MPhil/PhD Rural Studies

MPhil and PhD supervision covers a number of research topics supported by research active academic staff. Our broad range of research areas relate to land use, natural resources and environmental change; rural planning, community governance and resilience; rural change, culture and wellbeing; and rural economy, enterprise and innovation.

Areas of research include:

impact and implications of ‘local-global’ processes and relationships for rural areas
characteristics and performance of rural businesses and households
rural governance
demographic ageing and social change
living with environmental change

Opportunities are available for postgraduate research in the following areas:

Land use, natural resources and environmental change

multifunctional land use and the evolving role of small farms
land use and food security
the management and governance of natural resources
agri-environment policy
environmental valuation and choice modelling
access to land for outdoor recreation and leisure
protected areas management

Rural planning, community governance and resilience

relationship between rural development policy and communities in a changing political landscape
rural policies and the role of communities in policy development
neo-endogenous or networked rural development
rural housing and trends in counter-urbanisation
community asset management
rural partnerships and stakeholder relationships
community resilience

Rural change, culture and wellbeing

perceptions of rurality
rural social change
the role of rural women
the needs of a changing rural community
wellbeing and quality of life
rural social capital
social exclusion and rural poverty
changing perceptions of farming

Rural economy, enterprise and innovation

rural enterprise and its economic contribution
innovation and entrepreneurialism
networks and knowledge exchange
the nature and needs of rural enterprise
technological adoption and innovation in agriculture
linkages between urban and rural economies
business collaboration and networking
expertise and knowledge exchange
social and community enterprise
the green economy.