About the course

The Brunel Integrated PhD combines PhD research with a programme of structured research, professional and subject training. The programme typically takes 4 years (compared to 3 years for a non-integrated PhD programme). On successful completion, you will be awarded a PhD with an Integrated Postgraduate Diploma in Research in your chosen subject specialisation.

You will benefit from this programme immensely if you want to:  

• receive a more much guided and hands-on supervision of your learning and research process, especially if you come from more traditional teaching cultures
• increase your changes for a timely completion of your PhD programme in comparison to students taking traditional route PhD, cutting down the expenses associated with prolonged study
• access to tailored, highly specialist research training not available as part of the support provided to traditional route PhD students
• maximise your changes for a successful research analysis by applying practical assignments and training which are part of the integrated PhD directly to the research you do for your thesis    
• receive an official Postgraduate Diploma in Research in addition to your PhD award to certify the completion of skills training which may be required by employers in some countries if you wish to pursue an academic career

Research profile

Our research is broadly focused in our five research groups: Economic Development and Institutions, Empirical Finance, Accountancy and Corporate Governance, Macroeconomics and Banking. Within each group we have built a broad base of skills that allow us to respond to the ever-changing research environment. Each group encourages and supports individual researchers, from those just starting out as PhD students to those who have reached the highest levels of achievement. The groups provide support for research activities and funding proposals and provide opportunities for discussion of research ideas and the dissemination of findings.

In addition to the supervisory team, each student is allocated an academic development adviser in thier research area to ensure the quality of supervision at the department. We provide students with opportunities for engaging in teaching as teaching assistants, and teacher training is provided. We emphasise the dissemination of your research output, where students are given opportunities to present their papers in the departmental internal seminar series. We also have the annual doctoral symposium, where all students and staff get together to discuss research outputs in a friendly academic environment. Such event will give you an invaluable inspiration in your research activities.