Operational Research - PhD

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.