PhD Opportunities at Sheffield Business School

Details

Sheffield Business School

Accredited by AASCB, the Business School is among the top 6% of business schools globally. Our ambition is to be a world leading applied business school. We are proud of our research impact, industry collaboration and commitment to regional development through Sheffield Hallam University’s Civic University Agreement. You can learn more about research in the Business School here.

As signatory members of PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), we are committed to embedding social responsibility, sustainability and ethics in our teaching and learning, and across our research, innovation and knowledge exchange activities. These commitments are reflected across our four research themes:

• Responsible Leadership and Socially Just Organisations
• Resilient Economies and Sustainable Supply Chains
• Responsible Consumption and Sustainable Lives
• Digital Transformation

Why pursue a PhD at Sheffield Business School?

A PhD with us offers you a brilliant opportunity to develop your research skills and knowledge to create a real impact either in academia, public sector, private sector, third sector or as an entrepreneur. We have a vibrant international community of research students, academics and support staff, and a 30-year history of delivering high-quality postgraduate research that places a strong emphasis on close supervision and support.

We offer:

• Extensive expertise in creating new knowledge and applying business research to solve real world problems
• A thriving postgraduate research community and supervision by a diverse community of academics who are driven by the discovery of new knowledge
• A reputation for excellence in delivering high-quality research training and support for our doctoral students.
• Flexible learning – we offer full-time, part-time (home students only) and distance learning options.

 Next steps for submitting your proposal

We welcome research proposals aligned with expertise covered by our research themes, including (but not limited to):

• Responsible Leadership and Socially Just Organisations: we encourage doctoral proposals that investigate how leadership, strategy and organisational practices across sectors (public, private, and third/nonprofit), can advance social justice, equity and sustainability. Research in this area might explore topics such as international business, organisational behaviour, hotel management, precarious work, operations, innovation, change management, CSR and workplace equality, with a focus on creating inclusive and ethically driven organisations.
• Resilient Economies and Sustainable Supply Chains: we invite PhD research proposals that explore how to design adaptive economic and financial systems capable of withstanding disruption and driving long-term prosperity. Suggested projects in this area may address challenges and innovations in the areas of logistics and supply chain management, economics, finance and banking.
• Responsible Consumption and Sustainable Lives: we invite research proposals investigating the impact of the consumption behaviour of individuals and businesses, studying how we can collectively work towards a healthier, more sustainable world. This includes research with a consumer focus, including food, hospitality, marketing, nutrition, sustainability and tourism.
• Digital Transformation: we welcome research proposals that explore the importance of emerging digital technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain, Fintech and the metaverse on business innovation, public service delivery and sustainable (and inclusive) growth across academic, organisational and societal contexts.

Entry Requirements

All applicants should hold a strong, relevant undergraduate degree (2.1 minimum) and/or a relevant master’s qualification (merit minimum).

International Students

International students will be required to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

For further information regarding our entry requirements, please visit the course page.

Application deadlines

Applications can be submitted at any time, with start dates available in February, May and October every year. Applications are submitted on the Business School’s PhD page where more information on the PhD programme is available.

Next steps:

If you are interested in applying, the next step is to complete our formal application process, which can be found in the ‘How to apply’ section on our PhD page.

As part of the application process, you will be required to submit a 1,500 word research proposal (providing insight into your research context and focus; aim and objectives/research question; literature review; methodological approach; and the potential area of contribution) and application form with personal statement.

If you have any questions on the application process or your eligibility, please contact: doctoralschool-bte-pgr-admissions@shu.ac.uk