Management and Business PhD
Key information
Full-time - 4 years
- Start dates:
- October 2023
- January 2024
Part-time - 8 years
- Start dates:
- October 2023
- January 2024
Why choose this programme
Surrey Business School is internationally recognised for interdisciplinary, international and applied research.
As a PhD student you will receive rigorous training in research methods, outstanding supervision and mentorship, and coursework that will give you both in-depth and broad subject-specific knowledge. You also benefit from choosing between either writing a traditional dissertation monograph or by following the PhD by publication format route. This way, you decide your preferred pathway to work so that it suits your interests.
Our researchers work closely with industry and pursue a variety of approaches with staff across the School, often leading to innovative new thinking. 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.
The Surrey Business School is a member of the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
We are ranked 9th in the UK for business and economics and 61st in the world in the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2022.
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. The programme has a dual-focus on subject-specific knowledge and methods training, which will give you the intellectual foundation to ask cutting-edge questions and then conduct high-quality research to address those questions.
You’ll receive an induction by the University of Surrey’s Doctoral College, as well as a bespoke induction programme from the School. This induction will introduce you to the School and the Faculty, outline the relationship between you and your supervisor, and discuss the structure of the programme.
We consider doctoral students to be junior academics or researchers, and an integral part of the School. Your supervisor will serve as a mentor as you progress through your PhD. Year 1 In your first year, you will receive instruction in subject-specific knowledge and training in research 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.
Year 2
Once you’ve got the foundation for your doctoral research and passed your confirmation exams, your second year will be spent conducting doctoral research. Students conducting primary research tend to spend the year away doing field research.
Year 3
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.
Assessment
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 transformation
- Digital economy
- Finance and accounting
- Marketing and retail management
- People and organisations
- Strategy and entrepreneurship.
Explore our themes further here.
Our academic staff
See a full list of all our academic staff within the Surrey Business School.
Schools and departments
Research areas
Research facilities
Centre of Digital Economy (CoDE)
Centre for Social Innovation Management (CSIM)
Future of Work Research Centre
Centre for Management Education (CME)
University of Surrey Business and Economic Experiments (USBEE) Laboratory
Entry requirements
Applicants are expected to hold a good first degree (minimum 2:1) and a Master's 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.
View the other English language qualifications that we 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.
Selection process
Selection is based on applicants meeting the expected entry requirements, assessment of application, successful interview and suitable references where required.
Fees
Start date: October 2023
Full-time
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- £19,300
Part-time
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- £9,700
Start date: January 2024
Full-time
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- £19,300
Part-time
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- £9,700
For fees payable in 2022/23, these will increase by 4 per cent, rounded up to the nearest £100 for subsequent years of study. Any start date other than October 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).
Overseas students applying for 2022 entry should note that annual fees will rise by 4% rounded up to the nearest £100.
View a complete list of all fees for our research programmes.
Additional costs
There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey. Find out more.
Funding
A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.
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Course | Status |
---|---|
Management and Business PhD Full-time, October 2023 | Applications open Closing date: Friday 23 June 2023 |
Management and Business PhD Full-time, January 2024 | Applications open Closing date: Friday 13 October 2023 |
Management and Business PhD Part-time, October 2023 | Applications open Closing date: Friday 23 June 2023 |
Management and Business PhD Part-time, January 2024 | Applications open Closing date: Friday 13 October 2023 |
How to apply
If you are applying for a studentship to work on a particular project, you should enter the details of the specific project that you wish to apply for rather than your own research proposal.
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 of a place at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to comply with our policies and regulations, and our terms and conditions. These terms and conditions are provided in two stages: first when we make an offer and second when students who have accepted their offers register to study at the University. View our offer terms and conditions and our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2022/2023 academic year as a guide as to what to expect.
Please note: our offer terms and conditions will be available in the September of the calendar year prior to the year in which you begin your studies. Our registration terms and conditions will vary to take into account specifics of your course.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been prepared and published in advance of the academic year to which it applies. The University of Surrey has used its reasonable efforts to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content or additional costs) may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very 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 HillStag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
University of Surrey Admissions
- Phone: +44 (0)1483 682 222
Address
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH