PhD in Business and Management

As a Surrey Business School PhD student, you will undertake a structured, supervised programme of research into one of the many business and management fields in which we have expertise.

You will find full links to our research interests and expertise of our academic staff from the Surrey Business School website.

As part of your studies, you will undertake a tailored programme of formal research training in methods and methodology. The Surrey Business School is, along with other departments in the University, part of the prestigious ESRC-funded South East Doctoral Training Centre. Alongside this and training provided by the University, we provide specific structured training for our PhD students researchers in our own Schools.

In your first year you will take up to three modules of core research methods training. You are also expected to take advantage of advanced research training modules that further support your specific research. These include a range of modules focussed on developing the practical skills required for subsequent careers. Our PhD researchers also organise and run their own annual research conference and attend research group seminars.

At the end of your time as a PhD researcher at Surrey you will be expected to submit an extended thesis for examination. This thesis will demonstrate your ability to pursue scholarly research which makes an original contribution to knowledge. Your research will also be of a standard appropriate for publication.

You will also be expected to answer questions on your thesis and your research in a viva voce examination.

For a PhD, our expectation is that you hold a Masters degree at a minimum of a merit level in business and management or a relevant discipline from an approved university. If you do not hold such a degree, you may be admitted providing you hold an upper second (2.1) Bachelors degree from an approved university or a professional or other qualification deemed by the University to be appropriate. 

English language requirements

IELTS minimum overall: 7.0

Fees

Funding

Students may be considered for a postgraduate research studentship to cover Home (UK) and European Union fees and an annual stipend. Funding is available through the prestigious ESRC-funded South East DTC, which currently supports two students within the Faculty. 

Surrey’s well-established postgraduate conference culture has brought with it a number of awards and prizes. The annual Faculty Postgraduate Research Conference awards a prize for Best Paper and, in similar fashion, the University’s Postgraduate Research Conference recognises Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster Presentation. In addition, the University makes an award of Postgraduate Research Student of the Year in each faculty.