PhD Tourism Studies at University of Glasgow

Programme overview

Doctoral research in tourism policy, planning and sustainable development based at the Dumfries Campus, assessed by a thesis of 70,000-100,000 words and a viva voce.

Department: School of Social & Environmental Sustainability (Dumfries Campus) | Duration: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time | Location: Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

What you will study

Research in four priority themes: tourism as an engine for sustainable development; sustainable cultural tourism and heritage; the geography and history of tourism; and smart cities, decision support systems and the future of tourism. Students have two supervisors and training in Dumfries and Glasgow in research design, qualitative and quantitative methods and social theory.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Usually a Master's degree or a 2.1 honours degree. Required documents: academic transcripts and degree certificate(s), CV, research proposal, two references and named supervisor information; applicants should identify and contact a suitable supervisor before applying. International applicants from non-English-speaking countries: IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with no subtest below 6.5 (General Training not accepted); TOEFL iBT 98 overall for tests from 21 January 2026 (96 overall with minimum 23 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 24 in Writing for earlier tests); PTE Academic (test centre) 70 overall with minimum Reading 62, Listening 62, Speaking 75, Writing 68. Other accepted tests are also listed for the programme.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). 2027/28 UK fee to be confirmed; 2026/27 fee was GBP 5,238. Part-time is half the full-time fee. Page-level fee for the programme listing. Source

International applicants: GBP 28,275 a year (2027/28). Annual full-time tuition; part-time is half the full-time fee. Page-level fee for the programme listing. Source

Intake: September

Duration: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time

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