Business PhDs at a leading university

Norwich Business School is one of the top business schools in the UK, but what really makes us the ideal place to research and study for PhD? 

At Norwich Business School, we ‘Do Different’. We believe in absorbing knowledge, but also challenging conventional thinking. That's why we take an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from different subjects and developing broad-minded and adaptable graduates and researchers. 

We also strive to ‘Do Better’. We're challenging the world's understanding of what it means to be a responsible business, with ground-breaking research into well-being in the workplace, business ethics, and regulation. We pass on that knowledge to our students, and to organisations looking to improve their productivity, prosperity, and sustainability. 

Our PhD programme offers PhD students the opportunity to conduct independent research and receive advanced training in accordance with the Doctoral Training Pathway in Business Management. The School is a lively, friendly department committed to provide PhD students with dedicated supervision and regular feedback throughout the four years of study. We view our PhD students as junior researchers and invest in them accordingly. We offer a stimulating environment and provide financial support in the form of scholarships and research support to outstanding home and international students. 

Research Areas

In Norwich Business School we have several research groups. Each one is comprised of academic staff, researchers and PhD students specialising in a particular area of business - but all collaborate at a School, University, and global level to bring new and innovative thinking to modern business practices. Our research areas are listed below.  

• Accounting: Disclosures and capital markets, Accountability and ESG disclosures, Accounting and digital technologies, Public sector accounting, Performance management, Tax, Data analytics, Emerging markets, Earnings quality, Large Language Models in business research, Management control and innovation, Management accounting and sustainability, Healthcare management 
• Employment systems and institutions: Human resource management, organisational change, sustainability, Affect and well-being; work-life balance; motivation and job design, Diversity and equality; ethics in organisations 
• Entrepreneurship and strategy: Entrepreneurship, strategy, and international business  
• Finance: Asset Pricing, Banking, Corporate Finance, Environmental Finance, Financial Technology, Investment Management, Market Microstructure 
• Information technology, innovation, and Operations Management: Operations, supply chain management and innovation, Technology management, Information systems, Digital Business, Business Analytics, and social media 
• Responsible business and regulation: Corporate Governance, Shareholder Activism, Environmental and Social Governance; Digital Policy, Digital Services, Markets and Regulation; European Union Governance and Policy, Energy, Water, and Environment and Sustainability; Industrial Organisation, Markets, Consumers and Consumer Protection, and Competition Policy and Regulation 

Further information and contact details 

Further information about the PhD programme is available on the Norwich Business School website. We suggest you look at the School's website, check out some academics and read up on some of their publications. We recommend that you identify at least one member of staff at UEA who might be your supervisor and that you contact them, to express your interest and discuss your research proposal. You will need to submit a research proposal of no more than 2000 words with your application. 

If you have further specific questions, please contact the Postgraduate Research Director, Dr Brad McKenna, (email: B.Mckenna@uea.ac.uk ). 

To discuss the application process, please contact the UEA Postgraduate Research Office - email: pgr.enquiries.admiss@uea.ac.uk 

Candidates will be interviewed, usually via Zoom, as part of the selection process. International applicants may be required to provide evidence of competence in the English Language. 

Candidates should typically hold, or expect to hold, a first degree with a minimum of 2:1 and a good Master’s degree with research methods training appropriate to the discipline, with a dissertation mark of at least 65%. Candidates who have studied outside of the UK should typically hold, or expect to hold, qualifications equivalent to those above. 

Please complete the application form to apply for a PhD: 

https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-doctorate/postgraduate-research-in-business-and-management