Business and Economics

Entry requirements

A master's in a relevant subject with an average programme mark of 65% or above (or equivalent international qualification) and a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant discipline.

In exceptional cases, substantial professional work experience/qualifications may also be taken into consideration.

If you can't find an advertised project that fits your interests and experience, we encourage you to browse our academic groups and contact academics that you feel would be best placed to supervise your PhD project. This initial contact can help you develop your own research proposal and identify a supervisor. You will then need to formally apply with your research proposal to Loughborough Business School. If you are unsure who might supervise your project, we still encourage you to apply and we will aim to find supervisors who can work with you.

Your research proposal should be a maximum of 2,000 words and include the aims of your study, a brief literature review, and an outline of the proposed research methods. The potential original contribution of the PhD should also be identified. No application can be considered without this research proposal.

Months of entry

January, April, July, October

Course content

Make a novel contribution to knowledge, position yourself as an expert in your field, and open a range of doors with future employers – by embarking on a PhD at Loughborough Business School.

You’ll be joining a dynamic community that inspires talented researchers from all over the planet to progress new ideas for businesses and policymakers that are helping to shape a fairer, more sustainable future.

Our doctoral researchers study towards a PhD in business and management, economics or information science, working under the supervision of two or more supervisors. You’ll join one of our academic groups (the one that suits your research interests best), and play an active role in our research centres and research interest groups.

Embarking on a research degree is perhaps the most exciting and demanding phase in any academic career. As the pinnacle of academic qualifications, it marks the transition from being largely taught by others to becoming an independent academic, conducting your own research and developing your own ideas. Our goal is to guide you through that process of becoming a fully fledged PhD graduate, equipped for a wide range of rewarding careers.

Loughborough Business School is a triple-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA) top 10 UK business school. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 86% of our business and management research was rated 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent'.

Information for international students

Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website.

Fees and funding

Please see our website for a list of research degree funding and scholarships.