PhD in Management

Doctor of Philosophy

Master of Philosophy

MRes in Management

Master of Research

Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Philosophy, Master of Research

PhD in Management, MRes in Management

PSRMRF

Students must take the following compulsory modules

Taught Modules

Students are normally required to take SMM848 Social Sciences for Management Research but may take one of the modules listed below. Other modules may also be available and will be communicated to students at the beginning of the term

Taught Modules 

Term 1

Students must choose at least one module or may choose both

Students must choose 2 elective modules. Students may take 3 elective modules depending on whether one or two of the compulsory electives above are chosen. You may also choose to take one of the compulsory electives from Term 1  

Term 2  

You are normally required to complete all the taught modules successfully before progressing to the Research Project

Term 3

Programme Structure

The PhD in Management is a four-year full-time doctoral programme based in the Faculty of Management at Bayes Business School. The programme prepares you to make an original contribution to knowledge in management and related fields, and to develop the intellectual independence, methodological capability, and professional skills required for academic and research-intensive careers.
The programme covers the broad domains of research in management. As doctoral researchers, you are supervised within, and contribute to, a vibrant research community spanning seven areas of expertise: Social Purpose; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Technology and Innovation; Marketing; Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management; Operations and Supply Chain Management; and Strategy. The programme supports a range of theoretical, qualitative, quantitative, analytical, computational, and mixed-method approaches, reflecting the diversity of contemporary management research.
The programme has a distinctive four-year structure. Year 1 provides an integrated doctoral training year, combining foundational and advanced research methods, social-science foundations, discipline-specific electives, research impact training, and a substantial First-Year Project. Students who successfully complete the Year 1 requirements but do not progress to the doctoral research phase may be eligible for the MRes in Management exit award, subject to the relevant programme regulations. Progression to Year 2 requires successful completion of the Year 1 training year and approval through the progression process.
Years 2 to 4 are devoted primarily to supervised doctoral research. During this period, you refine your research questions, deepen your engagement with the literature, develop and execute your research design, collect and analyse evidence where relevant, produce research outputs, and write the doctoral thesis. The MPhil-to-PhD transfer panel takes place by the end of Year 2 and assesses whether you have made sufficient progress, and have demonstrated sufficient ability, to complete the PhD within the remaining period of registration or a reasonable timeframe.
Throughout the programme, as doctoral researchers you are expected to participate actively in Faculty, School and University research activities, including seminars, workshops, annual progress reviews, doctoral training activities, research presentations, and, where appropriate, teaching development, conference participation, knowledge exchange, and engagement with external academic and practitioner communities

Undertake original research to generate and critically interpret new knowledge, thereby advancing the discipline and meeting standards suitable for peer review and dissemination.

Knowledge

Exhibit a systematic and comprehensive understanding of a substantial body of knowledge at the forefront of an academic discipline or professional practice, and critically assess its theoretical, methodological, and practical dimensions.

Conceptualise, design, implement, and adapt substantial research projects that generate significant new knowledge or advancements in professional practice in response to complex and evolving challenges.

Skills

Demonstrate informed judgment and intellectual independence when addressing issues in complex or unpredictable situations and formulate innovative solutions grounded in rigorous evidence and scholarship.

Values and attitudes

Apply and critically evaluate advanced research methodologies, techniques, and analytical approaches to investigate complex questions and produce robust, original findings.

Effectively communicate and defend complex ideas, research findings, and scholarly contributions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, while demonstrating the ability to tackle and solve problems.

PSRMRF - MPhil/PhD in Management

The programme is a research-based doctoral degree with an integrated first-year training component.
Year 1: doctoral research training and First-Year Project
Year 1 doctoral training comprises four modules in Term 1, 4 modules in Term 2, and a substantial First Year Project in Term 3. Term 1 modules provide you with foundational training in qualitative methods, statistical analysis, and core social science research approaches in management. Term 1 also includes a cross-cutting, skills-based doctoral training module—Research for Impact—designed to equip you with a broad toolkit for producing high-quality research with clear academic and societal impact. Term 2 comprises a further four modules, focusing on more specialised methods and discipline-specific electives. In each term, you may opt to take up to one alternative module, subject to approval by your supervisor and the Programme Director(s). This option enables you to take credit-bearing modules outside the Faculty of Management to address training needs that arise from the breadth of specialisms within the Faculty. Term 3 is dedicated to the First-Year Project, in which you, under the guidance of your supervisory team, produce a written report that articulates your proposed research question(s), outlines the underpinning theoretical and empirical approach, and sets out a clear plan for progression to the next stage of doctoral research. Throughout the year, you are also expected to participate in relevant seminars and workshops organised by the Faculty of Management and the PhD programme.
 
Years 2 to 4: supervised doctoral research
In Years 2 to 4, you will undertake a substantial supervised research project leading to a doctoral thesis. The research may be theoretical, empirical, qualitative, quantitative, analytical, computational, experimental, design-based, or mixed-method, depending on the research question and disciplinary context.
During this stage, you will normally:
·       refine and justify your research question;
·       develop a critical and coherent literature review;
·       specify and implement an appropriate research design;
·       obtain ethical approval where required;
·       collect, construct, analyse and interpret data or evidence where relevant;
·       develop theoretical, empirical, methodological or practical contributions;
·       present work in seminars, workshops and conferences;
·       receive feedback through supervision, annual progress reviews, and the transfer panel;
·       prepare papers for submission to conferences, workshops or journals where appropriate;
·       write and submit a doctoral thesis.
 
The programme culminates in the submission of a thesis and a viva voce examination. The thesis must demonstrate an original contribution to knowledge and meet the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy.

Teaching and learning are delivered and achieved through a range of in  person methods including lectures, seminars, case studies, group work presentations, group projects/discussions and individual research, depending on a modules subject. You will also make extensive use of Moodle, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which is used to support all teaching and learning on the course. The First Year Project accounts for 60 credits and represents a substantive piece of individual research that is developed at the final stage of Year One.
A minimum of 10 teaching and learning hours (both contact and non-contact) are required for each credit awarded. This includes independent learning, reading and discussions, coursework and research. Therefore, the overall teaching and learning hours required for successful completion of the programme is approximately 1800 hours. The precise weighting of different types of teaching and learning depends on the modules you take and the breakdown is therefore provided within the appropriate module specifications.

Curriculum Catalogue

MPhil/PhD in Management - PhD

PSRMRF