All candidates should hold the equivalent of a UK First or Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree from an approved university or higher education institution. They should also hold an approved Masters degree in business, management, and/or the social sciences (or related disciplines), with a significant research/dissertation component, having achieved an overall weighted average of 65%.
While neither degree needs to be directly related to your proposed subject/topic of research, you must be able to demonstrate your ability to undertake research, at an advanced level, in this field.
Where candidates have successfully completed a masters degree that does not contain a significant research/dissertation component, they may be required to provide alternative evidence of their ability to undertake research at an advanced level.
At Aston Business School our PhD programme is designed to train Doctoral students who aspire to become future academics or professional industry researchers.
Our research expertise is embedded in our academic departments, and you are strongly recommended to explore these departmental web pages (via Our Current Research Themes link below), before applying, so that you can better position your research proposal to fit with academics' current research interests.
More info: Click here
Year 1
In the first year you will undertake four ESRC approved taught Research Methods modules. These modules are designed to provide you with the necessary skills to both successfully complete your PhD, and to develop as a well-rounded researcher.
In line with ESRC initiatives, the Research Methods course is co-taught by experts within ABS and the School of Languages and Social Sciences (LSS) and involves modules on (1) Philosophy of Social Science Research, (2) Research Design, Practice and Ethics, (3) Fundamentals in Quantitative Research Methods, and (4) Foundations in Qualitative Research Methods.
These modules are designed to support the development of your research project and, ultimately, support the submission of a final Qualifying Report towards the end of Year 1. The Qualifying Report is an extended research proposal that details your proposed research aims and objectives, contributions to current academic and –where appropriate –practitioner knowledge, and the research strategy, design, and methods you intend to employ to meet these aims and objectives. You are required to defend your Qualifying Report through a viva voce oral examination involving two ABS academic examiners, one of whom will be familiar with the subject area. Upon successful completion of this examination, you will then be allowed to proceed onto the PhD Programme.
Year 2
During the second year you will typically concentrate on obtaining ethical approval for your research, before focusing on data collection and analysis. For some students this will involve travel to external research sites where data is collected. Towards the end of Year 2, you are required to communicate and defend your research progress. This is either through:
Year 3
Year three is typically a writing up year, where you will spend most of your time developing your thesis. We also encourage all students to submit to important academic conferences in order to communicate their research to an external audience and obtain essential feedback before submitting their final thesis for viva voce examination towards the end of Year 3. Attending conferences, and receiving feedback, is also an essential first step in getting your research published in top tier academic journals in your discipline.
Insurance- Single: 300 GBP/year
