[ScouseEmma28]

Hello

I am considering doing a Phd. I will graduate next July in Bsc Business Studies at University of Liverpool.

Academia has been a fantastic experience for me as a mature student of 31, and i'd like to continue this route by enrolling on a Master's course in the Business field (Management/HR/Organisational Behaviour - not MBA though), however...

Can anyone summarize how the Phd process works atall after I have done my Master's? How easy will it be for me to personally get funding? I've heard of the ESRC is it, and i'm assuming this is the main funding provider for post graduate research -what criteria are they looking for to approve funding? Is it mainly centred around graduates with first class degrees from red brick uni's or do they welcome graduates with professional experience already gained?

I'm not entirely sure what a Phd involves - is it correct to assume that if I wish to research a certain area in Business, this would be the route I take? If, I research an area that has had little or no research, is funding more likely to be approved by the likes of ESRC? Would I submit a proposal on what area I would like to research?

Also, what is the difference between becoming a Dr and Professor?

Your advice would be very much appreciated!

[Cora Lindsay]

(Original post by ScouseEmma28)
Hello

I am considering doing a Phd. I will graduate next July in Bsc Business Studies at University of Liverpool.

Academia has been a fantastic experience for me as a mature student of 31, and i'd like to continue this route by enrolling on a Master's course in the Business field (Management/HR/Organisational Behaviour - not MBA though), however...

Can anyone summarize how the Phd process works atall after I have done my Master's? How easy will it be for me to personally get funding? I've heard of the ESRC is it, and i'm assuming this is the main funding provider for post graduate research -what criteria are they looking for to approve funding? Is it mainly centred around graduates with first class degrees from red brick uni's or do they welcome graduates with professional experience already gained?

I'm not entirely sure what a Phd involves - is it correct to assume that if I wish to research a certain area in Business, this would be the route I take? If, I research an area that has had little or no research, is funding more likely to be approved by the likes of ESRC? Would I submit a proposal on what area I would like to research?

Also, what is the difference between becoming a Dr and Professor?

Your advice would be very much appreciated!

Many PhD opportunities are listed on http://www.findaphd.com/

I don't know much about Business or about ESRC but having a trawl through Find a PhD ought to give you some idea of what opportunities are available and how it works. I suspect this is a quiet time because the PhD recruitment cycle is often geared to Sept starts, so Sept 12 starts are largely sorted out, and people aren't thinking about Sept 13 starts yet.

Dr = you have a PhD; Professor = senior academic position which you'd be doing well to reach ten years post-PhD

[BO'H]

why would anyone want to do a phd in 'business'?

if you are interested in business why don't you start one?

ps - do your own research

[CUFCDan]

(Original post by ScouseEmma28)
Hello

Can anyone summarize how the Phd process works atall after I have done my Master's? How easy will it be for me to personally get funding? I've heard of the ESRC is it, and i'm assuming this is the main funding provider for post graduate research -what criteria are they looking for to approve funding? Is it mainly centred around graduates with first class degrees from red brick uni's or do they welcome graduates with professional experience already gained?

I'm not entirely sure what a Phd involves - is it correct to assume that if I wish to research a certain area in Business, this would be the route I take? If, I research an area that has had little or no research, is funding more likely to be approved by the likes of ESRC? Would I submit a proposal on what area I would like to research?

Also, what is the difference between becoming a Dr and Professor?

Your advice would be very much appreciated!

I shall do my best to help.

Can anyone summarize how the Phd process works atall after I have done my Master's? You apply not long after you have started your Masters if of course you wish to go straight into it. You will need a research proposal amongst other things.

How easy will it be for me to personally get funding? That's entirely up to your research proposal, grades, experience and so on. It's never easy, and is fiercely competitive.

I've heard of the ESRC is it, and i'm assuming this is the main funding provider for post graduate research -what criteria are they looking for to approve funding? Not really. There are multiple research councils. ESRC mainly revolves around politics, social studies etc. They have three 'key' topics they fund: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/about-esrc/wha...ies/index.aspx .

Is it mainly centred around graduates with first class degrees from red brick uni's or do they welcome graduates with professional experience already gained? Again, not that simple. Having a first is a bonus but not the be-all and end-all, and of course having a First from Oxbridge will set you in good stead. But equally if a high-2:1 graduate has a cracking proposal then I'm sure they'll value that. I'm not sure you'd get funding with a mid-low 2:1.

I'm not entirely sure what a Phd involves - is it correct to assume that if I wish to research a certain area in Business, this would be the route I take? The doctorate involves 3 years of research into a specific area. 'Business' is a large area.

If, I research an area that has had little or no research, is funding more likely to be approved by the likes of ESRC? Well, yes, but easier said than done.

Would I submit a proposal on what area I would like to research? Yes, but again it is very focused. I mean, some do PhDs on a particular voting trend of some obscure political party. It also has to be of value - why would research matter?

Also, what is the difference between becoming a Dr and Professor? A Dr is someone who has a PhD. A Professor is an academic post; a job, basically.

[AdventureHayes]

(Original post by ScouseEmma28)
Hello

I am considering doing a Phd. I will graduate next July in Bsc Business Studies at University of Liverpool.

Academia has been a fantastic experience for me as a mature student of 31, and i'd like to continue this route by enrolling on a Master's course in the Business field (Management/HR/Organisational Behaviour - not MBA though), however...

Can anyone summarize how the Phd process works atall after I have done my Master's? How easy will it be for me to personally get funding? I've heard of the ESRC is it, and i'm assuming this is the main funding provider for post graduate research -what criteria are they looking for to approve funding? Is it mainly centred around graduates with first class degrees from red brick uni's or do they welcome graduates with professional experience already gained?

I'm not entirely sure what a Phd involves - is it correct to assume that if I wish to research a certain area in Business, this would be the route I take? If, I research an area that has had little or no research, is funding more likely to be approved by the likes of ESRC? Would I submit a proposal on what area I would like to research?

Also, what is the difference between becoming a Dr and Professor?

Your advice would be very much appreciated!

I can only speak from my own experience but what I did is this:
I wanted to stay at the same uni so I just looked through all the lecturer's web pages, found a lecturer who had interesting research interests and who I knew I could get along with and just sent him an informal e-mail asking if he was interested in taking me on as his student. He said he was, discussed a possible research area for me to investigate, and took me through the applying for funding process (told me what bodies existed and advised me on how to write academic CVs and and my research proposal to get funding).

So from my experience I'd say that you don't have to choose a topic from a list available- just communicate with lecturers! If you've got something that interests you just find an academic who does something similar. And don't worry about funding until you've got an interested academic- they'll help with that. I know this is harder if you wish to go to a new uni though. The main sources of funding are-
Research bodies (can't tell you the names as the ones I know are subject specific)
The university (this sort of funding they might possibly advertise on their home page "we have x scholarships now available!" - that sort of thing)
Your department
Your supervisors own funding pot occasionally
Generally £12000-£15000 a year tax free + fees paid. And if when you start getting papers accepted at conferences they'll pay for you to travel round the world hopefully!

As for whether you need to have a first from a redbrick uni, I'm certainly not redbrick and don't even have a masters. It's like applying for a job- it's a matter of knowing how to sell what you do have on your CV. I emphasized bits of my work experience more than others, made it sound as relevant to my PhD topic as I could. Again, if you find a supervisor first they should help with all this. Similar situation with research proposal, its about how well you write it. Thinking of the topic or research area that most interests you (and it has to really interest you!) is your first concern. Finding someone to supervise you is your second concern. Funding, admissions and research proposals is only your third concern for now. Though that's my experience I guess, others may find funding first and a supervisor second.

As for what a PhD involves. People get PhD's in everything. A PhD is supposed to take 3 years (but most people seem to take a bit longer) and culminates in about a year to 6 months spent writing your thesis. This is a book that basically outlines something completely new in your field that you have invented or developed. That's the whole purpose of a PhD- adding something new to Science. In order to do this your topic will be very very very (sometimes depressingly!) narrow. It will also likely change during the course of your PhD away from your initial research proposal. You are advised by 1 or 2 supervisors throughout your PhD but you tend to find that you spend most of your first year reading and being advised what to do and after that the balance shifts towards YOU deciding what to do, with your supervisor just providing a bit of guidance.

Finally (wow I've written too much!) a warning. if possible try to find out what your supervisor is like as a supervisor before accepting a project. I've heard of people have a much harder time on their PhD than they needed to because they had the kind of supervisor who, frankly, doesn't do their job. They pay no attention to their students except for when they want cheap labour on something that is more their work than the student's. You really want a supervisor who is committed.

[CUFCDan]

(Original post by AdventureHayes)
I can only speak from my own experience but what I did is this:
I wanted to stay at the same uni so I just looked through all the lecturer's web pages, found a lecturer who had interesting research interests and who I knew I could get along with and just sent him an informal e-mail asking if he was interested in taking me on as his student. He said he was, discussed a possible research area for me to investigate, and took me through the applying for funding process (told me what bodies existed and advised me on how to write academic CVs and and my research proposal to get funding).

How odd, I've never heard of that - speaking to a lecturer to get ideas and then proposing it for funding. I have always considered that you have to come up with your 'own' idea and then present it and find a supervisor. I guess this is another way. It's just odd - surely an academic, if they have something unique, would want to research it themselves instead of passing it on to a student?

[AdventureHayes]

(Original post by CUFCDan)
How odd, I've never heard of that - speaking to a lecturer to get ideas and then proposing it for funding. I have always considered that you have to come up with your 'own' idea and then present it and find a supervisor. I guess this is another way. It's just odd - surely an academic, if they have something unique, would want to research it themselves instead of passing it on to a student?

Many people (most?) choose PhD topics from a list that is given on the department's website. Maybe the department has got funding available for a number of PhD's to research specific things. Have a look on your departments website to see what I mean. It's the same situation really- you choose a broad area to research from what is available but what exactly to research is up to you and will probably change several times during the course of your PhD anyway. It is possible, of course, to completely come up with your own topic without even being suggested an area to start with but most people who I've spoken to didn't do it that way.