Research Degrees in

Strategy, Enterprise and Sustainability

in the Faculty of Business and Law

Overview

Do you want to advance or change your career, deepen your expertise in a topic, or expand your research and practical skills?

With a PhD or other postgraduate research degree in Strategy, Enterprise and Sustainability you will:

  • Work with leading experts in the field. We are a centre for research excellence, with 60% of our research in Business rated as world-leading or internationally excellent in the most recent national assessment of research (REF2014).
  • Be part of a world class buisness school. We have a triple accredited business school, the international benchmark of excellence for business schools. This achievement is testament to our high standards of excellence in teaching and research and places us among the very best business schools on the world.
  • Join a thriving research community. You will be aligned with our research centres: Future EconomiesDecent Work and Productivity and Business Transformations.  These centres are at the forefront of fundamental and applied research into how we sustain vibrant and productive economies that are sensitive to the needs of workers.
  • Benefit from a range of networking and development opportunities. Manchester has a wealth of entrepreneurial spirit and enterprising culture. You will be able to engage with leading national and global industries. 
  • Undertake tailored personal and professional development training. This training ensures our graduates are equipped to make a real impact, whether in the worlds of academia or practice.
  • Receive dedicated support from the Business and Law Graduate School. We provide specialist support training opportunities to enhance your development as a researcher and practitioner. The seventh floor of our Business School building is a dedicated postgraduate space, and includes attractively landscaped social and study areas.

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Areas of supervisory expertise

We can supervise a broad range of projects within the fields of Strategy, Enterprise, and Sustainability. Our areas of expertise include:

  • Growth
  • Leadership
  • Strategic management and leadership
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Sustainability
  • Public management and value
  • Strategic urban and regional development
  • Enterprise and employability skills
  • Social enterprise
  • Innovation management
  • Decision-making and cognitive heuristics
  • Governance, accountability, and change
  • Organisational behaviour and work psychology
  • Enterprise education
  • Business ethics and social responsibility
  • Gender and entrepreneurship.

Find out more about our staff's expertise

Research culture

We undertake innovative research that is rooted in industry, driven by the global environment and reflective of evolving business trends. Our research is collaborative and impactful; we work with regional, national and international enterprises to address technical, commercial and strategic challenges.

More about our research culture

We have three research centres: Future EconomiesDecent Work and Productivity and Business Transformations. These centres bring together researchers, business and communities in order to understand the key challenges facing enterprise in the 21st century, and how these challenges can be addressed in a way that is decent for workers and productive for organisations.

Postgraduate researchers form an integral part of our research culture. You will benefit from an extensive programme of research training, designed to develop your subject-specific and transferable skills. You will also have the opportunity to attend a wide variety of seminars, symposiums and networking events to expand your intellectual horizons.

In addition to the research centres, we are also home to other major interdisciplinary research projects, including:

Courses offered, duration, and start dates

Programmes offered

  • PhD (3 years full time, 6 years part time)
  • Master's by Research (1 year full time, 2 years part time)
  • MPhil (18 months full time, 36 months part time)

Find out more about the different research degrees we offer

Start dates

The majority of our students start their courses in October. We offer a further start point in January.

Career prospects

You will develop industry recognised, practical subject knowledge and have the opportunity to engage with employers and practitioners. You will be part of Manchester Met Business School, which has extensive associations with professional bodies and industry associations.

Pursuing a research degree allows you to enhance your own professional practice, gain a deep understanding of the challenges faced by 21st century enterprise, and develop a range of higher-level research and analytical skills. You will be well equipped to pursue a range of careers as a researcher or practitioner.

Course structure

This course is research based. You will independently conduct research into your own topic or a topic that we advertise. Your supervisory team will offer expert guidance throughout your studies and review work in progress.

Each year, you will follow a programme of training and development to enhance your research methods, subject-matter expertise and professional skills.

In your first year (or first two years if you are part-time) you will take four, compulsory, credit-based courses as part of our Doctoral Research Training programme.

Fees and funding

Find out more

Postgraduate Research Degree fees

Refer to our Fees page for more information about tuition fees.

Loans for research degrees

Many of our PhD and Professional Doctorate programmes are eligible for the government's Doctoral Loan Scheme. MPhil and MA/MSc by Research degrees are eligible for a Postgraduate Loan.

Find out more about tuition fees and financial support

Scholarships

Each year we offer a number of competitive scholarships to support high quality research projects. Current scholarship opportunities in Business are advertised on our site.

Sign up to be notified when relevant scholarships are advertised

Entry requirements

Find out more

You should, as a minimum, have a first or 2.1 honours degree or an equivalent qualification.

International students must demonstrate a sufficiently high standard of English language ability (IELTS 7.0).

We welcome interest from applicants from non-standard backgrounds. We will take subject knowledge, professional experience, publications, or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment into consideration.

See more about our standard entry requirements.

Enquiries

Before applying for a research degree, you should have a preliminary discussion with a member of staff about your project and ideas. To arrange this, please email Dr Moe Roohanifar m.roohanifar@mmu.ac.uk, the Postgraduate Research Degrees Lead for the Strategy, Enterprise and Sustainability.

For further information on the application process, contact the Admissions team pgradmissions@mmu.ac.uk, +44 (0)161 247 2966

How to apply

Apply now

To apply for this degree, please select one of the study options below to begin your application.

Before you apply, you should discuss your project with a member of academic staff. You should also complete the postgraduate research degree thesis proposal form, which you will need to upload as part of your application. The document can be attached at the final checklist section after you’ve submitted your application.


Postgraduate Study