Research Degrees (MPhil/PhD) in Finance and Management SOAS University of London

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Graduate students in the PhD programme of the School of Finance and Management study towards the University of London PhD.

To be considered for the PhD programme in finance or management students must already have completed a good Masters degree in a relevant discipline and been awarded high grades. They must also submit an initial research proposal that demonstrates an aptitude for academic research.

The full-time PhD programme normally requires three years of study in London.

Research Topics

The School of Finance and Management PhD programme provides supervision in a number of fields within finance and management. We concentrate on topics in fields which are actively being researched by faculty members. Currently, the five principal areas are corporate governance, finance, law, public policy and management, and regulation (in developed and developing countries) and sustainable development and agribusiness.

• Corporate governance: finance, law, and regulation (in developed and developing countries)
• Corporate finance: determinants of firms' capital structure
• Finance and economic growth
• Financial regulation, central banking and bank supervision
• Public policy and management; public financial management
• Management in China; Management in Japan; and Management in the Middle East and North Africa

Referees and references

If you have been in education in the past three years, we will require references from your most recent post-graduate place of study. We normally require two academic references from senior or established faculty members who are in a position to comment on your research potential.

If you have been out of education for three years or more we will normally require at least one academic reference. We can also consider references from an earlier time or from your current place of work but only where these provide relevant recommendations to the course of study you are applying for. References from family members or friends are not acceptable.

Structure

Students in the PhD programme study advanced courses and carry out research for their thesis. They work closely with their supervisor from the School of Finance and Management and also with other faculty members and PhD students.

Year One

The first year of the programme involves research training seminars and advanced courses. At the same time, students work with their supervisor to develop a detailed research proposal, undertake the first stages of research and write some draft sections to outline the main arguments of the thesis.

Research training at SOAS

SOAS is committed to providing support for research students. All full-time first year students take one research methods course and one other master-level course, which can be on-campus, distance-learning or, exceptionally and subject to permission, from elsewhere in SOAS or other schools of London University. The students will normally be expected to complete the assignments for these courses, the grades for which will be considered by the Supervisory Committee when progression to PhD status is considered.

Additional courses may be taken in the first year or later as advised by the supervisor, including short courses offered by the Doctoral School. You can choose from a range of transferable research skills options: research writing and presentation, generic methods and techniques for data collection and analysis, language support, research integrity, and academic teaching. SOAS is also part of the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network, sharing training opportunities with UCL, the Institute of Education, and LSE. SOAS students may apply for research funding to attend conferences and special courses.

Students are required to present their work and to participate in the PhD Seminar programme throughout the year. In addition to student presentations, the PhD seminar also includes “Key Contributions to Management and Finance”, a forum where departmental staff reprise a frontier article that offers essential insights into different advanced research areas.

PhD students are also expected to attend departmental research seminars.

After about eight months of full-time study, the students' progress is assessed by an upgrade committee and successful students go on to year two.

Year Two

In their second year, full-time students carry out detailed research which usually includes gathering and processing data. Some research for this purpose may be carried out overseas if required. During the year students write draft chapters of their thesis and discuss them with their supervisor.

Year Three

Full-time students for the PhD would complete their research and write a final draft or near-final draft of the thesis.

Year Four

Any work at this stage normally involves redrafting chapters of the thesis to achieve the standards of publications. The examination must normally be completed in this year. Examination is by assessment of the thesis and an oral examination (viva voce) concerning the thesis and the research upon which it is based.

Modes of Study

January and April entry options are by exception available, subject to approval. The upgrade arrangements are similar in that, full-time students who enter at these dates will be considered for an upgrade to PhD status after nine months.

Students wishing to pursue Part-time study are welcome to apply but will need to demonstrate that they have the commitment and resources to pursue their studies over the longer-time frame that this mode requires.

A part-present option is also available whereby students who are in employed by work-places that offer a supportive environment may take the last two years of the full-time programme by distance learning. -

Important notice

The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.