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Doctoral Programme structure

Click here to view the PhD in Finance structure.

We have a high degree of expertise in a broad range of disciplines from strategic marketing to information systems. Depending on your research area, you will be attached to at least one subject group or research centre; many of our doctoral researchers have an affiliation with more than one subject group or research centre.

Our Doctoral Programme has a minimum registration period of three years full-time. We require all our doctoral researchers to be full-time in the first year and during this time you will undertake your core research training. Occasionally, some Doctoral researchers, with their supervisor's consent become part-time after the end of their first year, with an extended registration period of up to five years.

There is no distance learning study option for a doctorate at WBS.

You will eventually produce a thesis of around 80,000 words under the guidance of your supervisor. The degree of PhD is awarded solely on the basis of this thesis, the criterion for the award being that the thesis makes a significant contribution to knowledge.

Research training programme

Our research training programme is specifically tailored to meet your needs as a doctoral researcher and complies with the ESRC's requirements. It is designed and delivered by staff with a high degree of expertise in research methodologies who are also supervisors themselves.

Your core research training will be undertaken in your first year and is designed to enable you to develop your skills as a researcher in social sciences, not just those you will need to complete your thesis. The programme consists of four core modules which are delivered through a combination of weekly lectures, seminars and day schools. Attendance on all modules is compulsory and there is normally no exemption from the requirement to attend any part of the training programme.

The four key modules which make up the programme are:

• Philosophy of the Social Sciences covering the nature of social science, issues of theory construction and problem formulation, and paradigms of social enquiry and explanation. Assessed through coursework.
• Qualitative Research Methods covering issues fieldwork access, observation, interviewing, documentary analysis and case studies. Assessed through coursework.
• Quantitative Research Methods examining the use of descriptive and inferential statistics, sampling, multivariate analysis, statistical packages like SPSS. Assessed through coursework.
• Research Planning and Management Skills covering all skills relevant to thesis preparation, conference presentations, journal submissions and your future career. Non-assessed.

A structured feedback process throughout the year ensures that modules can be fine tuned if necessary and any specific needs or gaps in content can be addressed.

There is a programme of training events for Doctoral researchers beyond year one, but attendance is voluntary. The programme includes more advanced research methods training, sessions relating to research planning and managing as well as careers and other professional skills development workshops. You must pass the coursework requirements relating to the above modules in order to upgrade from MPhil to PhD.

Other training

You may also have the opportunity to follow some taught postgraduate modules from our Specialist Masters Programme.

You will be encouraged to take up the wide range of personal and professional skills development opportunities offered by the University. The WBS Doctoral Programme Office also works with other University departments (e.g.Careers Service) to deliver training which is specifically tailored to meet the needs of our doctoral researchers.

Disseminating your research

There will be many opportunities available to you for networking and disseminating your research. Regular research seminars organised during term time by your subject group will offer you the chance to exchange ideas and present your research. You will also have the opportunity to interact with doctoral and other researchers through events organised by the Doctoral Programme and Warwick Business School.

We offer a conference allowance to all doctoral researchers and you will also be encouraged to attend conferences and seminars and make high level presentations of your research to different audiences.

As a member of your subject group you will have the facility to create your own web pages and we also publish a Working Papers Series to which we encourage our doctoral researchers to contribute papers for publication.

Spring Doctoral Conference

WBS, Judge at Cambridge, and Said at Oxford work together to hold an annual Spring Doctoral Conference for their doctoral researchers. Each takes turn to hold the conference, which is organised by researchers from the host.

The two-day conference is an opportunity for researchers from the three schools to get together, exchange ideas, and receive feedback on their work. Academic faculty take part in panels, with previous themes including careers and publishing. It is not all work and there is plenty of time to socialize, and an evening dinner event as well.