PhD Business

About the project

• Research

PhD Business

• Overview
• Degree details
• Our students
• Research
• Entry and fees
• Careers
• Facilities
• Supervisors
• Recently viewed
• Related courses

Overview

Elevate your impact and become a changemaker with a PhD in Business at the Claude Littner Business School.

The Claude Littner Business School (CLBS) at the University of West London has a strong reputation for its teaching and engagement with industry through knowledge exchange and research.

CLBS covers a wide spectrum of subject areas within business. Some research specialities to highlight are:

See details of specific PhD opportunities listed below .

Academics who are specialists in their field will offer supervision and guidance throughout your research.

This PhD is available for you to study:

As part of your application, please state whether you are applying for an online PhD.

See a list of potential PhD supervisors and read about their expertise in the " supervisors " section below.

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

• finance and accounting
• organisations and leadership
• navigating the data landscape
• engaging with markets and consumers
• innovation and sustainability
• economic policy and society.
• full-time or part-time
• on-campus or online
• starting in September or February.

About your degree

During your PhD in Business, we provide a stimulating and supportive environment where you will benefit from:

Our online PhD in Business allows you to undertake a postgraduate research degree from a location that fits with your lifestyle and commitments. As part of your application, please state that you are applying for an online PhD. As an online PhD student, you will not be required to visit the campus: all supervision, training, reviews and the viva voce examination are provided online.

An online PhD may not be suitable for all projects, and consideration will be given to the suitability of the research project and whether it can be completed successfully without regular access to campus facilities.

This course is available for you to study full-time or part-time, online or campus-based.

All PhD students will have access to the University’s student support services , the Library’s e-resources collection and IT support services . You are also welcome to attend the annual doctoral students’ conference on campus.

A PhD in Business is founded on independent research. You will undertake a systematic and in-depth exploration of your chosen topic to produce make an original and important contribution to the subject area.

The support provided by your supervisory team will be vital to your student experience and scholarly advancement. You and your supervisors will have regular one-to-one meetings which will provide you with opportunities to develop your research topic and discuss your progress.

Based in the heart of Ealing, west London, you can make use of the excellent transport links to travel to the capital or further afield – ideal for attending research meetings and networking events.

• peer feedback and discussion
• support by a supervisor and a second supervisor suited to your project.
• PhD opportunities
• Support
• Networking

Research areas

• Empowering organisations and leaders Unleashing potential: Organisational design, leadership and change Creating harmonious workplaces: Human resource management and organisational culture

Empowering organisations and leaders

• Unleashing potential: Organisational design, leadership and change
• Creating harmonious workplaces: Human resource management and organisational culture
• Engaging with markets and consumers Engaging with consumers and crafting experiences using disruptive marketing strategies Intelligence meets imagination: Harnessing AI, analytics and behavioural science to design hyper-personalised, insight-driven marketing strategies Building authentic, lasting brand relationships by creating immersive, human-centred and multi-sensory experiences

Engaging with markets and consumers

• Engaging with consumers and crafting experiences using disruptive marketing strategies
• Intelligence meets imagination: Harnessing AI, analytics and behavioural science to design hyper-personalised, insight-driven marketing strategies
• Building authentic, lasting brand relationships by creating immersive, human-centred and multi-sensory experiences
• Fostering innovation and sustainability Leveraging technology: Digital business and innovation Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Driving future business education

Fostering innovation and sustainability

• Leveraging technology: Digital business and innovation
• Corporate social responsibility and sustainability
• Driving future business education
• Navigating the data landscape Demystifying data: Business intelligence and analytics Making data-driven business decisions: Effective visualisation and storytelling techniques Driving change: Data-driven business strategy for competitive business advantage

Navigating the data landscape

• Demystifying data: Business intelligence and analytics
• Making data-driven business decisions: Effective visualisation and storytelling techniques
• Driving change: Data-driven business strategy for competitive business advantage
• Shaping economies, policy and society Happiness and wellbeing economics: Examining quality of life, inclusive growth and the role of policy in promoting societal wellbeing Investigating how inequality influences economic performance, social mobility and collective outcomes Political economy and governance: Analysing the interplay between power, inequality and policymaking in global and local contexts

Shaping economies, policy and society

• Happiness and wellbeing economics: Examining quality of life, inclusive growth and the role of policy in promoting societal wellbeing
• Investigating how inequality influences economic performance, social mobility and collective outcomes
• Political economy and governance: Analysing the interplay between power, inequality and policymaking in global and local contexts
• Transforming finance and accounting Charting the future: fintech and ESG The pillars of finance: Market infrastructures and investment Modernising management accounting: Navigating new norms Revolutionising financial accounting: Embracing the digital age Ensuring integrity: innovations in auditing

Transforming finance and accounting

To enable you to enhance your professional profile, we support you throughout your research degree by:

We provide structured research training, expert supervision and an environment where you can discuss your research with other PhD students and researchers.

We run seminars in research methods from the Graduate Centre, as well as an ongoing series of events and activities organised by Schools and Colleges. Specialist help with academic English for students for whom English is not their first language is available.

We contribute to national and international initiatives and promote collaboration and networking opportunities. We also encourage and support you to publish and disseminate your research in academic journals and via presenting papers at conferences.

We run an annual conference for doctoral students, where you are encouraged to present a paper about your research. As well as being an opportunity to discuss your work with other students, the conference is a chance to gain valuable experience in presenting your research and participating in open discussions with academic peers.

You will also find other opportunities such as postgraduate student seminars and forums within your specific subject area.

Once you start a PhD course at UWL, you become part of our research community. You will have access to a postgraduate common room, located at our Ealing campus on St Mary’s Road, where you will meet fellow researchers from other subject disciplines offering scope for collaborations or simply to discuss ideas, allowing you to be part of a vibrant research environment.

• Charting the future: fintech and ESG
• The pillars of finance: Market infrastructures and investment
• Modernising management accounting: Navigating new norms
• Revolutionising financial accounting: Embracing the digital age
• Ensuring integrity: innovations in auditing
• providing research seminars
• organising doctoral events and activities
• facilitating networking and collaboration opportunities
• encouraging and supporting publication and dissemination of your research
• offering opportunities to gain teaching expertise and experience.

What our students say

The staff members that I encountered were warm, welcoming and supportive of my studies. The relatively small size of the University’s postgraduate school created a close family/communal environment for both staff and students. This provided a good support system as I could quickly grow acquainted with the postgraduate team and other doctoral research candidates.

Abdulazeez Rotimi - PhD

The staff members that I encountered were warm, welcoming and supportive of my studies. The relatively small size of the University’s postgraduate school created a close family/communal environment for both staff and students. This provided a good support system as I could quickly grow acquainted with the postgraduate team and other doctoral research candidates.

Abdulazeez Rotimi - PhD

Research Repository - Business and finance

The Repository is a digital archive of research output by our academics and research students.

Research impact

Learn how our research has helped communities locally, nationally and internationally.

New Vistas (academic journal)

View our academic journal 'New Vistas' to see the work of students and academics who are making an impact both locally and globally through their research findings.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry requirements for a research degree are:

You should be researching in an area that falls within the Claude Littner Business School's current research activities, to enable us to appoint a suitable supervisor.

In addition to the documents mentioned in the “How to apply” section below, it will help our assessment of your application if you also submit a copy of your Masters dissertation at the same time.

For applicants successfully progressing from the initial stage of assessment based on the documents submitted, you will be invited to attend an interview.

We look for individuals with:

Applicants should also submit a well-considered and persuasive research proposal, clearly outlining their aims, context and potential contribution to the field.

The minimum entry requirements for a research degree are:

You should be researching in an area that falls within the Claude Littner Business School's current research activities, to enable us to appoint a suitable supervisor.

In addition to the documents mentioned in the “How to apply” section below, it will help our assessment of your application if you also submit a copy of your Masters dissertation at the same time.

For applicants successfully progressing from the initial stage of assessment based on the documents submitted, you will be invited to attend an interview.

We look for individuals with:

Applicants should also submit a well-considered and persuasive research proposal, clearly outlining their aims, context and potential contribution to the field.

• Requirements: UK
• Requirements: International
• a good first degree (First Class or Upper Second Class), or equivalent qualification in a relevant field
• a Masters degree (MA, MSc, MBA or MRes) with Merit, or equivalent postgraduate or research experience.
• dedication to undertaking rigorous and meaningful research
• enthusiasm for contributing to academic and creative practice
• a genuine passion for their chosen subject area.
• a good first degree (First Class or Upper Second Class), or equivalent qualification in a relevant field
• a Masters Degree (MA, MSc, MBA or MRes) with Merit, or equivalent postgraduate or research experience.
• Competence in written and spoken English is a pre-requisite for entrance to this programme.
• An IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 6.5 (with no element under 6.0).
• dedication to undertaking rigorous and meaningful research
• enthusiasm for contributing to academic and creative practice
• a genuine passion for their chosen subject area.

Fees & funding

Please note that the following writing-up fees apply for the final year of full-time PhD study , a reduced amount from the standard fee per year:

Writing-up fees do not apply for the final year of part-time PhD study. The standard fee applies.

• Funding: UK
• Funding: International
• On campus PhD (Year 4): UK £1,900. International: £6,000
• Online PhD (Year 4): UK £1,000. International: £3,000.
• Fees for the 2027/28 academic year and onwards may be subject to change.
• Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course and you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year, except if otherwise stated.
• If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

Funding for postgraduate students usually comes from one or more of a range of key sources:

Find out more about funding opportunities .

Examples of most of these types of funding are included on the postgraduate studentships website (except for funding you may be able to obtain from your employer and self-funding).

The PhD Bursary is available to home and international students enrolling on a full-time PhD course in 2026/27. The Bursary consists of a £500 fee reduction in your first year of study and for each subsequent year of study, subject to successful progression, up to a maximum of 4 years.

We offer other generous bursaries and scholarships to make sure your aspirations are your only limit. See our PhD scholarships and bursaries .

Please note that the following writing-up fees apply for the final year of full-time PhD study , a reduced amount from the standard fee per year:

Writing-up fees do not apply for the final year of part-time PhD study. The standard fee applies.

• research councils
• charities and trust funds, including those funded by the UK government
• higher education institutions
• overseas governments (international students only)
• employers
• professional and career development loans
• self-funding (including family funds).
• On campus PhD (Year 4): UK £1,900. International: £6,000
• Online PhD (Year 4): UK £1,000. International: £3,000.
• Fees for the 2027/28 academic year and onwards may be subject to change.
• Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course and you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year, except if otherwise stated.
• If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

For any overseas students, your first port of call should be grant-awarding bodies in your own country (e.g. The Ministry/Department of Education) and your local (or nearest) office of the British Council.

The British Council manage a small number of international studentship grants in some countries and should be able to tell you what other awards may be available to you - they also produce the sources of funding for international students guide.

The PhD Bursary is available to home and international students enrolling on a full-time PhD course in 2026/27. The Bursary consists of a £500 fee reduction in your first year of study and for each subsequent year of study, subject to successful progression, up to a maximum of 4 years.

Your future career

Studying for a PhD in Business enables you to develop an area of specialism that will give you an edge whether you are planning to work in industry or to develop expertise to teach in academia.

During your PhD, you will also be learning transferable core skills that apply to jobs both in and out of academia, including:

By the end of your research degree, you will be able to articulately apply these skills to enhance your career path.

• written and oral communication
• research and information management
• public speaking
• project management
• leadership
• critical thinking
• collaboration
• analysis and problem-solving
• conflict resolution
• negotiation.

Westmont Enterprise Hub

The Westmont Enterprise Hub is UWL's ideation, innovation and incubation centre, based at the heart of the Ealing site. They partner ambitious entrepreneurs with the investment, resources, experts and support to make their ideas a reality.

Our West London Campus

Explore our fantastic facilities at the University of West London's West London Campus.

The Paul Hamlyn Library

The Paul Hamlyn Library provides an extensive range of books, journals and digital resources, PC and Mac workstations and a variety of study spaces.

Rami Ranger House (Postgraduate Student Centre)

Rami Ranger House is a focal point for the University’s postgraduate and international students, providing dedicated space for social and learning interaction.

This building, which is three storeys high, offers spaces for collaborative working, socialising, supervision and mentoring on the ground floor. The first floor has work spaces for the postgraduate support teams to use, while the second floor provides guest accommodation for visiting scholars.

The Graduate School

If you are interested in studying for a PhD or Professional Doctorate, the Graduate School is here to support your research.

Business

We offer an array of career-focused undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a range of business fields, including accounting and finance, business studies, management, marketing, advertising, and more.

Find out more

Discover seven reasons to study with us and how studying at UWL will support your future career.

Find out about student accommodation and the support for students.

Explore our campus and sites and book onto a campus tour or open day .

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

Rankings

• † Fees - the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the course. Fees are subject to change. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full-time taught international fees are subject to an annual increase.
• Teaching - your course will primarily be delivered in-person, however it may include delivery of some activities online, either in real-time or recorded.
• Testimonials - quotes are provided by current or former UWL students. These are mostly from the course but quotes from a UWL student on another course may be used if, for example, the course is new.
• Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.
• Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming, however staff and course content may have since changed.
• Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route and a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.
• The National Student Survey 2026 result is based on the average of all answers by the taught student populations.
• Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and after, 1992.
• PRES - rank out of 53 institutions.

Research areas