Business and Management Studies (MSc by Research)

Start date

20 April 2025

22 September 2025

12 January 2026

Duration

The maximum duration for an MSc by Research is 1 year (12 months) full-time or 2 years (24 months) part-time with an optional submission pending (writing-up) period of 4 months.

Sometimes it may be possible to mix periods of both full-time and part-time study.

If studying on a part-time basis, you must establish close links with the University and spend normally not less than an average of 10 working days per year in the university, excluding participation in activities associated with enrolment, re-registration and progression monitoring. You are also expected to dedicate 17.5 hours per week to the research.

Application deadlines

For September 2025

13 June 2025 for International and Scholarship Students

04 July 2025 for Home Students

For October 2025

13 June 2025 for International and Scholarship Students

04 July 2025 for Home Students

For January 2026

17 October 2025 for International and Scholarship Students

14 November 2025 for Home Students

For April 2026

23 January 2026 for International and Scholarship Students

20 February 2026 for Home Students

About the research degree

A Master's by Research (MSc) allows you to undertake a one year (full time) research degree. It contains little or no formal taught component. This type of study gives you the chance to explore a research topic over a shorter time than a more in-depth doctoral programme.

Research Master's degrees are also ideal for individuals who are in industrial or commercial employment and who wish to undertake Research and Development on a part-time basis to solve problems or develop enhancements for their work purposes. In such cases it is generally possible to construct a Master's by Research project whereby the candidate works closely with one or more members of University staff who provide the specialist knowledge and supervisory input, whilst enabling the candidate to access the vast equipment and information resources of the University.

Research Master's students choose a specific project to work on and have a greater degree of independence in their work than is the case with a taught Master’s course.

You’ll be expected to work to an approved programme which you will develop in conjunction with your supervisor within the first few months of starting your studies. Whilst undertaking the research project, you will also have the opportunity to develop your research skills by taking part in training courses and events.

At the end of the project, you will write up your findings in the form of a short thesis of around 25,000 words, which will then be examined.

On successful completion, you will be awarded your degree and if you have enjoyed this taste of research, you may then decide to apply for the full doctoral research degree (PhD).

Entry requirements

The normal entry requirements for enrolment on a MSc by Research is an Honours degree (2:1 or above) in a discipline appropriate to the proposed programme to be followed or an equivalent professional qualification.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Why choose Huddersfield?

There are many reasons to choose the University of Huddersfield and here are just five of them:

We were named University of the Year by Times Higher Education in 2013.
Huddersfield is the only University where 100% of permanent teaching staff are Fellows of the Higher Education Authority.
Our courses have been accredited by 41 professional bodies.
94.6% of our postgraduate students go on to work and/or further study within six months of graduating.
We have world-leading applied research groups in Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities.

THE Business School of the Year

Huddersfield Business School is the Times Higher Education Business School of the Year 2023.

In December 2023 we were named Business School of the Year 2023 at the Times Higher Education Awards. The award recognises our work in embedding the School in the local region, supporting communities and enhancing organisations. Judges commended us for our “very clear purpose and identity” and programmes of work, which “aligned brilliantly with the distinctiveness of the region”. “The school has delivered fantastic evidence of impact and outcomes, such as job creation and high levels of engagement to the benefit ofâ¯students, the local community, employers and the economy”.

What can I research?

Huddersfield Business School has staff, research groups and a centre that conduct cutting-edge research across a number of business and management subjects, including accounting and finance, logistics, operations and hospitality management, people, management and organisations, and strategic, marketing and economics.

To find out more about the research we conduct, take a look at our Research, Innovation and Skills webpages, where you will find information on each research area. To find out about our staff visit our Research Portal which features profiles of all our academic staff.

Facilities

Networking Opportunities

Sharing Ideas

The Business School

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Researcher Environment

The University of Huddersfield has a thriving research community made up of over 1,350 postgraduate research students. We have students studying on a part-time and full-time basis from all over the world with around 43% from overseas and 57% from the UK.

Research plays an important role in informing all our teaching and learning activities. Through undertaking research our staff remain up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, which means you develop knowledge and skills which are current and relevant to your specialist area.

Huddersfield Business School has staff, research groups and a centre that conduct cutting-edge research across accounting and finance, logistics, operations and hospitality management, people, management and organisations, and strategic, marketing and economics topics.

Find out more about our research staff and centres

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £5,050.

Tuition fees for UK researchers will cover the cost of your study at the University. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see our Fees and Finance. Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years of study may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X).

If you are interested in studying with us on a part-time basis, please visit our Fees and Finance pages for part-time fee information.

If you are an EU or international student coming to study at the University of Huddersfield, please visit the International Fees and Finance pages for full details of tuition fees and support available.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £2,525.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Fees and Finance

Tuition fees - full-time

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £5,050.

If you are interested in studying with us on a part-time basis, please visit our Fees and Finance pages for part-time fee information.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Tuition fees - part-time

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £2,525.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

When you are offered a place on a research degree, your offer will include confirmation of your supervisory team, and the topic you will be researching and will be governed by our terms & Conditions, student handbook and relevant policies. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Whilst the University will use reasonable efforts to ensure your supervisory team remains the same, sometimes it may be necessary to make changes to your team for reasons outside the University’s control, for example if your supervisor leaves the University, or suffers from long term illness. Where this is the case, we will discuss these difficulties with you and seek to either put in place a new supervisory team, or help you to transfer to another research facility, in accordance with our Student Protection Plan.

Changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, for example the University being unable to access it’s buildings due to fire, flood or pandemic, or the University no longer being able to provide specialist equipment. Where this is the case, we will discuss these issues with you and agree any necessary changes.

Your research project is likely to evolve as you work on it and these minor changes are a natural and expected part of your study. However, we may need to make more significant changes to your topic of research during the course of your studies, either because your area of interest has changed, or because we can no longer support your research for reasons outside the University’s control. If this is the case, we will discuss any changes in topic with you and agree these in writing. If you are an international student, changing topics may affect your visa or ATAS clearance and if this is the case we will discuss this with you before any changes are made.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.