Operational Research - PhD

Postgraduate Open Day

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The Department for Analytics, Operations and Systems offers world class education and conducts internationally leading research in operational research, data analytics, operations management, information systems and sustainability.

Overview

The department is also known in the areas of soft OR, research metrics, big data, data envelopment analysis, and environmental management. We welcome student research projects on a variety of topics including:

  • Location analysis
  • Routing problems
  • Critical Infrastructure Protection
  • Environmental management
  • Operations management
  • Multivariate analysis
  • Big data
  • Insurance/warranty data analysis and management
  • Research metrics
  • Soft OR
  • Data envelopment analysis and performance measurement

Students working on relevant research topics in logistics are invited to join the Centre for Logistics and Heuristic Optimisation.

The group is a member of NATCOR and students can attend a wide range of courses and workshops in the field of operational research and management science. Students interested in more mathematical topics are advised to follow the ‘Operational Research’ programme while those interested in more applied topics or operations management are advised to choose ‘Management Science’.

Exchange partners

Kent Business School has excellent links with business schools globally, including in China, USA, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Italy. Our wide array of exchange partners give you the opportunity to gain international experience. Our partners are committed to enhancing their international outlook while providing excellent teaching. You will gain invaluable work experience, develop your understanding of a new culture and improve your language skills.

Our exchange partners include these top ranked institutions amongst others:

  • University of Technology, Sydney
  • Renmin University of China, School of Business
  • University of Hong Kong
  • ESSEC
  • Neoma Business School
  • Freie Universitat Berlin
  • University of Florence
  • IE Madrid University
  • Stockholm Business School.

About Kent Business School

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 are a leading UK business school for the standard of our teaching and student satisfaction. 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.

Entry requirements

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

In Kent Business School, entry to all research programmes is in September only. 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. 

International students

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages. 

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

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Course structure

Duration: 3 to 4 years full-time, 5 to 6 years part-time

Fees

The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:

  • Home full-time £4712
  • EU full-time £18000
  • International full-time £18000
  • Home part-time £2356
  • EU part-time £9000
  • International part-time £9000

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

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.

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.

Additional costs

General additional costs

Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Funding

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

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Search scholarships

Independent rankings

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 80% of our research was deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The school’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of high calibre research.

Research

Research areas

Research activities at Kent Business School are broadly organised into 4 departments:

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Analytics, Operations and Systems
  • Leadership and Management
  • Marketing, Entrepreneurship and International Business

Our Analytics, Operations and Systems department covers a wide range of research areas in Operational Research and Systems Thinking. These include research in the area of logistics including green logistics and network security with a special emphasis on the innovative design and analysis of heuristic and exact optimisation, DEA, operation management, multi-variate analysis, biometrics, multi-methodology and Soft OR/Systems. The group is now a member of NATCOR.

For more information, see our Applied Research Centres:

Staff research interests

Our world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 80% of our research was deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The school’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of high calibre research.

Kent Business School has over 30 eligible research degree supervisors. Postgraduate research can take place in any subject area where they have expertise.

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.

Careers

The KBS PhD programme is designed to provide a 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 or industry settings.

Professional recognition

Kent Business School is a member of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS); and the Kent MBA is an Association of MBAs (AMBA) accredited programme.

In addition, KBS has accredited programmes with the following professional bodies:

  • The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
  • The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)
  • The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
  • The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
  • The Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
  • The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (PRMIA)
  • The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP)
  • The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
  • CFA Institute

KBS is a signatory of the United Nation's Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), which provides a global network for academic institutions to advance corporate sustainability and social responsibility.

Study support

Each research student is supported by a supervisory team (usually two members of academic staff) who give guidance about the nature of the research, the standard of work required, and about the relevant literature and sources that should be consulted.

Students meet with supervisors each month to agree upon a schedule of work and bring written work for comment and discussion. The co-supervisor provides additional input and ensures continuity, and formal progression reviews are held at key points in your programme.

All Kent Business School PhD students receive:

  • Access to office space with a laptop for the duration of their studies
  • Funds for conference attendance and research expenses
  • Research methods training
  • Full access to the facilities of the Graduate and Researcher College

All first year PhD students participate in a mandatory research training programme, including:

  • Relevant research methods
  • Theory of management and in specialist management topics related to your research
  • Skills-based courses in areas such as statistics, computing, electronic literature searching and languages

In addition, students participate in School research seminars and postgraduate training events organised through the Graduate and Researcher College. PhD students with scholarships or part-time teaching within Kent Business School also take modules from the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education.

KBS students benefit from training and development opportunities made available through our membership of NATCOR, the ESRC’s South East Doctoral Training Centre, and the European Doctoral Programmes Association (EDAMBA).

Researcher Development Programme

Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.

Apply now

In Kent Business School, entry to all research programmes is in September only. The deadline for PhD applications is 31 July. 

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.

Apply for entry to:

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T: +44 (0)1227 768896

E: information@kent.ac.uk

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T: +44 (0)1227 827726

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E: kbsadmissions@kent.ac.uk

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