Health Services Management PhD / MPhil

However, we offer much more than a degree. PhD students have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of events including departmental research seminars, research centre seminars, postgraduate research student seminars, as well as a vibrant and a engaged PhD researcher community.

• Take part in a combination of taught courses in the first year and careful supervision throughout your study, with the aim of helping you to produce a thesis that makes a significant and original contribution to the discipline.
• Study at the UK's most targeted university by the country’s leading graduate employers (Highfliers 2024).
• Have access to a sophisticated, hi-tech learning environment. There are nine libraries supporting your learning through access to one of the biggest research library facilities in the UK.

For home students, a research degree programme may be undertaken either by full-time or part-time study or via distance learning. International students can undertake a PhD full-time or by distance learning. 

All research students have regular meetings with their supervisors. PhD students also have annual panel meetings to support and review progress. We encourage you to give conference papers and to publish your work. 

Post-qualification experience, including professional qualifications and experience, will also be taken into account when considering applicants.

We charge an annual tuition fee. Fees for 2026 entry are above.

The fees quoted are for one year only. For those studying courses that are longer than one year, tuition fees will also be payable in subsequent years of your programme.

Paying your tuition fees

Tuition fees can either be paid in full or by instalments. You can check whether you are eligible for UK or international fees with our admissions team.

Learn more about postgraduate tuition fees and funding.

If you are applying to an ‘advertised PhD’, please check the details of the specific research project for application deadlines.

If you are submitting your own research proposal, applications are accepted all year round. However, if you wish to start in September, we would encourage you to apply by 1 June. Whilst you are still welcome to apply after this date, it is important to allow time for us to review your application.

If you are seeking funding, please be aware that the majority of funding opportunities have deadlines in early spring so we would encourage you to apply as early as possible.

We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

Find an Advertised PhD

Find a PhD project that suits your interests by using our FindAPhD tool.

Find a supervisor

If you’d rather propose your own research, the first step is to find your supervisor. We encourage you to browse the biographies of faculty members to familiarise yourself with the research going on in your preferred areas. Each of these contains detailed information on research interests, current projects and recent publications.

When you apply, you can suggest one or two potential supervisors, who you think might be a good fit for you. However, this is not essential. If you know what you want to work on, but are unsure on supervisors, you can indicate this in your application and the PhD programme co-directors will study your proposal in detail, and judge who is best suited to be your supervisory team.

View the profiles of academic members of staff in the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) to find out more about their research interests.

Research proposal

If you are proposing your own research topic, you will need to submit a research proposal. It’s a key part of your application, so take your time. Your potential supervisors will use it to decide if your research is something they can support.

Your proposal should be a clear and concise summary of your research. It generally consists of an outline of your proposed research project, including your main research questions and the methods you intend to use.

You should also comment on the potential impact and importance of your intended research and on how your work would interact with current trends in your academic field. It should illustrate the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of the staff within your chosen department.