PhD in Management Science

Handbook 2015/2016
 Welcome

Welcome to Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). I am pleased that you have
chosen to undertake your doctoral studies here with us.

As you went through the entrance of LUMS, you may have read its inscription Join us for the
journey of your life: today, tomorrow, together if you havent, pause a second next time. In
short, these words summarise what a PhD degree is about and an important aspect of LUMS
philosophy. Your PhD experience will definitely mark your private and professional life: its a
journey. And we will work together over the years, as it is a journey not only for students but
also for the academic and supporting staff that will guide and support you.

As you begin this journey, take notice of the large number of other PhD students: they come
from various countries all over the world and with different backgrounds but you are all here
with the aim to make a contribution to the body of knowledge of your discipline. Thats what a
PhD is and this is what we will help you to achieve.

Our commitment to high-quality research is demonstrated by the lively research environment

of LUMS, whose exceptional quality has been demonstrated by our performance in the
research evaluation exercises carried out since 1996. This outcome has been confirmed by the
most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) that confirmed that LUMS is the most
research-intensive business school in the UK, with 80% of our research activity recognised to
be world-leading or internationally excellent. And doctoral students are a vital component of
our research environment.

Attaining your PhD is not an easy challenge. You will need to be committed and focused able
to take responsibility for your own learning, while at the same time being open to guidance
from your supervisors. You will have many claims on your time, yet will need to prioritise your
PhD if you are to complete it within a sensible timeframe. However, a Lancaster PhD is worth
striving for and I hope you will find your time here rewarding and happy.

This handbook provides details of your research training and various other aspects of your PhD
studies. Alongside compulsory modules, there is a rich offering of other opportunities either
from LUMS, other faculties, through the ESRCs North-West Doctoral Training Centre
(http://www.nwdtc.ac.uk/) to which we belong, and through NARTI, a network of leading
University Business and Management Schools in the North of England which provides
advanced doctoral training, and helps establish networks to share expertise cross-regionally
(http://lubswww.leeds.ac.uk/narti/). Do take advantage of the multitude of possibilities but
keep a watch on your time and your PhD objectives.

I hope that you find this handbook helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact me or the
relevant supporting staff if you have any queries.

Dr Maurizio Zanardi
Director of LUMS Doctoral Programmes
September2015
 Table of Contents

Content

Useful Contact Details 1

Guideline for the professional behaviour of doctoral
students and supervisors 2
Overview of Research Training 4
Research Training Modules 5
Research Training Seminar (Skills) 7
Michaelmas Term 8
Lent Term 10
Summer Term 12
Other Research Training Courses in LUMS 14
Research Training Courses in Other Faculties 18
Other Useful Courses 19
PhD Review Procedures 22
Careers and Employability 27
Assessment of Assignments 28
Useful Information 31
 Useful Contact Details

The Programme Team

Director of PhD in Management Science:
Professor John Boylan
x94425
A54, LUMS
[email protected]

Co Director of PhD in Management Science:

Professor Konstantinos Zografos
x92384
A45, LUMS
[email protected]

PhD Programme Co-ordinator:

Gay Bentinck
x92408
A66, LUMS
g. [email protected]

LUMS Programme Team

Director of LUMS Doctoral Programmes: Director of Research Training Programme
Dr Maurizio Zanardi (Business & Management):
x93819 Dr Marian Iszatt-White
B53, LUMS x94706
[email protected] B86, Charles Carter
[email protected]

Doctoral Programmes Manager: Doctoral Co-ordinator:

Sarah Patterson Matthew Watson
x10664 x10667
C98, LUMS C98, LUMS
[email protected] [email protected]

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 Guidelines for the professional behaviour of doctoral students and
supervisors

Purpose
The Department is active in research and teaching, and maintains links with industry. We
expect all members of the Department, whether members of staff or students, to act in a
professional manner. Many doctoral students already know what professional behaviour is and
what is expected from them, but it seems helpful to clarify this. The purpose of this document
is to outline some of what is expected of both staff and doctoral students.

Office presence and supervision

As a general principle, full-time doctoral students are expected to be available during normal
office hours. This is the default arrangement. Other arrangements are possible with agreement
of the supervisor(s), who can withdraw consent to any other setup at any time if she/he feels
that the current performance of the student demands the default arrangement.
Doctoral students should normally expect to have face to face supervision sessions with their
supervisor(s) at least once each fortnight and may meet more frequently if that is appropriate.
There will be times when there are longer gaps between supervision sessions, due to holidays,
conference attendance, illness and the like. Appropriate alternative arrangements will be
made in such circumstances.

Responsiveness to communication
Both students and supervisors should take care to respond quickly to emails or other
messages. At least a confirmation should always be given promptly, so that the sender knows
that the message is received. Supervisors are too busy to waste time because a student does
not bother to reply or confirm receipt.

Research as primary responsibility

The primary commitment for full-time doctoral students is to do research, for which they can
expect appropriate training and support. We expect doctoral research to lead to papers that
are published in scientific journals, as well as the production of a PhD dissertation.

In addition, students are expected to involve themselves in appropriate professional networks

including conference presentations and seminars.

The research may involve relationships with companies and other entities that could
potentially provide support/projects for research projects. Research activity might include the
collection of background information on an industry in the field of the thesis (e.g. revenue
management) and preparation of presentations of the research field for companies, as well as
producing the dissertation and scientific papers.
Research training might include writing summaries of fundamental articles, training in
programming, and drafting referee reports of papers under submission in the field of the
students thesis (assigned by the supervisor) and the presentation of seminar and conference
papers.
It is never the duty of a doctoral student to develop commercial codes, though the coding of
algorithms for research purposes is frequently required.

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Teaching and grading
In addition to their research activity, doctoral students may (depending on their funding) be
required to do work for the Department by performing activities such as grading and tutoring.
In addition, with their agreement and with appropriate support and mentoring, doctoral
students may give occasional lectures to students, based on their expertise. This teaching and
grading activity can be a useful preparation for an academic career. Students who undertake
teaching and/or grading are required to attend the Universitys Introduction to Teaching
course.

Support for research-relevant activities of the supervisor

The supervisor may also request support from the student for activities that are related to the
students work; for example, creating teaching materials that build on the students supervised
research. This is a useful part of the training needed for a possible academic career and, if
needed, will be supported by the supervisor(s).

Paid work
Before undertaking any paid work, whether within the University or elsewhere, full-time
research students must discuss this with their supervisor(s) before starting any such work.

It is important to note that Overseas students are only allowed to work 20 hours per week in
total during term time. So it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not work more than
this either in university tutorial work or work outside of the university. You will be in breach
of your visa regulations should you exceed these hours.

Sorting out problems

Doctoral students who have problems with any of the above that cannot be resolved with their
supervisors should contact one of the Directors of the Doctoral Programme (Professor Boylan
or Professor Zografos). If they are unable to resolve the issue, the matter will be taken up by
the Head of Department (Professor Ehrgott).

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 Overview of Research Training

The research training of the PhD in Management includes Modules and Seminars. Modules are
compulsory while seminars are open to all PhD students and are not compulsory (with the
exception of the sessions on plagiarism and research ethics more on page 7).

Within Management Science, there are two different Research Training pathways, Business &
Management or NATCOR. Operational Research students follow the NATCOR route.
Researchers in Operations Management and Information Systems follow the Business &
Management route.

Students following the Business & Management pathway are assessed for 60 credits of
research training, with exemption given only for relevant prior training (to be approved by the
Director of the PhD programme). This programme consists of the following compulsory
modules and seminars:

Term 1 Michaelmas
MNGT 529: Managing Research: An Overview of Issues and Methods (15 credits)
MNGT 527: Production of Managerial Knowledge I: The Rise of Management Ideas and
Concepts (15 credits)
MNGT 522: Searching for Information in Management Research (non-assessed)
Plagiarism (2-hour seminar)
Ethics and Research (2-hour seminar)

Term 3 Summer
MNGT 520: Quantitative and Survey Research Methods (15 credits)
MNGT 528: Research Design in Management (15 credits)

Students following the NATCOR pathway are required to attend five residential courses over a
two year period. These courses cover: Combinatorial Optimisation, Convex Optimisation,
Heuristics, Simulation and Stochastic Modelling. Further information can be found at:
http://www.natcor.ac.uk/. Students are also required to take the following module and
seminars:

Term 1 Michaelmas
MNGT 529: Managing Research: An Overview of Issues and Methods (15 credits)
Plagiarism (2-hour seminar)
Ethics and Research (2-hour seminar)

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 Research Training Modules

MNGT 529: Management Research An Overview of Issues and Methods

Convenor: Dr Marian Iszatt-White (Management Learning and Leadership)

Other Staff will be drawn from other departments of LUMS

Course Aims and Objectives

Management is a broad multidisciplinary area. Research within management disciplines can
vary from highly quantitative / positivistic studies to qualitative / post-modern
approaches. But there is also a growing trend towards trans-disciplinary work where insights
from one discipline are applied to problems in another area (e.g. behavioural accounting, or
organisational learning viewed from a resource-based perspective).

In parallel with this, methods traditionally associated with one area are being adopted by
researchers in other areas. Hence it becomes increasingly important for management
researchers to understand typical research problems and methods in areas other than their
own. This unit therefore aims to provide a broad overview of methods and issues in
management research. It also provides an opportunity for students across the School to meet
each other.

MNGT 527: Production of Managerial Knowledge I: The Rise of Management Ideas and
Concepts

Convenor: Dr Colin Brown (Organisation, Work and Technology)

Course Aims and Objectives

The aims of this module are to examine the influence of scientific ideologies in the domain of
management and organisation studies. On the one hand, we shall examine the downstream
impacts of scientific knowledge. On the other, we focus upon the upstream conditions
associated with the production of scientific knowledge. Recently, radically different concepts
of the nature of science have been developed, which entails careful consideration of the
process involved in the achievement of scientific knowledge.

MNGT 522: Searching for Information in Management Research

This module is delivered by a specialised librarian and introduces students to the wide range of
sources of information now available to doctoral researchers. It will cover the major Business
and Management databases such as Business Source Premier, ABI/Inform, Science Direct and
Web of Science. It will also cover more general information sources such as searching for
books in print and in other libraries, finding theses and dissertations, finding government
publications and creating current awareness alerts.

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MNGT 520: Quantitative and Survey Research Methods

Convenor: Dr Gareth Ridall (Mathematics and Statistics)

Course Aims and Objectives

This module introduces some methods of data analysis to research students working on
business and management research topics. It develops the confidence of those with little or no
previous experience of computing and/or statistics and it provides an introduction to
computer-aided data analysis using the statistical package SPSS. It aims to encourage informed
choices on the types of data to be collected and modes of analysis.

MNGT 528: Research Design in Management

Convenors: Professor Claire Leitch, Dr Valerie Stead (Management Learning and

Leadership)

Course Aims and Objectives

This course is designed to make the assumptions and procedures necessarily entailed in
management research of different kinds more explicit. The approach emphasises the place of
different research designs and strategies in the accomplishment of knowledge about
management as well as how to craft research. In this way the course provides a basis for the
appreciation and evaluation of the different varieties of research into management. In
addition, it provides an opportunity for students to consider these issues in relation to their
own research.

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 Research Training Seminars (Skills)

These seminars are open to PhD students from all programmes. They are not compulsory with
the exception of the sessions on Plagiarism and Research Ethics that run in the Michaelmas
Term. However, PhD students are strongly encouraged to attend the seminars that they think
will aid their study.

Details of these seminars will be circulated via email and through the PhD Course page on the
Lancaster Virtual Learning Environment. One week before each event all PhD students will
receive an email about the upcoming seminar. Please email Matthew Watson
([email protected]) if you want to register. Once you have signed up to a course
please ensure you attend. If you find that you are unable to attend please provide Matthew
with a 24 hours notice. Supervisors will be informed of repeated sign up and nonattendance.

Michaelmas Term:
Strategies for Success: Managing Your PhD Year 1
Plagiarism (Compulsory Session)
Ethics and Research (Compulsory Session)
Writing Your Literature Review Part 1
Managing Writing
Writing Retreat

Lent Term:
Writing Your Literature Review Part 2
Strategies for Success: Managing Your PhD Year 2
Strategies for Success: Managing Your PhD Year 3
Panels and Reviews
Vivas: How to get Through Them
Qualitative Methods Research Clinic
Evaluating Academic Literature
Writing for Academic Journals in the Context of Career
Managing Your PhD Part-time

Summer Term:
Writing Retreat
How to present your work in public and at conferences
How to get Your Book Published
Leadership Event (Employability)
How to write a thesis
Writing Retreat

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Michaelmas Term

Strategies for Success: Managing Your PhD Year 1

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson
Year 1: Getting Started Year 1 full time and 1 2 part time
Date Week 1 - 07/10/2015
Time 10am-4pm
Venue A217 Executive Suite
This full day workshop is aimed at first year students and is designed to provide researchers
with the opportunity to meet and chat with other researchers. In addition the activity based
workshop will enable you to focus on important issues such as; defining the nature of a PhD
and setting your goals; choosing and refining your topic, managing your time; managing
relationships with supervisors and improving reading skills.

Plagiarism (Compulsory Session)

Convenor: Dr Sarah Gregory All Students (Compulsory)
Date Week 2 - 14/10/2015
Time 10am-12pm
Venue Bowland North SR26
This compulsory session discusses the topic of plagiarism. The university guidelines are
discussed and help and advice is provided on to avoid the traps of plagiarising work when
writing.

Ethics and Research (Compulsory Session)

Convenor: Dr Sarah Gregory All Students (Compulsory)
Date Week 3 - 21/10/2015
Time 10am-12noon
Venue Bowland North SR26
This workshop looks at research ethics and the role of the researcher. The session also looks
at the practical ethical policies and procedures when undertaking research at Lancaster.

Writing Your Literature Review Part 1

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson Year 1 full time and 1 2 part time
Date Week 4 - 28/10/2015
Time 10am 12noon
Venue Bowland North SR26
This interactive workshop is designed to provide PhD students will the skills to write a critique
of the literature in their research domain. In part one of this two part workshop on writing
your literature review we will look at the key elements of a literature review, its structure and
consider how to avoid the pitfalls of writing a poor review.

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Managing Your PhD Part-time
Convenor: Professor Caroline Gatrell Year 1 6 part time
Date Week 5 - 04/11/2015
Time 10am 12noon
Venue Bowland North SR26
This session is especially for part-time students, looking at writing, the importance of routine,
writers block and managing your time. The session will take the form of a clinic and students
will be invited to share their experiences and ask questions to help them progress in their
studies

Managing Writing
Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson All Students
Date Week 6 - 11/11/2015
Time 10am 12noon
Venue Bowland North SR26
This is a hands on session that considers why we find writing difficult. It will introduce a
number of different techniques for jump starting writing at any stage in your PhD. To help
you get going, you will be required to do some writing in class, so you will need either a pen
and notebook, or a lap top.

Writing Retreat
Convenor: Professor Rowena Murray First year students and selected
students from other years
Date Week 9 - 02/12/2015
Time 4-6pm, 9am 6pm and 9am 4pm
Venue Forrest Hills
The writing retreat is aimed at final year students (and selected students where appropriate)
and the purpose of writing retreat is to provide dedicated writing time, while developing
productive writing practices and discussions around writing-in-progress. Lunch and
refreshments will be provided, however attendees will be required to bring their own laptop
and will be expected to commit to the full schedule. Please note - spaces are limited to 14
and this retreat is dedicated to first year students. Places will be allocated on a first come first
serve basis

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Lent Term

Writing Your Literature Review Part 2

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson Year 1 full time and 1 2 part time
Date Week 13 - 27/01/2016
Time 10am 12noon
Venue LT9
Following on from the session in the Michaelmas term you will be invited to bring with you to
this second session your draft or completed literature review. The session will run as a clinic
and students will be invited to share their experiences and ask questions to help them
progress in their literature writing.

Strategies for Success: Managing Your PhD Year 2

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson
Managing Your PhD in the Mid-term Years 2 3 full time, 2 4 part time
Date Week 14 - 03/02/2016
Time 10 4pm
Venue LT9
This full day workshop covers the complexities faced when you are part-way through your
PhD: refining and re-defining your goals; taking stock: where am I up to and where should I be?
Collecting data; dealing with the mid-term blues and feeling fed up; thinking about originality;
managing the writing process. This is an interactive workshop providing researchers with an
opportunity to share their experiences and ask questions with other researchers from a mix of
disciplines.

Strategies for Success: Managing Your PhD Year 3

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson
Being a Completer Finisher Years 3 full time, 5 6 part time
Date Week 15 10/02/2016
Time 10-12pm
Venue LT9
This session deals with the last, long haul: refining and re-defining the goal, knowing when you
have got there; defining contribution, protecting your intellectual property; the writing
process, tidying up, writing conclusions; finishing and submitting; managing corrections.

Panels and Reviews

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson All Students
Date Week 16 - 17/02/2016
Time 10-12noon
Venue LT10
The aim of this session is to help you manage the process of panels and reviews and, arm you
with handy hints about what to expect; how to minimise the stress, of the event and how to
reach your full potential.

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Vivas: How to get Through Them
Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson All Students
Date Week 17 24/02/2016
Time 10-12noon
Venue LT9
The aim of this session is to provide an overview of the viva process. It will look at what to do
before the viva and the submission process, followed by an exploration of the key aspects of
the viva and the viva outcome.

Qualitative Methods Research Clinic

Convenor: Dr Casey Wilson/Professor Caroline Gatrell All Students
Date Week 18 - 02/03/2016
Time 10am -4pm
Venue LT10
This session offers a chance for students undertaking qualitative research to bring specific
issues to a clinic for consideration by three faculty members with expertise in this area. You do
not need to submit work prior to the clinic, however, it would be worthwhile thinking through
any specific issues that you would like to discuss beforehand so you get the most out of the
event. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, however attendees will be required to bring
their own laptop and will be expected to commit to the full schedule.

Evaluating Academic Literature

Convenor: Professor Caroline Gatrell All Students
Date Week 19 - 09/03/2016
Time 10am 12noon
Venue LT10
This session looks at how to evaluate and critique academic literature (e.g. journal articles,
books, policy documents), with a view to enhancing your reading and analytical skills, thus
making literature reviews easier to write. You will do some reading/evaluation in class.

Writing for Academic Journals in the Context of Career

Convenor: Professor Caroline Gatrell All Students
Date Week 20 - 16/03/2016
Time 10am 12noon
Venue LT10
This session will focus on:
Academic writing and career planning
The life story of a paper
The reviewers perspective on your paper
Enhancing your understanding of what gets published, what does not and why.

Managing Your PhD Part-time

Convenor: Professor Caroline Gatrell Year 1 6 part time
Date Week 21 - 20/04/2016
Time 10am 12noon
Venue LT10
This session is especially for part-time students, looking at writing, the importance of routine,
writers block and managing your time. The session will take the form of a clinic and students
will be invited to share their experiences and ask questions to help them progress in their
studies

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Summer Term

Writing Retreat
Convenor: Dr Rowena Murray
Date Week 22 27/04/2016
Time 3-6pm, 9am 6pm and 9am 4pm
Venue Forrest Hills
The writing retreat is aimed at 2 and 3rd year students and the purpose of writing retreat is to
provide dedicated writing time, while developing productive writing practices and discussions
around writing-in-progress. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, however attendees will
be required to bring their own laptop and will be expected to commit to the full schedule.
Please note that spaces are limited to 14 and this retreat is dedicated to 2 and 3rd Year Full
time and Year 4-6 Part time. Places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis

How to present your work in public and at conferences

Convenor: Dr Caroline Gatrell All Students
Date Week 25 - 18/05/2016
Time 10-12noon
Venue LT10
The aim of this session is to help students enhance their skills at presenting work for
conferences. The session will begin with an overview of what is involved in presenting your
work at conferences, and time will be available for discussion and advice on specific issues

How to get Your Book Published

Convenor: Professor Caroline Gatrell All Students
Date Week 26 - 25/05/2016
Time 10-12noon
Venue LT10
This session takes you through the process of getting your book published from writing a
proposal as an unknown author, through to publication. The session covers both research
monographs, and text books.

Leadership Event (Employability)

Convenor: Professor Caroline Gatrell All Students
Date Week 27 - 01/06/2016
Time 10-12noon
Venue LT10
The aim of this session is to share good practice and embed professional and career
development into the research environment. The session will enable researchers to ask
questions and obtain advice about enhancing their employability skills within an academic
context.

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How to write a thesis
Convenor: Dr Rowena Murray Year 3 full time, 5 6 part time
Date Week 29 - 15/06/2016
Time 10-12pm
Venue LT10
In this session students will be offered a comprehensive overview of many different writing
practices and processes involved in the production of a thesis, with the aim of de-mystifying
academic writing (Dr Murray, author of How to Write a Thesis). You will be expected to do
some writing in class. Please note that spaces are limited to 20. Places will be allocated on a
first come first serve basis

Writing Retreat
Convenor: Dr Rowena Murray
Date Week 29 - 15/06/2016 17/06/2016
Time 3-6pm and 9am 6pm and 9am 4pm
Venue Forrest Hills
The writing retreat is aimed at all students and the purpose of writing retreat is to provide
dedicated writing time, while developing productive writing practices and discussions around
writing-in-progress. Lunch and refreshments will be provided, however attendees will be
required to bring their own laptop and will be expected to commit to the full schedule. Please
note that spaces are limited to 14 and this retreat is dedicated to all students. Places will be
allocated on a first come first serve basis.

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 Other Research Training Courses in LUMS

Within LUMS, there are other Research Training Programmes. Similarly, LUMS offers a wide
range of full-time taught Masters degrees. Courses within these programmes may be directly
relevant to your research interests. They may be taken (for free) over all three years of your
PhD programme. If interested to take any of these courses, you need to discuss their relevance
with your supervisor(s). Permission of supervisor(s) and of the relevant Director of PhD/Master
programme is essential.

Information on the courses which are open to you can be found below along with information
on who to contact for timetable information.

PhD Programme in Accounting and Finance:

- ACF851 Advanced Quantitative Finance Methods
- ACF852 Advanced Corporate Finance I
- ACF856 Advanced Asset Pricing II
- ACF857 Corporate Finance II
- ACF861 Advanced Accounting: Theory
- ACF862 Advanced Accounting: Empirics
- ACF866 Data Programming Skills for Accounting Research
- ACF875 Econometric Topics in Accounting & Finance
Contact: Carole Holroyd ([email protected])

PhD Programme in Economics:

- ECON801 Research Skills for Economists
- ECON802 Mathematics for Economists
- ECON803 Microeconometrics
- ECON804 Time Series
- ECON805 Macroeconomics
- ECON810 Applied Behavioural Economics
- ECON811 The Economics of Human Capital
Contact: Caren Wareing ([email protected])

MSc Economics
- ECON452 Behavioural Finance
- ECON454 International Banking and Risk Management
- ECON501 Microeconomics
- ECON502 Macroeconomics
- ECON503 Econometrics
- ECON504 Research Skills
- ECON511 Public Economics and Political Economy
- ECON512 Labour Economics
- ECON513 Industrial Organisation
- ECON514 Financial Economics
Contact: Emma Fitchett ([email protected])

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MSc Finance, MSc Accounting & Financial Management, MSc Financial Analysis
- ACF400 Databases
- ACF401 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
- ACF402 Introduction to Finance
- ACF403 Introduction to Accounting
- ACF404 Introduction to Financial Markets
- ACF501 Quantitative Methods for Finance
- ACF502 Foundations of Finance
- ACF503 Principles of Financial Reporting
- ACF504 Financial Markets & Securities
- ACF601 Advanced Corporate Finance
- ACF602 Advanced Investment Management
- ACF603 Financial Reporting for Complex Entities
- ACF605 Derivatives Pricing
- ACF606 Financial Statement Analysis
- ACF607 International Financial Management & Markets
- ACF608 Fixed Income Markets
- ACF609 Financial Econometrics
- ACF610 Advanced Management Accounting
- ACF631 Risk Management in Commercial Banking
- ACF632 Introduction to Bloomberg
Contact: Linda Airey ([email protected])

MA Human Resources & Consulting

- HRDC500 Introduction to Human Resources and Consulting
- HRDC501 Introduction to Research in Human Resources
- HRDC502 Applications of Human Resource Management and Consulting
- HRDC503 Research in Human Resources Development and Consulting
Contact: Catherine Southworth ([email protected])

MSc Human Resource & Knowledge Management

- OWT501 Organisations in the 21st Century
- OWT502 Knowledge and Global Organisations
- OWT503 Management of Organisational Change
- OWT504 Knowledge Management
- OWT505 Human Resource Management I
- OWT506 Human Resource Management II
- OWT508 The Production Of Managerial Knowledge II
- OWT509 The Production Of Managerial Knowledge III
Contact: Ellie Appleton, Wendy Wang ([email protected], [email protected])

MSc Information Technology, Management & Organisational Change

- ITO1 Interpretations of Information, Technology and Organisations
- ITO11 E-Business
- ITO15 Analysis, Design and Innovation
- ITO16 Enterprise Systems Architecture
- ITO2 The Management of Organisational Change
- ITO22 Academic and Professional Practice
- ITO23 E-Marketing
- ITO3 Strategy, IT and Digital Business
- ITO4 Systemic Interventions and Consulting

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- ITO5 Cyber Security and Enterprise Resiliance
- ITO6 Researching in Organisational Settings
- ITO7 IT Project Management
- ITO8 Knowledge Management
Contact: Sian Cameron ([email protected])

MSc International Business & Strategy

- ECON404 International Banking & Risk Management
- ECON408 Growth in Emerging Economies
- MNGT571 International Business I
- MNGT572 International Business II
- MNGT573 Quantitative Methods for Business
- MNGT574 International Business Strategy
- MNGT575 Research Methods / Dissertation
- MNGT576 International Marketing
- MNGT577 Cross National Management and Leadership
- MNGT578 International Corporate Strategy and Structure
- MNGT580 Competition in Global Markets
Contact: Linda Smith ([email protected])

MSc Management
- MNGT501 Introduction to Business Analytics
- MNGT502 Accounting & Financial Management
- MNGT503 Operations Management
- MNGT504 Economics for Managers
- MNGT505 Marketing: Applied Theory and Practice
- MNGT506 Organisational Behaviour & HRM
- MNGT507 Management
- MNGT508 Strategic Management
- MNGT509 Management in Practice
- MNGT510 Research Methods
- MNGT511 Research Project
- MNGT531 Business Analysis & Process Consulting
- MNGT532 Organisational Change
- MNGT534 Business Ethics and Society
- MNGT561 Project Management
- MNGT562 Discourses of Project Management
- MNGT563 Applied Project Planning
- MNGT581 Strategic Implementation & Process
- MNGT582 Global Corporate Level Strategy
- MNGT583 Value Creation and Innovation
Contact: Kim Barrington ([email protected])

MSc Marketing
- MKTG501 Markets
- MKTG502 Marketing
- MKTG503 Consumer Behaviour
- MKTG504 Strategic Marketing in Practice
- MKTG505 Marketing Communications
- MKTG506 Digital Marketing
- MKTG507 Branding Strategy

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- MKTG508 Business to Business Marketing
- MKTG 509 Advanced Consumer Behaviour
Contact: Gaynor Cannon ([email protected])

MSc Money, Banking and Finance

- ECON400 Topics in Economics
- ECON403 Applied Econometrics
- ECON406 International Money and Finance
- ECON411 Islamic Banking
- ECON412 Behavioural Finance
Contact: Emma Fitchett ([email protected])

MSc Operational Research and Management Science, MSc Logistics and Supply Chain
Management and MSc Management Science and Marketing Analytics
- MSCI502 Introduction to Operational Research and Management Science
- MSCI504 Problem Structuring
- MSCI506 Problem Solving and Consulting Skills
- MSCI512 Computer Simulation
- MSCI513 C++ Computer Programming for Quantitative Finance
- MSCI516 Spreadsheet Modelling for Quantitative Finance
- MSCI519 Spreadsheet Modelling
- MSCI521 Introductory Statistics
- MSCI523 Forecasting
- MSCI526 Data Mining for Marketing, Sales and Finance
- MSCI527 SAS Programming for Business Analytics
- MSCI532 Stochastic Modelling
- MSCI534 Optimisation and Heuristics
- MSCI536 Optimisation
- MSCI544 Logistics (included in MSCI574)
- MSCI564 Marketing Research Methods
- MSCI571 Strategic Supply Chain Management
- MSCI573 Operations and Supply Excellence
- MSCI574 Logistics Modelling
- MSCI575 Strategic Sourcing
- MSCI576 Global Sourcing (with Services)
- MSCI577 Business Analysis & Modelling
- MSCI581 Introduction to Management Science and Marketing Analytics
- MSCI582 Marketing Analysis and Modelling
- MSCI583 Pricing Analytics and Revenue Management
Contact: Jackie Clifton ([email protected])

MSc Quantitative Finance

- ACF629 Financial Econometrics
- ECON451 Economics for Money, Banking and Finance
- ECON456 International Money and Finance
- MATH580 Financial Stochastic Processes
- MATH581 Statistical Methods for Financial & Economic Applications
- MATH582 Assessing Financial Risk: Extreme Value Methods
- MSCI535 Optimisation
Contact: Emma Fitchett ([email protected])

17
 Research Training Courses in Other Faculties

Other Faculties within Lancaster University also offer PhD training in their respective fields.
Some of these provisions are open to LUMS students; details of these courses are provided
below.

Courses run by the Mathematics and Statistics Department

The Mathematics and Statistics Department regularly runs courses on various methodological
aspects. For the list, calendar and costs of these courses, please refer to their website at
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/maths/postgraduate/short-courses-and-cpd/list-of-courses/ If you
wish to take any of these courses, you should register online as soon as possible online as they
usually become fully booked very quickly after the start of term.

Courses run by Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS)

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences also regularly runs courses (methodological or more
general) that could be of interest to PhD students from LUMS. For the list and calendar of
these courses, please refer to http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/gradschool/training/modules

If you wish to sign up for any FASS modules, please discuss this possibility with your PhD
supervisor(s). If approved by PhD supervisor(s) and the PhD director of your programme,
please complete the FASS Registration Form, which will be available from the FASS RTP
website (http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/gradschool/training/index.htm).

18
 Other Useful Courses

Computing Courses
Details of all courses are available directly from the Information Systems Reception in the
Learning Zone (Alexandra Square). Anyone interested is advised to register early, directly
through ISS. A variety of one-off sessions and short courses are available throughout the year
from the Service. Please visit the ISS website for more information:
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/iss/.
Note: these are very popular and reach maximum capacity quickly. You are advised to
register early in Term 1 or, alternatively, consider whether you can take the course later in
the academic year when pressure on places is not so great.

Statistics Short Courses

The Postgraduate Statistics Centre offers a programme of continuing professional
development courses aimed at scientists, social scientists, health researchers, teachers and
professional medical statisticians. These applied statistics courses are for participants and
researchers from any background with a basic level of numeracy. Please visit the Postgraduate
Statistic Centres website for more information:
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/maths/postgraduate/short-courses-and-cpd/

School Seminar Programmes

Students are encouraged to attend the wide range of research talks, presentations and forums
organised throughout the year, where relevant, both in the Management School and
elsewhere on campus. PhD students are especially encouraged to attend the sessions
organised by the department in which they are registered.

Speakers will include well-known academics from other Business Schools, both in the UK and
elsewhere, as well as the Management Schools most distinguished researchers. Sessions will
usually last for 2 hours, with Wednesday afternoons, lunchtimes and evenings being especially
popular.

Information about the talks are normally displayed 7 10 days in advance on the research
student web board: https://mle.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=300

Informal Research Groups

There are a number of informal research groups in LUMS where PhD students give papers
about their research, and lead discussions on them. Check with your supervisor for further
information.

19
 North West Doctoral Training Centre
Business and Management Pathway

LUMS is part of ESRCs North-West Doctoral Training Centre (http://www.nwdtc.ac.uk/), which

provides social science research training to students at Lancaster University, the University of
Liverpool and the University of Manchester. Business and Management is a recognized
pathway with the NWDTC and for 2015-16 PhD students from the three Universities can
attend selected courses at each partner institution. Details of the courses at Manchester and
Liverpool and how to register are provided below.

Course Date/Time Room Tutor

Scenario Methods for 19/01/2016, 10am 4.30pm MBS Prof. Ian Miles
Research
Case Study Research 22/1/2016, 29/1/2016 MBS Prof. Bob Scapens
2pm 5pm
Structural Equation 11/2/2016 MBS Prof. Paul Irwing
Modeling 10am 5pm
Critical Thinking for 18/2/2016, 25/2/2015, 3/3/2016, MBS Dr. Charles Cui
Scientific Research 10/3/2016
2pm 5pm
Action Research 19/2/2016, 26/2/2016 MBS Prof. Peter Kawalek
10am 1pm
Mixed Methods 4/3/2016, 18/3/2016 MBS Prof. Sven Modell
10am 4pm
Introduction to Qualitative 7/3/2016, 8/3/2016 MBS Dr. Eva Alfoldi
Analysis with NViVO 1pm 5pm
Comparative Case Study 15/3/2016 MBS Dr. Laszlo Czaban
Analysis 10am 3pm
Social Shaping of 17/3/2016 MBS Dr. Christine McLean
Technology 10am 5pm
Actor Network Theory 22/3/2016 MBS Dr. Christine McLean
10am 5pm
Diary Studies in 12/4/2016 MBS Dr.David Holman
Organisational Research 10am 4pm
Multilevel Modelling in 13/4/2016, 14/4/2016 MBS Prof. Paul Irwing /
MPlus 10am 5pm Mr. David Hughes
Bibliometrics, Altmetrics 15/4/2016, 22/4/2016 MBS Dr.John Rigby
and the Measurement of 10am 1pm
Science and its Institutions
Advanced Qualitative Data 19/4/2016, 29/4/2016 MBS Dr.Eva Alfoldi
Analysis with NVivo 1pm 5pm
Longitudinal Data Analysis 20/4/2016, 21/4/2016 MBS Prof. Paul Irwing/Mr.
10am 5pm David Hughes
Meta-Analysis 26/4/2016 MBS Prof. Dieter Zapf
10am 3pm
Social Network Analysis 27/4/2016 MBS Dr. Ronnie Ramlogan
10am 4pm
Advanced Survey Design 28/4/2016, 5/5/2016 MBS Dr.Charles Chui
1pm 4.30pm

20
Elite Interviewing with 12/5/2015, 19/5/2015 MBS Mr. Andrew James
Senior Managers 1pm 4pm
Theory Building in Business 5/10/2015 Liverpool Dr Dirk Lindebaum
& Management 10am 1pm

To attend
1. Please note that places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
2. If you are interested in attending please send an e-mail to the administrative contact at
the institution providing the course. You will be informed if you have secured a place and
sent any advance reading lists and other relevant materials.
Liverpool University Management School- Rebecca Lumberg [email protected]
Manchester Business School Paul Greenham [email protected]

21
 Review meetings for MPhil/PhD Students

1.0 Purpose
The annual review procedure has three main aims:

1. To encourage and motivate MPhil/PhD student research.

2. To provide additional mentoring for graduate study
3. To decide the students continuing research and degree registration.

Throughout the process it is critical to keep in mind that students should finish within four
years. This is important for students as well as the Department.

2.0 General Information

The PhD degree requires the submission of a thesis or a collection of papers with a substantial
linking commentary. The MPhil degree requires the submission of a thesis.

For the MPhil, candidates are required to demonstrate an ability to conduct an original
investigation, to test ideas, whether their own or those of others, and to understand the
relationship of the topic or theme investigated to a wider field of knowledge. For the award of
the PhD, in addition, the thesis or collection of papers should be an original contribution to
knowledge or understanding in the field under investigation.

A Supervisory Panel is appointed for each student, consisting of the supervisor(s), the
Departments PhD Programme Director and another appropriate member of staff (the
Appointed Member of Staff). The whole panel meets with the student once a year for an
Annual Review Meeting. At the end of this meeting, the panel provides feedback to the
student.

At the end of each review meeting, the panel members jointly decide on how the students
should continue. In cases where the panel members disagree on the overall outcome of the
annual review, a meeting with the Head of Department will take place and further actions will
be discussed. If the Head of Department is a supervisor of the research student, another
professor in the Department will act as Head of Department for this meeting.

The Universitys online appraisal process is run separately, although it links into our review
process. The University has to monitor PhD progress and this is done through the online
system. This is usually done at six months, 12 months and then annually thereafter.

Depending on the nature of your research some of you will need to follow the university ethics
procedures. Further information can be found at:
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/depts/research/ethics.html. It is very important that you take into
account the length of time needed for this process in your planning.

22
3.0 Timing of review meetings
3.1 Full-time students
With the exception of students enrolled on the Integrated PhD programme, the first review
meeting should take place within 10 months of the students enrolment date for MPhil/PhD.
Thereafter review meetings will be held annually. Depending on the speed at which a student
progresses, the supervisor(s) should suggest a review time (after consulting the student).

The first review meeting for students enrolled on the Integrated PhD programme should take
place within 15 months of their enrolment date. Thereafter, review meetings will be held
annually as for other full-time PhD students.

3.2 Part-time students

The progress of part-time students will differ from case to case, based on background and
available research time, but the first review meetings must take place at most 2 years after
starting, and the other reviews at most 4, 6 years after starting.

4.0 Outcomes from the annual review meetings

4.1 First year review
All departmental PhD students are initially enrolled for a provisional PhD. The first annual
review, which should take place within 10 months from the students enrolment date, will
decide, using the options below, the degree for which a student is registered for subsequent
years.

PhD is confirmed
Provisional PhD should be continued and reviewed within the next two months
PhD registration should be changed to MPhil
Recommend termination of registration
For MPhil students, the review panel will consider the following options.
Continue with MPhil
Recommend upgrade to PhD
Recommend termination of registration

4.2 Subsequent reviews

Most research students continue with the degree determined at the first year review; however
this can change. Thus the reviews that occur after the first year will consider the following
options as appropriate

PhD or MPhil registration continues

PhD registration should be changed to MPhil
MPhil registration should be changed to PhD
Recommend termination of registration

5.0 The annual review process

5.1 Actions required by the student
The MPhil/PhD student should complete a report (see section 6) and submit an electronic copy
in PDF format to the Postgraduate Office at least 14 days before the review meeting is
scheduled to take place. In addition, the student should prepare a presentation (PowerPoint or
equivalent) to make at the start of the review meeting.

23
 For the first annual review, this presentation should normally be 20 to 30 minutes in
length. It should summarise the research area, provide a literature review, establish
the research question(s) being addressed and discuss any problems.
For subsequent reviews, this presentation should be about 20 minutes in length and
should summarise the work done that year, indicate likely thesis chapters and provide
a timetable for the rest of the PhD.
Following the meeting the student should provide a brief summary/minutes of the
meeting. The summary is first agreed with the supervisor(s), then with the rest of the
Supervisory Panel. It is then sent to the Departments Postgraduate Office and may be
accessed at future reviews if needed.

5.2 Actions Required by the Supervisor(s)

Before the First Annual Review, the supervisor(s) should, in conjunction with the Director of
Research Students, ensure that an Appointed Member of Staff is part of the supervisory panel.
The supervisor(s) should gain the agreement of the colleague and should ensure that their
name is forwarded to the Departments Postgraduate Office. It is normal for this colleague to
also serve on the reviews held in subsequent years.
The supervisor(s) should ensure that a suitable date and time is agreed for the review meeting
and at least one supervisor should attend the meeting. At the meeting, the supervisor(s)
should discuss the students progress and agree a view of the students progress with the rest
of the Supervisory Panel. If such agreement cannot be reached, the Head of Department will
become involved.

5.3 Actions Required by the Supervisory Panel

The PhD Programme Director will normally Chair the Annual Review Meeting. All members of
the panel will read the report beforehand, attend the review meeting and agree a view of the
students progress with the rest of the Supervisory Panel. If such agreement cannot be
reached, the Head of Department will become involved. At the end of the meeting, the panel
will provide feedback to the student on his/her progress.

5.4 Actions Required by the Postgraduate Office (Gay)

The Departments Postgraduate Office will schedule each Annual Review Meeting and book a
suitable meeting room. If the student has not submitted the progress report 14 days before
the scheduled date of the Annual Review Meeting, the Office will chase the student and
supervisor and inform the Director of Research Students if there are problems. The Office will
distribute the report to all panel members.

6.0 Progress report

6.1 First Annual review for MPhil and PhD students
The report should be a single, self-contained document, printed in 12-point font, at 1.5 line
spacing and should normally be no more than 25 pages including references and figures.
Approval is required for a larger document and larger documents submitted without approval
will be rejected. The contents of the report should include the following:

Objectives of the research (a justification of why the topic is interesting)

A thorough literature survey in the specific area of the MPhil/PhD that leads to a
critical assessment of the state of the art which identifies gaps
The proposed research methodology and approach (with justification and
identification of any difficulties)

24
 A description of any research work carried out to date and an indication of how it adds
to the state of the art
A description of research work to be carried in following years and an indication of
how it adds to the state of the art
A timetable for the second year of the research. The timetable should include specific
milestones associated with expected tangible outcomes (e.g. papers to be submitted
for publication, final draft of thesis chapters).
A risk management plan which will identify potential risks and potential measures for
alleviating the impacts of the identified risks.
Plans and action related to attendance of appropriate PhD level training courses
A summary of courses taken and marks awarded.

Students who intend to continue at MPhil should also include a rough outline of the structure
of the proposed thesis.

6.2 Second (or later) year MPhil

The research should be complete and a thesis ready for submission. If not, a report should be
prepared detailing the research carried out to date, together with a timetable for completion
of the MPhil.

6.3 Second year PhD

The report should include:

A summary of the research carried out to date (this may be fairly brief and should be
written for an informed but not necessarily expert reader: more detailed appendices,
e.g., draft papers, may be added)
An indication of what proportion of the overall research project has been carried out
to date and what are the tangible outcomes of the research work so far (e.g. papers
submitted for publication, final drafts of thesis chapters, etc.), and a timetable for the
third year of the research. The timetable should include specific milestones associated
with expected tangible outcomes (e.g. papers to be submitted for publication, final
draft of thesis chapters).
An update of the risk management plan submitted for the first year review.
An update on the plans and action related to attendance of appropriate PhD level
training courses.
A summary of courses taken and marks awarded.
For PhD by thesis, an outline of the thesis with chapters shown and content indicated
(or filled in if ready.) This includes an assessment of how it adds to the state of the art;
that is, it should indicate its academic contribution.
For PhDs by publication, at least one such publication should be ready for submission
and should be submitted to the Supervisory Panel, together with a commentary
defining its academic contribution.
As in year 1, the report should be compiled as a single document and should keep within the
25-page limit. Submitted or published papers can be provided as an Appendix.

6.4 Third (or later) year PhD

Since the Universitys normal period for full-time PhD completion is three years, at the end of
the third year the research should be complete and a thesis ready for submission or, in the
case of PhD by publication, the linking commentary should be written and the papers available

25
for scrutiny. If not, a report should be prepared summarising the research carried out to date
and giving a timetable including specific milestones and expected tangible outcomes, and a
risk management plan, for completing the PhD within the Universitys maximum four year
period.

As in earlier years, the report should be compiled as one single document and should keep
within the 25-page limit. In addition, if available, a set of draft, submitted or published papers
should be provided.

26
 Careers and Employability

Employability after your PhD degree is of paramount importance. Advice and guidance about
possible job opportunities and preparation for the job market is part of the support that
students receive from supervisor(s) and other faculty members on an ongoing and informal
way. There is also a seminar skill session specifically dedicated to this issue (see page 10).
Furthermore, LUMS and University-wide resources are also available, as detailed below.

Educational Development support for postgraduates who teach (GTAs)

One day Survival Skills Workshops
Supporting Learning Programme; 4 month accredited programme
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/hr/OED/ED/SLP/

LUMS Advice Clinics and Careers Counselling

Drop-in clinics. Bring your queries along to one of the weekly careers advice clinics (term-time
only) where you can talk things through with the LUMS Careers Staff. No need to book just
drop in to the LUMS Career Zone (A112), by LT4.
Postgraduate students please contact Peter Sewell.
Wednesdays 4pm - 6pm; Fridays 3pm - 5pm
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/careers/students/advice/

Careers Workshops for PhD Students 2015/16

The central Careers service provides specific help and guidance for PhD students
including workshops on the following topics:

Academic Interviews
Career planning for PhD students
Employer Interviews & Assessment Centres
Writing an Effective Academic CV

http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers/students-graduates/help-and-advice/support-for-phd-
students/

The following workshops are available to PhD students from all Faculties. Places are bookable
on the Target Connect, using your university log in
https://lancaster.targetconnect.net/home.html

Further information can also be found on the Vitae website for research students
www.vitae.ac.uk Vitae is dedicated to realising the potential of researchers through
transforming their professional and career development.

27
 Assessment of assignments

This section relates to the compulsory modules.

Assignment Format and Submission

Assignments should be typed minimum font size 10 with 1.5 line spacing. Each assignments
first page must be the assignment submission form, available on your VLE which confirms the
work is your own (Academic Integrity) and you are aware of the University guidance on
Research and Ethics.

All assignments (one hard copy unless otherwise specified plus an e-version on the VLE) are to
be submitted by specified time and hand-in date. Hard copies are to be submitted to the
Doctoral Office unless otherwise indicated.

Extensions
Extensions are only given in exceptional circumstances. Please see the heading What to do if
illness affects your studies. All requests for an extension must be completed in writing on a
variance request form (available on the VLE).

Feedback and Notification of Assessment Marks

Feedback on assessed work will where possible be provided within four weeks (excluding
vacations and staff absences).

Marks will be emailed to students by the programme office. Students may also view their
overall marks to date via the Student Portal. It should be remembered that until the External
Examination Board has met, (October each year) any marks given to students are provisional
and may be subject to change. Please ensure that you retain all marked work until you have
received the results from the External Examination Board.

Moderation of Assessed Work

A second marker will moderate the assessment work for each module. The programmes
external examiner will confirm whether or not marks awarded are appropriate. As per the
University regulations there is no appeal against academic judgement.

Penalties Excessive Word Count

Work submitted with excessive word count (+10%) will be subject to a five (5) mark penalty
deduction. There is no penalty for submitting less than the recommended word count. The
word count includes:
Main body of text
In text quotations
In text references
Section headings
The word count does not include: Abstract, title, contents page, reference list, bibliography
and appendices.

Penalties for Late Submission

Prior to the submission deadlines there are published procedures for the granting of
extensions (variance request). Work submitted after a deadline but within the time limit of an

28
approved variance shall not be subject to penalty. Work submitted late without an approved
variance shall be penalised as follows:
Work submitted up to 3 working days late will have 10 marks deducted;
Work submitted more than 3 days late will be awarded a mark of zero (subject to any
consideration of mitigating circumstances).

What to do if illness or personal issues affect your studies

If you are unfortunate enough to be ill or are suffering from severe personal issues which will
affect your ability to submit coursework on time you may request an extension. Depending on
the nature of your circumstance different documentation will be required. Contact the
Doctoral Coordinator in your Department for further information.

Mitigating Circumstances
Mitigating Circumstances (e.g. ill health or severe personal difficulties) may be taken into
consideration by the Mitigating Circumstances Committee which makes recommendations to
the Internal and External Exam Boards only when supported by documentary evidence (e.g. a
doctors certificate).

Collaboration
In individual pieces of work, students are not permitted to work closely with other colleagues.
Under no circumstances may individual coursework be prepared jointly. Where coursework
is specified as being assessed on a group basis it should be prepared by the specific groups
alone. Where a group member does not contribute fully to a piece of group work the other
members may inform the faculty member responsible and an individual grade may be awarded
to that student. Any individual working on a group assessed piece of work may be vivaed to
identify his/her contribution to the group grade and an individual grade awarded.

Student Feedback Mechanisms

Evaluation is more than feedback of the good and bad elements of the programme. It provides
continual information for us to improve the programme. Without all of us seeking to improve
all elements of the programme we will not be able to sustain the high standards and achieve
greater success in the future. Consequently it is very important that all members of the class
actively participate in the evaluation process.

You will be contacted by email at the end of each module and asked to complete a Module
evaluation that will be accessed via a URL link. We ask that you respond to the request to
submit your feedback as soon as possible. Feedback is anonymous.

29
Postgraduate Grade Descriptors
All assessment is marked in line with the grade descriptors for postgraduate students.

Broad Primary verbal descriptors for attainment

Result Percentage Class
Descriptor of Intended Learning Outcomes
Pass Excellent 70-100 Exemplary range and depth of attainment of
intended learning outcomes, secured by
discriminating command of a
comprehensive range of relevant materials Distinction
and analyses, and by deployment of
considered judgement relating to key issues,
concepts and procedures
Pass Good 60-69 Conclusive attainment of virtually all
intended learning outcomes, clearly
grounded on a close familiarity with a wide
Merit
range of supporting evidence, constructively
utilised to reveal appreciable depth of
understanding
Pass Satisfactory 50-59 Clear attainment of most of the intended
learning outcomes, some more securely
grasped than others, resting on a Pass
circumscribed range of evidence and
displaying a variable depth of understanding
Fail Marginal fail 40-49 Attainment deficient in respect of specific
intended learning outcomes, with mixed
evidence as to the depth of knowledge and
weak deployment of arguments or deficient
manipulations
Fail Fail 30-39 Attainment of intended learning outcomes
appreciably deficient in critical respects,
lacking secure basis in relevant factual and
analytical dimensions
Fail
Fail Poor fail 20-29 Attainment of intended learning outcomes
appreciably deficient in respect of nearly all
intended learning outcomes, with irrelevant
use of materials and incomplete and flawed
explanation
Fail Very poor fail 0-19 No convincing evidence of attainment of
any intended learning outcomes, such
treatment of the subject as is in evidence
being directionless and fragmentary

30
 Useful Information

Core information for PGR students

This is a useful link which contains all the essential information you need to know about being
a PGR student at Lancaster.
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/current-students/postgraduate-research-students-core-
information/

Lancaster email address

All students are given a Lancaster University email address, of the form
[email protected], which is assigned during Induction. Please note that any contact
we make with you will be through your Lancaster email address. It will be assumed that you
access this email account on a daily basis. Please do not forward emails from this address to
another email address as this may delay or prevent us from contacting you.

PhD Student Web Profiles

The Universitys research information system, Pure, is now available for postgraduate research
students to use. Pure can be used to record information about yourself, your research
interests and research publications. This information can also be used to produce your web
profile which will appear at http://www.research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/ and also, at a later date,
on the LUMS website. An email will be sent to you at the start of term to give you full details
about how to create your profile.

It is of great importance that you maintain an up-to-date web presence, as a way to

disseminate your research findings and get known in the profession. Therefore, it is assumed
that all PhD students maintain a (minimal) web presence on the LUMS website, possibly
complemented with a personal website on a different platform (e.g. google).

iLancaster
iLancaster is a free mobile app delivering Lancaster University services, resources and
information at your fingertips whenever you want them, from wherever you are. Its
available to download to your mobile devise or view from any web browser. You can find
everything from your Welcome Week planner to bus timetables, where to eat and drink and
financial planners.

Office Space
Full-time students are offered an office space. Basic facilities usually include a bookcase, desk,
chair and access to a filing cabinet for each PhD student. You will be allocated an office for 4
years. Normally, after 4 years we will ask you to vacate the office ready for a new intake of
students. Part-time students are not normally offered office space.

Computing Facilities
All full-time doctoral students are allocated a PC on arrival which they keep for the duration of
their studies in their personal office. All Management School PCs have access to statistical
packages, email, and the Internet. For general IT support, including software queries, contact
the ISS Service Desk on phone extension 10987 or by email to [email protected]. You can
also visit the ISS knowledge base: http://lancasteranswers.lancs.ac.uk

31
Printing and Photocopying
All full-time PhD students are automatically allocated a printing budget when they register. If
PhD students use up their printing allowance the must contact their departmental PhD co-
ordinator to request a top-up. This is granted at the departments discretion.

Research Conference Budget

Typically the department funds each student to attend at least one international conference
and at least one national conference during the course of their studies. However, this will
require your supervisors recommendation and is discretionary. There is also a central Faculty
PhD conference budget. Students may apply for funding with the support of their
supervisor/department. This is a competitive process as there is a limited amount of funds.
There are three calls for funding each academic year and deadlines will be publicised well in
advance.

LUMS Web pages

LUMS has a large number of pages on the Internet, accessed through
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/. It would be worth to familiarise yourself with the many
pieces of information it offers. You should also log onto Moodle for PhD students at:
https://mle.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=300 for notices and information relating to the
Research Training.

Social Events
Arrangements are made for informal social events for all LUMS PhD students, usually once a
term.

Seminars
The department organises seminars during the year and you are required to give a seminar at
some point during your studies, usually in your second or third year. Attendance at these
seminars is compulsory for full time PhD students. If you are unable to attend, you must send
apologies to Gay and your supervisor(s) in advance, explaining, why you are unable to attend.
We circulate an attendance list during each seminar.

Staff-Student Meetings
LUMS Staff-Student Meetings are held on a termly basis. All PhD students are encouraged to
attend or raise any issue with their departmental PhD representative. At the meetings we
discuss issues that are of concern to you. PhD students are usually asked for agenda items
prior to the meeting and an agenda is circulated normally a week before the meeting.

Ethical Issues
ALL PhD students undertaking fieldwork must complete 2 ethics forms with their supervisors
BEFORE undertaking fieldwork. These can be found on the University Research Office web-site:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/research/lancaster/ethics.html (accessible when on the
universitys network). All PhD students also have to take the compulsory seminar on ethics and
research (see page 6).

Plagiarism
Within the UK there are conventions about the use of material in academic publications,
including PhD theses. Definitions of plagiarism are given in the Plagiarism Framework available
at: https://gap.lancs.ac.uk/ASQ/Policies/Pages/PlagiarismFramework.aspx All PhD student also
have to take the compulsory seminar on plagiarism (see page 7).

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Lancaster University Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research Programmes
Lancasters Regulations for Postgraduate Research Degree Programmes are contained in the
Code of Practice available on-line at:
https://gap.lancs.ac.uk/ASQ/Policies/Pages/PGRCode.aspx

Guidance Notes for Research Degrees

Lancasters guidance on the Examination of Research degrees can be found at:
https://gap.lancs.ac.uk/ASQ/QAE/MARP/PGAR/Pages/default.aspx

Development Needs Analysis (DNA)

All PhD students are required to complete the DNA online. Your DNA (Development Needs
Analysis) allows you to audit yourself against the skills and competencies we develop as
researchers. You can then use this to discuss with your Supervisor the training and
development opportunities you may need for the forthcoming year.

Student Progress
Departments are responsible for carrying out a periodic assessment of students' progress in
line with the completion timetable outlined in the postgraduate assessment regulations.
Formal appraisal for students is conducted 4 months after registration, then after 10 months,
16 months, 22 months and at regular intervals thereafter for full-time students (and after
corresponding periods for part-time students). The first of these reviews requires students to
identify the research question and to propose milestones. Formal appraisal will include a
recommendation as to whether the student should be allowed to continue. The student will be
told about the outcome of the appraisal. If progress or the standard of work is considered
below that generally expected, the student will be given constructive feedback on how matters
might be improved. If the progress continues to be unsatisfactory, the student will be given a
written warning that unless certain targets are achieved satisfactorily by a specified date the
student will be referred to the Postgraduate Review Committee with a recommendation that
the students registration be terminated. Further detail on criteria to be used for making
decisions about the extension, suspension or termination of registration are provided in the
Postgraduate Regulations.

Attendance Monitoring
The University based on pedagogical and welfare grounds and in compliance with government
requirements has instituted attendance monitoring for postgraduate research programmes.
You will be required to confirm your attendance via an online system on a regular basis. You
will receive further details from Student Registry.

Effective Learning Support

LUMS has an academic adviser, Gill Burgess, who supports all postgraduate students, home or
international, with aspects of study: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/people/gill-burgess.

Resources concerning support for writing assignments including advice on organisation of

content, style, editing and referencing can be found on the Effective Learning website:
https://mle.lancs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=281.

University Library
All member of the University are entitled to use the Library
(http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library) on becoming a registered as borrowers. The act of
registration as a reader or borrower constitutes an undertaking to accept the Library Rules. For
further information on where to find help and advice go to:

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http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library/news-training-and-events/news/2015/changes-to-
academic-services/

External Examiner
The External Examiner for the compulsory research training on the Business &Management
pathway is Professor Stuart Hyde from Manchester Business School. The content of the
External Examiners report will be made available to you via Moodle once submitted.

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