Find out more about our Employment Research PhD.

P-N6P3

PhD

4 years full-time;
7 years part-time

2 October 2023

Institute for Employment Research

University of Warwick

Using interdisciplinary approaches on PhD in Employment Research, you will tackle high quality social science research in employment. Warwick's Institute for Employment Research provides unparalleled learning opportunities at a leading international social science research centre.

As a research-only department within the University of Warwick, the work of the Institute for Employment Research (IER) is diverse and interdisciplinary and provides wide-ranging opportunities for prospective doctoral candidates to engage in high quality social science doctoral-level research which is policy-relevant, as well as being academically rigorous.

The IER’s doctoral programme aims to train independent social science researchers who can develop and deploy theory effectively, assess the relative merits of different methodological approaches, choose appropriate empirical methods, manage well their time and other research resources effectively. Being located in a specialist research environment will provide a wider understanding of the research process (including dissemination, funding, relationships with sponsors, and different organisational models for research).

Our extensive research portfolio has meant that we have fostered and maintained links with national and international research centres; UK government departments and agencies; European Commission and other international bodies; local authorities and sectoral organisations, as well as extensive academic networks.

Supervision for IER doctoral students will be provided by academic researchers with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in employment research. We supervise a wide range of students from a variety of different countries and backgrounds and welcome this diversity among our student body.

Former students have gone on to work in a variety of areas in different countries, including academia, government, the private sector or third sector organisations.

We also offer a joint PhD in Employment ResearchLink opens in a new window with our partner institution Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

Teaching and learning

Supervision for IER doctoral students will be provided by academic researchersLink opens in a new window with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in employment research.

During their first year of PhD study, students will normally be expected to undertake training in both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

IER brings together a breadth of labour market expertise from a variety of disciplines. It includes research leaders in: econometrics; forecasting; statistics; geography; social and public policy; sociology; education and training; organisational behaviour; career development; and industrial relations. Areas for PhD supervision and examples of current research interests of the IER's academic researchers include:

• Job quality; fair, decent and good work
• Careers guidance and labour market transitions
• Future of work and skills, digitalisation and automation
• Intersectionality, equity, diversity and inclusion in the labour market
• Surveys, experiments, big data and data science
• Higher Education and the graduate labour market
• Welfare, work and public policy
• Apprenticeships, work-based learning and training
• Labour market assessment and forecasting
• Employment relations and employer behaviour
• Green jobs and skills
• Skills and training

Full details of our research are listed on the Institute for Employment Research web pagesLink opens in a new window.

Supervision for IER doctoral students will be provided by academic researchers with significant experience of undertaking research across a range of topics in employment research using a range of methodologies and new data collection techniques.

Explore Potential IER PhD Supervisors that are keen to supervise PhDs in a range of subjects. The research interests of staff are listed to provide an overview of the subjects and techniques they would be interested in supervising at a postgraduate level. Once you have prepared a research proposal, we can put you in contact with potential supervisors to discuss the field you’d like to research.

You can read our general University research proposal guidance.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.

2:i undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject and a good Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the social sciences. Previous studies and/or work experience should have included training in social science methodology.

Application should be supported by a good research proposal.Link opens in a new window

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

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