Organisational Health and Well-Being PhD - 2022 Entry

Entry Year
2022 (2021)

Duration
Part time 48 Month(s)

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Course Overview

Increasingly, health and well-being in the workplace are being globally recognised as key drivers of socio-economic development. Employee health and well-being is important to organisations in terms of increased commitment and job satisfaction, staff retention, reduced absenteeism, and improved productivity and performance.

The PhD in Organisational Health and Well-Being is innovative and international first, developing knowledge and understanding of the psychological, social and organisational dynamics in the relationship between work and health. Delivered by our Division of Health Research, which boasts expertise in mental and workplace health, the degree is your chance to work with world-leading academics on the production of a thesis that makes an original contribution to knowledge development within your area of professional practice.

Combining innovative distance learning and an annual academy held at the University, this part-time, flexible doctorate runs over a minimum of four to seven years. The programme begins with a compulsory five-day induction academy at the University. Each of the subsequent academic years start with a compulsory three-day academy, while the rest of the course is delivered via e-learning. Attendance at the annual academies is compulsory until you are confirmed on the PhD.

Throughout your studies, we will support you as you enhance your leadership skills and effectiveness, and develop advanced skills in research design, practice and dissemination. You’ll foster critical approaches to the review of evidence and improve your written and oral presentation skills.

Fees

Fees

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2022/23 entry fees have not yet been set.

The University will not increase the Tuition Fee you are charged during the course of an academic year.

If you are studying on a programme of more than one year's duration, the tuition fees for subsequent years of your programme are likely to increase each year. The way in which continuing students' fee rates are determined varies according to an individual's 'fee status' as set out on our fees webpages.

Fees for EU applicants

The UK government has announced that students who will begin their course in 2021 will no longer be eligible to receive the same fee status and financial support entitlement as UK students. This also applies to those who have deferred entry until 2021. Lancaster University has confirmed that students from EU Member States in 2021-22 and later, will now be charged the same tuition fees as other non-UK students.

What are tuition fees for?

Studying at a UK University means that you need to pay an annual fee for your tuition, which covers the costs associated with teaching, examinations, assessment and graduation.

The fee that you will be charged depends on whether you are considered to be a UK or international student. Visiting students will be charged a pro-rata fee for periods of study less than a year.

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12 month session, which usually runs from October to September the following year.

How does Lancaster set overseas tuition fees?

Overseas fees, alongside all other sources of income, allow the University to maintain its abilities across the range of activities and services. Each year the University's Finance Committee consider recommendations for increases to fees proposed for all categories of student and this takes into account a range of factors including projected cost inflation for the University, comparisons against other high-quality institutions and external financial factors such as projected exchange rate movements.

What support is available towards tuition fees?

Lancaster University's priority is to support every student in making the most of their education. Many of our students each year will be entitled to bursaries or scholarships to help with the cost of fees and/or living expenses. You can find out more about financial support, studentships, and awards for postgraduate study on our website.

Additional course costs and information

There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following your studies, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.

Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.

College Fees

Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. We have nine colleges in total, and every postgraduate student belongs to Graduate College, whether you live on campus or choose to commute. All students pay a small college membership fee, which supports the running of college events and activities. Once you have been accepted into Graduate College, you will receive confirmation and be required to pay the college membership fee.

For students starting in 2020 the fee is £15 for students on one-year courses, and £40 for research students. Fees for students starting in 2021 have not yet been set.

Computer Equipment and Internet access

To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.

The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or Broadband support in place.

Related courses

Course structure

Years 1 and 2 provide you with training in research and in the theory and practice underpinning healthy organisations. Your specialist module in Year 1 is Healthy Organisations: the Influence of the Work Environment on Health, which is studied alongside the Philosophy of Research and Research Design modules. In Year 2, you will undertake the following modules: Systematic Reviews, Data Analysis and Advanced Research Planning.

From year 3 onwards you will undertake a research project in Organisational Health and Well-Being, which will conclude with the submission of your 35,000 word thesis. The project will be supervised from the University but undertaken in your own location or workplace. Supervisions can be via telephone, e-mail or Skype, depending on preference. Face-to-face meetings with your supervisors will take place during the annual academy.

Studying by blended learning

The PhD in Organisational Health and Well-Being is offered part-time via blended learning over an average of five years. Blended learning refers to the methods of interaction between students and course tutors / supervisors on a programme. Teaching and research activities are carried out through a combination of face-to-face and online interaction. Face-to-face interactions include residential academies and work-based workshops while online interactions use our virtual learning environment and include discussion forums, collaborative digital spaces and video conferencing.

You will benefit from being part of a UK and internationally-based peer group, including: human resource managers, occupational health practitioners, health care workers, health and safety representatives, and applied/organisational psychologists. Working across public, private and voluntary sectors, your fellow students will share an interest in the promotion and creation of healthy work places and will be undertaking formal study at the same time as they are working.

All students have access to a hub space that facilitates interaction with your cohort and with other programmes, creating a virtual information space that’s also sociable. An academic tutor and then two research supervisors will provide you with support for each step of your PhD. They will also encourage you to attend external workshops and conferences (using University funds, where available, to support this).

During each academy you will participate in lectures, workshops, group discussions and individual activities, while our distance learning approach combines live and interactive lectures, elements to be worked through autonomously, webinars and online collaboration, and group work.

Woman wearing a headset and microphone completing distance learning work

Who should apply?

The PhD appeals to a wide range of individuals working across a variety of public, private and voluntary sectors who are interested in the promotion and creation of healthy workplaces. These include:

  • Human resource professionals and managers
  • Occupational health/public health practitioners
  • Health care workers
  • Health and safety representatives
  • Applied/organisational psychologists

It is not restricted to any one professional group or discipline and is intended to be international in focus.

Student insights

Photo of Islam Adra
Islam Adra, PhD Organisational Health and Well-Being

Islam Adra

“I never intended to pursue Doctoral studies but after 10 successful years in industry, I not only felt the need to upgrade my educational qualifications, but I also believed I could contribute new knowledge to the health and safety arena. Lancaster’s Organisational Health and Well-Being blended learning programme was an obvious choice. I could complete the PhD without leaving work and I’d be undertaking research in an increasingly important field at a University recognized as a top institution globally. I’m happy I decided to study at Lancaster and am especially pleased with the programme flexibility, the excellent departmental support, and the wonderful online student community I’m part of.”

Stephen Taylor

“After completing an MSc in occupational health and safety management, I was keen to continue my studies and pursue a PhD. I found the blended PhD in Organisational Health and Well-Being at Lancaster University best suited both my research aims and my other commitments. The blended approach has also been really useful to get formative tools in place before we start the research phase. Lastly, as a working husband and father of young children. Although the PhD is suitably challenging, I've found the programme manageable and flexible in terms of the time required to complete tasks.”

Photo of Stephen Taylor
Stephen Taylor, PhD Organisational Health and Well-Being

Staff in the Centre for Organisational Health and Well-Being

This PhD is supported by internationally recognised academics in the field of organisational health and well-being.

The team boasts expertise and interest in a range of topics, including:

  • Stress and mental health
  • Workplace bullying
  • Employee behaviour change
  • Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in staff
  • Teams
  • Organisational level change and performance
  • International working and expatriate assignments
  • Gender and diversity
  • Women's reproductive health and in the workplace
  • Employee psychological resilience
  • Workplace interventions and evaluation.

We are a mixed methods research team and use quantitative and qualitative approaches to our research and consultancy in organisational setting and populations. Our research methods and approaches include interviews, focus groups, survey research, case studies, experiments, new scale/measurement development and validation, action research, trials, and process and implementation evaluations.

Current members of staff in the faculty include:

Dr Claire Hardy

Lecturer in Organisational Health and Well-Being

Dr Sabir Giga

Senior Lecturer in Organisational Health and Well-Being

Dr Abigail Morris

Lecturer in Organisational Health and Well-Being

The Division of Health Research

The Division of Health Research have been offering blended learning postgraduate programmes since 2010. We have many successful graduates and currently around 200 continuing students on a range of programmes who have benefited in progressing their careers from the high quality postgraduate education we provide.

Our research in mental health

Our interests include bipolar disorder and related conditions, chronic neurological conditions that cause disability and ill-health, and organisational health and well-being.

The Centre for Organisational Health and Well-Being

Leading edge research of relevance and utility to Employers, HR specialists, Health and Safety Managers and Allied Health Professionals.

Health information, computation and statistics

Statistical and computational analysis contributes to, and informs, many areas of our health-related research.

Athena Swan: gender equality at Lancaster

We hold the Athena SWAN Silver Award, recognising our commitment to advancing the careers of women in higher education and research.
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