PhD Management

A management PhD is a research intensive degree programme for students with a strong academic background. The PhD program develops researchers in Management for careers in academia, industry and public service.

OVERVIEW

Our programme combines robust taught research training and applied research practice within a flexible timeframe of three to five years. Beginning with foundation training in research methods, you will follow advanced training pathways in qualitative and quantitative methodologies and benefit from extensive training in research skills.

As a postgraduate, you will form the bedrock of our research community, and we will actively encourage you to publish your research and participate in research seminars, training retreats, workshops, conferences and presentations.

Our research is organised into six research clusters and we offer expert guidance on PhD projects in

• marketing
• strategic management
• international business and enterprise
• organisational behaviour and human resource management
• operations management.

Routes into Management PhD

Depending on your prior qualifications, experience and the quality of your research proposal, you can enter the PhD directly or undertake our MRes in Management programme first. If you enter the PhD directly you will be required to pass two compulsory taught courses in research training in your first year.

Direct entry onto the PhD will require you to work on implementing your research proposal from the onset and you are expected to complete your PhD in three years.

You will need a Masters degree in business or management at Merit or 60% and above that includes coverage of appropriate research methodologies. You will also need to produce an outstanding research proposal that will attract two PhD supervisors.

Your PhD progression will depend on the successful completion of taught courses and progress of your independent research in year one.

MRes in Management

If you do not meet the direct entry criteria for the PhD, your research journey could begin with our highly relevant and structured MRes in Management programme. This provides training on specialist management topics of your choice and core research skills. Your training will be highly applied and aimed at developing a robust PhD proposal. For your MRes dissertation you could be working with a potential PhD supervisor and this work may directly contribute to your PhD.

This route is open to students:

• Who do not have a Masters degree in Business or Management.
• Who have not had sufficient training in research methods.
• Whose proposals failed to attract PhD supervisors.

Your admission to PhD will depend on successful completion of the MRes at Merit or above and a research proposal that attracts a supervisor.

Assessment and Progression

Regardless of your PhD entry route, you will start working on your research topic from the very outset. A PhD is an independent research project and the criterion for the award is a significant contribution to knowledge. This judgement is made on the basis of a thesis of between 70,000 and 100,000 words and an oral examination (viva voce).

The progress of your independent research will be formally reviewed once a year and your continuing registration on the PhD programme will depend on a successful Annual Progress Review.