Information on postgraduate degrees at University of Canterbury

To do a PhD project at the University of Canterbury, three things need to occur:

(1) You need to be able to support yourself financially. There are scholarships given out by the University of Canterbury, but they are highly competitive, only being awarded to the top 5% of applicants. Other scholarship options can be found here: https://www.studywithnewzealand.govt.nz/en/how-to-apply/scholarships. If you are not from Aotearoa, you might also look for scholarships in your home country.

(2) You need to be accepted as a PhD student by the University of Canterbury. This requires that you have agreed on a project with a potential supervisor and that your academic qualifications are acceptable to the University of Canterbury (acceptance is determined in the Postgraduate Office). Please note that it is the University of Canterbury, not academic staff (via kiwiscience) who can approve your application

(3) If you can support yourself financially, then contact us to discuss potential projects.

Thesis topcs

Phytomanagement of heavy metals in urban soils. Plants and soil conditioners to minimse of metal fluxes in contaminated soils in the Christchurch Red Zone. The project aims to determine underlying mechanisms to create systems that can be applied workdwide.

Biowastes to promote long-term carbon storage in degraded soils. Biowastes may be converted to composts or biochar and applied to soil, possibly with other inorganic amendemnts. The thesis examines mechanisms that affect the pesistence of organic carbon in soils, including both physicochemical and biological factors.