2026 entry: 30 June 2026

Before you start your application, you must:

1. Develop your own research proposal and project title.
2. Find a supervisor by browsing our academics' profiles . We strongly encourage you to confirm that your chosen supervisor’s interests align with your proposed research and that they are willing to support your project.
3. Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor.

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal. Times New Roman, Font 12 (exclusive of references). Please state the word count on page 1 of the document. If over length, the submission will be returned to you.
• A copy of your Bachelor's academic transcript and certificate.
• A copy of your Master's academic transcript and certificate. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
• If you have completed more than one Bachelor's or Master's degree, please provide evidence for each. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation. If your weighted average mark or GPA is not included on these documents, please also include an official document from your university verifying this information.
• An up-to-date academic CV summarising your academic record, employment history, publications and highlighting experience demonstrating your research potential.
• The names of two academic referees, including one from your most recent institution. Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following the submission of your application form. You may wish to notify your referees to submit their references promptly, as this is part of the review process.
• A certificate or evidence demonstrating your English language ability and proficiency. Applications can be considered without this evidence but any offer would be conditional on meeting minimum requirements.

PhD Planning, Property and Environmental Management provides a vibrant and nurturing research environment for those who are interested in pursuing research in:

• urban and regional planning;
• future cities and data analysis;
• environmental planning and management;
• environmental impact assessment;
• green infrastructure, urban design and regeneration;
• housing and property development;
• real estate market and finance.

Our planning, property and environmental management research focuses primarily around the making of future cities - embracing issues such as spatial analysis, urban governance and sustainability.

We aspire to create better cities by critically analysing and helping shape better policies for promoting equitable and sustainable cities for future generations.

Our research focuses on the UK, Europe and other international arenas such as China, India, Africa, and Latin America.

Research in the department is organised through three research groups: Spatial Policy and Analysis Laboratory ; Environment, Policy, and Place ; and The Manchester Real Estate and Urban Economics group . Staff members and research students are also active in engaging with the Manchester Urban Institute .

Postgraduate research students are regarded as an integral part of our research culture, and we recruit high-calibre students from all over the world to join our diverse, multidisciplinary, and international team.

We have one of the longest established and largest professionally recognised planning departments in the UK.

Our research addresses the urgent challenges that cities face.

Over recent years we have broadened our work beyond Planning, Property and Environmental Management, towards the themes of real estate and urban design.

Planning, Property and Environmental Management is part of the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED), a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between the disciplines of Architecture, Education, Geography, International Development, and Planning, Property and Environmental Management.

What unites us is a shared commitment to highlight and address the uneven relationships between societies, economies and the environment.

We want to understand better the world in which we live, and to offer solutions to the problems within it.

We acknowledge that a complex and interconnected world presents many challenges for analysts, but researchers in SEED are pioneering new evidence, measures, concepts and theories in order to address these challenges in practice.

SEED's world-leading research is rooted in everyday life but international in relevance and scope, addressing social, economic and environmental concerns across the globe.

Our PhD and professional doctorate research community, grouped around a range of dynamic centres and themes, is central to the SEED research agenda across all our disciplines.

Based on an individual skills audit, you may take course units on planning theory, research design process, and quantitative and qualitative methodologies, together with course units that support your specific research specialism.

Our students are proactive in an interdisciplinary forum where PhD students share their work and hosting their own PhD seminar series as well as participating in the department's own academic seminars.

PhD students also can work as Teaching Assistants, following a training session accredited by the Higher Education Academy.

When you become a postgraduate researcher, you'll join a diverse and vibrant community of doctoral students from nearly 100 different countries, all studying within the Faculty of Humanities.

You'll be assigned to a specific research grouping that complements your research interests and have access to a variety of interdisciplinary research institutes.

Our working environments are often spacious and open plan, giving you plenty of opportunities to communicate with colleagues and staff within the School, and you will have your own desk space as well as access to our fantastic range of libraries on campus.

All our academic supervisors are research active and will support you to work on challenging research problems and develop rigorous, creative and original research.

You can expect to meet with your supervisor at least once a month to discuss progress on your project.

You will have access to a large and diverse community of internationally recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development. We provide additional financial support for several activities related to your PhD, including:

• presenting at international conferences;
• attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities;
• conducting fieldwork in the UK and overseas.

Discover what it's really like to conduct postgraduate research at The University of Manchester on our student spotlights page.

Find out more about what it's like to undertake a postgraduate research degree at Manchester on our Humanities PGR blog . 

You can develop your practical skills in our project studio, model-making workshop, and computer suites with specialist design and spatial analysis software.

For more information, see Facilities.

The University of Manchester Library

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

As a postgraduate researcher, you will have access to a dedicated researcher development training to support your professional development throughout your PhD journey and beyond.

Our researcher development programme will enable you to become more aware of your developing researcher identity, equipping you with the skills you need during your PhD and prepare you to integrate into the researcher community.

At every stage of your career, you will receive relevant, effective and comprehensive professional development opportunities.

methods@manchester, meanwhile, is an initiative that gives you the chance to learn from the very best in research methods expertise at Manchester and beyond.

Regular talks, workshops and other methods-related events are organised throughout the academic year, bringing in experts from across the University and externally.

Finally, taking a placement provides a great opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange and to develop professional networking opportunities for your future career development.

We have established Postgraduate Researcher Exchange programmes with a small number of institutions around the world, offering you the opportunity to visit another institution, access research resources and experience another academic culture as well as build professional networks.

Successful applicants will receive some funding towards travel expenses, accommodation, subsistence, education materials and/or other education-related costs for anything from two weeks to a three-month visit.

For more information, see Careers and employability.

Careers support

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability.