The Department’s highly regarded PhD programme gives students the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research over a 3 or occasionally 4 year period. Research topics vary significantly among PhD candidates; themes in recent years have included carbon capture and storage, climate change finance, closed-loop business models and water scarcity. Study is self-directed, and students explore their chosen topic under the supervision of one or two members of the Department’s academic supervisors. Further support is provided through periodic meetings with an academic review panel composed of the student’s supervisor and two other faculty members.

CEP's interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental problems allows PhD candidates to develop familiarity with ideas from a diverse range of academic disciplines, including the economic, social and natural sciences, law, and management theory. The Department’s expertise in interdisciplinary research assists PhD students in integrating these ideas and in developing methodologies to explore them.

Funding has been secured from the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Programme (LISS DTP) for a three and a half year PhD studentship investigating the cultural ecosystem services of urban water bodies and their use in environmental and land use planning.