Overview of Research Degrees

We are a vibrant research community undertaking a wide range of externally funded research and committed to furthering research opportunities in our various disciplines.
In the last UK Research Assessment Exercise (2008 RAE) the Aberdeen Business School achieved excellent results with our research achieving international quality and including a significant amount of our research
Robert Gordon University is rated as a top post-92 university in Scotland for research quality with world class researchers in eight of the eleven subjects considered for the assessment. Aberdeen Business School has a substantial number of full and part-time research degree completions and UK Economic and Social Research Council recognition for research student training in Politics (valid through to at least 2009-10). We have a strong and dynamic group of research students who, in tandem with over 120 academics and professorial staff, contribute to the School's active research community.

The Research Degrees

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Award
The PhD shall be awarded to a candidate who, having critically investigated and evaluated an approved topic resulting in an independent and original contribution to knowledge and demonstrated an understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field, has presented and defended a thesis by oral examination to the satisfaction of the examiners.
For full-time candidates, the minimum period of study is 18 months (MPhil) or 30 months (PhD). For part-time candidates it is 30 months (Mph) or 42 months (PhD). Part-time students are expected to devote an average of at least 12 hours per week to their research.
The results of the candidate's research will normally be presented in the form of a thesis.
Professional Doctorates
The Professional Doctorates (DBA and DInfSc) enable you to take a dynamic research-based approach to real world issues. These are equivalent in terms of academic rigour to a PhD but are more applied in nature.  

Research Topics

It is important that applicants choose a research topic which genuinely interests them and is appropriate to their previous studies or experience. It should be demonstrably capable of investigation in the depth required for a research degree and by techniques which are both appropriate and within the capabilities of the applicant. Most of our research projects are undertaken with the co-operation of business, industry, voluntary or public sector organisations and access arrangements usually have to be established in the early stages of a proposed project.