36 monthsProgramme duration
36,100 GBPTuition Fee/year
30 Jun, 2027Application Deadline
Feb, May, OctStarting Month
Programme overview
Main Subject
Public Policy
Degree
PhD
Study Level
PhD
Study Mode
On Campus
Risk and disaster challenges shape states, societies, economies and environments across the world. By undertaking an MPhil/PhD in Risk and Disaster Reduction, you explore how hazards, vulnerabilities and response capacities interact, and how research can support safer, more resilient communities. This field is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and policy studies to address complex global problems.
At UCL Risk and Disaster Reduction, you join an internationally diverse research community that brings together expertise in disaster science, humanitarian response, risk communication, resilience and global development. You will design and carry out an original research project that contributes new knowledge to the field, supported by supervisors whose work spans multiple disciplines, varied regional areas of expertise and methodological traditions.
Throughout your course, you will develop the ability to select and apply multidisciplinary research methods that suit your project. You may work in laboratories, deploy AI, conduct fieldwork, interview stakeholders, analyse documents, build conceptual frameworks or use advanced modelling and statistical approaches. You will learn how different forms of evidence shape decision‑making and how research can inform policy, practice and public understanding.
You will also strengthen skills that support your wider professional development, including research communication, public engagement, teaching, consultancy and knowledge exchange. Working alongside researchers, practitioners and external partners, you will gain insight into how academic research contributes to real‑world risk reduction efforts.
This degree is well suited to you if you want to investigate complex global challenges, contribute to evidence‑based solutions and develop a research career that spans disciplines, sectors and different international contexts. You will become part of a community committed to understanding risk in all its dimensions and to generating research that supports meaningful societal impact.
Programme overview
Main Subject
Public Policy
Degree
PhD
Study Level
PhD
Study Mode
On Campus
Risk and disaster challenges shape states, societies, economies and environments across the world. By undertaking an MPhil/PhD in Risk and Disaster Reduction, you explore how hazards, vulnerabilities and response capacities interact, and how research can support safer, more resilient communities. This field is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and policy studies to address complex global problems.
At UCL Risk and Disaster Reduction, you join an internationally diverse research community that brings together expertise in disaster science, humanitarian response, risk communication, resilience and global development. You will design and carry out an original research project that contributes new knowledge to the field, supported by supervisors whose work spans multiple disciplines, varied regional areas of expertise and methodological traditions.
Throughout your course, you will develop the ability to select and apply multidisciplinary research methods that suit your project. You may work in laboratories, deploy AI, conduct fieldwork, interview stakeholders, analyse documents, build conceptual frameworks or use advanced modelling and statistical approaches. You will learn how different forms of evidence shape decision‑making and how research can inform policy, practice and public understanding.
You will also strengthen skills that support your wider professional development, including research communication, public engagement, teaching, consultancy and knowledge exchange. Working alongside researchers, practitioners and external partners, you will gain insight into how academic research contributes to real‑world risk reduction efforts.
This degree is well suited to you if you want to investigate complex global challenges, contribute to evidence‑based solutions and develop a research career that spans disciplines, sectors and different international contexts. You will become part of a community committed to understanding risk in all its dimensions and to generating research that supports meaningful societal impact.
Admission Requirements
Tuition fees
International
Scholarships
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