We have 191 Business & Management PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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Business & Management PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 191 Business & Management PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

PhDs in Business and Management are doctoral research degrees that allow students to deeply explore a particular aspect of business and management.

Specifics vary drastically between programmes, but may involve research into the complexities of organisational behaviour, the effectiveness of business strategies, and the impact of management practices on diverse industries.

Entry requirements typically include an undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject such as Business, Economics or Management. A relevant Masters degree may also be required depending on the programme.

Why study a PhD in Business and Management?

Develop Skills and Knowledge

A PhD in Business and Management allows you to not only develop your own knowledge of Business and Management, but also to make a unique, original contribution to the subject as a whole. By doing so, you will hone a variety of transferable skills, such as:

  • Research and Analytical Skills: Ability to design, conduct, and analyse complex research projects.
  • Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Expertise in evaluating business theories and practices to address challenges.
  • Communication and Presentation Skills: Proficiency in effectively conveying ideas and findings to diverse audiences.

Further Career Development

If you're hoping for a career in academia, a PhD is typically required. Other research-based careers may likewise require a PhD, and even when they don't, employers will value the research skills and knowledge developed during your degree. For more information, please visit our PhD employability guide.

After completing your PhD in Business and Management, a potential career option might be employment as a Business Consultant. According to UK salary data from Glassdoor, a Business Consultant earns an average of £44,004 per year, dependent on factors such as experience, employer and employment location.

Improve Employability

Completing a PhD may also improve your employability. According to the UK government's LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes survey, 87% of Business and Management PhD students were in further education or employment three years after graduation.

What do prospective Business and Management PhD students think about study?

We host the Pulse postgraduate survey to understand the motivations, concerns and expectations of students just like you. For prospective Business and Management PhD students in 2023:

  • 78% were either positive or very positive about employment after graduation.
  • 64% preferred on campus learning, 13% preferred online/distance learning, and 23% preferred a blended approach.
  • 23% were interested in part-time study.
  • In order of popularity, the top three study motivations were:
    • Subject interest
    • Skills development
    • Challenge

If you'd like to make your voice heard, why not complete our survey? Your feedback will help us ensure our site is as helpful as possible for students like you!

Note: This guidance was produced with the assistance of AI. However, all data is derived from reliable, authoratitive sources, and all content has been reviewed by humans.

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Managing Hypermasculinity in Construction

Construction remains one of the most male-dominated industries in the UK, with men making up 85% of the total workforce, including 98% of all manual workers. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr Dylan Tutt
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
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Responsible innovation in metamaterials for circular economy and sustainability: building the evidence base for inclusive and sustainable applications - EPSRC DLA studentship for September 2027 entry

Metamaterials are advanced materials with engineered structures that give them properties beyond those of their constituent materials. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr EHK Kershaw
 8 December 2026  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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Beyond Pilots: De-Risking the Scale-Up of Artificial Intelligence in Digitally Enabled Circular Supply Chains

Most organisations can demonstrate that AI works in a pilot; far fewer can sustain its value when it is embedded in complex, high-throughput operations. Read more
 Supervisor: Dr MMK Kamal
 8 December 2026  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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SCALE-Decode: Unlocking Growth Workflows in UK SMEs - EPSRC DLA studentship for September 2027 entry

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) underpin UK employment and innovation, yet many struggle to turn early success into sustainable growth. Read more
 Supervisor: Prof BN Nguyen
 8 December 2026  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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Coworking spaces as place-based organisational actors

We invite applications from highly motivated candidates to undertake a 3–4-year Full-time PhD beginning in September 2027 who are interested in exploring the role of coworking spaces as organisational actors and their wider regional impact. Read more
 Supervisors: Prof F Fai, Prof P Tomlinson
 26 February 2027  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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Place-Based Industrial Strategy and Regional Growth

  Research Group: Centre for Governance, Regions & Industrial Strategy (CGRIS)
We welcome applications from highly motivated PhD candidates interested in place-based industrial strategy, regional development, innovation, and economic growth. Read more
 Supervisors: Prof P Tomlinson, Prof F Fai, Dr C Dimos
 26 February 2027  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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University of Bristol Business School PhD Bursaries

University of Bristol Business School (UBBS) bursaries of £21,805 awarded to outstanding applicants. The bursary includes mandatory Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) responsibilities as a condition of the award, with teaching hours separately compensated at an additional hourly rate. Read more
 Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)  Business Research Programme
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From Offshore Wind to Household Benefits (Ref: AURA27-AB)

This PhD project examines how retail electricity tariffs can help UK households benefit more directly from the transition towards an electricity system increasingly powered by renewable energy, with offshore wind playing a central role, while ensuring that tariff innovation does not disadvantage vulnerable consumers. Read more
 Supervisors: Dr AR Bennato, Dr M Adetutu, Dr A.Burlinson Burlinson
 15 January 2027  PhD Research Project  Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)
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Navigating Geopolitical Risk: Supply Chain Reconfiguration, ESG and Firm Resilience

This PhD will address this gap by investigating through which supply chain reconfiguration mechanisms geopolitical risk affects firms’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Read more
 Supervisors: Dr M Lotfi, Prof PZ Zhou, Dr RA Alikhani
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Self-Funded PhD Students Only
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Competency, Skills, and AI in Project Leadership: Bridging Knowledge and Productivity Gaps for 21st-Century Workforce Readiness in the Construction Industry

The UK construction industry faces persistent challenges of productivity stagnation, skill shortages, and fragmented professional development pathways (Farmer, 2016; Construction Leadership Council, 2023). Read more
 Supervisor: Dr S Ahmed
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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Assessing and improving the productivity of construction labour through resilient interventions against stagnation (in respect of the evolving perspectives of the impacts of pandemics like the coronavirus)

The construction sector, covering other professional services, accounts for a substantial value addition of every economy globally and generates substantial incomes in export earnings, especially in advanced economies. Read more
 Supervisors: Dr P Missa, Dr H Kew
 Year round applications  PhD Research Project  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
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LISS DTP Social Science PhD Studentships

Applications are now open for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)- funded London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP) Open Competition Studentships for October 2027 Entry. Read more
 Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)  ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership
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LISS DTP Social Science PhD Studentships

Applications are now open for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)- funded London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP) Open Competition Studentships for October 2027 Entry. Read more
 Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)  ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership
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LISS DTP Social Science PhD Studentships

Applications are now open for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)- funded London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP) Open Competition Studentships for October 2027 Entry. Read more
 Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)  ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership
More details

LISS DTP Social Science PhD Studentships

Applications are now open for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)- funded London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (LISS DTP) Open Competition Studentships for October 2027 Entry. Read more
 Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)  ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership