Study location	Latvia, Riga
Academic field	Geography (ISCED 01023) Human & social geography (JACS L700)
Type	PhD, full-time
Nominal duration	3 years (216 ECTS)
Study language	English
Awards	PhD (Doctoral degree in Geography)

Tuition fee	€7,500 per year
Application fee	€170 one-time
Deposit	€500 one-time
Registration fee	To be confirmed You need to choose an individual service package. Please contact the center curator or your agent and consult. You can also familiarize yourself with packages baltic.study/en/packages You become a part of student union and ambassador program automatically after you will get Base or Standard or VIP status. *Do not forget to ask discount

Entry qualification

Postgraduate diploma (or higher) Master degree in Geography or Natural Sciences or a comparable degree. An application, a plan for the dissertation, a CV, and recommendations. Entrance examinations for full and part time students involve discussions that are organised by the Commission of the Admission at the University The entry qualification documents are accepted in any languages (issued in or officially translated along with verified copies) You must take the original entry qualification documents along with you when you finally go to the university. Please provide bachelor’s diploma (for master studies) or master’s diploma (for doctoral studies) in the original language. If the diploma is not issued in English, a certified translation should be provided. The document must be legalised/apostilled

Territory requirements	Applications are NOT accepted from the following territories (based on citizenship): Bangladesh, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen.

Language requirements

English One of next variants, if you have no any of this certificates you can pass University or Baltic Center Exams: Applicants must prove their English language knowledge. University accepts the following international language tests: LanguageCert International ESOL at least Level Communicator B2 (Written and Spoken exams); TOEFL IBT – at least score 72; IELTS – at least score 5.5; PTE General – at least level B2; FCE – at least level B; CPE – satisfactory pass; CAE – satisfactory pass. If your previous studies have been obtained in English but in the country where English is not native language, then you have to present an official letter from your previous educational institution (secondary school, etc.) where is stated that all your studies were in English (medium of instruction is English), and you have to pass interview where the University of Latvia will evaluate your language skills. If you don’t have any chance to take English test, University offers to take online Pearson test.

Other requirements	Successful pass of entrance examination where applicants will be invited to an interview via Skype. Applicants are obligated to upload: 1) A justification and framework (3-5 pages) for the chosen dissertation (no specific form defined); 2) Filled out Curriculum Vitae in Europass format.

Overview

Short Program description

The doctoral programme in geography is the only highest-level study programme in Latvia which allows students to gain independent experience with research and studies, as well as an internationally comparable doctorate in geography. Its necessity from the perspective of Latvia’s state interests is closely linked to the further existence and development of geography as a discipline of science in the country. The aim of the doctoral programme in geography is to train highly qualified specialists who can engage in scholarly work and teach geography. The degree is intended to be fully internationally comparable, allowing graduates to participate in and contribute to international debates and academic fora. The programme has four sub-fields – physical geography, human geography, environmental and regional geography, as well as applied geography and geomatics. The study programme allows each doctoral student to develop as an individual, taking into account the student’s interests, education, experience and achievements. The doctoral study programme involves the studies as such, as well as independent and original research work. the programme at the University of Latvia envisages 74 credit points (111 ECTS) for completion of the PhD thesis out of 144 credit points (216 ECTS), which should be gathered in other related activities, e.g., courses on the relevant sub-field, theoretical courses, publications, pedagogical work.