Doctoral Programme 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. Apart from the PhD in Finance, we will consider applicants who wish to study part-time, provided that they are able to fulfil our attendance requirements (particularly the compulsory research training programme), and are based in the UK.

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.

The PhD in Finance has a slightly modified structure, which you can read about on its own page.

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 as a Doctoral Training Centre. The Research Training Programme is designed and delivered by staff from within WBS and across the Faculty of Social Sciences with a high degree of expertise in research methodologies and who are also supervisors themselves.

Your core research training will be undertaken mainly 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.

In conjunction with other departments across the Faculty of Social Sciences all new entrants to the main Doctoral Programme are required to attend and participate in the following four core modules:

These modules will be held across the week in Terms 1 and 2 of the first year. Researchers are required to pass assignments in the Philosophies of Social Science and either Quantitative or Qualitative Methods. Upgrade from MPhil to PhD is dependent on successful completion of the assignments.

In Year 2 you will be required to take either an Advanced Quantitative or Advanced Qualitative Research Methods module, as appropriate for your particular research

.

PhD in Finance researchers follow a modified version of the Research Training Programme.

Other training

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

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 (such as the 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.

Spring Doctoral Conference

WBS, Judge at Cambridge, and Saïd 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 doctoral 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 socialise, and an evening dinner event as well.

In April 2011, WBS was the host for the Woxbridge conference.