Management (Entrepreneurship and Strategy)

PhD

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Full time 3 - 4 years
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Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 13

    13th for Business and Management in the UK

    QS World University Rankings by Subject (2025)

  • 99

    99th for Business and Management in the world

    QS World University Rankings by Subject (2025)

  • Lancaster University is top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2026

Do you want to focus your research on entrepreneurship, strategy, leadership, family business or innovation, and benefit from cutting-edge insights from research-active staff? We are the most research-intensive business school in the UK, according to the latest Research Excellence Framework. In our welcoming environment, ideas can flourish, and connections can be made.

Our PhD programme connects you with the following leading research centres and research forums to develop your expertise:

We pride ourselves in offering a strong learning environment. You will have access to state-of-the-art computing facilities, IT support and dedicated office space. There will be opportunities to participate in various seminar series, workshops and conferences. You will also be able to access advanced training courses, including those delivered by the Economic and Social Research Council-funded North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).

As we have a strong focus on practice, we will expect your doctoral research to have impact for practitioners as well as being theoretically thorough.

As a PhD student, you will study topics related to research design in management, including qualitative and quantitative research methods and research ethics. Subject experts will guide and supervise you during your PhD programme.

In addition to your thesis, an oral examination will form an integral part of the assessment of your doctoral research.

Part-time PhD study over five years is available through the Theory and Practice of Management PhD.

Programme Structure

The PhD in Management - Entrepreneurship and Strategy pathway includes compulsory modules covering topics related to research design in management, and qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Below is an overview of the modules you will study throughout your PhD. You will also study a range of optional research training seminars to enhance your skills.

Year 1

  • Induction Workshop which includes Ethics and Plagiarism training and assessment
  • Foundations of Management Research
  • Central Themes in Management

Year 2

  • Research Skills – Data Collection and Analysis
  • Delivering Impactful Research
  • Structured Writing Retreats

Year 3

  • Communicating with Different Research Audiences
  • Structured Writing Retreats

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

A relevant UK Master's degree with a minimum of 65% overall and 65% in the dissertation, or a non-UK Master's degree, graded at the equivalent level.

We may also consider non-standard applicants; please contact us for information.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Additional requirements

As part of your application, you will also need to provide a viable research proposal of up to 5000 words, which has the potential to make a significant contribution to prior literature. Guidance for writing a research proposal can be found on our writing a research proposal webpage.

English language requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 7.0 and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit INTO Lancaster University for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities.

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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

  • Find a PhD topic

    Discover the research interests of our academics to find a synergy with your desired area of research.

  • Studentships and funding

    Find out more about our range of options to help you fund your postgraduate studies.

Alumni profiles

portrait photograph of Bowen Lou

Bowen Lou

PhD Management, 2021
portrait photograph of M. Isabella Cavalcanti Junqueira

M. Isabella Cavalcanti Junqueira

PhD Management, 2019
portrait photograph of Dr Ian Hesketh

Dr Ian Hesketh

PhD Management, 2016

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Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our Charter and student policies.