Hospitality, Tourism, Transport and Events PhD

We have an outstanding reputation in the sector and run the largest hospitality, tourism and events PhD programme in the world. We are ranked 1st in the UK and 2nd in the world for hospitality and tourism management in the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023. We are 1st in the UK and 15th in the world for hospitality and leisure management in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023. We are also ranked 1st for tourism, transport, travel and heritage in the Complete University Guide 2024.

The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is now ranked 10th for research outputs with 93% of our research being rated as world-leading (4*) or of internationally excellent (3*) quality by the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021. The University of Surrey is 33rd in the REF UK rankings for overall research quality. The University is now also ranked in the top 20 in the UK for the overall quality of research outputs – research papers and other published works.

We belong to TECHNE, an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded doctoral training partnership, which provides access to comprehensive academic and professional training programmes, as well as the possibility of funding for your studies.

Our academics shape the agenda for scholarship and practice in hospitality, tourism, events and transport, and carry out cutting-edge research in topics ranging from lifestyle, travel, entrepreneurship, food and culture, to the digital economy and artificial intelligence. We will challenge you with new ideas to develop you as a critical researcher, as well as helping you build a solid grounding in research methodologies.

We see doctoral students as important collaborators and we aim to connect you with senior executives and policymakers from around the world, offering opportunities for future learning and valuable connections. Watch our video about postgraduate research in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management with academic supervisor, Dr Brigitte Stangl, and her PhD student, Lori Hoy, discussing how they work together.

Our PhD programme takes around three to four years of full-time study. You’ll take on a structured, supervised programme of scholarly research, leading to a thesis that makes an original contribution to the field and is suitable to be published in a series of high-quality, refereed journal articles.

You’ll be assigned two supervisors with expertise in your area; normally one will be an expert in your subject, and one who is an expert in methodology. Your supervisors will guide you through your PhD, from developing your project through to your analysis and writing your thesis. You’ll normally meet with your supervisor every four to six weeks.

There’s no formal teaching as part of your PhD programme, but you’ll benefit from a range of support and learning opportunities in addition to your supervision meetings. These include a tailored weekly programme of formal research training in research methodology and career development. You’ll have the chance to present and discuss your research at our weekly research seminars.

You’ll also be able to take any of our MSc modules and join our range of interactive workshops that run throughout the year, exploring topics such as personal effectiveness, information skills, presenting research and job skills. You’ll also be able to qualify as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy by completing the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching.

We encourage our students to attend international conferences and training courses. We can support your travel costs to these events.

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.

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.