Management PhD with Integrated Study

As part of a world-renowned University, and triple accredited (AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS), our Business School provides a dynamic and supportive research environment for our large and diverse graduate community.

The Business School's research mission is to produce theory-led, practically relevant research that addresses contemporary organisational and management challenges faced by businesses, public organisations, regulatory bodies, and policy-makers.

Our research subject groups

The School has significant research expertise in the following disciplines:

• Accounting and Finance
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Management Science and Business Economics
• Marketing
• Organisation Studies
• Strategy

Our research themes

Staff across these six disciplinary subject groups work together to carry out research under the following themes:

• Climate Change and Sustainability
• Corporate Finance
• Entrepreneurship
• Interdisciplinary Accounting
• Leadership, Organisations, and Society
• Management Science

Research centres and networks

Our Centres and Networks bring together established and new researchers to develop and disseminate new knowledge:

• Business school research centres, institutes and networks

Interdisciplinary research

The Business School has capitalised on opportunities afforded by our Edinburgh location and cultivated links with other parts of the University to develop and lead new areas of expertise, in financial services and FinTech, creative industries, and digital tourism.

The School has links with other schools at the University, including Social and Political Studies, Mathematics and Law, allowing students with cross-disciplinary interests to find expertise, support and supervision.

Your research

As a doctoral researcher, you will have the opportunity to pursue original research and make a significant contribution to your chosen field.

The strength of your application for our programme depends on the fit of your proposal with the School’s research mission and themes, and particularly how it fits with the research interests of our academic staff.

We therefore strongly recommend you make contact with a potential supervisor before applying. Check out the links to our research disciplines and themes above to find one of our academic colleagues you would be interested to work with, who would have the expertise to support your studies.

When approaching a potential supervisor please ensure you give them an up-to-date CV and a draft research proposal, and please explain in your email why you think they would make a good supervisor for your research project.

• Guidance on writing a research proposal

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A postgraduate masters degree from an accredited institution in the UK or overseas, showing evidence of above-average academic achievement. This includes:

• a degree classification with a mark of 65% or more overall (University of Edinburgh level, or overseas equivalent)
• normally, a masters dissertation at the distinction level (University of Edinburgh level, or overseas equivalent)
• applicants with a masters degree without a dissertation component worth a third of degree credits will require a distinction or equivalent.

If you do not have a masters degree you may still be considered if you have a UK undergraduate degree at a First, or international equivalent, with a mark of 70 or more in the dissertation module.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Trinity ISE, or Oxford ELLT test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the programme begins, regardless of your nationality. (Revised 14 January 2025 to include Oxford ELLT.)

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

The Business School offers training events and support for all our postgraduate research students in both academic and professional skills – we support a diversity of career pathways.

There are opportunities for doctoral researchers to be employed as Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants during the PhD.

Graduates from our postgraduate research degrees often pursue further careers at internationally renowned universities or become senior consultants for private and public bodies.