phd in management uk

UCL School of Management

University college london, phd in management.

Start date:  September 2024 Duration: 5 years (1 year MRes + 4 years PhD) Fees:  We offer fully funded scholarships to all admitted students Application deadline: 01 February 2024 (17:00 UK time). A late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time), although we encourage you to apply early as places are limited and applications are subject to close sooner if places are filled. Entry:  Minimum of a first class bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline. International students, please note that UCL’s English language requirement for this programme is a ‘ Level 1 ’ (IELTS and TOEFL are the preferred test, however others on the UCL recognised test list will be accepted if required) - further details regarding this can be found on the  UCL English Language Requirements  page.

PhD students pursue their studies in one of the Operations & Technology, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics, and Organisations & Innovation groups. All four groups offer a unique education and research experience to a small number of highly motivated students, with the intent of preparing them for scholarly careers at the highest level.

PhD studies in Operations and Technology

Across the different research themes , there is a shared interest in management science, operations management and business technologies. Topics of interest include R&D management, innovation and new product development, service systems, supply chain management and healthcare operations. For candidates in this area, a degree in engineering (e.g. industrial, electrical, computer, mechanical etc), economics, mathematics, statistics or operational research is preferred. 

PhD studies in Strategy and Entrepreneurship

S&E faculty research  focuses on understanding what makes firms successful, how they cope with a complex and dynamic environment, and what leads to new business formation and growth. Doctoral training involves close collaboration between the doctoral student and faculty members on shared research interests, coursework at UCL and other institutions, and independent research. Doctoral students also benefit from the S&E group’s collaborative research community, a lively program of research speakers from other institutions, and links with researchers worldwide. Topics of interest include digitization, big data analytics, machine learning, information environment, platform ecosystems, new organisational forms, learning, innovation, competition, interorganisational relationships, corporate strategy, entrepreneurial strategy, entrepreneurship for development, social innovation. 

PhD studies in Marketing and Analytics

Topics of interest in this group include branding, retailing, advertising, pricing, product development, marketing channels, business marketing, marketing strategy and e-commerce. The researchers in this group use diverse quantitative methodologies that include big data analytics, regression analysis, choice models, field experiments and Bayesian econometrics.

PhD studies in Organisations and Innovation

O&I faculty research focuses on understanding individual and team outcomes within organisations. Group members engage with a variety of perspectives and approaches including network research, experiments and ethnographies. There is a shared interest in the topics of creativity, innovation, social networks and diversity. For applicants to the PhD programme, prior training in social science (e.g. social psychology, sociology or economics) is highly relevant. 

PhD studies in Financial Economics

Our MRes and PhD Programme in Financial Economics with UCL’s Department of Economics now has more information about how to apply and what you can expect from the programme on a brand new programme page, please see the specific entry requirements and programme structure here . 

PhD Structure

• The programme typically consists of five years of full-time study, starting with one year of modules registered as MRes. These modules are typically advanced postgraduate modules to provide rigorous methodological training to prepare students for their PhD research. Along with the School’s modules, students typically take some of these from other UCL departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology), the London Business School, Bayes Business School, and Imperial College Business School.
• In addition to methods modules, students also undertake a first-year research project under the tutoring and supervision of a faculty member later in the MRes year (Term 3 + Summer period).
• Progression from MRes to PhD is not automatic . Superior performance in taught modules and independent, original research is required for progression from MRes to PhD.
• Our highly selective and small-sized PhD programme ensures that each student receives personal attention and guidance from our faculty members throughout their doctoral study. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. 
• We expect our PhD graduates to have as their goal an academic career as a faculty member in a top business school or engineering department of a world-class university
• PhD applications are reviewed once a completed application form has been submitted online . 

Students take a total of 180 credits in the MRes year. This is made up of the MRes Research Project:

• MSIN0135 - MRes Research Project: 8,000-10,000 words . 105 credits.

Students take 75 credits of taught modules, of which the following three are compulsory modules:

• MSIN0131 - Research Presentation and Critical Writing Skills . 15 credits
• MSIN0132 - Seminar in Organisation Theory . 15 credits
• MSIN0240 - Designing Management Research Projects.  15 credits

Finally, students choose elective modules (15 credits each) among those offered by the School of Management, other UCL Departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology), and partner universities in London.

Students can take additional (non-credit) modules at UCL and our partners schools in the remaining years to complement their learning, but there is no requirement to take modules after the MRes year.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and class discussion based on case studies and other activities. Student performance is assessed through simulations, presentations, coursework, group projects, class participation, and examinations. 

Students typically study 3 compulsory modules over Terms 1 and 2. Students will also typically study 2 optional modules which may take place in Terms 1, 2 or 3. Students will also undertake a substantial research project, which would usually be undertaken over Terms 2 and 3. 

Each taught module is delivered over 10 weeks, with 3 contact hours per week comprising lecture content and interactive components. 

In addition, students typically spend approximately 6-8 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars. The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

Why choose us

What our students say:.

‘The UCL School of Management PhD programme is designed to provide students with skills that lead to academic excellence. Candidates are part of a dynamic and vibrant group and benefit from the programme’s flexibility, as they can choose from a wide range of disciplines. The frequent cooperation with world-leading faculty members enhances our knowledge and skills and ultimately leads to high-quality research output, laying the foundations for a subsequent successful academic career.’ 

UCL School of Management has forged a reputation for world-leading research in management studies with 95% of the School’s research deemed to be world-leading or internationally excellent, the second highest percentage of any business school in the UK, according to the 2021 REF. 

VIDEO LIBRARY

Applications

Applying for our mres/phd programme.

Entry requirements and admissions criteria:

We seek to recruit highly motivated, ambitious students with strong educational backgrounds. The ideal candidate will have a first-class Bachelor’s degree from the UK or an overseas qualification of equivalent standard from a leading university. We encourage students from a wide variety of backgrounds (e.g, engineering, economics, business, mathematics/statistics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, among others) to apply to our programme. Also, notice that a Master’s or graduate level degree is not required for admission, you can apply with only an undergraduate (e.g. bachelors) degree. 

In your personal statement you are expected to suggest one or more faculty members as potential supervisors. On the application form you may see that it states that it is preferred that you contact potential supervisors beforehand – you do not need to do so. In fact, applicants are discouraged from randomly contacting individual faculty members or potential supervisors when applying to our programme. All applications are first evaluated by a joint admissions committee, so contacting potential supervisors separately will not increase your chances.

All MRes/PhD applicants are normally expected to take either a GMAT test or GRE test (UCL’s institution code is 3344, but also make sure you include a scanned copy of your test result on your online application), although the School has no minimum score requirements.  

We also require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores if English is not your first language. Our School requires a “Level 1” English qualification which corresponds to:

• IELTS: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
• TOEFL: Score of 92, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 20/30 in the listening and speaking subtests.  

Application Deadline

The application window closes 01 February 2024 (17:00 UK time) and a late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time). We advise those interested in the programme to apply before 01 February 2024, as those applying in the late submission window will only be considered if there are still places remaining.

Application Procedure

Apply via UCL Postgraduate Admissions System here . When starting the application, you must select the MRes option. In addition to filling out the online application form, please upload a copy of the following documents:

• Official Transcripts of Grades / Course marks
• A 2-3 page personal statement or research proposal* that clearly indicates: (i) which research group you are interested in (i.e., Organisations & Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics or Operations & Technology, (ii) your research interests and preliminary research ideas, (iii) potential faculty member(s) you may want to work with (this is a suggested list, you don’t need to contact potential supervisors beforehand), and (iv) your motivation to do a PhD.
• Your  GRE / GMAT  score report**
• Your IELTS/TOEFL score report, if English is not your first language.

* While submission of a full research proposal is not required, you can send us one if you have already written it up.

** You can submit your application even if you don’t have a GRE/GMAT score —simply indicate when you plan to take the test. Funding/Scholarships

We offer fully funded five year MRes/PhD scholarships in the UCL School of Management to all admitted students. The scholarship is open to all nationalities. It covers all tuition fees, and includes an annual stipend of £25,000, which is tax-free.

Additional costs 

This programme does not have any compulsory additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.  

Students may have the opportunity to participate in conferences in the UK and internationally. The UCL School of Management provides MRes/PhD students with an annual budget for conferences, which students will use to cover the travel, accommodation, food and other costs whilst at conferences, in line with UCL’s expenses policy. 

Apply today

For queries about the MRes/PhD Programme that are not addressed on our web pages, please contact [email protected] .

Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL School of Management MRes/PhD Programme

Programme Information

Application process, admissions requirements, further information.

If you have any other questions regarding the programme that are not addressed on our web pages please email the programme team ( [email protected] )

Recommended pages

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Join our Postgraduate Open Day - Saturday 22 June

PhD/ MPhil/ MSc Management (Research)

• Visit an Open Day
• Request a prospectus
• Course details
• Entry Requirements
• Teaching and assessment
• Employability

Our PhD in Management comprises a short taught component followed by a longer research phase. The programme will allow you to broaden and deepen your knowledge of research methods whilst undertaking your own research and developing a set of transferable professional skills.

The PhD programme in Management will facilitate the creation and interpretation of new knowledge by the research student, demonstrated through the thesis. The taught component is designed to ensure that doctoral researchers understand the breath of techniques used in modern social science research.

Doctoral researchers will be capable of analysing a range of data using a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques. They will be able to explain theories underlying different approaches to social science research. Doctoral researchers are expected to participate to the fullest possible extent in the life of the Business School. This means attending seminars organised by the Business School thereby helping expose doctoral researchers to new ideas emanating from outside their own area of specialisation. It also requires actively participating in PhD workshops and conferences organised by the Business School and Graduate School as well as institutions outside the University of Birmingham.

Ultimately all doctoral researchers will have the ability to characterise and solve business and management problems using advanced research tools. They should be able to derive policy implications from their research and communicate these to policy makers, practitioners and other academics in a manner which is comprehensible. They will also be able to peer review others’ research and offer constructive criticism; and to extend the frontiers of the discipline through their own innovative research.

Doctoral researchers may choose to become academics, work in Government, businesses, supranational organisations or in the research arms of major financial institutions. They are expected to achieve a substantial understanding of contemporaneous management and business issues enabling them to take a lead in ongoing debates within society. They will be aware of and understand the function of related institutions at both a national and international level.

Fees 2024 - 2025

• Code 8169 - £4,778 (UK) PhD Full time
• Code 8171 - £2,389 (UK) PhD Part time
• Code 8169 - £23,520 (International) PhD Full time
• Code 698B - £2,389 (UK) Distance Learning 8 Years Part time
• Code 8165 - £4,778 (UK) MPhil Full time
• Code 8168 - £2,389 (UK) MPhil Part time
• Code 8165 - £23,520 (International) MPhil Full time
• Code 8176 - £4,778 (UK) MSc (Research) Full time
• Code 8179 - £2,389 (UK) MSc (Research) Part time
• Code 8176 - £23,520 (International) MSc (Research) Full time

Learn more about fees and funding

Scholarships and studentships

Scholarships may be available. International students can often gain funding through overseas research scholarships, Commonwealth scholarships or their home government.

The Business School and the University provide some scholarships and bursaries for postgraduate research students.For details of these, please contact the Business School's Research Office at [email protected] . For further information contact the School directly or email [email protected] .

How To Apply

• How to apply

To apply for a postgraduate research programme, you will need to submit your application and supporting documents online. We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page . Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Our Standard Requirements

The Business School's entry requirement is a good honours degree (first or upper second class honours) awarded by a recognised University in an appropriate subject, and a merit in a relevant Master’s degree. We usually ask students for an average of 65 in the taught component of their Masters. All international students also need to show that they have adequate knowledge of written and spoken English. Learn more about entry requirement

Writing your Research Proposal

Your research proposal should illustrate your ability to plan an independent research study and the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of Birmingham Business School.You need to demonstrate that you understand the field that you plan to research, identify an interesting and original research question, and develop a tentative plan of study. It's critical that your research proposal is written to the guidelines specified below.

Guidelines for the Research Proposal

International requirements.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 14/20 from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Argentinian university, with a promedio of at least 7.5, may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent

Applicants who hold a Masters degree will be considered for admission to PhD study.

Holders of a good four-year Diplomstudium/Magister or a Masters degree from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a good 5-year Specialist Diploma or 4-year Bachelor degree from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan, with a minimum GPA of 4/5 or 80% will be considered for entry to postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Birmingham.

For postgraduate research programmes applicants should have a good 5-year Specialist Diploma (completed after 1991), with a minimum grade point average of 4/5 or 80%, from a recognised higher education institution or a Masters or “Magistr Diplomu” or “Kandidat Nauk” from a recognised higher education institution in Azerbaijan.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0-3.3/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold a Masters degree from the University of Botswana with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (70%/B/'very good') will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Please note 4-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a Diploma of Higher Education. 5-year bachelor degrees from the University of Botswana are considered equivalent to a British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree.

Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

A Licenciatura or Bacharelado degree from a recognised Brazilian university:

• A grade of 7.5/10 for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement
• A grade of 6.5/10for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement

Holders of a good Bachelors degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good post-2001 Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a minimum average of 14 out of 20 (or 70%) on a 4-year Licence, Bachelor degree or Diplôme d'Etudes Superieures de Commerce (DESC) or Diplôme d'Ingénieur or a Maîtrise will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Holders of a bachelor degree with honours from a recognised Canadian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A GPA of 3.0/4, 7.0/9 or 75% is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1.

Holders of the Licenciado or equivalent Professional Title from a recognised Chilean university will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD study will preferably hold a Magister degree or equivalent.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  Please note: for the subject areas below we use the Shanghai Ranking 2022 (full table)  ,  Shanghai Ranking 2023 (full table) , and Shanghai Ranking of Chinese Art Universities 2023 .

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单参考 软科中国大学排名2022（总榜） ，  软科中国大学排名2023（总榜） ，以及 软科中国艺术类高校名单2023 。  

Business School    - MSc programmes (excluding MBA)  

商学院硕士课程（MBA除外）入学要求

School of Computer Science – all MSc programmes 计算机学院硕士课程入学要求

College of Social Sciences – courses listed below 社会科学 学院部分硕士课程入学要求 MA Education  (including all pathways) MSc TESOL Education MSc Public Management MA Global Public Policy MA Social Policy MA Sociology Department of Political Science and International Studies  全部硕士课程 International Development Department  全部硕士课程

  All other programmes (including MBA)   所有其他 硕士课程（包括 MBA）入学要求

Please note:

• Borderline cases: We may consider students with lower average score (within 5%) on a case-by-case basis if you have a relevant degree and very excellent grades in relevant subjects and/or relevant work experience. 如申请人均分低于相应录取要求（5%以内），但具有出色学术背景，优异的专业成绩，以及（或）相关的工作经验，部分课程将有可能单独酌情考虑。
• Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室   [email protected]

Holders of the Licenciado/Professional Title from a recognised Colombian university will be considered for our Postgraduate Diploma and Masters degrees. Applicants for PhD degrees will normally have a Maestria or equivalent.

Holders of a good bachelor degree with honours (4 to 6 years) from a recognised university with a upper second class grade or higher will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.  Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Bacclaureus (Bachelors) from a recognised Croatian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 4.0 out of 5.0, vrlo dobar ‘very good’, or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelors degree(from the University of the West Indies or the University of Technology) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. A Class II Upper Division degree is usually equivalent to a UK 2.1. For further details on particular institutions please refer to the list below.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Masters degree or Mphil from the University of the West Indies.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, or a GPA of 3 out of 4, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalár from a recognised Czech Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, velmi dobre ‘very good’ (post-2004) or 2, velmi dobre ‘good’ (pre-2004), or a good post-2002 Magistr (Masters), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum overall grade of 7-10 out of 12 (or 8 out of 13) or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters/ Magisterkonfereus/Magister Artium degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the Licenciado or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Ecuadorian university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 70% or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Magister/Masterado or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Licenciado with excellent grades can be considered.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 75% from a recognised institution. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bakalaurusekraad from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 4/5 or B, or a good one- or two-year Magistrikraad from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with very good grades (grade B, 3.5/4 GPA or 85%) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

Holders of a good Kandidaatti / Kandidat (old system), a professional title such as Ekonomi, Diplomi-insinööri, Arkkitehti, Lisensiaatti (in Medicine, Dentistry and Vetinary Medicine), or a Maisteri / Magister (new system), Lisensiaatti / Licenciat, Oikeustieteen Kandidaatti / Juris Kandidat (new system) or Proviisori / Provisor from a recognised Finnish Higher Education institution, with a minimum overall grade of 2/3 or 4/5, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters/Maîtrise with a minimum overall grade of 13 out of 20, or a Magistère / Diplôme d'Etudes Approfondies / Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées / Mastère Specialis, from a recognised French university or Grande École to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good four-year Ptychio (Bachelor degree) with a minimum overall grade of 6.5 out of 10, from a recognised Greek university (AEI), and will usually be required to have completed a good Metaptychiako Diploma Eidikefsis (Masters degree) from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

4-year Licenciado is deemed equivalent to a UK bachelors degree. A score of 75 or higher from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) can be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 60 is comparable to a UK 2.2.  Private universities have a higher pass mark, so 80 or higher should be considered comparable to a UK 2.1, 70 is comparable to a UK 2.2

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Alapfokozat / Alapképzés or Egyetemi Oklevel from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 3.5, or a good Mesterfokozat (Masters degree) or Egyetemi Doktor (university doctorate), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a 60% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of the 4 year Sarjana (S1) from a recognised Indonesian institution will be considered for postgraduate study. Entry requirements vary with a minimum requirement of a GPA of 2.8.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution, with 100 out of 110 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students who hold the Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies, Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Students with a Bachelor degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for entry to a postgraduate Masters degree provided they achieve a sufficiently high overall score in their first (Bachelor) degree. A GPA of 3.0/4.0 or a B average from a good Japanese university is usually considered equivalent to a UK 2:1.

Students with a Masters degree from a recognised university in Japan will be considered for PhD study. A high overall grade will be necessary to be considered.

Students who have completed their Specialist Diploma Мамаң дипломы/Диплом специалиста) or "Magistr" (Магистр дипломы/Диплом магистра) degree (completed after 1991) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of 2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate Masters degrees and, occasionally, directly for PhD degrees.  Holders of a Bachelor "Bakalavr" degree (Бакалавр дипломы/Диплом бакалавра) from a recognised higher education institution, with a minimum GPA of  2.67/4.00 for courses requiring a UK lower second and 3.00/4.00 for courses requiring a UK upper second class degree, may also be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/50

Holders of a good Postgraduate Diploma (professional programme) from a recognised university or institution of Higher Education, with a minimum overall grade of 7.5 out of 10, or a post-2000 Magistrs, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a score of 16/20 or 80% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Libya will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of a Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70% for 2:1 equivalency or 65% for 2:2 equivalency. Alternatively students will require a minimum of 3.0/4.0 or BB to be considered.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magistras from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, or a good post-2001 Magistras, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, or a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées (comparable to a UK PGDip) or Masters degree from a recognised Luxembourgish Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees (70-74% or A or Marginal Distinction from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 60-69% or B or Bare Distinction/Credit is considered comparable to a UK 2.2).

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Malaysian institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum of 3.0) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good Bachelors degree from the University of Malta with a minimum grade of 2:1 (Hons), and/or a Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (Honours) from a recognised institution (including the University of Mauritius) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2:1).

Students who hold the Licenciado/Professional Titulo from a recognised Mexican university with a promedio of at least 8 will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.

Students who have completed a Maestria from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree, licence or Maîtrise and a Masters degree, with a score of 14/20 or 70% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Students with a good four year honours degree from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. PhD applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Doctoraal from a recognised Dutch university with a minimum overall grade of 7 out of 10, and/or a good Masters degree, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree (minimum 4 years and/or level 400) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of B/Very Good or 1.6-2.5 for a 2.1 equivalency, and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters, Mastergrad, Magister. Artium, Sivilingeniør, Candidatus realium or Candidatus philologiae degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with a CGPA of 3.0/4 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in the Palestinian Territories will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved a GPA of 3/4 or 80% for 2:1 equivalency or a GPA of 2.5/4 or 70% for 2:2 equivalency.    

Holders of the Título de Licenciado /Título de (4-6 years) or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Paraguayan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Grades of 4/5 or higher can be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent.  The Título Intermedio is a 2-3 year degree and is equivalent to a HNC, it is not suitable for postgraduate entry but holders of this award could be considered for second year undergraduate entry or pre-Masters.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría / Magister or equivalent qualification, but holders of the Título/Grado de Licenciado/a with excellent grades can be considered.

Holders of the Licenciado, with at least 13/20 may be considered as UK 2.1 equivalent. The Grado de Bachiller is equivalent to an ordinary degree, so grades of 15+/20 are required.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Título de Maestría or equivalent qualification.

Holders of a good pre-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4 out of 5, dobry ‘good’, and/or a good Swiadectwo Ukonczenia Studiów Podyplomowych (Certificate of Postgraduate Study) or post-2001 Magister from a recognised Polish university with a minimum overall grade of 4.5/4+ out of 5, dobry plus 'better than good', will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Licenciado from a recognised university, or a Diploma de Estudos Superiores Especializados (DESE) from a recognised Polytechnic Institution, with a minimum overall grade of 16 out of 20, and/or a good Mestrado / Mestre (Masters) from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree from a recognised Romanian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8 out of 10, and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree/Diploma de Master/Diploma de Studii Academice Postuniversitare (Postgraduate Diploma - Academic Studies) or Diploma de Studii Postuniversitare de Specializare (Postgraduate Diploma - Specialised Studies) to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Диплом Специалиста (Specialist Diploma) or Диплом Магистра (Magistr) degree from recognised universities in Russia (minimum GPA of 4.0) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes/PhD study.

Students who hold a 4-year Bachelor degree with at least 16/20 or 70% will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a Maitrise, Diplome d'Etude Approfondies,Diplome d'Etude Superieures or Diplome d'Etude Superieures Specialisees will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. A score of 14-15/20 or Bien from a well ranked institution is considered comparable to a UK 2.1, while a score of 12-13/20 or Assez Bien is considered comparable to a UK 2.2

Students who hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree from a recognised institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (or a score of 60-69% or B+) from a well ranked institution will be considered for most our Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees with a 2:1 requirement.

Students holding a good Bachelors Honours degree will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a good three-year Bakalár or pre-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 1.5, B, Vel’mi dobrý ‘very good’, and/or a good Inžinier or a post-2002 Magister from a recognised Slovakian Higher Education institution will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Diploma o pridobljeni univerzitetni izobrazbi (Bachelors degree), Diplomant (Professionally oriented first degree), Univerzitetni diplomant (Academically oriented first degree) or Visoko Obrazovanja (until 1999) from a recognised Slovenian Higher Education institution with a minimum overall grade of 8.0 out of 10, and/or a good Diploma specializacija (Postgraduate Diploma) or Magister (Masters) will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students who hold a Bachelor Honours degree (also known as Baccalaureus Honores / Baccalaureus Cum Honoribus) from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (70%) or a distinction (75%).

Holders of a Masters degree will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a Bachelor degree from a recognised South Korean institution (usually with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average 3.0/4.0 or 3.2/4.5) will be considered for Masters programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 7 out of 10 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and will usually be required to have completed a Masters degree, with 60-74% or a CGPA 3.30/4.0 or higher for 2:1 equivalency from a recognised institution to be considered for entry. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Kandidatexamen (Bachelors degree) or Yrkesexamen (Professional Bachelors degree) from a recognised Swedish Higher Education institution with the majority of subjects with a grade of VG (Val godkänd), and/or a good Magisterexamen (Masters degree), International Masters degree or Licentiatexamen (comparable to a UK Mphil), will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

Holders of a good Bachelor degree (from 75% to 85% depending upon the university in Taiwan) from a recognised institution will be considered for postgraduate Masters study. Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.  Most taught Masters programmes require a minimum of an upper second class degree (2.1) Students who have completed a Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of a good Masters degree from a recognised institution will be considered for entry to our postgraduate research programmes.

Holders of a good Masters degree or Mphil from a recognised university will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Students with a Bachelors degree from the following universities may be considered for entry to postgraduate programmes:

• Ateneo de Manila University - Quezon City
• De La Salle University - Manila
• University of Santo Tomas
• University of the Philippines - Diliman

Students from all other institutions with a Bachelors and a Masters degree or relevant work experience may be considered for postgraduate programmes.

Grading Schemes

1-5 where 1 is the highest 2.1 = 1.75 2.2 = 2.25 

Out of 4.0 where 4 is the highest 2.1 = 3.0 2.2 = 2.5

Letter grades and percentages 2.1 = B / 3.00 / 83% 2.2 = C+ / 2.5 / 77%

Holders of a postdoctoral qualification from a recognised institution will be considered for PhD study.  Students may be considered for PhD study if they have a Masters from one of the above listed universities.

Holders of a Lisans Diplomasi with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/4.0 from a recognised university will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.

Holders of a Yuksek Diplomasi from a recognised university will be considered for PhD study.

Students who hold a Bachelor degree from a recognised institution will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. Most Masters programmes will require a second class upper (2.1) or GPA of 3.5/5.0

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a good Bachelors degree / Диплом бакалавра (Dyplom Bakalavra), Диплом спеціаліста (Specialist Diploma) or a Dyplom Magistra from a recognised Ukrainian higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 4.0/5.0, 3.5/4, 8/12 or 80% or higher for 2:1 equivalence and will usually be required to have completed a good Masters degree to be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

The University will consider students who hold an Honours degree from a recognised institution in the USA with a GPA of:

• 2.8 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:2 requirement 
• 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for entry to programmes with a 2:1 requirement 

Please note that some subjects which are studied at postgraduate level in the USA, eg. Medicine and Law, are traditionally studied at undergraduate level in the UK.

Holders of the Magistr Diplomi (Master's degree) or Diplomi (Specialist Diploma), awarded by prestigious universities, who have attained high grades in their studies will be considered for postgraduate study.  Holders of the Fanlari Nomzodi (Candidate of Science), where appropriate, will be considered for PhD study.

Holders of the Licenciatura/Título or an equivalent professional title from a recognised Venezuelan university may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. Scales of 1-5, 1-10 and 1-20 are used, an overall score of 70% or equivalent can be considered equivalent to a UK 2.1.  Applicants for PhD level study will preferably hold a Maestria or equivalent qualification

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised Vietnamese institution (usually achieved with the equivalent of a second class upper or a grade point average minimum GPA of 7.0 and above) will be considered for postgraduate study at Diploma or Masters level.  Holders of a Masters degree (thac si) will be considered for entry to PhD programmes.

Students who hold a Masters degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5/5.0 or a mark of 2.0/2.5 (A) will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees.   

Students who hold a good Bachelor Honours degree will be considered for Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters degrees. 

International Students

English requirement - IELTS 7 with no less than 6.5 in any band or equivalent.

The diversity of our research strengths at Birmingham Business School means we cover a wide range of management specialisms and if your application is successful you would join one of the five departments that collectively contribute to the PhD programme in Management.

Business and Labour Economics  - Research interests include labour markets, employment regulation and incentives, international trade, piracy and production and global value chains.

Entrepreneurship & Local Economy  - Research interests include leadership, local and regional economic development and entrepreneurship.

Organisation, Work and Employment  - Research interests include work and employment in contemporary organisations in the public and private sectors, human resource management and employment relations.

Procurement and Operations Management  - Research interests include organisational buying behaviour, supplier relationship management, public sector contracting, project management, small firm operations and high value engineering management.

Strategy and International Business  - Research interests include corporate social responsibility and sustainability, internationalisation and China, knowledge and innovation and also resilience and extreme events.

>Doctoral researchers in Management are registered for a full time 3-year PhD or a part-time 6-year PhD. In the first year of the programme (first two years for those registered part-time) students are required to take 60 credits of core Research Methods modules from the MA Social Research programme. They are also recommended to take Advanced Training Modules from the MA Social Research Programme as appropriate to their research and training needs.

Depending on their needs and accredited prior learning and subject to supervisory approval doctoral researchers can substitute 20 credits of the introductory MA Social research modules for Advanced Training Modules. By the end of their first year doctoral students will have completed an 8,000 word research proposal that they will present at the first annual review.  This forms the basis for supervised research over the remaining two years of the programme and the production of an 80,000 word thesis.

If I gain a postgraduate research degree from Birmingham Business School, what are my career prospects?

Birmingham’s Business graduates are sought after by a wide range of financial, commercial and public sector employers. They can typically offer a wide range of skills including analytical & research, numeracy, communication, team working and political & commercial awareness.

For those entering employment after graduating, traditionally popular areas include banking, accountancy/professional services and financial services. Many of our programmes involve studying towards a professional qualification. Outside of these areas, options include teaching abroad and retail management. Many PhD graduates also go on to forge successful academic careers of their own in teaching and academic research.

What type of career assistance is available to doctoral researchers in Birmingham Business School?

The University of Birmingham has invested heavily in careers and employability support.  The Careers Team have been praised for enhanced developments within their team and for adopting a model of integrated employability and internship support; something that has been rolled out and implemented across all Schools and Colleges at the University.

Doctoral researchers at Birmingham Business School will benefit from this additional investment; the school  now has its own well qualified dedicated Careers Team to support students with employment opportunities, work placements, internships and how to succeed at interview. In addition, a range of career management, personal development and employer events are run each year by the Careers in Business Team to help you make the most of the opportunities available. 

The University also has dedicated careers advisors for International students who run workshops and networking opportunities with potential employers. These are especially popular with International postgraduate researchers.

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Management and Business PhD

Key information, full-time - 4 years, part-time - 8 years.

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Why choose this programme

• As a PhD student you will receive rigorous instruction and training in research philosophy and methods, together with outstanding supervision. 
• You also benefit from choosing between either writing a traditional dissertation monograph or following the PhD by publication format route. This way, you decide your preferred pathway to present your research so that it suits your interests.  
• Here at Surrey, you’ll join a cosmopolitan, multicultural and diverse community of students and scholars. We consider doctoral students to be junior academics or researchers, and an integral part of the School. 
• Our researchers often work closely with industry and collaborate with staff across the School, leading to innovative new thinking.   
• Surrey Business School is internationally recognised for interdisciplinary, international and applied research. Surrey Business School is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA).  
• In the UK government’s 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), the School is in the top 10 for the outputs and top 20 for real-world impact of our business research. Overall, the University is ranked 33rd for overall research quality by REF. 

Frequently asked questions about doing a PhD

What you will study

Our PhD in Management and Business will train you in critical and analytical skills, research methods, and in discipline-specific knowledge that will give you the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for a career in academia, or as a researcher in a wide variety of settings. 

We offer a three-year, full-time (and, in exceptional cases, part-time) programme. 

You’ll receive an induction by the University of Surrey’s Doctoral College, as well as a bespoke induction programme from the Business School. This induction will introduce you to the School as well as the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in which the School is based. The induction will outline the relationship between you and your supervisor. 

Your supervisor will serve as a mentor as you progress through your PhD. 

In your first year, you will receive instruction in subject-specific knowledge and instruction and training in research philosophy and methods. As a full- time student you will complete four taught modules in your first year:

• Philosophy of Social Science Research
• Quantitative Methods 1
• Qualitative Methodology 1
• Either Quantitative Methods 2 or Qualitative Methodology 2.

At the same time, you will be working on your research (part-time students take the modules over two years). This will form the foundation of your doctoral research.

Once you’ve got the foundation for your doctoral research and passed your confirmation exam, your second year will be spent conducting doctoral research. Students conducting primary research tend to spend the year away doing field research.

Your third year will then be devoted entirely to data analysis, writing up and submitting your dissertation. You’ll have frequent interactions with your supervisor. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend professional development workshops in preparation for the academic job market. There is a four-year maximum period of study on the PhD programme for full-time students.

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Research support

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College , which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

Research themes

We have key research themes in:

• Business analytics and operations
• Digital economy
• Finance and accounting
• Marketing and retail management
• People and organisations
• Strategy and entrepreneurship.

Our academic staff

See a full list of all our  academic staff  within the Surrey Business School.

Schools and departments

Research centres.

Mohamed Mohamed

The University of Surrey is renowned for its research-focused approach. I knew that studying there would allow me to work with esteemed professors and fellow students in a stimulating environment that fosters the development of critical thinking skills.

Hannah Gooding

All these extra-curricular developments show that if you work hard, Surrey will support you into becoming the person you want to be.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a minimum of an upper second-class (2:1) UK degree and a masters degree (minimum merit) in a relevant subject from an internationally recognised university.

International entry requirements by country

English language requirements.

IELTS Academic:  6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept. 

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses , designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

Application requirements

Applicants are advised to contact potential supervisors before they submit an application via the website. Please refer to section two of our  application guidance .

Research proposal

Before applying, please refer to our research proposal guidance  for information on submitting a suitable research proposal.

After registration

Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.

Selection process

Selection is based on applicants:

• Meeting the expected entry requirements
• Being shortlisted through the application screening process
• Completing a successful interview
• Providing suitable references.

Student life

At Surrey we offer the best of both worlds – a friendly campus university, set in beautiful countryside with the convenience and social life of Guildford on your doorstep.

Start date: October 2024

Start date: January 2025

• Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100 (subject to legal requirements).
• Any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).

View the list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.

Apply online

If you are applying for a studentship to work on a particular project, please provide details of the project instead of a research proposal.

Read our application guidance for further information on applying.

To apply online first select the course you'd like to apply for then log in.

1. Select your course

Select the course you wish to apply for.

To apply online sign in or create an account.

Code of practice for research degrees

Surrey’s postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.

Download the code of practice for research degrees (PDF) .

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures , student regulations , and terms and conditions .

We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:

• First when we make an offer.
• Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).

View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.

It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer .

Course location and contact details

Campus location

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

University of Surrey Admissions

University of Surrey Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH

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PhD Programme

Become a research expert at king’s.

A PhD from King’s Business School aims to be more than just a qualification. It provides you with the opportunity to become an expert in your chosen field of research. By the end of the programme, you will have developed the skills necessary to analyse complex organisational problems in order to make a difference in business and society.

If that’s you, then King’s Business School provides an ideal home for you to pursue PhD research. It is one of the leading research-intensive business schools in the UK and features world-class research academics in all of our departments:

• Accounting & Financial Management
• Banking & Finance
• Human Resource Management & Employment Relations
• Public Services Management & Organisation
• Strategy, International Management & Entrepreneurship

Many of our graduates continue onto academic careers after completing their PhD. Some take on research, analysis or leadership roles in major corporations and public bodies. Others use their expertise to start up their own research consultancy. It’s entirely up to you to decide what King’s means for your future. However, we know that PhD research will be right for you if you are motivated to interrogate academic puzzles; committed to developing high-level analytical skills; and dedicated to advancing knowledge in your research area.

Upcoming deadlines October 2024 entry

Round 1 - Now closed. 

Round 2 - Application deadline for all applicants: 1 June 2024

Please note, any application received after 15 December 2023 will automatically be considered for the second round entry.

Application and admissions guide

Our application guide outlines everything you need to know about applying to the programme and for our King’s Business School studentships.

Find out how to apply for our PhD programme

Our full-time PhD programme usually takes three to four years, while the part-time programme will last six to sevent years. As a full-time student, you will spend most of your time in the iconic Bush House where we have dedicated spaces for our PhD researchers. And with central London on your doorstep, you’ll be surrounded by major business, government and cultural institutions. While completing a PhD is probably the toughest academic challenge you’ll ever take on, we’re here to support you throughout your time at King’s (and beyond).

Find out more about life at King's Business School

Skills & Training

The King’s Business School PhD programme is designed to support you in preparing the strongest thesis that you can, which will place you in the best position to move on to the job that you want. We will support you in developing advanced academic skills, but also skills relevant for wider impact in business and on society – for instance, skills in critical and analytical thinking, communication and networking.

Find out more about how we train our PhD students

Read more about the PhD journey

Roadmap of the full-time PhD programme

Doctoral Research Studentships

King's Business School invites applications for funded, full-time PhD studentships to start in the…

PhD Studentships

Please see other available King's Business School PhD Studentships

Student Experiences

Current and former students share their experiences of being a PhD student at King's Business School

8 January 2021

Chiamaka Nwosu

Chiamaka Nwosu is a current PhD student at King's Business School.

7 January 2021

Felix Kempf

Felix Kempf is a current PhD student at King's Business School.

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Site search, key information.

Duration: 4 years full time

Institution code: R72

Campus: Egham

UK fees * : £4,786

International/EU fees ** : £23,400

We undertake research at the cutting edge of management thinking through our own specialist themes and subject groups. We frequently collaborate with industrial and commercial research partners, as well as academic colleagues at other institutions (both in the UK and further afield) and in other departments within Royal Holloway.

Group members are also active within the academic research community, making regular contributions at conferences and in the pages of the leading academic journals in their fields.

The School of Business and Management is associated with the pursuit of research excellence across three research centres and three research themes. Whilst the majority of students pursue qualitative methods some students pursue mixed methods or quantitative methods.

Information on  how to apply for a PhD at the School of Business and Management  can be found on this  Postgraduate Research page .

Research facilities and environment

Colleagues in the School of Business and Management pursue research as members of one or more of our research centres or theme groups.

Our research centres

• Centre for Critical and Historical Research on Organisation and Society (CHRONOS)
• Digital Organisation and Society Research Centre (DOS)
• Centre for Research Into Sustainability (CRIS)

Our theme groups

• Intercultural and international perspectives on management
• Knowledge and organisational learning
• Working life

Our researchers

A full list of our researchers, publications and projects can be found  here .

Full-time PhD students have an annual review and also a semi-annual review (SAR) every year. Part-time PhD students have an annual review. The SARs and annual reviews are opportunities to reflect upon progress and achievements as well as to set goals for the coming six to twelve months.

Students are required to attend and pass three research methods courses as part of the upgrade process to the PhD route. Specifically, students need to attend and pass Philosophy of Methods, Qualitative Research Methods for Doctoral Students, and Quantitative Research Methods for Doctoral Students.

The upgrade time scale and process is in accordance with Royal Holloway processes and guidelines.

Entry requirements

We are committed to attracting high-quality PhD students and as such you will need to meet our entry criteria. These are:

• Usually an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a Masters with Merit
• A high-quality research proposal
• A credible personal statement
• Strong performance at interview

English language requirements

All teaching at Royal Holloway is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.

The scores we require

• IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
• Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
• Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
• TOEFL ib: 88 overall, with Reading 18 Listening 17 Speaking 20 Writing 26.

Country-specific requirements

For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please see  here .

Graduating PhD students have gone on to junior academic positions with the following institutions:

• Lancaster University Management School
• Loughborough University
• Queen Mary University
• Coventry University
• Northampton University
• Roehampton University
• Brunel University
• Oxford Brookes University
• Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
• King Faisal University
• Princess Nourah University
• the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
• Tehran University of Medical Sciences
• the International Islamic University Malaysia
• University of Lagos
• University of Sheffield
• University of Sussex

They have also progressed to mid-level academic positions, such as Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, with the following institutions:

• Southampton University
• Universiti Utara Malaysia
• University of Greenwich
• Kingston University
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Northumbria University
• Portsmouth University
• Sheffield Hallam University
• the University of Westminster
• National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Some have been appointed to high-level professorial positions with the following institutions:

• Chester University
• Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Fees & funding

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £4,786

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £23,400

Other essential costs***: There no additional costs in excess of £50 per item.

…How do I pay for it? Find out more about   funding options,   including loans, grants,   scholarships   and bursaries. 

* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2024/25.

* Please note that for research courses, we adopt the minimum fee level recommended by the UK Research Councils for the Home   tuition fee. Each year, the fee level is adjusted in line with inflation (currently, the measure used is the Treasury GDP deflator). Fees displayed here are therefore subject to change and are usually confirmed in the spring of the year of entry.   For more information on the Research Council Indicative Fee please see the   UKRI website.

** This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25.   

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. For further information, please see our  terms and conditions .

***   These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included. 

Scholarships

The School offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships that contribute towards tuition fees and/or maintenance.  These scholarships are highly competitive. Applicants are expected to have an outstanding track record of academic achievements and research potential.

The Scholarship competition for the academic year 2023/2024 has now been closed. Please check back later for announcement for academic year 2024/2025.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) . This means your qualification is recognised in the industry, giving you a competitive edge when applying for jobs.

Explore Royal Holloway

Get help paying for your studies at Royal Holloway through a range of scholarships and bursaries.

Clubs and societies

There are lots of exciting ways to get involved at Royal Holloway. Discover new interests and enjoy existing ones.

Heading to university is exciting. Finding the right place to live will get you off to a good start.

Whether you need support with your health or practical advice on budgeting or finding part-time work, we can help.

Discover more about our academic departments and schools.

Research Excellence Framework

Find out why Royal Holloway is in the top 25% of UK universities for research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Challenge-led research themes

Royal Holloway is a research intensive university and our academics collaborate across disciplines to achieve excellence.

Discover world-class research at Royal Holloway.

Discover more about who we are today, and our vision for the future.

Royal Holloway began as two pioneering colleges for the education of women in the 19th century, and their spirit lives on today.

We’ve played a role in thousands of careers, some of them particularly remarkable.

Find about our decision-making processes and the people who lead and manage Royal Holloway today.

• Schools & departments

Management Science and Analytics PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time

Funding opportunities

Upcoming Introduction to Postgraduate Study and Research events

Join us online on the 19th June or 26th June to learn more about studying and researching at Edinburgh.

Choose your event and register

Research profile

As part of a world-renowned University, triple accredited (AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS) and ranked 5th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, 2022) within Business and Management. The Business School provides a dynamic and supportive research environment for our large and diverse graduate community.

The Business School's research mission is to produce theory-led, practically relevant research that addresses contemporary organisational and management challenges faced by businesses, public organisations, regulatory bodies, and policy-makers.

Our research subject groups

The School has significant research expertise in the following disciplines:

• Accounting and Finance
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Management Science and Business Economics
• Organisation Studies

Our research themes

Staff across these six disciplinary subject groups work together to carry out research under the following themes:

• Climate Change and Sustainability
• Corporate Finance
• Entrepreneurship
• Interdisciplinary Accounting
• Leadership, Organisations, and Society
• Management Science

Research centres and networks

Our Centres and Networks bring together established and new researchers to develop and disseminate new knowledge:

• Business school research centres, institutes and networks

Interdisciplinary research

The Business School has capitalised on opportunities afforded by our Edinburgh location and cultivated links with other parts of the University to develop and lead new areas of expertise. Areas of expertise include financial services and FinTech, creative industries, and digital tourism.

The School has links with other schools at the University, including Social and Political Studies, Mathematics and Law, allowing students with cross-disciplinary interests to find expertise, support and supervision.

Your research

As a doctoral researcher, you will have the opportunity to pursue original research and make a significant contribution to your chosen field.

The strength of your application for our programme depends on the fit of your proposal with the School’s research mission and themes, and particularly how it fits with the research interests of our academic staff.

We therefore strongly recommend you make contact with a potential supervisor before applying. Check out the links to our research disciplines and themes above to find one of our academic colleagues you would be interested to work with, who would have the expertise to support your studies.

When approaching a potential supervisor please ensure you give them an up-to-date CV and a draft research proposal. If you are not sure who to approach, please contact our admissions team [email protected]

• Guidance on writing a research proposal

Programme structure

The PhD in Management Science and Analytics is 3 years full-time with an additional year at the end to allow you to complete the writing up of your thesis.

You will take compulsory taught courses during your first year to build your research skills and the knowledge required for your area of study.

To be awarded a PhD, you will need to defend your written thesis in an oral examination called a viva.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Training and support

Your supervisory team will be made up of at least two members of academic staff who will meet with you regularly to discuss your research progress and plans.

You will be assigned to one of our research subject groups relevant to your topic and the group hosts regular research activities.

Our doctoral training programme will allow you to pursue research and professional skill training alongside your subject-specific taught courses.

There will be a variety of seminars and workshops delivered by international experts throughout the year, providing further opportunities for advanced learning and networking.

Another way the Business School supports your individual development is through dedicated funding. Doctoral researchers can apply to use this funding for further opportunities such as attending international conferences or professional body membership fees.

The Business School's location right in the heart of Edinburgh means you will be based close to the city’s cultural attractions, including a wealth of libraries, archives, museums and galleries.

As a doctoral researcher at the Business School, you will have access to our PhD study spaces, as well as the staff lunch room and kitchen.

The Business School has its own postgraduate library and study centre (The Hub), a Finance Computer Lab, and Librarian who can help you find the information you need throughout your studies.

Our world-class research programmes offer:

• Supervision from acclaimed academic faculty within a wider range of subject areas
• Courses designed to expand your knowledge base and develop your research strategies
• Dedicated, modern facilities with state-of-the-art databases and specialist resources
• A peer network of students and inspiring alumni from across the globe
• A vibrant research environment with regular seminars, masterclasses, and events allowing you to connect and learn from experts across the business world

Career opportunities

The Business School offers training events and support for all our postgraduate research students in both academic and professional skills – we support a diversity of career pathways.

There are opportunities for doctoral researchers to be employed as our Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants.

Graduates from our postgraduate research degrees often pursue further careers at internationally renowned universities or become senior consultants for private and public bodies.

• Why choose a PhD at the University of Edinburgh Business School?

Listen to staff and students at the Business School discuss the doctoral programme.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

Entrance to the Business School PhD programmes is competitive.

While academic credentials are important for a successful application, we also pay great attention to the fit of students with the proposed project, as well as the research expertise and interests of our academic faculty.

Minimum academic requirements

For entry to the PhD programme applicants must meet the following minimum academic qualifications.

A postgraduate masters degree from an accredited institution in the UK or overseas, showing evidence of above-average academic achievement. This includes:

• a degree classification with a mark of 65% or more overall (University of Edinburgh level, or overseas equivalent)
• normally, a masters dissertation at the distinction level (University of Edinburgh level, or overseas equivalent) in a relevant programme with significant quantitative elements. MBA or master's students without a dissertation are welcome to apply and should normally provide evidence of distinction level work.

Applications may be accepted from those still currently studying for a masters degree; however, any offer will be conditional on the successful completion of the degree at the required standard.

Applicants with significant industry experience or with relevant professional qualifications will be given due consideration on a case-by-case basis. However, these applicants must also have a minimum of a bachelors degree in a relevant programme with significant quantitative elements.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding.

There are various scholarship opportunities. For those joining in September 2023, the Business School scholarships will be advertised late November 2022 on our School website.

• Business School scholarships and funding

Other funding opportunities

The University has a detailed search of financial aid available for all prospective students.

• Search for Bursaries, Scholarships and other Financial Aid available to all prospective students

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Research Admissions
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5337
• Contact: [email protected]
• Director of Research Degrees, Dr Ben Marder
• Contact: [email protected]
• University of Edinburgh Business School
• 29 Buccleuch Place
• Central Campus
• School: Business School
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Management Science and Analytics - 3 Years (Full-time)

Application deadlines.

Supervisors can accept students on a first-come, first-served basis and the programme may close early if it reaches capacity.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Choose start date: Start date: September 2024 Duration: Five to six years Deadline: Applications are now closed Fee: Fully funded Location: London, UK Admissions Funding and scholarships

A fully-funded PhD for aspiring scholars seeking an academic career 

We believe that rigorous academic analysis can provide practical solutions to complex problems in society. Our fully-funded PhD programme provides students with the opportunity to conduct their own research in a world-leading university, finding solutions to key challenges in modern business. As a Business School, we rank first in the UK for research environment and second for management and business students, while Imperial College London ranks first in the UK overall for research (REF 2021). 

Starting with a one or two-year Master’s in Research (MRes), depending on your chosen research area, you will gain a strong theoretical grounding and thorough research training to prepare you for the PhD. As a doctoral student you will have the benefit of supervision from leading world scholars. You will develop the expertise and research skills necessary to pursue a career in academia with previous Imperial doctoral graduates finding success in other leading universities such as Copenhagen Business School, Tsinghua University, University of Amsterdam, University College London, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

97% world-leading or internationally excellent research (REF 2021) #1 in the UK for research (Imperial College London, REF 2021) 1% top one per cent of business schools worldwide to have achieved triple accreditation 6 research areas Explore the programme

Advance your academic success at a world class research institution

3rd in Europe (Imperial College London, Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024)

6th in the world (Imperial College London, QS World University Rankings 2024)

#1 city for students (London, QS Best Student City Rankings 2024)

Build your career with our global reputation

With particular expertise in finance, entrepreneurship, health, and sustainable business, the Business School is recognised as leading the field. Benefit from strong industry partnerships and a diverse alumni network. 

A fully-funded programme

Every student on our Doctoral programme is offered full funding, including a full tuition fee waiver (Home/EU or Overseas fees) plus a living stipend for up to five years. Funding for a 6th year can be considered on a case-by-case basis, with the potential to undertake a teaching or research assistant studentship with one of the Business Schools research centres.  

World-class faculty

Our internationally admired faculty are leaders in their respective fields, bringing a wealth of experience and academic distinction. They are deeply invested in developing the research interests of our PhD students, fostering an environment of intellectual growth and innovation. 

Impact on industry

Working closely with businesses and governments, we drive policy and practice through inspiring collaboration and research excellence, giving you the opportunity to observe the impact of research on business and society. 

Inspiring intellectual community

Engage with a diverse cohort of fellow PhD students and researchers, creating an inspiring and collaborative environment that encourages intellectual development and professional connections. 

Programme content

The Business School Master’s in Research (MRes) is an integral part of the PhD, introducing theory and research methods in Finance, Economics and Management, providing you with a solid foundation for your doctoral studies. Depending on the research area you choose to specialise in, you will embark on a one or two-year MRes programme as shown below. 

*Please note programme content is subject to change. The modules mentioned below are just a sample of what is available in the programme.

Data Analysis Tools

This course provides students with a basic foundation in mathematics and statistics required to undertake further quantitative research methods courses. This course consists of two parts, statistics and mathematics. Topics covered include: matrix algebra; optimization; differential equations; random variables and probability distributions; moments of a random variable; probability distributions; joint, marginal and conditional distributions; functions and transformation of a random variable; hypothesis testing; univariate regression.

Systematic Reviews

When starting new research, the first step is usually a literature review: scanning what is already known about a given topic and figuring out where the gaps are. However, novice researchers tend to be anything but systematic in their literature review: they have no method for scanning the literature, and they usually have little idea of what is relevant and what is not. The Systematic Review method opens a way to create research syntheses that add real value and novel insight – in a way that is potentially publishable in its own right.

Specialist Modules

Optimisation

Stochastic Processes - This module introduces you to basic tools for modelling stochastic phenomena. The focus of the module is the theory of stochastic processes, but applications will be drawn from operations research, analytics / ML, and finance to illustrate the usage of the models for studying real-world business problems

Machine Learning for Analytics - This module gives you an overview of machine learning methods for analytics. Applications in the module will be drawn from various sources including medical applications (e.g. patient discharge from hospitals), recommender systems and the Netflix prize, advertising and marketing, estimating scofflaw rates, reputations systems and Google's PageRank algorithm, filtering, text mining, sports analytics etc.

Decision Making Under Uncertainty - This module gives you an overview of different paradigms of decision making in dynamic uncertain environments, including dynamic programming, stochastic optimisation and robust optimisation. Along with theory, applications in operations management and analytics will be introduced, with the aim of preparing you for research in these areas.

Industrial Organisation

Sustainable Behaviour - This module aims to provide you with an in-depth exposure to the emerging academic field of sustainable behaviour. You will be presented with the main methodological tool used in behavioural research (lab and field experiments) as well with the multiple articles and journals which have published cutting-edge experimental research on sustainable behaviour across a wide variety of contexts.

Consumer Behaviour - This module aims to give you a robust foundation in consumer behaviour and how it relates to marketing. The module covers topics such as how consumers process marketing communications, how consumer involvement affects decision making, and how external factors impact consumer behaviour.

Microeconomics 1

Microeconomics 2

Research methods modules

Applied Microeconometrics

Applied Microeconometrics 2

Econometrics 1

Econometrics 2

Qualitative Methods 1

Qualitative Methods 2

Quantitative Methods 2

Other elective modules

You can choose from a range of elective modules relevant to your pathway.

Asset Pricing Theory 

Corporate Finance

Consumer Behaviour

Empirical Asset Pricing

Entrepreneurship 

Financial Economics of Climate Sustainability

Machine Learning for Analytics

Machine Learning for Economic Analysis

Macroeconomics

Macro-Finance

Micro Development Economics

Organisational Behaviour

Organisation Theory 

Topics in Empirical Banking 

Topics in Environmental Resource Economics 

Topics in Health Economics

Topics in Household Finance 

Business Models and Intellectual Property*

Contemporary Topics in Health Policy*

Digital Marketing Analytics*

Healthcare and Medical Analytics*

Logistics and Supply Chain Analytics*

Optimisation and Decision Models*

Retail and Marketing Analysis*

Workforce Analytics*

*These modules are available subject to capacity and timetabling constraints in other faculties and are differently weighted to the MRes Business electives

Year one compulsory modules for Economics and Public Policy pathway

Applied Microeconometrics I  - This module will provide an introduction to the practice of applied microeconometrics. Students will learn the standard empirical methods in current use by applied researchers and be exposed to a handful of frontier approaches. The focus will be on implementation beyond simply estimating a parameter of interest: getting the standard errors right, validation and conducting appropriate robustness exercises, and adapting methods to fit new contexts.

Applied Microeconometrics II  - This module will be an introduction to some of the most important themes for students wishing to conduct their own research in Empirical Corporate Finance. For other students, this module will help students gain a better understanding of research related to your own field. Topics covered include: regression refresher, causality and randomized experiments, instrumental variables, difference-in-difference, regression discontinuity, standard errors, event studies, discrete response models, matching methods, and non-parametric methods

Econometrics I  - The module has the objective to provide the students with econometric tools necessary to conduct their empirical research and discuss fundamentals of econometric theory behind them. Students will learn how to conduct - and how to critique - empirical studies in finance, economics and related fields.

Macroeconomics  - This course covers research issues that arise in the intersection of macroeconomics and finance. Topics include portfolio choice, general equilibrium models with heterogeneous agents and dynamic asset pricing models.

Microeconomics I  - The module covers the main tools of microeconomic theory and focuses on preferences, consumer theory, choice under uncertainty, producer theory, and game theory. Time permitting, it introduces general equilibrium in competitive markets. The emphasis is on economic intuition as well as techniques. The fundamental concepts of microeconomic theory are discussed.

Microeconomics II  -   This module covers competitive equilibrium, markets with imperfect, competition and asymmetric information, general equilibrium, Social choice and mechanism design

Research Experience  – This module is intended to give students practical experience of research preparation for their dissertation the following year.  They will undertake research tasks under the supervision of a faculty member on a topic chosen by the faculty member.  Students can select those projects that fit their research interests.

Year one compulsory modules for Finance pathway

Empirical Corporate Finance  - This module will provide an introduction to the practice of applied microeconometrics. Students will learn the standard empirical methods in current use by applied researchers and be exposed to a handful of frontier approaches. The focus will be on implementation beyond simply estimating a parameter of interest: getting the standard errors right, validation and conducting appropriate robustness exercises, and adapting methods to fit new contexts.

Econometrics II    - This module will be an introduction to some of the most important themes for students wishing to conduct their own research in Empirical Corporate Finance. For other students, this module will help students gain a better understanding of research related to your own field. Topics covered include: regression refresher, causality and randomized experiments, instrumental variables, difference-in-difference, regression discontinuity, standard errors, event studies, discrete response models, matching methods, and non-parametric methods. 

Econometrics I  - The module has the objective to provide the students with econometric tools necessary to conduct their empirical research and discuss fundamentals of econometric theory behind them. Students will learn how to conduct - and how to critique - empirical studies in finance, economics and related fields.

Microeconomics I  - The module covers the main tools of microeconomic theory and focuses on preferences, consumer theory, choice under uncertainty, producer theory, and game theory. Time permitting, it introduces general equilibrium in competitive markets. The emphasis is on economic intuition as well as techniques. The fundamental concepts of microeconomic theory are discussed.

Corporate Finance  - This module is taught in two parts, starting with a historical background, and then considering the theory of investment decisions, capital structure, financial innovation, and corporate governance.

Asset Pricing Theory  - The first part of this module deals with representative investors, portfolio choice and dynamic securities markets in discrete time before covering portfolio choice in continuous time and option pricing. The second part starts from the asset pricing implications of a general equilibrium Lucas-tree economy. Then, it discusses the main asset pricing puzzles implied by these economies. Finally, we will explore optimal portfolio choice, multiple trees economies and some of the latest attempts in the asset pricing literature to solve some of these puzzles.

Empirical Asset Pricing  -   The module is intended for students with a prior knowledge of asset pricing theory, capital markets and econometrics, and will concentrate on discrete-time methods and use a variety of econometric techniques. The module will cover these econometric tools in order to empirically address meaningful economic questions.

Research Experience  - This module is intended to give students practical experience of research preparation for their dissertation the following year.  They will undertake research tasks under the supervision of a faculty member on a topic chosen by the faculty member.  Students can select those projects that fit their research interests.

Year one compulsory modules for Innovation and Entrepreneurship pathway

Introduction to the Practice of Research  - This module will introduce you to the craft of research. You will develop the skills and knowledge you need to effectively produce research questions and hypotheses, ensuring consistency between theory, research design, methods and measures, and developing a clear and compelling argument.

Qualitative Methods I  - This module covers research methods required in qualitative research. You will develop skills in all aspects of the research process, including research design, data collection, data analysis, theory building, writing up as well as reviewing papers and responding to referees. The module is essential for those who wish to author qualitative research but will also be useful for quantitative researchers.

Quantitative Methods I  - This module provides an overview of the primary quantitative methods employed in management research. It will enable you to develop the ability to interpret the results of your own research as well as to critically assess the findings presented in other studies. The emphasis will be on the practical application of different estimation models using STATA rather than on the econometrics and mathematical specification.

Organisational Behaviour  - In this module you will be introduced to a selection of most seminal papers in organisational behaviour with a particular focus on classic and contemporary theories, ongoing controversies, and ground-breaking empirical studies. The emphasis is on providing a foundational overview of the field.

Organisational Theory  - This module will expose you to the major theoretical perspectives and issues studied in organisation theory research. You will also be exposed to a set of approaches to understanding how and why organisations form, survive and grow.

Strategy  - In this module you will develop the fundamentals of strategy including the theories of competitive advantage, industry analysis, understanding of resource based view/knowledge based view, and corporate strategy.

Innovation Management  - This module will offer a thorough theoretical understanding of the key themes of innovation research, combined with practical insights into the challenges of innovation management in organisations. You will address topics ranging from technological change, creativity, the role of networks in innovation, and appropriability/value capture from innovation.

Entrepreneurship  - This module introduces students to the major theoretical threads and debates in the field of entrepreneurship. Students will learn to make connections between theory and empirical research, practice critiquing and identifying insight in research, engage with fundamental debates in the field and formulate directions how the field may be further advanced.

Year one compulsory modules for Strategy and Organisational Behaviour pathway

Elective modules for economics and public policy pathway.

Asset Pricing Theory

Decision Making Under Certainty

Econometrics I

Econometrics II 

Financial Economics of Climate and Sustainability

Machine Learning for Economics Analysis

Macroeconomics 

Microeconomics I

Microeconomics II 

Sustainable Behaviour

Topics in Empirical Banking

Topics in Environmental Resource Economics

Topics in Household Finance

Elective modules for Finance pathway

Advanced Financial Statistics

Asset Allocation and Investment Strategies

Big Data in Finance I

Big Data in Finance II

Decision Making Under Uncertainty

Econometrics II

Financial Economics for Climate Sustainability

Microeconomics II

Elective modules for Innovation and Entrepreneurship pathway

Advanced Topics in Organisational Behaviour

Corporate Sustainability

Interdisciplinary Research

Qualitative Methods II

Readings in Digital Business

Readings in Social Networks/Social Capital

Social Network Analysis

Social Data Science

Special Topics in Organisational Theory/Strategy

Elective modules for Strategy and Organisational behaviour pathway

Advanced Topics in Organisational Behaviour 

Social Network Analysis 

Research Project

During the second year, students work on their MRes project which is formally assessed and counts towards the overall MRes mark. Students are expected to approach potential supervisors from within the department’s academic staff. Students submit their proposed research project title and a brief outline by the end of September of Year two. Students submit a Progress Report in February, outlining their progress to date with the thesis. During the Summer Term, students will submit their MRes dissertation. This will be followed by an oral exam

Research plan 

When you progress from the MRes to the PhD, you will work with your supervisors, chosen based on your research interests. Your supervisors will help you develop your research question, identify research and teaching opportunities and support you through your studies and the academic job application process.  

Seminars and conferences

Being part of the School’s inspirational research community is a crucial aspect of the doctoral experience – as is gaining familiarity with cutting edge research from world-leading academics. Each department runs seminars where internal and external academics discuss their latest work.  

As well as providing insight into yet-to-be-published research, the seminars offer networking opportunities and visiting academics often lead special topic workshops for research students. The Doctoral programme also supports the participation of research students in international conferences where you can present your own research and participate in doctoral consortia. 

Early Stage Assessment 

The Early Stage Assessment (ESA) takes place in the summer of year one of the PhD and is assessed by a panel of faculty. The ESA outlines the research question, the work you have done to date and the future research activities to be carried out to complete the project. 

It consists of a written report and presentation to which all PhD students and research department faculty are invited. The purpose of the ESA is not only to assess your personal progress but it also gives you the opportunity to discuss your work at its early stages and get feedback and ideas from faculty to improve your research. 

Armed with feedback from the Early Stage Assessment, you will work intensely on your thesis, focusing on the collection and analysis of empirical data and developing theoretical frameworks. Under the guidance of your supervisors, the thesis gives you the opportunity to conduct a substantial piece of original research. 

Late stage review

The Late Stage Review (LSR) takes place in the summer of year two of the PhD and follows the same principle as the Early Stage Assessment, in that its purpose is to assess your progress and provide you with feedback and advice on the direction and scope of your research. 

Our research areas

What our students say

“The programme structure is different from many other business schools because during the first year at Imperial we study the Master’s of Research (MRes), which is focused on developing strong foundations before continuing to the PhD programme. This also gives us additional time to discover opportunities and find the right paths for our research.”

Class profile 2022

20 new students per year

51% female students

20 nationalities represented

Funding and scholarships

Request a brochure, career impact.

In recent years, our PhD students have joined leading universities, research centres and institutions such as Tsinghua University, University College London, Copenhagen Business School, the Bank of England, the University of Bath, King’s College London, National Chengchi University, the University of Sussex and Renmin University in China. Others have sought top positions in industry or founded successful start-ups.

The doctoral programme has been re-structured in recent years to focus more on academic development and it is anticipated that over the coming years placements will focus more on academia than industry.

Find out more about career outcomes

Meet your faculty

Our PhD programme provides close collaboration between leading Analytics & Operations faculty and doctoral students, developing your research interests and providing continuous support and guidance throughout the programme.  

Alexander Michaelides

Kalyan Talluri

Wolfram Wiesemann

Edward Anderson

Martin Haugh

Xiaocheng Li

Reza Skandari

Jiankun Sun

Carol Propper

Franco Sassi

Jonathan Haskel

Marisa Miraldo

Richard Green

Pedro Rosa Dias

Esther Bøler

Franklin Allen

Patrick Bolton

Ramana Nanda

Lara Cathcart

Enrico Biffis

Christopher Hansman

Clara Martinez-Toledano

Alan Hughes

Celia Moore

Markus Perkmann

Christopher Tucci

James Barlow

Ileana Stigliani

Mark Kennedy

James Eteen

Eduardo B. Andrade

Andreas Eisingerich

Rajesh Bhargave

Sven Mikolon

Michelle Rogan

Frequently asked questions, how long does it take to complete the doctoral programme.

The Doctoral programme is structured to take between four to six years full-time. In the first year, all students undertake a one or two year MRes programme depending on their chosen research area specialism. Subject to satisfactory academic progress, students then progress to the PhD which takes between 3-4 years.

When does the academic year start?

The Doctoral programme has one intake each year in September and is spread over four to six years.

Do you offer any distance learning or part-time research programmes?

It is not possible to enrol on the Doctoral programme on a part-time or distance learning basis. Students must be in attendance throughout the full period of study.

Can I transfer from my current Doctoral programme to Imperial College Business School's Doctoral programme?

It is not usually possible to transfer onto the Doctoral programme as it is unlikely that previous studies would perfectly overlap with the School’s expertise.

Can I come to Imperial College Business School as a visiting student?

Please visit Imperial College London's visiting students page .

Can I have a part-time job whilst enrolled in the programme?

The Doctoral programme is full time. Students are able to undertake part-time work if this does not break any relevant visa and/or scholarship conditions, however the programme offers a living stipend to support students during their studies.

How many students do you accept onto the Doctoral programme every year?

Admission onto the Doctoral programme is highly competitive as we accept around 15 students each year, from a total of approximately 200 applications.

Is there a workspace assigned to Doctoral students?

There is a designated workspace which includes a computer and relevant software assigned to all enrolled Doctoral students. You will share working space with other PhD students in your cohort.

How do I apply and what documents do I need to submit with my application?

All applications to the Doctoral programme are made via our online platform. You will either need to select 'Business (MRes 1YFT)' or 'Business (MRes 2YFT)' based on your research area of interest. Further information can be found on our  Doctoral programme page.

Please refer to the  How to apply page  to see application deadlines, what documents you are required to submit with your application and to view the selection process.

When is the application deadline?

To find out more about application deadlines for our Doctoral programme please  visit the How to apply page .

What do I need to include in my statement of purpose?

One of the most important parts of our application form is the ‘statement of purpose’ section. It should be no more than one or two A4 pages and should cover the following points:

Your motivation for undertaking the programme

A discussion of possible research areas that you might pursue and how these are a good fit for Imperial College Business School

What interests you most about your chosen field of study

Relevant past study, industry, or research projects

Long-term career goals

I haven't decided what area I want to specialise in for my PhD, what should I do?

You should browse the description of the different research groups in the Business School and the webpages of faculty members. This will give an overview of their research interests and current projects. The MRes gives you an opportunity to pursue potential interests through courses and a project prior to committing to the PhD

Do I need a willing supervisor prior to application?

No, although in your application you should list a member of  faculty  you have identified as a potential supervisor. You can demonstrate in your statement of purpose how your research interests are aligned to a potential supervisor and the Business School.

Checking the research profiles of faculty members and Business School projects will give you an indication of whether the Business School is a good fit for you. If no faculty are working in your area of interest it is unlikely that you would be shortlisted, as we may not be able to provide supervisory support during your PhD.

During the MRes year, you will become part of the research community at Imperial College Business School and interact with faculty and other PhD students during taught courses and at seminars, which we hope will influence and help shape your research ideas for the PhD.

Are all applicants interviewed?

Not all applications progress to the interview stage of the selection process, however we interview all shortlisted candidates before making an offer. In the case of overseas candidates we will arrange an interview by telephone or via Skype.

Is GMAT/GRE a compulsory requirement?

Yes. A GMAT/GRE score must be submitted before we will consider an application. Any applications submitted without a GMAT/GRE score will be considered incomplete until we receive a score. Please note that we do not make offers on the condition that a candidate achieves a satisfactory GMAT/GRE score. To see the GMAT/GRE scores we look for, please refer to the  Entry Requirements page .

Do you offer Doctoral funding and stipend?

We offer a fully funded Doctoral programme at Imperial College Business School – this includes a tuition fee waiver and a stipend for up to five years. The 2024-25 rate of the Graduate Teaching Assistant scholarship stipend is £25,000. Rates are reviewed annually and are expected to increase for 2025-26 in line with Research Council UK rates. Stipends are tax-free and the continuation of the stipend will depend on your satisfactory progress on the programme.

What living costs should I allow for in London?

Living costs vary considerably depending on the area of London you choose to live in and your choice of accommodation.

Read more about  estimated London living costs  and  accommodation for postgraduates .

Do you offer Doctoral scholarships?

Within Imperial, we also have funding opportunities from various external studentships, including EPSRC, ESRC, and the Imperial College President’s PhD Scholarships .

Students who are eligible for other PhD  funding opportunities  that may be available to them are expected to apply for them.

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Course Overview

An MPhil/PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation of up to 100,000 words. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first year or two. You need to find a suitable academic supervisor at Birkbeck, who can offer the requisite expertise to guide and support you through your research. Find out more about undertaking a research degree at Birkbeck .

The MPhil/PhD Management is ideal for those who wish to pursue academic careers involving teaching and research in management, or to further careers in consultancy or policy work. You will be required to be highly motivated, well organised, prepared to learn your subject in depth, and able to engage constructively and critically with a range of academic research related to your topic to complete an independent research project. 

Birkbeck has particular strengths in the study of innovation and entrepreneurship; marketing; labour economics and industrial relations; international business; corporate governance and corporate social responsibility; strategy as practice, organisation theory, information systems strategy, social networks, and trust within organisations; corporate finance and financial reporting; and the management and regulation of sport. Our research draws on the methods and theories of various social science disciplines - principally economics, psychology and sociology, but also geography and political science. 

During the first year you are required to take four modules for credit:  Research Philosophy ,  Qualitative Research Methods , Organization Theory and Quantitative Methods for Finance and Business . After these modules comes completion of your Research Prospectus, which includes a preliminary literature review and a plan for the rest of your thesis research. This is due in June of the first year for full-time students, or of the second year for part-time students.

Satisfactory completion of the modules and the Research Prospectus is necessary for continuing with the degree. Following this you will proceed with data collection, analysis and writing your PhD thesis.  Read our guidance for prospective MPhil/PhD students in management .

Key information

Management mphil/phd: 7 years part-time, on campus, starting 2024-25, management mphil/phd: 4 years full-time, on campus, starting 2024-25.

Find another course:

• We engage in significant collaborative research and have excellent contacts with many public and private sector organisations, professional bodies and researchers at other academic institutions.
• Birkbeck’s research excellence was  confirmed in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework  with 83% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
• Our academic staff have considerable strengths in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies which have been used in a wide variety of organisational settings. Actively engaged in their own research, they understand how important your research is to you, and aim to provide you with expert supervision and support.
• You will get access to superb library resources, including: Birkbeck Library , including our electronic library, the British Library , Senate House ( University of London) Library and libraries in the Bloomsbury area .

Entry Requirements

Usually, we require a high 2:1 or above for your undergraduate degree and a merit for your master’s. At least one of your previous degrees should be in an area relevant to your proposed research. We will also need to see your degree transcripts, which provide a breakdown of your marks, in addition to your degree certificates. 

In general, we do not admit, directly to the MPhil/PhD, students whose master’s degree is an MBA; we instead recommend our  MRes Management  as preparation for the MPhil/PhD degree. 

English language requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this programme is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 7.0, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement,  we offer pre-sessional English courses, foundation programmes and language support services  to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our  English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country .

Visa and funding requirements

If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

• Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
• Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).

For full information, read our visa information for international students page .

Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country .

Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

Management MPhil/PhD: 7 years part-time or 4 years full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2024-25

Academic year 2024–25, starting october 2024.

Part-time home students: £2,539 per year Full-time home students: £4,786 per year Part-time international students : £7,525 per year Full-time international students: £14,885 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy .

If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.

Fees and finance

PhD students resident in England can apply for government loans of over £26,000 to cover the cost of tuition fees, maintenance and other study-related costs.

Flexible finance: pay your fees in monthly instalments at no extra cost . Enrol early to spread your costs and reduce your monthly payments.

We offer a range of studentships and funding options to support your research.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

International scholarships

We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship .

Our research culture

The Birkbeck Business School provides high-quality research that is theoretically informed and socially and practically relevant in the fields of business and management. We engage in collaborative research with other academic institutions and have excellent contacts with many public and private sector organisations and professional bodies.

As a research student, you will receive training in theory and research methodology during your first year (full-time) or first two years (part-time). During the first year you are required to take four modules for credit:  Research Philosophy ,  Qualitative Research Methods , Organization Theory and Quantitative Methods for Finance and Business . You will also complete a Research Prospectus with a review of the key literature of the field and the specific research questions you wish to pursue. You will be invited to attend research student seminars and other research workshops. We offer a wide range of  student support and study facilities .

Find out more about  studying for an MPhil/PhD in Management at Birkbeck.

Read more about  our vibrant research culture .

Follow these steps to apply for the MPhil/PhD Management at Birkbeck:

1. Check that you meet the entry requirements, including English language requirements, as described on this page. 

2. Draft a research proposal (approximately 2,000-3,000 words plus references). A PhD proposal is an outline of your proposed project. It includes an introduction, a literature review/theoretical framing, the research aims/questions and the research methodology. Your research proposal must articulate the fundamental issues or questions you plan to investigate in your research project and should specify the broader area in which your research is situated, making reference to the existing body of knowledge and any ongoing debates on the topic. We will be assessing:

• your expertise in your chosen research area
• your knowledge of the literature
• the feasibility of your project
• the quality and originality of your ideas.

Find out more about writing a research proposal .

3. Contact a potential supervisor for your MPhil/PhD research. Whilst you will certainly develop a few drafts of your research proposal before you submit it to us as part of the application, it is important that it is clear and well-written when you make the first contact with your potential supervisor(s). Once you are ready, you can contact them to share your research proposal and Curriculum Vitae (CV). If they are willing and able to supervise your research, they may be able to help you further refine your proposal before you submit your final application.

You can look at the Find a Supervisor area on this page for an overview,  search our Experts’ Database  or  browse our staff pages  for more in-depth information.

4. Get an agreement in principle with a supervisor before submitting an online application. If you apply without first getting the support of a potential supervisor, your application will be rejected. (Please note: finding a potential supervisor does not guarantee admission to the research degree, as this decision is made using your whole application.)  Find out more about the supervisory relationship and how your supervisor will support your research .

5. Apply directly to Birkbeck, using the online application link on this page. You will need to provide the names and contact details of two referees who can speak to your academic/research abilities.

6. Our course team will be able to offer you advice and support, and guide you through your studies from application to graduation.

• PhD Programme Director:  Dr Konstantinos Chalkias

All research students are initially registered on an MPhil and then upgrade to a PhD after making sufficient progress. 

Find out more about the application process, writing a research proposal and the timeframe . 

Application deadlines and interviews

We admit students to begin only at the start of autumn term (end of September) as the first-year programme is structured around autumn entry.

You should have met with your prospective supervisor and submitted your application online by 15 July. We will try to process later applications, but we need to allow time both for interviews and, where necessary, visa-related paperwork.

If you wish to apply for funding, you will need to apply by certain deadlines. Consult the websites of relevant bodies for details.

Apply for your course

Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section .

Finding a supervisor

A critical factor when applying for postgraduate study in management is the correlation between the applicant’s intellectual and research interests and those of one or more potential supervisors.

Find out more about the research interests of our academic staff who may be available to supervise (either as principal supervisor or as co-supervisor) PhD theses:

Accounting and finance

• Christine Guo, BSc, MSc, PhD : CAPM; stochastic differential equations; macro, international and financial economics; valuation of equity.
• Professor Emmanouil Mamatzakis, BSc, MSc, DPhil : accounting and finance; banking and finance; financial econometrics; earnings management; corporate finance; credit risk and financial stability; forecasting; behavioural finance (symmetric-asymmetric loss functions); public finance management; sovereign debt crisis in the euro area; applied micro-econometrics.
• Lorenzo Neri, BA, MSc, PhD : corporate governance; corporate disclosure strategy; earnings management; family business; risk reporting.
• Ellen Pei-yi Yu, BSc, MSocSc, PhD : ESG topics (environmental, social responsibility and governance); ethical investment and asset management; financial institutions management such as hybrid bank capital securities and the design of executive compensation pay.
• Grace (Bo) Peng, BSc, MPhil, PhD : entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurial exit and international entrepreneurship.
• Panagiota Makrychoriti, BSc, MSc, PhD : monetary policy; international macroeconomics; credit risk; behavioural finance; financial econometrics; systemic risk.

Corporate governance/Corporate social responsibility/Social capital

• Luca Andriani, BA, PGCert, MSc, PhD : informal institutions; pro-social behaviour; social capital; social trust and trust in public institutions; corruption; tax morale.
• Ioanna Boulouta, BEng, MPhil, PhD : corporate responsibility and competitiveness; gender diversity and stereotypes on corporate boards; quantitative methods; social marketing campaigns.
• Professor Suzanne Konzelmann, BA, MIBS, MA, PhD : structuring the role of economic theory and policy; the interface between the financial and real sectors of the economy; industrial organisation and policy; corporate governance, restructuring and policy; the political economics of austerity.
• Arron Phillips, LL.B, PGCHE, LL.M, PhD : whistleblowing, corporate governance, law and governance, business ethics, the interplay between business and social actors, ESG, industrial relations, work conflict, political economy of CSR.
• Richard Tacon, BA, MSc, PhD : social capital, social interaction, social networks; sociology of sport; sport policy and development; corporate governance, especially in non-profit and sport organisations; organisational ethnography.
• Professor Geoff Walters, BSc, MA, PGCE: HE, PhD : corporate governance in sport; board processes; organisational responses to corporate responsibility and sustainability; the governance and management of social partnerships.

Employment relations/Human resources/Labour markets/Education

• Sara Chaudry, BSc, MA, PGCAP, PhD : international human resource management (HRM); diversity and equality management; HRM in the Middle East; HRM in multinational corporations; changing nature of the employment relationship.
• Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick, BA, MA, PhD : international and European employment relations; international trade unionism and globalisation; equal opportunities and diversity management; employee participation and economic and industrial democracy.
• Ashok Kumar, MSc, DPhil : economic geography and international political economy; globalisation and global value chains; identity formation and social movements; industrial relations and Labour's bargaining power; land economics and urban subjectivity.
• Giambattista Rossi, BA, MSc, PhD : labour and transfer markets in professional sport; role of sport agents, third party ownership in football; sport finance; sport corporate governance.
• Horen Voskeritsian BSc, MSc, PhD : European and comparative industrial relations; collective bargaining and social dialogue; undeclared work and unlawful activities at work; industrial conflict; political economy of work and employment; history and theory of industrial relations.
• Ellen Pei-yi Yu, BSc, MSSocSc, PhD : ESG topics (environmental, social responsibility and governance); ethical investment and asset management; financial institutions management such as hybrid bank capital securities and the design of executive compensation pay.

Entrepreneurship and innovation

• Professor Daniele Archibugi, BA, DPhil : innovation and technological change; global governance and its economic and political management; public policy for services, global commons and science and technology; international organisations and global democracy.
• Muthu (Lasandahasi Ranmuthumalie) De Silva, MBA, PhD : entrepreneurship; co-creation and collaboration; university-business interactions; intermediation and intermediaries; knowledge-based interactions.
• Marion Frenz, Dipl-Kffr, MSc, PhD : innovation, globalisation and economic recovery; the role of internationalisation in innovation; conceptualisation and measurement of absorptive capacity.
• Odile Janne, MA, PhD : multinational enterprises, innovation and economic development; corporate technological and innovation strategies; international patenting strategies; subsidiaries strategy; multinationals, location decisions, geography; regional innovation and growth; multinational networks.
• Chunjia Han, BSc, MSc, PhD : open innovation; user innovation; digital innovation; social media and digital marketing; big data analytics & AI; business model innovation and digital entrepreneurial finance; digitalisation-enabled business transformation.
• Professor Helen Lawton Smith, BSc, DPhil : innovation; entrepreneurship; scientific labour markets; geographies of innovation; university-industry linkages; scientific labour markets; regional, national and international innovation policy frameworks.
• Mu Yang, BSc, PhD : artificial intelligence (AI); big data analytics; social media marketing; digital innovation (blockchain, metaverse); privacy, security and data governance.

International business

• Professor Kevin Ibeh, BSc, MBA, MSc, PhD : small firm internationalisation and international entrepreneurship; international expansion of developing country/emerging market firms; export behaviour and performance.
• Professor Xiaming Liu, PhD : foreign direct investment; multinational corporations; technology transfer and spill-over; internationalisation and economic growth.
• Benedetta Crisafulli, BA, MA, MSc, PhD : digital marketing, particularly influencer marketing and the effects on consumers; customer experience management; consumer psychology in response to brands’ crises, events of corporate social irresponsibility, negative brand experiences and/or incivility; brand alliances (co-branding); sustainability and circular economy; international marketing.
• Rungpaka Amy Hackley, MSc, PhD : paratextual advertising and promotions; integrated marketing communications (IMC); advertising; product placement; branded content; non-traditional promotions; experiential consumption; brand symbolism; consumer identity; social media; digital communication; media convergence; promotional regulation and ethics; critical marketing; consumer culture research; and death rituals and death consumption.
• Wendy Hein, BA, PhD : consumer behaviour; consumer culture theory (CCT) and interpretive consumer research; gender, identities and consumption practices; ethnography and interdisciplinary research.
• Ammar Sammour, BSc, MSc, PhD : artificial intelligence; financial technology; corporate heritage branding; heritage brand identity; corporate brand experience; brand management, innovation and communication.  
• Olivier Sibai, MA, MSc, PhD : digital marketing; consumer culture theory; transformative consumer research; disharmony in the marketplace; consumer collectives; branding; embodiment and consumption; play and consumption.
• Peter Trim, BSc, MSc, MBA, MEd, PhD, FRSA, FHEA : marketing; strategic marketing; corporate intelligence and national security; international marketing.
• Fred A. Yamoah, BSc, MBA, PhD : sustainability and stakeholder marketing; sustainable product innovation marketing; food poverty; crime and security; personal values and purchase behaviour; sustainable food marketing and health; co-creation and sustainable global value chains; circular economy and strategy marketing management and sustainable supply and value chain management.

Organisation theory, organisational behaviour and strategy

• Abdulrahman Al-Surmi, BSc, PGCert, MBA, PhD : business analytics; decision making; strategic management; strategic alignment; business value of IT and marketing.
• Konstantinos Chalkias, BA, MSc, PhD : strategy as practice (SaP); practice theory; paradox theory; grand challenges; organisation studies of risk and risk management.
• Sorin Piperca, PhD : project management; strategic change; unexpected/disruptive events; complexity; interorganisational collaborations; innovation projects; knowledge production.
• Pamela Yeow, BSc, MSc, PhD : change management; attitude-behaviour gap; leadership and trust; ethics.

Sport management

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Management PhD

Key information.

• 1st  in the UK for annual research income in  2019-2022   (Chartered Association of Business Schools)
• 8th  in the UK for citations in Business and Economics   (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023)
• 16th  in the UK for Economics &   Business   (NTU Ranking 2022)

You’ll work with world-leading faculty whose findings go beyond academia – to practitioners and professionals in industry, associations, chartered institutes, decision-making bodies and public-policy organisations.

Accreditation

You’ll join the EQUIS and AMBA-accredited University of Sussex Business School. Learn more about all of our course accreditations here. Find out more

Areas of study

Our research focuses on questions such as:

• what factors influence new product/service development?
• how do institutional and geographical factors influence enterprise development?
• how do we tackle gender and race discrimination?
• how can we motivate individuals and nurture leaders?
• what could be done to promote environmental sustainability across supply-chain networks?

Find out more about research at the University of Sussex Business School

We expect successful applicants to be admitted to the Integrated PhD. This provides the rigorous research training you need to become a skilled practitioner. If you’re unsure which route to apply for, please apply for the Integrated PhD .

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Masters and P h D events

Meet us on campus or online

Book your place

Entry requirements

• UK requirements
• International requirements

Please select your country from the list.

Philippines

Saudi arabia, south africa, south korea, switzerland, united arab emirates, my country is not listed.

If your country is not listed, you need to contact us and find out the qualification level you should have for this course. Contact us

English language requirements

Ielts (academic).

High level (6.5 overall, including at least 6.0 in each component).

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.  Find out more about IELTS

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Check full details of our English Language requirements and find out more about some of the alternative English language qualifications listed below

Alternative English language qualifications

Proficiency tests, cambridge advanced certificate in english (cae).

169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill.

We would normally expect the CAE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Find out more about Cambridge English: Advanced

Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)

We would normally expect the CPE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.

You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Find out more about Cambridge English: Proficiency

LanguageCert International ESOL SELT

High level (International ESOL SELT B2 with a minimum of 39 in each component)

LanguageCert International ESOL scores are valid for two years from the test date. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about LanguageCert SELT

We only accept LanguageCert when taken at SELT Test Centres. We do not accept the online version.

Pearson PTE Academic

High level (62 overall, including at least 59 in all four skills)

PTE (Academic) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about Pearson (PTE Academic)

We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test.

TOEFL (iBT)

High level 88 overall, including at least 20 Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking, 23 in Writing.

TOEFL (iBT) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about TOEFL (iBT)

We do not accept TOEFL (iBT) Home Edition.

The TOEFL Institution Code for the University of Sussex is 9166.

English language qualifications

As/a-level (gce).

Grade C or above in English Language.

Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)/ AS or A Level: grade C or above in Use of English.

GCE O-level

Grade C or above in English.

Brunei/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.

GCSE or IGCSE

Grade C or above in English as a First Language (Grade 4 or above in GCSE from 2017).

Grade B or above in English as a Second Language.

Ghana Senior Secondary School Certificate

If awarded before 1993: grades 1-6 in English language.

If awarded between 1993 and 2005: grades A-D in English language.

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)

 Level 4, including at least 3 in each component in English Language.

Indian School Certificate (Standard XII)

The Indian School Certificate is accepted at the grades below when awarded by the following examination boards:

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – English Core only: 70%

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - English: 70% 

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

English A or English B at grade 5 or above.

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

Grades A - C in English language

Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 1119/GCE O-level

If taken before the end of 2008: grades 1-6 in English Language.

If taken from 2009 onwards: grade C or above in English Language.

The qualification must be jointly awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

West African Senior School Certificate

Grades A1-C6 (1-6) in English language when awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Country exceptions

Select to see the list of exempt english-speaking countries.

If you are a national of one of the countries below, or if you have recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree or higher in one of these countries, you will normally meet our English requirement. Note that qualifications obtained by distance learning or awarded by studying outside these countries cannot be accepted for English language purposes.

You will normally be expected to have completed the qualification within two years before starting your course at Sussex. If the qualification was obtained earlier than this, we would expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have maintained a good level of English, for example by living in an English-speaking country or working in an occupation that required you to use English regularly and to a high level.

Please note that this list is determined by the UK’s Home Office, not by the University of Sussex.

List of exempt countries: 

• Antigua and Barbuda
• New Zealand
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• The British Overseas Territories
• Trinidad and Tobago
• United Kingdom

** Canada: you must be a national of Canada; other nationals not on this list who have a degree from a Canadian institution will not normally be exempt from needing to provide evidence of English.

English language support

If you don’t meet the English language requirements for your degree, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course

• Visas and immigration

Admissions information for applicants

If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us

• How to apply

If you’d like to join us as a research student, there are two main routes:

• browse funded projects in this subject area
• browse our potential supervisors and propose your own research project.

Find out how to apply for a PhD at Sussex

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to work on your research full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. For details about part-time study, contact us at [email protected]

PhD or MPhil?

You can choose to study for a PhD or an MPhil. PhD and MPhil degrees differ in duration and in the extent of your research work.

• For a PhD, your research work makes a substantial original contribution to knowledge or understanding in your chosen field.
• For an MPhil, your work is an independent piece of research but in less depth than for a PhD. You’ll graduate with the degree title Master of Philosophy. You might be able to change to a PhD while you study for an MPhil.

Our supervisors

Prof Constantin Blome

Visiting Professor

[email protected]

View profile of Constantin Blome

Prof Odul Bozkurt

Professor of Work and Employment

[email protected]

View profile of Odul Bozkurt

Dr Petros Chamakiotis

Visiting Senior Lecturer

[email protected]

View profile of Petros Chamakiotis

Dr Benjamin Everly

Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour

[email protected]

View profile of Benjamin Everly

Dr Marv Khammash

Associate Faculty

[email protected]

View profile of Marv Khammash

Dr Michelle Luke

Reader in Organisational Behaviour

[email protected]

View profile of Michelle Luke

Dr Monica Masucci

Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Entrepreneurship

[email protected]

View profile of Monica Masucci

Prof Steven McGuire

Dean of Business School

[email protected]

View profile of Steven McGuire

Dr Piera Morlacchi

[email protected]

View profile of Piera Morlacchi

Prof Dimitra Petrakaki

Professor of Technology and Organisation

[email protected]

View profile of Dimitra Petrakaki

Dr Maria Restuccia

Lecturer In Marketing

[email protected]

View profile of Maria Restuccia

Prof Martin Schleper

[email protected]

View profile of Martin Schleper

Dr Vikrant Shirodkar

Reader in International Business

[email protected]

View profile of Vikrant Shirodkar

Dr Natalia Slutskaya

Reader in Work and Organisation Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Natalia Slutskaya

Prof Chris Storey

Professor of Marketing

[email protected]

View profile of Chris Storey

Prof Roger Strange

Professor of International Business

[email protected]

View profile of Roger Strange

Dr Shova Thapa Karki

Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability

[email protected]

View profile of Shova Thapa Karki

Prof Dennis Tourish

Professor of Leadership and Organisation Studies

[email protected]

View profile of Dennis Tourish

Prof Mirela Xheneti

Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business

[email protected]

View profile of Mirela Xheneti

Dr Biao Yang

Senior Lecturer in Operations Management

[email protected]

View profile of Biao Yang

Dr Yong Yang

[email protected]

View profile of Yong Yang

Funding and fees

How can i fund my course, funded projects and scholarships.

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals. Don’t miss out on scholarships – check the specific application deadlines for funding opportunities. Note that funded projects aren’t available for all our PhDs.

£3,000 scholarships available to environmental influencers bringing about real-world behaviour change

Find out more

£800 scholarship available to reward talented organ player studying on any course at Sussex.

Scholarships of £800 are available to reward talented musicians studying on any course at Sussex

Cash scholarships available for students who have demonstrated sporting excellence

University of Sussex Stuart Hall Doctoral Scholarship

Applying for USA Federal Student Aid?

If any part of your funding, at any time, is through USA federal Direct Loan funds, you will be registered on a separate version of this degree which does not include the possibility of distance learning which is prohibited under USA federal regulations. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid .

Part-time work

We advertise around 2,500 part-time jobs a year so you can make money and gain work experience. We have a special scheme to employ students on campus, wherever possible.

Find out more about careers and employability

How much does it cost?

Fees for self-funding students.

Home students: £4,786 per year for full-time students

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £4,786 per year for full-time students

International students: £21,500 per year for full-time students

Home PhD student fees are set at the level recommended by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) annually, rising in line with inflation. Overseas fees are subject to an annual increase - see details on our tuition fees page

Additional costs

Note about additional costs.

Please note that all costs are best estimates based on current market values. Activities may be subject to unavoidable change in response to Government advice. We’ll let you know at the earliest opportunity. We review estimates every year and they may vary with inflation. Find out how to budget for student life .

Empirical research costs

On top of your PhD fees and living costs, you may also need to cover some research and training costs, relevant to your research project. These costs will depend on your research topic and training needs, but may include: - travel (to archives, collections or scientific facilities) - a laptop - overseas fieldwork costs (travel and accommodation, and language training) - conference costs (travel, registration fees and accommodation) - laboratory consumables and workshop materials - participant costs - transcription or translation costs - open-access publication costs. If you have a scholarship from one of the UK Research Councils, your scholarship should cover these types of costs. You'll receive details of how to claim this additional funding. If you're self funded, or if your scholarship doesn’t cover these costs, check with the Research and Enterprise Co-ordinator in your School for details of School or Doctoral School funding that may be available.

• Living costs

Find out typical living costs for studying at Sussex

Find out about our terms and conditions

Explore our campus

Experience Sussex life in our virtual tour.

Start your virtual tour

PhD Information Sessions

Visit campus and chat to staff and students. Book your place

Online PhD Sessions

Join a live webchat. Book your place

International

Meet us in your country

Course enquiries

+44 (0)1273 876787

Send us a message

Admissions enquiries

If you haven’t applied yet:

+44 (0)1273 678169 business-researchstudents@​sussex.ac.uk

Find out about the University of Sussex Business School

After you’ve applied:

+44 (0)1273 877773 [email protected]

Find out how to apply

Quick links

• Guide to PhD study
• PhD support
• Academic facilities
• Open Days and events
• Accommodation
• International students
• Student life
• Order a printed prospectus

What do you want to do next?

• Courses Browse our courses by subject area
• Sussex Life Find out about life at Sussex
• Visit Come to a PhD Open Evening
• Apply Find out how to apply

PhD with Integrated Study in Management entry requirements

Admission to our PhD with Integrated Study in Management is highly competitive. While academic credentials are important for a successful application we also pay great attention to the fit of students to both the programme and the research interests of our academic faculty.

Apply early. Supervisors can accept students on a first-come, first-served basis, and the programme may close early if it reaches capacity.

Full details of the academic, English language, and application requirements for your application are detailed below.

Requirements

• English language
• Application

Applicants for the PhD with Integrated Study in Management programme should hold postgraduate masters degree from an accredited institution in the UK or overseas, showing evidence of above-average academic achievement. This includes:

• a degree classification with a mark of 65% or more overall (University of Edinburgh level, or overseas equivalent)
• normally, a masters dissertation at the distinction level (University of Edinburgh level, or overseas equivalent)
• Applicants with a masters degree without a dissertation component worth a third of degree credits will require a distinction or equivalent.

If you do not have a masters degree you may still be considered if you have a UK undergraduate degree at a First, or international equivalent, with a mark of 70 or more in the dissertation module.

You must demonstrate English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence. You can do this either by providing an approved English certificate, or providing a degree certificate.

English language certificates

We accept the following English language qualifications as evidence when they meet the minimum grades:

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) including IELTS Online: 7.0 (at least 6.0 in each section)
• Oxford ELLT Global and Digital: 9 overall (at least 7 in each component)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (formerly CAE) and C2 Proficiency (formerly CPE) : total 185 (at least 169 in each module)
• Trinity ISE (Integrated Skills in English) : ISE III with a Pass in all four components
• PTE (Pearson Test of English) : total 70 (at least 59 in each section) (Please note that we have suspended acceptance of PTE Academic Online with immediate effect)

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, in which case it can be no more than three and a half years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

For evidence of English competency we accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

• Approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the start of the month in which your programme of study begins.

More on English language requirements

In order to apply for a PhD you need to consider:

1. What is your research proposal?

Your research proposal

2. Who do you intend to work with while undertaking your research?

We strongly recommend you make contact with a potential supervisor before applying. In your application, you must name your preferred supervisor (or up to 3 in order of preference) and the academic research area you wish to work in.

Choosing a supervisor and research area

3. Do you have the supporting documents needed for your application?

Required documents guidelines

Please be aware that only complete applications will be considered. Complete applications must contain all necessary documents, including a proposed supervisor or indicating a research group in the Business School.

Joining from overseas

If you are an international student, you may need to apply for permission to study in the UK. Our Edinburgh Global office on provides information on immigration and visa requirements for students.

Immigration information

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Management (Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour) PhD Opportunities

In this PhD programme, you will undertake original research that is timely and business relevant in the area of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour .

At a glance

• Benefit from a dynamic research environment and dedicated support
• Join postgraduate research students from all over the world
• Engage with executive leaders and the practitioner community
• Programme features personal development modules and workshops
• Research driven by a number of leading centres within the department

As a postgraduate research student at Henley, you will develop your critical thinking, intellectual capacity and creativity. In this PhD programme, you will join students from all over the world. You will also benefit from a dynamic research environment and outstanding facilities.

Our faculty continuously publishes in internationally well-known and highly rated journals. This includes the Academy of Management Learning and Education , the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal , the British Journal of Management , the British Journal of Sociology , the Cambridge Journal of Economics , Group and Organization Management , the International Journal of Management Reviews , the Journal of Organizational Behaviour , the Leadership Quarterly , Organization Science , Organization Studies and the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal.

Faculty have also published books with the following imprints: Routledge, Sage, JAI Press, Edward Elgar and Harvard Business Review Press.

Please note that the Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour PhD programme does not offer a start date outside of September. You are expected to join us full-time. It is only in exceptional circumstances that we offer part-time or distance learning PhDs. If necessary, for your training, you may be required to come to the University earlier to attend some preparatory courses.

Course structure Open

The module descriptions set out on this page are correct for modules being taught in the current academic year. Optional module listings are indicative and may be subject to change.

Year One : You will have to attend modules examined according to Henley Business School rules. These modules include research methods and other areas required for your area of concentration

Confirmation of Registration : In the middle of your second year, you will present and defend your fully developed research proposal, consisting of a substantive document of around 10,000 words

Years Two and Three : The remaining part of your PhD studies will be devoted to complete your thesis before your viva examination. The maximum amount of time you are allowed before the viva examination is four years of full-time study.

During your first year of studies, you will be required to:

• Attend and obtain at least 60 credits from PhD/Masters level modules in research methods and other relevant areas (see below)
• Attend some short courses (2-3 hours each) required for the Reading Researcher Development Programme at the Doctoral and Researcher College (overseeing PhD studies within the University of Reading)
• Attend the Preparing to Teach training programme (which is necessary to be able to complete any teaching-related activities within Henley Business School)
• Participate in weekly research seminars organised by your department and others relevant to your area of interest
• Hold regular meetings with your supervisor(s).

Required taught component

All LOB first year students are expected to take the following modules:

A 20 credit module focusing on literature review – generally we recommend Introduction to Thesis Literature Review (MMD001), but Understanding Management and Financial Research (ICM116) is an acceptable alternative for students looking to focus on quantitative stream A 20 credit module in Advanced Qualitative Methods (MMD002), blended with the Advancing Academic Practice Programme A 20 credit module Pedagogy Seminar (MMD012)

If you are interested in the module description form containing the overall learning outcomes and description of the modules, please visit this link (click on the most recent academic year and then on Henley Business School; modules are listed by code in alphabetical order).

After 15 to 18 months from the start of your PhD you will submit a substantive research proposal of approximately 10,000 words that will be defended in front of faculty members and/or assessed by independent examiners. This process will coincide with your confirmation of registration and, if successful, it will grant you the status of PhD candidate.

The research proposal will be a significant development of the initial proposal you submitted for your application. It will include material you may have produced during the first year modules in research methods (e.g. literature review, methodologies, data description). If you plan to do a PhD thesis combining three papers, you are expected to include a draft of the first paper in your research proposal. Alternatively, if you intend to use a book-like structure for your thesis, the document should include the draft of at least one of the three/four key chapters.

Years Two and Three

During your second and third years, PhD students are expected to:

• Continue to work on your PhD dissertation drafting the other two papers/key chapters;
• Hold regular meetings with your supervisor(s)
• Attend some short courses (2-3 hours each) required for the Reading Researcher Development Programme at the Doctoral and Researcher College
• Contribute to departmental teaching/research activities and events
• Present posters/papers at national/international conferences.

*The module or course content descriptions set out on this page are correct for those being taught in the current academic year. Modules or course content marked as optional are indicative and may be subject to change. Please note, constraints in timetable scheduling may mean you are unable to take some optional modules at the same time as others.

Fees & funding Open

For fees, please visit the Doctoral and Researcher College website .

Overseas applicants should refer to the non-laboratory based fees listed in the tables (International Band 1 for non UK/Home students).

PhD funding

Up to two postgraduate studentships, each covering full course fees and a stipend, are available for outstanding applicants wanting to conduct full-time postgraduate research in the research areas listed below.

These awards are offered on an annual basis and are renewable at the end of each year, subject to satisfactory performance, for up to three years. In particular, we are looking for PhD candidates with excellent potential in the areas of entrepreneurship, social and organisation studies, moral agency and business ethics and leadership and non-market related strategies. Students with an interest in these thematic areas within our research centres are invited to apply.

There are six additional studentships, which all Henley Business School PhD applicants studying full-time are eligible for, available through the Henley Business School streams initiatives. Stream A covers three studentships in the areas of Africa , the World of Work and ethics and sustainability , whilst stream B covers all other research projects. The application process is handled by the department of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour's Postgraduate Research Director, who will nominate the best applicants for review by the Henley Business School Postgraduate Research Director.

Further PhD funding options:

• Wilkie Calvert Scheme: This funding is available for PhD applicants that are undertaking research on a part-time basis, with their research being of strategic importance to their employer. For further information, please visit the Doctoral and Researcher College website
• International PhD studentships: This funding is available for PhD applicants from outside the UK. For further information, please visit the Doctoral and Researcher College website
• Regional PhD bursaries: This funding is available for PhD applicants that are residents of Reading and the surrounding area. The scheme is not open to students who have already started their study at the University of Reading. For further information, please visit the Doctoral and Researcher College website
• Graduate: If you have already studied at the University of Reading or Henley Business School you will be eligible for the alumni fee discount
• South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc): This funding is available for PhD applicants with a focus on research in the areas of living sustainably healthy, thriving communities, inclusive economic growth, secure, effective and trusted institutions and transformative technologies for society and is offered by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). For further information, please visit the Graduate School website
• China Scholarship Council: This funding is available for Chinese applicants that are permanent residents in China at the time of applying. For further information, please visit the Graduate School website
• Other: For information on further opportunities, please see the find funding section on the University website and the additional options outlined on the Doctoral and Researcher College website .

Important information for applicants for studentships

We offer PhD scholarships covering fees and stipend for up to three years, awarded on the basis of outstanding academic merit to the applicants with the highest quality research proposals.

Applicants for studentships are expected to have obtained or be expecting to obtain a Distinction in their Masters degree and in their Masters thesis. MBAs are not considered. Applications for studentships are very competitive and students are further assessed on their ability to speak and communicate in English, as part of the duties of studentship holders are to engage in teaching assistant duties (up to six hours per week) from their second year in the programme.

Applicants that are considered for the studentship will need to go through an interview with the Postgraduate Research Director for the department of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour.

Studentship applications for the 2024/5 academic year have now closed. Studentship applications for the 2025/26 academic year are open and will close on 13 March 2025. Applicants who apply before this date will have their applications considered and those with the strongest research proposals will be invited to interview.

For further information on studentship requirements please contact the postgraduate research administrator for Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour.

Current scholarships

Leadership, organisations & behaviour scholarship, entry requirements open.

Applications for the 2023/24 academic year are closed. Applications for the 2024/25 academic year are upon and due to close on 30 June 2024.

The key requirements for a successful application are:

• Top grades in your Masters degree (minimum requirement is Merit or equivalent, but we prefer Distinction)
• Top grade in your Masters Dissertation (or equivalent research-based piece of work) because this may show your research attitude and skills
• A well-developed research proposal of at least 6-7 pages where you identify the motivation of your study, place it within relevant literature highlighting the current gap and potential research questions, state your intended methodology and show understanding of the data (if any) necessary to accomplish your study and relevant sources (which will also reveal the feasibility of your study)
• A reasonable intended timeline, reflecting issues you may encounter in the study as presented above (for example, if you have to collect primary data, the time spent on data collection will be much longer than the one you would spend if you intend to use secondary data sources)
• English requirements for applicants whose first language is not English, with the expectation of obtaining either an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 (with no element below 6.0), a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) online test score of 100 (and no less than 20 in Listening, Writing and Reading and no less than 21 in Speaking), or a Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP) at the University of Reading with a score of 7.0 (with no element less than 6.0). For all other equivalent score requirements in our accepted English Language tests, please visit the University website .

Applying for a PhD

The process for applying does not follow a linear path that is identical for every student, but the basic steps are as follows:

• Write a research proposal outlining the topic you wish to research. We strongly recommend that you read our guide on writing a research proposal.
• Choose an academic member of staff, listed under Teaching Staff, that has a similar area of research to your research proposal's focus. You can then send your research proposal to them for comment.
• If the academic in question is interested, they will get back in touch with you. It is likely that they will have some questions or suggestions for improving your research proposal. Please note that if you do not receive a response you must not send your research proposal to all other academics.
• If the academic is satisfied with the proposal you will be invited to apply. Please note that you can apply before this, but until you have the support of an academic supervisor you will not be able to complete the process.
• Apply by clicking the 'Apply Now' button at the top of this page. Please note that we only accept PhD students starting their studies in September at the start of the Autumn term.
• A shortlisting decision will be made, based on the documents you uploaded in your application.
• If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to a formal interview to assess your suitability to pursue a PhD at Henley Business School.

Careers, accreditation & progression Open

How can henley careers work with you.

We have an award-winning careers team here to support you through your time at Henley and four years after graduating.

Henley Careers and Professional Development run numerous events throughout the autumn and spring terms to help you gain industry experience. These events are aimed to enhance your professional development and network with employers. We also offer one-to-one career coaching appointments where you can talk to a Careers Consultant about your professional development. This may include planning your ideal career journey or building confidence in a particular area. It could also involve practicing for interviews or having your CV checked.

Continuing your career

A PhD in the area of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour can open doors to a successful career in academia and other organisations. This includes large multinationals, leading consulting firms, governmental advisory roles and non-governmental organisations worldwide.

What our students have gone on to do

Our PhD graduates have gone on to take up academic positions at institutions such as Henley Business School, the University of Nottingham and the University of Central London in the UK and Kuwait University, the Australian National University and Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University worldwide.

Research areas Open

Henley Business School’s research in the School of Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour is driven through the following leading centres: Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship, the Centre for Business Ethics and Sustainability, the Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, Henley Centre for Leadership, the Centre for China Management and Global Business and Henley Centre for Coaching. Many of our research centres have active membership from a wide range of international leading companies providing plenty of opportunity to engage with executive leaders and the practitioner community.

We welcome applicants seeking to conduct full-time postgraduate research in the following fields:

Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship

• Female entrepreneurship trends and behaviours; barriers to growth and emerging markets
• Family business succession within medium to large firms in different countries
• Innovation, knowledge spillovers and creativity
• Regional entrepreneurship, ecosystems and institutions
• Regional economic development and entrepreneurship
• Global mobility of entrepreneurs
• Indigenous leadership and entrepreneurship in Chinese overseas subsidiaries
• Historical approaches to entrepreneurship, with specific reference to the historic evolution of entrepreneurship in the pharmaceutical, retailing and food sectors
• Entrepreneurship in the creative industries
• Networks and clusters
• Patents and innovation
• Big data and data analytics for entrepreneurial decision-making
• Digital business models and digital entrepreneurship
• Artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship and management
• Industry 4.0 in manufacturing and services
• Corporate social responsibility and sustainability in entrepreneurial and/or family firms

Centre for Business Ethics and Sustainability

• Virtue and integrity theories applied to problems of governance and agency in business, society and critical approaches to management
• Cultural change (in particular industries, or in relation to the business and society relationship at large e.g. globalisation) and the nature of ethical issues arising for individuals and groups, both within organisations and in the organisation and society relationship
• Challenges of ethical pluralism and relativism in relation to context and stakeholder problems
• Morals and the limits of markets; challenges for the common good
• The role of ethics of dialogue in organisations and society; the nature of dialogic ethics and agency
• The role of businesses and international organisations in the development of universal humanistic and eco-centric ethics
• Philosophical topics in organisation studies (especially questions about the ontology of organisations)
• Proposals that use convention theory (sometimes called pragmatic sociology) and apply it to organisations
• Proposals on alternative ways of valuing and prioritisation in general, or with a specific focus on healthcare
• Any topics related to the philosophical foundations of economic thought
• Gender, race and class in the workplace
• Intersectional perspectives on employment and organisations
• Elites and professions
• Professional status and inequality regimes
• Critical perspectives on stress and well-being at work
• Critical perspectives on power in organisations
• Lacanian studies of organisational issues
• Management in cultural and creative organisations, particularly legitimisation strategies and relations within creative clusters

Henley Centre for Leadership

• Distributed leadership in complex professionalised settings and strategies to facilitate its emergence
• Project leadership change management
• Leadership development processes to enable women to access senior positions and break the glass ceiling
• Leadership dysfunction and its effect on organisational culture/wellbeing
• Team leadership, team dynamics and team effectiveness
• Leadership and the facilitation of innovation and creativity within teams
• Exploring organisational leadership capability
• Energising senior management teams
• Developing leadership capacity on the job
• Digital strategic leadership
• Transforming organisations and culture

Centre for Euro-Asian Studies

• Energy economics, with particular reference to oil and gas industries
• Local content policy in resource-rich countries
• Business and economic challenges in Eurasia
• Sustainable development in the Euro-Asian region

Centre for China Management and Global Business

• International entrepreneurship, regional development and institutional development
• Global talent mobility and expatriates
• Urbanisation and climate change
• Financial and banking systems
• Digital servitisation and ecosystems
• Delivery system design and servitization

Henley Centre for Coaching

• Conditions which need to be in place to make coaching effective with individuals and teams, including how best to train coaches
• Understanding what a coaching culture is and how to effectively manage a coaching culture within organisations, including ensuring the skill of coaches, the quality of coaching and the governance of coaching
• Outcomes can we expect from coaching and how can we evidence them
• How coaching can be used to further social justice and deliver equity, diversity and inclusion
• Use of technology to help us deliver effective coaching now and in the future

Teaching staff Open

Phd supervisors.

Below are a list of potential PhD supervisors that you will be able to contact.

Dr Adeyinka Adewale

Dr Amal Ahmadi

Professor Kleio Akrivou

Dr Holly Andrews

Professor Maksim Belitski

Dr Matteo Borghi

Dr Sinem Bulkan

Professor Dorota Bourne

Dr Anlan Chen

Dr Can Ererdi

Dr Ana Graça

Dr Irina Heim

Dr Elizabeth Houldsworth

Professor Yelena Kalyuzhnova

Dr Rebecca Jones

Dr Marrisa Joseph

Dr Rifat Kamasak

Dr Olena Khlystova

Dr Selin Kudret

Professor Benjamin Laker

Dr Linghe Lei

Professor Marcello Mariani

Professor Jane McKenzie

Dr Fabio Goncalves de Oliveira

Dr Caroline Rook

Dr Tatiana Rowson

Dr Stephen Simister

Professor Bernd Vogel

For more information please contact Alex Baker.

“History, location and triple-accreditation led me to choose Henley to pursue my PhD. Grounded in the Thames Valley, I had the opportunity to acquire valuable knowledge being in contact with a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem of both academics & practitioners”

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Postgraduate

Application for PhD in Management

When would you like to start this programme.

• 2024 September, full-time
• 2024 September, part-time

Have the following documents ready

You will need to upload the following documents when you apply:

• Academic transcript
• Your CV (curriculum vitae)
• Research proposal or outline of academic interests

You can also choose to upload:

• Copy of a language certificate
• Personal statement
• Evidence of financial support
• Specified written work

PhD programmes in the School of Management

BRING YOUR IDEAS. ONE MIGHT JUST CHANGE THE WORLD.

Our research pushes boundaries. Help us drive change.

Our leading academics perform research that informs policy and practice in business and society. Become part of a community dedicated to making a difference. Contribute to a better world.

Develop personally and professionally while you research

We encourage and support professional development throughout your doctoral study. These transferable skills will help you at Bath and throughout your career.

Studying with our expert supervisors should give you a foundation for your research and your academic career. Wherever your PhD takes you, you will have a supportive network behind you.

Choose your path

Our phd programmes.

Find out about the course structure, entry requirements, and fees and funding information for our:

• three-year full-time PhD
• six-year part-time PhD

Researchers who make a real impact

Our faculty members are actively engaged with the research community. They regularly publish in leading journals. The most recent Research Excellence Framework classed 93% of our research as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Our research divisions

You'll join the School as a member of one of our Divisions:

• Accounting, Finance and Law
• Information, Decisions and Operations
• Marketing, Business and Society
• Strategy and Organisation

Identifying a supervisor

Be part of a network that will support your own research and help it make an impact. Throughout your doctorate, you'll be supported by your supervisor, as well as other faculty members and other PhD students.

You can find a suitable supervisor on the School of Management faculty page. Your proposed research area must be related to the academic's research interests.

Leading research

Find out more about our commitment to Research4Good .

‘People should not feel like they should be 100% perfect to start their PhD here. There's support available, no matter what your background is. Just be ambitious and start your journey.’

Fees and funding

Tuition fees may increase each year of study for all University of Bath students.

There are funding opportunities available to our PhD students. Find out more about our studentships and check your eligibility .

Apply for our PhD programme

If you have any questions about our PhD programme, please get in touch.

PhD Admissions

• Accessibility Tools
• Current Students
• Postgraduate
• Postgraduate Research Programmes
• School of Management Postgraduate Research Courses
• Business Management Postgraduate Research Courses

Business Management, Ph.D. / M.Phil.

• An introduction to postgraduate study
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• Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
• Contact the Postgrad Admissions team
• Scholarships and Bursaries
• Research projects
• Postgraduate Research Programmes coming soon
• How to apply for your Postgraduate Research programme
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• Fees and Funding
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Are you a UK or International Student?

Make your mark on the business landscape with your research, key course details, course overview.

Start dates: PhD/MPhil – 1st October, 1st January, 1st April, 1st July.

The business world is complex. Be it on a local or global level, it is constantly evolving in line with shifts in global markets. The ability to flex as a business is more important now than ever; foreseeing risk and managing issues, the business landscape has changed. As a Business Management PhD/MPhil student, you will have the opportunity to make your mark on this landscape.

You will have the freedom to research a host of business disciplines from consumer behaviour, business and strategy and internal relations to entrepreneurship, human resource management and operations and supply chain management. You will have an opportunity to impact industry and explore the various components that shape business.

To help you develop and grow your research, world-class academics within the School of Management will be at hand to provide you with feedback; ensuring you produce the best possible research within your capabilities.

On completion of the Business Management PhD/MPhil, you will have a significant advantage on others as you begin your career in industry or academia.

Associated Research Centres within the School of Management:

• Centre for Visitor Economy Research (CVER)
• Emerging Markets Research Centre (EMaRC)
• People and Organisation
• Swansea i-Lab

Entry Requirements

Qualifications MPhil:  Applicants for MPhil must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). See our Country Specific Postgraduate Entry Requirements.

PhD:  Applicants for PhD must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’. Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis. See our Country Specific Postgraduate Entry Requirements.

English Language IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent.  Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

As well as academic qualifications, Admissions decisions may be based on other factors, including (but not limited to): the standard of the research synopsis/proposal, performance at interview, intensity of competition for limited places, and relevant professional experience.

Reference Requirement

As standard, two references are required before we can progress applications to the College/School research programme Admissions Tutor for consideration.

Applications received without two references attached are placed on hold, pending receipt of the outstanding reference(s). Please note that any protracted delay in receiving the outstanding reference(s) may result in the need to defer your application to a later potential start point/entry month, than what you initially listed as your preferred start option.

You may wish to consider contacting your referee(s) to assist in the process of obtaining the outstanding reference(s) or alternatively, hold submission of application until references are sourced. Please note that it is not the responsibility of the University Admissions Office to obtain missing reference(s) after our initial email is sent to your nominated referee(s), requesting a reference(s) on your behalf.

The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form. Click this link to download the university reference form .

Alternatively, referees can email a reference from their employment email account, please note that references received via private email accounts, (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) cannot be accepted.

References can be submitted to [email protected] .

How you are Supervised

The School of Management provides a supportive and friendly environment for our thriving community of doctoral students from all over the world.

Our PhD and MPhil students work closely with and are supported by the School's academic staff.

Welsh Provision

Tuition fees, ph.d. 3 year full time, ph.d. 6 year part time, ph.d. part time, m.phil. 2 year full time, m.phil. 4 year part time.

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page .

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page .

International students and part-time study: It may be possible for some students to study part-time under the Student Visa route. However, this is dependent on factors relating to the course and your individual situation. It may also be possible to study with us if you are already in the UK under a different visa category (e.g. Tier 1 or 2, PBS Dependant, ILR etc.). Please visit the University information on Visas and Immigration for further guidance and support.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page .

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

Government funding is now available for Welsh, English and EU students starting eligible postgraduate research programmes at Swansea University. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up .

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

There are no mandatory additional costs specified for this course, but in addition to tuition fees and living expenses most studies will also incur a further element of cost throughout your research. This could take the form of travel costs, hospitality to run a focus group, conference fees, etc.

You should spend some time considering what other costs you may need to fund when designing your research proposal.

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCESS STEPS AND ADVICE FOR APPLYING

Identifying Relevant Research Topics Applicants are encouraged to explore the research expertise of the School to ensure a good fit between PhD/MPhil proposals and potential supervisors.

You are more than welcome to arrange a meeting with relevant staff in your field to discuss your proposal before submitting it.

Preparing Research Proposal After you have identified a relevant research topic please prepare a detailed research proposal to include with your application.  Guidance  on writing a research proposal is also available.

How to Apply After you have completed preparing an appropriate research proposal, please apply for a place on our PhD/MPhil programme online here .

Please specify in your application who you have identified as your first and second supervisors.

Please note that it is advisable that you contact us before submitting your application.  This will ensure we can identify appropriate supervisors, and where necessary work with you to refine your proposal. If you would like to do this you should contact the School’s  PGR team  in the first instance.

If you're an international student, you can find out more about  applying for this course .

For further guidance please visit our  how to apply for postgraduate study pages.

Suggested Application Timings

In order to allow sufficient time for consideration of your application by an academic, for potential offer conditions to be met and travel / relocation, we recommend that applications are made before the dates outlined below. Please note that applications can still be submitted outside of the suggested dates below but there is the potential that your application/potential offer may need to be moved to the next appropriate intake window.

October Enrolment

UK Applicants – 15th August

EU/International applicants – 15th July

January Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th November

EU/International applicants – 15th October

April Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th February

EU/International applicants – 15th January

July Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th May

EU/International applicants – 15th April

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

PhD Programme Specification

This Programme Specification refers to the current academic year and provides indicative content for information. The University will seek to deliver each course in accordance with the descriptions set out in the relevant course web pages at the time of application. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in  course provision , either before or after enrolment.

Programme Summary

This PhD in Business Management at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The PhD is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva voce). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. There may also be opportunities to develop your teaching skills through undergraduate tutorials, demonstrations and seminars.

Programme Aims

This PhD programme will provide doctoral researchers with:

• The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
• Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.

Programme Structure  

The programme comprises three key elements:

• Entry and confirmation of candidature
• Main body of research
• Thesis and viva voce

The programme comprises of the undertaking of an original research project of 3 years duration full time (6 years duration part time). Doctoral researchers may pursue the programme either full time or part time by pursuing research at the University at an external place of employment or with/at a University approved partner.

Assessment  

Doctoral researchers for the PhD in Business Management are examined in two parts.

The first part is a thesis which is an original body of work representing the methods and results of the research project. The maximum word limit is 100,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

The second part is an oral examination (viva voce).

Doctoral Researcher Supervision and Support

Doctoral researchers will be supervised by a supervisory team. Where appropriate, staff from Colleges/Schools other than the ‘home’ College/School (other Colleges/Schools) within the University will contribute to cognate research areas. There may also be supervisors from an industrial partner.

The Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout the doctoral research  journey and will have overall responsibility for academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call if the Primary/First Supervisor becomes unavailable. The supervisory team  may also include a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities.

The primary supervisor will provide pastoral support. If necessary the primary supervisor will refer the  doctoral researcher to other sources of support (e.g. Wellbeing, Disability, Money Advice, IT, Library, Students’ Union, Academic Services, Student Support Services, Careers Centre). 

Programme Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this programme,  doctoral researchers should be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding

• Demonstrate the systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of research through the development of a written thesis.
• Create, interpret, analyse and develop new knowledge through original research or other advanced scholarship. 
• Disseminate new knowledge gained through original research or other advanced scholarship via high quality peer reviewed publications within the discipline.
• Apply research skills and subject theory to the practice of research.
• Apply process and standards of a range of the methodologies through which research is conducted and knowledge acquired and revised. 

Attitudes and values

• Conceptualise, design and implement a project aimed at the generation of new knowledge or applications within Business Management.
• Make informed judgements on complex issues in the field of Business Management, often in the absence of complete data and defend those judgements to an appropriate audience.
• Apply sound ethical principles to research, with due regard for the integrity of persons and in accordance with professional codes of conduct.
• Demonstrate self-awareness of individual and cultural diversity, and the reciprocal impact in social interaction between self and others when conducting research involving people.

Research Skills

• Respond appropriately to unforeseen problems in project design by making suitable amendments.
• Communicate complex research findings clearly, effectively and in an engaging manner to both specialist (including the academic community), and non-specialist audiences using a variety of appropriate media and events, including conference presentations, seminars and workshops.
• Correctly select, interpret and apply relevant techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
• Develop the networks and foundations for on-going research and development within the discipline.
• Implement  advanced research skills to a substantial degree of independence.
• Locate information and apply it to research practice.

Skills and Competencies

• Display the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

Progression Monitoring 

Progress will be monitored in accordance with Swansea University regulations. During the course of the programme, the Doctoral researcher is expected to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at most meetings it is likely that the doctoral researcher’s progress will be monitored in an informal manner in addition to attendance checks. Details of the meetings should ideally be recorded on the on-line system. A minimum of four formal supervision meetings is required each year, two of which will be reported to the Postgraduate Progression and Awards Board. During these supervisory meetings the  doctoral researcher’s progress is discussed and formally recorded on the on-line system. 

Learning Development

The University offers training and development for Doctoral Researchers and supervisors.

Swansea University’s Postgraduate Research Training Framework is structured into sections, to enable doctoral researchers to navigate and determine appropriate courses aligned to both their interest and their candidature stage. 

There is a training framework including for example areas of Managing Information and Data, Presentation and Public Engagement, Leadership and working with others, Safety Integrity and Ethics, Impact and Commercialisation and Teaching and Demonstrating. There is also range of support in areas such as training needs, literature searching, conducting research, writing up research, teaching, applying for grants and awards, communicating research and future careers.

A range of research seminars and skills development sessions are provided within the School of Management and across the University. These are scheduled to keep the  doctoral researcher in touch with a broader range of material than their own research topic, to stimulate ideas in discussion with others, and to give them opportunities to such as defending their own thesis orally, and to identify potential criticisms. Additionally, the School is developing a research culture that aligns with the University vision and will link with key initiatives delivered under the auspices of the University’s Academies, for example embedding the HEA fellowship for postgraduate research students.

Research Environment

Swansea University’s research environment combines innovation and excellent facilities to provide a home for multidisciplinary research to flourish. Our research environment encompasses all aspects of the research lifecycle, with internal grants and support for external funding and enabling impact/effect that research has beyond academia. 

Swansea University is very proud of our reputation for excellent research, and for the calibre, dedication, professionalism, collaboration and engagement of our research community. We understand that integrity must be an essential characteristic of all aspects of research, and that as a University entrusted with undertaking research we must clearly and consistently demonstrate that the confidence placed in our research community is rightly deserved. The University therefore ensures that everyone engaged in research is trained to the very highest standards of research integrity and conducts themselves and their research in a way that respects the dignity, rights, and welfare of participants, and minimises risks to participants, researchers, third parties, and the University itself.

School of Management

The School of Management is a Top 30 UK Business School and ranks Top 10 in terms of Research Impact, with 90% of submissions earning a World-leading 4* or Internationally Excellent 3* rating (REF 2014). Our mission is to produce collaborative, innovative and multidisciplinary research by working with some of the brightest and best researchers from around the world. We build life-long connections to our research community, industrial supporters and students through embedded partnership working and alumni relationships. We are committed to producing and disseminating world-class research to increase knowledge, skills, understanding and impact. The School of Management provides a supportive and friendly environment for our thriving community of doctoral students from all over the world. Our PhD and MPhil students work closely with and are supported by the School's academic staff and have exclusive use of our dedicated PGR study spaces, and access to kitchen facilities.

Career Opportunities

Having a PhD demonstrates that graduates can work effectively in a team, formulate, explore and communicate complex ideas and manage advanced tasks. Jobs in academia (eg postdoctoral research, lecturing), education, government, management, the public or private sector are possible. Examples include administrators, counsellors, marketing specialists, and researchers.

The Postgraduate Research Office Skills Development Team offer support and a training framework for example in creating a researcher profile based upon publications and setting up your own business. The Swansea Employability Academy assists students in future career opportunities, improving CVs, job applications and interview skills.

MPhil Programme Specification

This MPhil in Business Management at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 60,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The Masters is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. 

This Masters programme will provide students with:

Programme Structure

• Thesis and viva voce examination

The programme comprises of the undertaking of an original research project of 2 years duration full time (4 years duration part time). Students may pursue the programme either full time or part time by pursuing research at the University at an external place of employment or with/at a University approved partner.

Students for the Masters in Business Management are examined in two parts.

The first part is a thesis which is an original body of work representing the methods and results of the research project. The maximum word limit is 60,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

The second part is an oral examination ( viva voce ).

Supervision and Support 

Students will be supervised by a supervisory team. Where appropriate, staff from Colleges/Schools other than the ‘home’ College/School (other Colleges/Schools) within the University will contribute to cognate research areas. There may also be supervisors from an industrial partner.

The Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout the student journey and will have overall responsibility for academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call if the Primary/First Supervisor becomes unavailable. The supervisory team may also include a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities.

The primary supervisor will provide pastoral support. If necessary the primary supervisor will refer the student to other sources of support (e.g. Wellbeing, Disability, Money Advice, IT, Library, Students’ Union, Academic Services, Student Support Services, Careers Centre).

Upon successful completion of this programme, doctoral researchers should be able to:

• Demonstrate the systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge through the development of a written thesis.
• Create, interpret, analyse and develop new knowledge through original research or other advanced scholarship.  
• Apply process and standards of a range of the methodologies through which research is conducted and knowledge acquired and revised.
• Make informed judgements on complex issues in the field of Business Management often in the absence of complete data and defend those judgements to an appropriate audience. 
• Communicate complex research findings clearly, effectively and in an engaging manner to both specialist (including the academic community), and non-specialist audiences using a variety of appropriate media.
• Correctly select, interpret and apply relevant techniques for research and academic enquiry.
• Develop the foundations for on-going research and development within the discipline.
• Implement independent research skills.
• Display the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility and initiative in complex situations.

Progression Monitoring

Progress will be monitored in accordance with Swansea University regulations. During the course of the programme, the student is expected to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at most meetings it is likely that the student’s progress will be monitored in an informal manner in addition to attendance checks. Details of the meetings should ideally be recorded on the on-line system. A minimum of four formal supervision meetings is required each year, two of which will be reported to the Postgraduate Progression and Awards Board. During these supervisory meetings the student’s progress is discussed and formally recorded on the on-line system. 

Learning Development  

Swansea University’s Postgraduate Research Training Framework is structured into sections, to enable students to navigate and determine appropriate courses aligned to both their interest and their candidature stage. 

A range of research seminars and skills development sessions are provided within the School of Management and across the University. These are scheduled to keep the student in touch with a broader range of material than their own research topic, to stimulate ideas in discussion with others, and to give them opportunities to such as defending their own thesis orally, and to identify potential criticisms. Additionally, the School of Management is developing a research culture that will align with the University vision and will link with key initiatives delivered under the auspices of the University’s Academies, for example embedding the HEA fellowship for postgraduate research students.

Research Environment  

Swansea University’s Research Environment combines innovation and excellent facilities to provide a home for multidisciplinary research to flourish. Our research environment encompasses all aspects of the research lifecycle, with internal grants and support for external funding and enabling impact/effect that research has beyond academia. 

The School of Management is a Top 30 UK Business School and ranks Top 10 in terms of Research Impact, with 90% of submissions earning a World-leading 4* or Internationally Excellent 3* rating (REF 2014). Our mission is to produce collaborative, innovative and multidisciplinary research by working with some of the brightest and best researchers from around the world. We build life-long connections to our research community, industrial supporters and students through embedded partnership working and alumni relationships. We are committed to producing and disseminating world-class research to increase knowledge, skills, understanding and impact. The School of Management provides a supportive and friendly environment for our thriving community of doctoral students from all over the world. Our PhD and MPhil students work closely with and are supported by the School's academic staff and have exclusive use of our dedicated PGR study spaces, and access to kitchen facilities.

Having a Master of Philosophy degree shows that you can communicate your ideas and manage tasks. Jobs in academia, education, government, management, the public or private sector are possible. 

Start dates

PhD/MPhil – 1st October, 1st January, 1st April, 1st July.

Management School

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PhD students join our community of scholars and develop the advanced skills required for rewarding careers in academia or industry. We do this by delivering an outstanding supervision experience underpinned by our commitment to engage in socially-responsible research.

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

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Discover more about postgraduate research

PhD Management of Projects / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

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The standard academic entry requirement for this PhD is an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent) OR any upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at merit in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent).

Other combinations of qualifications and research or work experience may also be considered. Please contact the admissions team to check.

Full entry requirements

Apply online

In your application you’ll need to include:

• The name of this programme
• Your research project title (i.e. the advertised project name or proposed project name) or area of research
• Your proposed supervisor’s name
• If you already have funding or you wish to be considered for any of the available funding
• A supporting statement (see 'Advice to Applicants' for what to include)
• Details of your previous university level study
• Names and contact details of your two referees.

Programme options

Programme description.

Research in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering covers six broad research themes ; aerospace engineering, innovative manufacturing, modelling and simulation, nuclear engineering, resilient systems, and structures in extreme environments.

Our postgraduate research programmes in Management of Projects offer the opportunity to study in a multi-disciplinary team alongside leading academics in the field.

Drawing on our expertise in conflict and dispute resolution, risk management, contracts and procurement, supply chains and inter-organisational relations and sustainable development we drive innovative solutions to promote successful project management. We have strong links with industry and excellent employability. Visit our research projects page to browse our range of currently available projects. 

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): Band A £4,786; Band B £7,000; Band C £10,000; Band D £14,500; Band E £24,500 International, including EU, students (per annum): Band A £28,000; Band B £30,000; Band C £35,500; Band D £43,000; Band E £57,000
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): Band A £2393; Band B £3,500; Band C £5,000; Band D £7,250; Band E 12,250

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The programme fee will vary depending on the cost of running the project. Fees quoted are fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for Home students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit the postgraduate fees page .

Always contact the Admissions team if you are unsure which fees apply to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards at university, faculty and department level to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers.

To be considered for many of our scholarships, you’ll need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor. Therefore, we’d highly recommend you discuss potential sources of funding with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and make sure you meet nomination deadlines.

For more information about our scholarships, visit our funding page or use our funding database to search for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

Contact details

The School of Engineering creates a world of possibilities for students pursuing skills and understanding. Through dynamic research and teaching we develop engineering solutions that make a difference to society in an ethical and sustainable way.  Science-based engineering is at the heart of what we do, and through collaboration we support the engineers and scientists of tomorrow to become technically strong, analytically innovative and creative. Find out more about Science and Engineering at Manchester .

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Management of Projects in Engineering

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The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .