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PhD

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management

Kent Business School has over 100 research-active academic staff. Postgraduate research can take place in any subject area where they have expertise. The Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management PhD programme will equip you with the skills to align people strategy with business strategy and help organisations flourish.

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Key information

Start
September
Location
Medway
Study mode
3 to 4 years full-time, 5 to 6 years part-time
Fees (per year)
UK:
International:
Typical offer
2.1 or above
All entry requirements

Overview

How do we measure the impact of HR practices on organisational culture, employee performance and business success? Learn the tools of the trade for research in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management on our new postgraduate programme. 

Kent Business School performs internationally recognised research. Our specialists in people management and organisation studies draw on techniques from a variety of disciplines such as psychology and sociology in order to develop insight into employee wellbeing, equality and diversity in the workplace, performance management and appraisal.

Kent Business School has over 25 years’ experience delivering business education. Our portfolio of postgraduate programmes demonstrates the breadth, and depth of our expertise. Academic research and links with global business inform our teaching, ensuring a curriculum that is relevant and current. We also hold a number of accreditations by professional bodies.

Studying at Kent Business School (KBS) gives you the opportunity to increase your employability with real-life case studies, a student council and a business society. We have strong links to local and national organisations providing opportunities for projects, internships and graduate placements. The School attracts many high-profile speakers from industry and last year included visits and lectures from staff of the Bank of England, BAE Systems, Barclays, Lloyds Insurance, Cummins, Delphi and Kent County Council.

The School currently has 60 PhD students, who form a dynamic and close-knit research community.

The course

How you'll study

Postgraduate taught modules are designed to give you advanced study skills, a deeper knowledge of the subject, and the confidence to achieve your ambitions.

Entry requirements

2.1 or above

Applicants should hold a 2.1 at the undergraduate level and a Merit at Master’s level in a relevant discipline, from the UK or other approved university and/or equivalent. You must submit a research proposal of approximately 1,500 words on your intended topic.

The deadline for PhD applications is 31 July. 

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.

Fees and funding

The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for this course are:
  • Full-time (UK)
  • Part-time (UK)
  • Full-time (International)
  • Part-time (International)

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.

The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the Research Councils UK. This is ordinarily announced in March. As a guide only, the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2025/26 is £5,006.

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Funding

You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.

General additional costs

Find out more about student accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

International scholarships

Unlock your potential with scholarships up to £5,000

Research

Kent is a leading research university, meaning that you will be informed about new discussions and developments by the people making them. This means your work will have real potential to make a difference.

Staff research interests

Kent’s world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. The academic staff in this school and their research interests are shown below. You are strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your proposed research and potential supervision prior to making an application. Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests. Use our ‘find a supervisor’ search to search by staff member or keyword.

Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.

Your future

The KBS PhD programme is designed to provide thorough training for research careers in academia or industry. Our students generally take up academic appointments in UK or international higher education institutions or work in policy and industry settings.

Postgraduates earn

£6,000
more per year than graduates (Graduate Labour Market Statistics, 2021).

A degree can boost average lifetime earnings by over

£300,000
Graduate employment outcomes - Universities UK

Ready to apply?

Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

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