Overview
Start date: September 2025
Duration: 5 years (1 year MRes + 4 years PhD)
Fees: We offer fully funded scholarships to all admitted students
Application deadline: 01 January 2025 (17:00 UK time). A late submission window closes on 04 April 2025 (17:00 UK time), although we encourage you to apply early as places are limited and applications are subject to close sooner if places are filled.
Entry: Minimum of a first class bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline. International students, please note that UCL’s English language requirement for this programme is a 'Level 1' (IELTS and TOEFL are the preferred test, however others on the UCL recognised test list will be accepted if required) - further details regarding this can be found on the UCL English Language Requirements page.
Programme
PhD students pursue their studies in one of the Operations & Technology, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics, and Organisations & Innovation groups. All four groups offer a unique education and research experience to a small number of highly motivated students, with the intent of preparing them for scholarly careers at the highest level.
PhD studies in Operations and Technology
Across the different research themes, there is a shared interest in management science, operations management and business technologies. Topics of interest in the Operations and Technology group include R&D management, innovation and new product development, service systems, supply chain management and healthcare operations. For candidates in this area, a degree in engineering (e.g. industrial, electrical, computer, mechanical etc), economics, mathematics, statistics or operational research is preferred.
PhD studies in Strategy and Entrepreneurship
S&E faculty research focuses on understanding what makes firms successful, how they cope with a complex and dynamic environment, and what leads to new business formation and growth. Doctoral training involves close collaboration between the doctoral student and faculty members on shared research interests, coursework at UCL and other institutions, and independent research. Doctoral students also benefit from the S&E group’s collaborative research community, a lively program of research speakers from other institutions, and links with researchers worldwide. Topics of interest include digitization, big data analytics, machine learning, information environment, platform ecosystems, new organisational forms, learning, innovation, competition, interorganisational relationships, corporate strategy, entrepreneurial strategy, entrepreneurship for development, social innovation.
PhD studies in Marketing and Analytics
Topics of interest in the Marketing & Analytics group include branding, retailing, advertising, pricing, product development, marketing channels, business marketing, marketing strategy and e-commerce. The researchers in this group use diverse quantitative methodologies that include big data analytics, regression analysis, choice models, field experiments and Bayesian econometrics.
PhD studies in Organisations and Innovation
O&I faculty research focuses on understanding individual and team outcomes within organisations. Group members engage with a variety of perspectives and approaches including network research, experiments and ethnographies. There is a shared interest in the topics of creativity, innovation, social networks and diversity. For applicants to the PhD programme, prior training in social science (e.g. social psychology, sociology or economics) is highly relevant.
PhD studies in Financial Economics
Our MRes and PhD Programme in Financial Economics with UCL's Department of Economics now has more information about how to apply and what you can expect from the programme on a brand new programme page, please see the specific entry requirements and programme structure here.
PhD Structure
- The programme typically consists of five years of full-time study, starting with one year of modules registered as MRes. These modules are typically advanced postgraduate modules to provide rigorous methodological training to prepare students for their PhD research. Along with the School’s modules, students typically take some of these from other UCL departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology), the London Business School, Bayes Business School, and Imperial College Business School.
- In addition to methods modules, students also undertake a first-year research project under the tutoring and supervision of a faculty member later in the MRes year (Term 3 + Summer period).
- Progression from MRes to PhD is not automatic. Superior performance in taught modules and independent, original research is required for progression from MRes to PhD.
- Our highly selective and small-sized PhD programme ensures that each student receives personal attention and guidance from our faculty members throughout their doctoral study. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career.
- We expect our PhD graduates to have as their goal an academic career as a faculty member in a top business school or engineering department of a world-class university
- PhD applications are reviewed once a completed application form has been submitted online.
Students take a total of 180 credits in the MRes year. This is made up of the MRes Research Project:
- MSIN0135 - MRes Research Project: 8,000-10,000 words. 105 credits.
Students take 75 credits of taught modules, of which the following three are compulsory modules:
- MSIN0131 - Research Presentation and Critical Writing Skills. 15 credits
- MSIN0132 - Seminar in Organisation Theory. 15 credits
- MSIN0240 - Designing of Management Research Projects. 15 credits
Finally, students choose elective modules (15 credits each) among those offered by the School of Management, other UCL Departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology), and partner universities in London.
Students can take additional (non-credit) modules at UCL and our partners schools in the remaining years to complement their learning, but there is no requirement to take modules after the MRes year.
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and class discussion based on case studies and other activities. Student performance is assessed through simulations, presentations, coursework, group projects, class participation, and examinations.
Students typically study 3 compulsory modules over Terms 1 and 2. Students will also typically study 2 optional modules which may take place in Terms 1, 2 or 3. Students will also undertake a substantial research project, which would usually be undertaken over Terms 2 and 3.
Each taught module is delivered over 10 weeks, with 3 contact hours per week comprising lecture content and interactive components.
In addition, students typically spend approximately 6-8 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars. The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.
Why choose us
What our students say:
'The UCL School of Management PhD programme is designed to provide students with skills that lead to academic excellence. Candidates are part of a dynamic and vibrant group and benefit from the programme's flexibility, as they can choose from a wide range of disciplines. The frequent cooperation with world-leading faculty members enhances our knowledge and skills and ultimately leads to high-quality research output, laying the foundations for a subsequent successful academic career.'
REF 2021
UCL School of Management has forged a reputation for world-leading research in management studies with 95% of the School’s research deemed to be world-leading or internationally excellent, the second highest percentage of any business school in the UK, according to the 2021 REF.
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Applications
Applying for our MRes/PhD Programme
Entry requirements and admissions criteria:
We seek to recruit highly motivated, ambitious students with strong educational backgrounds. The ideal candidate will have a first-class Bachelor's degree from the UK or an overseas qualification of equivalent standard from a leading university. We encourage students from a wide variety of backgrounds (e.g, engineering, economics, business, mathematics/statistics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, among others) to apply to our programme. Also, notice that a Master’s or graduate level degree is not required for admission, you can apply with only an undergraduate (e.g. bachelors) degree.
In your personal statement you are expected to suggest one or more faculty members as potential supervisors. On the application form you may see that it states that it is preferred that you contact potential supervisors beforehand – you do not need to do so. In fact, applicants are discouraged from randomly contacting individual faculty members or potential supervisors when applying to our programme. All applications are first evaluated by a joint admissions committee, so contacting potential supervisors separately will not increase your chances.
All MRes/PhD applicants are normally expected to take either a GMAT test or GRE test (UCL's institution code is 3344, but also make sure you include a scanned copy of your test result on your online application), although the School has no minimum score requirements.
We also require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores if English is not your first language. Our School requires a “Level 1” English qualification which corresponds to:
- IELTS: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
- TOEFL: Score of 92, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 20/30 in the listening and speaking subtests.
Application Deadline
The application window closes 01 January 2025 (17:00 UK time) and a late submission window closes on 04 April 2025 (17:00 UK time). We advise those interested in the programme to apply before 01 January 2025, as those applying in the late submission window will only be considered if there are still places remaining.
Application Procedure
Apply via UCL Postgraduate Admissions System here. When starting the application, you must select the MRes option. In addition to filling out the online application form, please upload a copy of the following documents:
- CV/Resume
- Official Transcripts of Grades / Course marks
- A 2-3 page personal statement or research proposal* that clearly indicates: (i) which research group you are interested in (i.e., Organisations & Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics or Operations & Technology, (ii) your research interests and preliminary research ideas, (iii) potential faculty member(s) you may want to work with (this is a suggested list, you don’t need to contact potential supervisors beforehand), and (iv) your motivation to do a PhD.
- Your GRE/GMAT score report**
- Your IELTS/TOEFL score report, if English is not your first language. Please see the UCL English Language requirements page for futher information about the English language test.
* While submission of a full research proposal is not required, you can send us one if you have already written it up.
** You can submit your application even if you don’t have a GRE/GMAT score —simply indicate when you plan to take the test.
Funding/Scholarships
We offer fully funded five year MRes/PhD scholarships in the UCL School of Management to all admitted students. The scholarship is open to all nationalities. It covers all tuition fees, and includes an annual stipend of £26,000, which is tax-free.
Additional costs
This programme does not have any compulsory additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.
Students may have the opportunity to participate in conferences in the UK and internationally. The UCL School of Management provides MRes/PhD students with an annual budget for conferences, which students will use to cover the travel, accommodation, food and other costs whilst at conferences, in line with UCL’s expenses policy.
For queries about the MRes/PhD Programme that are not addressed on our web pages, please contact mgmt-pgr@ucl.ac.uk.
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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL School of Management MRes/PhD Programme
Programme Information
Application Process
Admissions Requirements
TOEFL: Score of 92, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing, and 20/30 in the listening and speaking subtests.
IELTS: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests.
Funding
Further Information
If you have any other questions regarding the programme that are not addressed on our web pages please email the programme team (mgmt-pgr@ucl.ac.uk)