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The University of Worcester welcomes applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in Business.

We offer students either an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in Business or PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Business

More information about MPhil and PhD degrees can be found here.

Overview

Overview

Key insights into a research degree in Business

  • Supervision by experienced academics across a broad spectrum of business and management disciplines.
  • Opportunities to join one of several active research groups.
  • Access to dedicated quiet workspaces and research student offices in the Business School, located in Worcester city centre.
  • Flexible study options: full-time or part-time.
  • Tailored supervision and support through the Researcher Development Programme (RDP)
  • Opportunities for conference participation and publication support through the Research Student Conference Support Scheme.

The Business MPhil and PhD programmes at the University of Worcester support a wide range of research approaches, including theoretical, empirical, and practice-based investigations. Research students benefit from expert supervision, access to specialist resources, and integration into vibrant research communities aligned with their interests. The programmes foster a dynamic and inclusive research culture, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world impact.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry qualifications

For MPhil

  • First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or an approved equivalent award

or

  • Research or professional experience which has resulted in appropriate evidence of achievement

For PhD

  • Postgraduate Masters Degree in a discipline which is appropriate to the proposed programme of study

or

  • First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree or equivalent award in an appropriate discipline

or

  • Research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of achievement

International applicants

International applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have the appropriate level of written and spoken English.

For MPhil/PhD this is an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in every component.

Programme structure

Programme structure

After receiving your application, we will establish if we have the expertise to supervise your project. This will normally consist of a Director of Studies (DoS), who will be your lead supervisor, and at least one other supervisor, who will offer you additional support and guidance throughout your studies. If you are offered a place as a student, your programme of study will look like the outline below.

At the start of your MPhil or PhD

At the start of your MPhil or PhD, you will complete a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Research Methods, a mandatory taught part of MPhil and PhD programmes at Worcester. Full-time students complete the PG Cert in 9 months and part-time students in 12-15 months depending on your month of registration (September or January).

The PG Cert is designed to set you up for your research degree, and focuses on establishing your development needs, developing your research proposal, and preparing you for the planning and delivery of your programme of research. You will be taught through a combination of in-person seminars and online delivery. You can also engage with our online researcher development programme workshops.

You will engage with three modules as part of your PGCert:

  • RSDP4001: Developing as a Researcher
  • RSDP4004: Planning Your Research Project
  • RSDP4005: Approaches to Research

Throughout these early stages of your research degree, you will work with your supervisory team to regularly discuss your progress. At the end of each year, you will reflect on and formally review your progress with your supervisory team and Doctoral Programme Leader. We call this annual meeting an Annual Progress Review (APR).

If you are enrolled on an MPhil programme, the remainder of your programme of study will follow a similar pattern as our PhD programme structure outlined below but in a shorter timeframe. Data collection will typically begin in your first year (full-time) and years 2-3 (part-time). Writing of thesis chapters, dissemination and your viva will typically occur in year 2 (full-time) and years 3-4 (part-time).

During your MPhil or PhD

In your second year (full-time) or years 3-4 (part-time), you will be collecting data and working on your research project with the support of your supervisory team through regular meetings.

You may at this point have research papers ready to publish and attend conferences to present your research to other experts in your field. You will be able to apply to our Research Student Conference Support Scheme for some funding for this purpose.

You can also present your work as part of the annual Postgraduate Research Student Conference and our Images of Research event; seminars based within your academic school and our Postgraduate Network Present and Share series in addition to a range of online workshops as part of our researcher development programme.

At the end of the year of your registration, you will go through an Annual Progress Review.

Final stage of your MPhil or PhD

Throughout the final stages of your degree, you will be working with your supervisory team to discuss your progress through supervisory meetings. In year 3 of your PhD (full-time) or year 5 (part-time), you will be writing up your thesis and preparing for your viva voce (viva) examination.

Your viva will take place after you have submitted your final thesis. After the viva, the examiners may ask that some amendments be made to your thesis before the final award is confirmed, and you will have additional time to do this.

It is possible to complete a full-time PhD in three years, but many students do take four years to complete. Similarly, it is possible to complete a part-time degree in 4 years, but it is likely that it will take you five years to complete.

Programme specifications

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and how these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest MPhil programme specification or PhD programme specification document.

Research areas

Research areas

Research expertise

  • Leadership and organisational behaviour
  • Entrepreneurship and small business development
  • International business and cross-cultural management
  • Marketing, consumer psychology, and branding
  • Sustainable and responsible business practices
  • Project and operations management
  • Innovation and knowledge management
  • Human resource management and workplace wellbeing
  • Strategic management and corporate governance
  • Digital marketing and intelligent systems
  • Customer interactions and service design

Research supervisors

Dr Scott Andrews
Expertise: Leadership, case study research methodologies, case based teaching & participant centred learning in management education 

Prof. Robin Bell
Expertise: Entrepreneurship/small business; international business and management; cross-cultural communication.

Dr Kay Emblen-Perry 
Expertise: Sustainable management including environmental management and justice, social responsibility and economic sustainability.

Dr Muhibul Haq
Microbusiness performance, sustainability, and competitive advantage; Ethnic minority microbusinesses; Knowledge management; Customer relationship management; Human Resource Management.

Dr Rebecca Jarrett 
Expertise: Inclusive Organisational Practices, Recruitment and Selection, Personal construct theory.

Dr Laila Kasem
Expertise: International business; international marketing; strategy; organisational learning and cross-cultural consumer behaviour.

Dr Jane Keenan
Expertise: Accounting and Financial Management, Corporate Finance and Employment legislation and how this affects companies competitiveness.

Dr Barbara Menara
Expertise: employee engagement, job satisfaction, turnover, workplace wellbeing, professions, quantitative methods, panel data analysis.

Dr Marwa Mohamed
The general themes of my research include: management and organizational learning, leadership and leadership development, change management, paradox management, creativity and creative organisations, and emotion in organizations, and group relations/ system psychodynamics.

Dr Paulo Mora-Avila
Expertise: Consumer psychology, corporate reputation, branding, and cross-cultural & cross-generational behaviour.

Dr Pamella Murray
Expertise: Leadership; teamwork; coaching and mentoring.

Prof. Lynn Nichol
Expertise: Work based learning; professional identity; narrative research/ethnography; psychological contract/survivor syndrome/downsizing; learning and development; careers; employee relations; faith based organisation.

Dr Richard Nicholls
Expertise: Services marketing; customer-to-customer interaction; ageing service customers; customer misbehaviour.

Dr Sajad Rezaei
Expertise: Interactive & Digital Marketing; Sustainability and Responsible Business; Business Innovation and Strategy; Consumer Behaviour.

Dr Abdulmaten Taroun
Expertise: Project management; operations management; decision-making and risk analysis; risk management; enterprise risk management (ERM); quality management; construction management; performance management; sustainability and sustainable development.

Dr Vessela Warren
Expertise: Innovation management; knowledge management in innovation; new service development (NSD) processes; innovation and sustainability; barriers and enablers to service innovation; strategic innovation; the role of the networks into the innovation process; service design; service co-creation; servitization.

Dr Helen Watts
Expertise: Customer retention, membership services, consumer psychology, occupational psychology, quantitative methodologies, qualitative methodologies, mixed method designs.

Dr Ria Wiid
Expertise: Contemporary marketing communications, authenticity and inside out branding.

Research groups

Postgraduate Research Students are encouraged to join Research Groups at the University. The Business School hosts the following Research Groups:

MPhil and PhD applications that align with these groups' interests are particularly welcome.

Careers

Careers

Career benefits of pursuing a PhD or MPhil in Business at the University of Worcester:

  • Accelerated career progression:
    Gain advanced research and analytical skills that position you for senior roles in academia, consultancy, policy, and strategic leadership.
  • Professional visibility and impact:
    Engage in publication, conference participation, and real-world research that builds your reputation and influence within the business community.
  • tailored development pathways:
    Benefit from flexible study options and personalised supervision across diverse business disciplines, aligning your research with career ambitions.
  • Strategic networking opportunities:
    Join active research groups and interdisciplinary communities that expand your professional network and open doors to collaborative projects.
  • Leadership in innovation and sustainability:
    Develop expertise in cutting-edge areas such as responsible business, digital marketing, and strategic innovation—skills highly valued across sectors.
  • Global career relevance:
    Equip yourself to address complex business challenges and contribute to organisational success in international, cross-cultural, and multi-sector contexts.
Fees

Fees and funding

Fees

The current fees can be found within the tuition fees document on our figure out finances page.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £136 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £236 per week (2026/27 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

Postgraduate and doctoral loans

The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,858 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs. For more details visit our postgraduate loans page.

If you are pursing a PhD, you may be eligible for a doctoral loan of up to £30,301 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2025. For more information visit our doctoral loans page.

To help with the financial responsibility of students, we offer a range of scholarships and alumni discounts. Find out more about these on our scholarships page.

How to apply

How to apply

Additional information

Please see guidance on Applying for an MPhil or Applying for a PhD to include application and interview deadlines.

If your research involves working with vulnerable adults and/or children then you may be required to obtain an Enhanced DBS check. There will be a small charge for this. For more information please contact research@worc.ac.uk.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustment. If you require an alternative format for making your application due to a disability, please contact us to discuss your needs on 01905 542182 or research@worc.ac.uk.

How to apply

Please make your application via our online application form. If you have any questions, please contact the Doctoral School on 01905 542182 or research@worc.ac.uk

Application links

PhD - September - Full time PhD - September - Part time PhD - January - Full time PhD - January - Part time