Program Overview

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Accurate data analysis can generate significant opportunities for business leaders, managers, policy makers and entrepreneurs. Modern economies increasingly demand analytically trained researchers in both academia and practice. Our PhD Business Analytics has been designed to meet this demand. Data in modern societies has evolved. Static spreadsheets have been replaced with interactive, dynamic representations combining multiple sources and providing rich insights on markets, firms, competitors, consumers and networks. Our PhD Business Analytics equips you with both classical statistical techniques and modern computational methods to allow you to tackle cutting-edge research questions relevant to today’s businesses, markets and societies using small, medium and big data sets. Research areas may include:

• complex systems
• network analysis
• market behaviour
• organisation studies
• entrepreneurship
• innovation

You undertake a personal research project and benefit from tailored supervision to develop your desired expertise and skills. By enrolling in our PhD Business Analytics, you join the next generation of social scientists informing theory, policy and practice related to the interconnected society. This programme is administered by Essex Business School , the largest department at the University of Essex. You join the School’s Strategy, Operations and Entrepreneurship Group at our Southend Campus and benefit from rich expertise in analytical and quantitative research methodologies, using varied data sources to understand our modern, dynamic and interconnected society. We are the largest department at the University of Essex and our doctoral students join us from countries across the world. We encourage you to present your work at our termly research afternoons to gain feedback from doctoral students and staff in the finance, accounting, entrepreneurship and management disciplines. This course is available to study full-time, part-time or as an MPhil. You may also be eligible for a scholarship . Why we're great.

• 100% of our business and management research environment is world-leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2021)
• We are ranked 20th in UK for research power in business and management (Times Higher Education research power measure, Research Excellence Framework 2021)
• Essex is ranked in the Top 150 for Business and Economics in THE World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

Our expert staff

At Essex Business School, you benefit from world-class supervision and research training conducted by our senior academic staff . Our department boasts eight research centres across our two campuses, including the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre . The centre aims to become a national centre of expertise for data users across academic and non-academic sectors and supports businesses in their use of complex big data. Dr Louise Nash and Director of Postgraduate Research at Essex Business School oversees and leads the provision of our graduate research programmes and ensures that we create an environment where our doctoral students can flourish as researchers in a thriving and mutually supportive PhD community. Louise is a lecturer in Management and Marketing and completed her PhD Management at Essex. She has extensive management and marketing experience which has influenced her research interests – these focus on interpretative, qualitative studies of the lived experience of work, including: the spatial and temporal rhythms of everyday life; the culture, aesthetics and symbolism of organisational life; gender in the workplace and exploring and developing sensory and embodied methods for researching organisations. You work with two supervisors during your studies. They provide guidance and support to help you achieve your individual research goals, develop your research topic and create a personalised training plan. You meet with your supervisors at least once a month and are usually required to submit work in advance for feedback. Twice a year, you have a supervisory board meeting to discuss your progress and agree your plans for the next six months. As well as supporting you to complete your thesis, your supervisors can help you to plan your career development. Our academics often co-author publications with doctoral students and can help you to develop the transferable skills needed for the jobs market. Take a look at our staff pages to find out more about our areas of supervision.

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Specialist facilities

As well using University facilities such as the library and computing laboratories, you have access to:

• databases, such as Bloomberg and Compustat, Passport GMID, Bankscope and Datastream
• a wide range of e-books and finance and business packages to support part-time and distance learning (including Ebrary, NetLibrary, Oxford Scholarship Online, Palgrave Connect, and SpringerLink)
• in your final year, you benefit from your own office to allow successful completion of your thesis.

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Your future

Essex Business School fosters the business leaders and researchers of the future. Our PhD graduates use their creativity, innovation and ethical awareness to meet the many challenges facing the international business world. Many of our graduates enjoy careers in academia and organisations in the public and private sectors, including at some of the world’s most well-known organisations and exciting SMEs, such as:

• Groupon
• KPMG Group
• Right Freight Pvt Ltc
• Copal Partners
• Capital Markets Intelligence, a financial publisher
• Credit Data Research, a business funder
• Many now also run their own growing businesses, including international business incubator 0100Ventures and entrepreneurship website SlovakSTARTUP.

PhD Business Analytics students can also take advantage of the services offered by the Student Development Team , including: careers advice; work experience; internships; placements; and voluntary opportunities.