Environmental Biology

Entry requirements

You will need a good honours degree and a Masters degree in a relevant subject. A well-developed research proposal is also essential. You may be required to attend an interview/Skype interview for acceptance, and acceptance is subject to research expertise in the department.

Months of entry

January, April, October

Course content

Research in our School of Life Sciences covers a wide spectrum of biology from genes to ecosystems, and this broad-based structure provides opportunities for developing novel ideas and interdisciplinary projects. Our staff have expertise and can offer supervision of projects across areas such as:

• environmental microbiology
• photosynthesis
• plant productivity
• ecology
• marine and environmental science

As a research student at Essex, you work at the heart of our internationally acknowledged, well-resourced and well-connected research community. We offer world-class supervision and training opportunities, and encourage you to engage with other researchers, professionals, practitioners, and research users, where possible - such as using the generous funding from Proficio to attend conferences and training courses.

We’re ranked 54th (14th in the UK) for promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal for climate action (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024).

Information for international students

Entry requirements: You can find international entry requirements for most countries on our international students webpage. If your country is not listed, please contact Postgraduate Admissions at pgadmit@essex.ac.uk.

Pre-sessional English Language courses: If you need to improve your English language skills before joining your main degree course, we offer pre-sessional English courses on our campuses in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways.

Fees and funding

There are a wide range of funding options for postgraduate study, including scholarships, bursaries and alumni discounts. You can check your eligibility on our fees and funding webpage.