Sheppard, Laura; Reades, Jonathan; (2025) Finding the female geographers: The gendered dynamics of UK geography PhD study. The Professional Geographer 10.1080/00330124.2025.2461002. (In press).

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Abstract

This article examines the gendered dynamics of geography PhD study in the United Kingdom, addressing historical, spatial, and disciplinary patterns of female representation. Using metadata from the British Library’s E-Theses Online Service (EThOS), we see a marked rise in female PhD graduates since the 1980s, with the gender gap narrowing significantly in recent decades. The year of PhD completion explains 18 percent of the variance observed in the data, but institutional and disciplinary disparities persist: Human geography PhDs are more gender-balanced, whereas physical geography remains male-skewed. Although Oxford, University College London, Birmingham, and Cambridge dominate in PhD completions, industrial heritage and the dynamics of institutional prestige also feature. Limitations in metadata completeness and a reliance on gender inferencing algorithms challenge inclusivity, pointing to the need for more comprehensive, intersectional studies to address inequalities across ethnicity and disability. By advancing knowledge of gender representation in UK geography PhD programs, the study contributes to ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the discipline as a whole.

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