Postgraduate research

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship comprises a group of academic staff with research interests in two related areas: design innovation and entrepreneurship, spanning both commercial and social sectors.

This includes research wholly contained within one of these disciplines or bridging both subjects. Our expertise covers a range of organisation types, from small scale social ventures to high growth commercial start-ups.

What we look for

We look for students who have an interest in addressing real world problems through research.

The Centre welcomes research students from a wide variety of backgrounds – in particular, experienced candidates who have first-hand experience of the challenges that are faced by innovators and entrepreneurs.

We recognise that experience is valuable and in many cases more than compensates for traditional academic qualifications. 

The expectations on potential research students are high, as are the potential rewards. We receive a lot of applications for our PhD programme, so make sure that your achievements stand out in your application.

What we offer

Many of the staff are experienced professionals who have worked in senior roles outside universities. This includes entrepreneurs, designers and consultants.

Consequently, the Centre’s research focuses on an addressing current issues being experienced in industry. We aim to have significant impact.

MPhils and PhDs are research-led degrees and there is no taught programme to undertake. That said, we do ensure that you receive support and training when undertaking your research.

We expect students to be fairly self-directed in your day-to-day research, with supervisors on hand to provide guidance and advice at regular intervals.