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.
Your department
Entry Requirements
Academic Requirements
The standard minimum entry requirements are normally an upper second class honours degree (UK 2:1 or equivalent) or a good UK Master's or equivalent in an appropriate subject, and relevant work experience. Degrees should also include a research methods module and a dissertation.
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 personal statement (500 words) explaining your reasons for applying to the course and what you hope to achieve;
- A brief research proposal (500 words) identifying the area(s)/topic you hope to research, why it is important and the research methods you might use.
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 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.
Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk
Fees and Funding
| Part Time (per year) | |
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UK | £3,840 | |
International | £10,000 |
Scholarships and bursaries
At Lancaster, we believe that funding concerns should not stop any student with the talent to thrive.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to help cover the cost of tuition fees and/or living expenses.
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Additional costs
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 graduation, 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. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small which supports the running of college events and activities.
For students starting in 2022, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses. Fees for students starting in 2023 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.
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Fees in subsequent years
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.
Course structure
Years 1 and 2
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.
Years 3+
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.
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

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.”

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:
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Dr Claire Hardy
Lecturer in Organisational Health and Well-Being
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Dr Sabir Giga
Senior Lecturer in Organisational Health and Well-Being
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Health information, computation and statistics
Statistical and computational analysis contributes to, and informs, many areas of our health-related research.
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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.
Important Information
The information on this site relates primarily to 2022/2023 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. View our Charter and other policies.