phd loan student finance england

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• Education and learning
• Student finance

Doctoral Loan

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

There’s different funding if you normally live in Wales . Moving somewhere to study does not count as normally living there.

You can also get extra support if you have a disability .

You will not be eligible for an Adult Dependants’ Grant, a Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance from Student Finance if you’re studying a doctoral course.

When you can apply

You can now apply for funding for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

When you repay your loan

You’ll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold’ amount).

You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

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PhD loans are available in 2023/24 to help Doctoral students living in England or Wales pay for their course fees and living expenses

PhD loans at a glance

• Worth up to £28,673 for 2023/24.
• For UK nationals resident in England or Wales.
• Study at any UK university that awards PhDs.
• Repayments combined with Masters loans .

How much can I borrow?

With these government-backed postgraduate Doctoral loans, you can borrow any amount up to £27,892 if your course started between 1 August 2022 and 31 July 2023, or £28,673 if it starts on or after 1 August 2023.

PhD loans are not means-tested, so you can apply for the full amount regardless of your financial background. Also, the loan can be used however you like - to cover fees, other study-related costs or to help with your living expenses.

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to additional support in the form of Disabled Students' Allowances .

Am I eligible for a PhD loan?

• be a UK or Irish national or have settled/pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme 
• be ordinarily resident in England
• have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years before starting the course
• be under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
• not already hold a PhD or equivalent qualification
• not be receiving a Research Council studentship (including fees-only), NHS funding or other government finance towards your PhD.

You can't get the loan if you began your PhD before the 2021/22 academic year.

To discover whether you qualify for PhD funding, see GOV.UK - Doctoral loan eligibility .

Is my Doctorate eligible?

Most full and part-time PhD programmes, Professional Doctorates and PhDs 'upgraded' from Master of Philosophy (MPhil) are eligible, provided they are hosted by a UK university.

Your programme must last for at least three years and no longer than eight years. There are no restrictions on what subject you can study and your PhD proposal will not be assessed as part of your loan application.

PhDs by publication are not eligible because they do not involve an active period of studying. You also can't get a PhD loan for a research Masters degree such as an MRes or a standalone MPhil - for these you should apply for a postgraduate loan instead.

If you're studying for a PhD within a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), your eligibility depends on whether your research is funded by a Research Council studentship. If it is, you won't be able to get a loan.

How do I apply?

Visit  GOV.UK - Apply for a Doctoral loan for full details of how to apply for PhD funding via Student Finance England.

The deadline for Doctoral loan applications is nine months after the first day of the final academic year of your PhD - meaning you can still apply after you have started studying.

How will I receive my PhD loan?

Your loan will be paid in three instalments (33%, 33% and 34%) per academic year directly into your bank account by the Student Loans Company (SLC). It will be spread evenly across your studies.

You'll stop receiving your loan if you withdraw from your PhD or transfer to an ineligible programme, but you'll still be liable to repay what you have borrowed.

When do I start repaying my loan?

Repayments will start once you have completed your PhD and you're earning at least £21,000 per year (£1,750 per month before tax and other deductions). You'll pay at a rate of 6% of your income over this threshold.

If you're employed, your repayments will be taken out of your salary automatically on a monthly basis. If you're self-employed, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will calculate how much you must repay on completion of your annual self-assessment tax return.

You'll be charged interest on your loan from the date you receive the first instalment from the SLC. This is calculated at the retail price index (RPI) +3%, meaning that that the interest accrued will typically be the annually reviewed RPI percentage, plus an additional 3%. The interest rate currently stands at 7.5%.

Any outstanding balance will be written off 30 years after your loan first becomes due for repayment.

Be aware that if you have previously taken out a postgraduate loan to fund Masters-level study, this will be combined with your PhD loan. You'll therefore repay a single debt at a rate of 6% of your income over £21,000.

However, debt from your undergraduate student loan is paid concurrently rather than combined. This means you may find yourself repaying up to 15% of your income - 9% for your undergraduate loan and 6% for your postgraduate/PhD loan.

What other PhD funding is available?

• PhD studentships
• Research Council funding
• Scholarships and bursaries
• Employer sponsorship
• Crowdfunding

Remember that PhD loans cannot be combined with other public funding such as Research Council studentships or NHS funding.

PhD loans in Wales

In 2023/24, the Welsh government has confirmed that eligible students ordinarily resident in Wales are able to borrow up to £28,395 to study for a full or part-time PhD. As with the postgraduate Doctoral loan scheme for residents in England, it isn't means-tested.

If your course started in 2022/23, you can apply for a loan of up to £27,880.

Explore how and when to apply by visiting  Student Finance Wales .

Doctoral funding in Scotland and Northern Ireland 

PhD loans are not currently available in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but there are other options you can pursue in order to fund your education.

For instance, organisations such as The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland and the Department for the Economy (DfE) offer a number of PhD scholarships to residents of Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Find out more

• Search for PhDs in the UK .
• Learn about PhD study .

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Doctoral loans for 2024-entry

• Eligibility

How to apply

The English and Welsh governments introduced a loan scheme for doctoral courses from 2018/19 entry. If you are a new entrant for 2024/25, find out if you are eligible and how you can take out a loan through the information on this page.

Please note that details for students starting in 2024 have not yet been released in full by the UK government. All figures and eligibility criteria on these pages refer to those who started in 2023, unless stated otherwise, and will be updated when further information is available.

How much is the loan?

You can apply for a loan of up to £29,390 (or £28,655 for students from Wales) towards your course and living costs. These figures have been confirmed for students starting in 2024/25.

The loan will be divided equally across each year of your course in line with the number of years course fees are payable .

The loan is paid into your bank account in three instalments during the academic year.

More information

You can find full details about eligibility, application and repayment in the sections listed across the top of this page. An overview of doctoral loans and details of how to apply is available from your regional funding agency's website:

• Student Finance England
• Student Finance Wales

For courses starting on or after 1 August 2021, the UK government has confirmed that EU, other EEA, and Swiss Nationals will be eligible for student finance from the UK government if they have UK citizens’ rights (i.e. if they have pre-settled or settled status, or if they are an Irish citizen covered by the Common Travel Area arrangement). The support you can access from the government will depend on your residency status. Further details on eligibility can be found on the UK government website .

Who can take out the loan?

The information in this section is presented as a guide only. You should refer to the UK government website for further details.

To take out the doctoral loan, you must be:

• Aged under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course (on 1 September 2024 for courses starting in October 2024).
• Starting an eligible doctoral course in the 2018/19 academic year or later (on or after 1 August 2018).
• A UK or Irish national, or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay.
• Normally live in England or Wales.
• Have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland for three continuous years before the first day of your course.

You will not be eligible for the doctoral loan if:

• You already have a doctorate or higher level qualification.
• You have received or will receive Research Council funding.
• You are eligible to apply for the NHS bursary.
• You are already receiving funding from Student Finance for the same academic year.
• You have outstanding student loan arrears or have previously been found to be ‘unfit’ for student support (e.g. because of attempted fraud).
• You have received a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan before - unless you left your course due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason.
• You have transferred from a Masters to a Doctoral course.

Which courses are covered?

Taught and research standalone doctoral courses in any subject are covered by the loan. Courses must start on or after 1 August 2018, and be 3 to 8 years in duration. Courses can be studied on a full-time or part-time basis.

Doctoral courses that include an integrated master’s degree are eligible for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan, but you must be admitted to and enrol on the doctoral course. You would not be able to make a separate application for Postgraduate Master’s Finance.

If your DPhil course commences in Hilary or Trinity Term please contact the Student Fees and Funding team and we can arrange for a Hilary or Trinity Term start version of your course to be set up within the Student Finance application portal if it has not been added previously.

Applications for students starting in 2024/25 are expected to open in May 2024. You are encouraged to apply as early as possible via your regional funding agency's website to ensure that funding is in place for the start of your course.

The information below is the University's best understanding of the current position. Any changes the government make to repayment arrangements are outside the control of the University.

Will I be charged interest on my loan?

Interest is charged at the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3% from the day your first payment is made until your loan is repaid in full.

How do I repay my loan?

You have to repay any loan you borrow, but not until your income is over £21,000 a year. Repayments will be based on your income, not what you borrow.

You will start making repayments the April after you finish or leave your course, or the April four years after the start of your course.

You will only start making repayments once your income is over the current threshold of £403 a week, £1,750 a month or £21,000 a year. You will repay 6% of what you earn over the threshold. So if you are paid monthly and earn £2,500 before tax you’ll repay 6% of the difference between what you earn and the threshold (£1,750):

£2,500 - £1,750 = £750

6% of £750 = £45

So your Postgraduate Loan repayment would be £45 that month.

What if I already have a student loan?

If you already have a Postgraduate Master’s Loan then you’ll make a combined repayment of 6% over the income threshold of £21,000 covering both postgraduate loans.

If you have had any other loan from the Student Loans Company then you will continue to make separate repayments alongside those for your postgraduate loan.

You can find further information on repayments at the  GOV.UK Repayments website .

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• Fees and funding
• Postgraduate doctoral

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

Loan amount

How to apply, check if you're eligible, eu, other eea and swiss nationals, how the loan is paid, repaying your loan.

If you are a Home student, you can apply for Postgraduate Doctoral Loan from the UK government to help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course, such as a PhD.

See an estimate of costs for living in London as an Imperial student.

There’s different  funding if you normally live in Wales .

The loan will not be available if:

• you have or will receive Research Council funding which includes stipends and or tuition fee support
• you are receiving a  social work bursary
• you are eligible to apply for an  NHS Bursary
• you are still studying another course and are in receipt of payments from Student Finance
• you already have a doctoral degree or equivalent/higher qualification
• you are receiving a doctorate by publication
• you are behind in repayments for any previous loans from Student Loans Company

Students studying doctoral courses starting on or after 1 August 2024 can get up to £29,390.

The loan is not means-tested, so it doesn't matter what your household income is.

Back to top of page

Students who normally live in England should apply via Student Finance England.

If you’ve taken out a loan with Student Finance England before,  use your account to apply . If you do not already have one,  set up an account .

If you're a Home student living elsewhere, you should apply to your regional funding body.

Explore information about  eligibility for this loan on Gov.uk.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals starting courses on or after 1 August 2021 must have settled or pre-settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme to be able to apply for this type of financial support.

Visit the  EU Settlement Scheme information guide  for more information.

This does not apply to students who are Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland, who are automatically treated as settled in the UK and do not need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to benefit from the right to UK student finance. 

For full information on the nationality or residency status requirement for this type of financial support, please see the Gov.uk website .

The loan is paid directly to you.

It will be divided equally across each year of your course.

You have to repay your loan, but only once you:

• have left university
• are in employment
• are earning over a certain amount

Find out more about repaying your loans .

• PhD Loans – 2023 Guide for Doctoral Students
• Funding a PhD
• A PhD Loan can fund a PhD in any field lasting between three to eight years .
• You can borrow up to £28,673 for courses that started on or after 1st August 2023.
• There are several eligibility restrictions, including that you must be a UK national resident and not receiving other funding (e.g. from Research Council or NHS).
• The repayments will be 6% of your annual income above  £21,000 .

What Is a PhD Loan?

A PhD loan is a form of UK Government loan made available to doctoral students residing in England or Wales. It is designed to help students fund their doctoral programme or equivalent degree, covering basic costs such as the tuition course fees and living costs.

The most common degrees they cover are:

• PhD – Doctor of Philosophy
• EngD – Doctor of Engineering
• EdD – Doctor of Education

Note: PhD Loans are formally known as Postgraduate Doctoral Loans, however, many postgraduate students commonly refer to Doctoral Loans as PhD Loans due to their primary use to fund PhDs.

Am I Eligible for a PhD Loan?

There are several requirements you must meet to be an eligible student for a PhD loan, such as your residency status. The eligibility criteria are summarised below into two categories – those that make you eligible and those that make you ineligible for a PhD loan.

Requirements That Make You Eligible:

• Be a UK or Irish citizen or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme , and ordinarily a resident of England or Wales.
• Be under the age of 60.
• Undertake a PhD (or another doctoral degree) that is three to eight years long and provided by a university in the UK.

Note: A common misunderstanding amongst university students is that a Doctoral Loan can fund an MPhil degree. As an MPhil is a Master’s degree, it does not meet the ‘Doctoral or equivalent’ requirement for being eligible for a Doctoral Loan. Therefore, if you are considering undertaking an MPhil, you should instead be applying for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. If more appropriate for your situation, you can find out more information about Postgraduate Loans here .

Requirements That Make You Ineligible:

You must not:

• Already hold a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree.
• Already be receiving funding. This includes grants from the Research Council (studentships, stipends & scholarships etc.), a social work bursary or NHS bursary (note that being eligible for an NHS Bursary even if you’re not receiving one will make you ineligible for a PhD loan).
• Already have had a Doctoral Loan before, unless you left your course due to illness, bereavement or another serious personal reason. You are still eligible if you have received an undergraduate loan in previous study.
• Obtain your PhD through publication (as this won’t have a period of study associated with it)

Aspects That Don’t Affect Your Eligibility:

There are several aspects of your PhD course that do not affect your eligibility to receiving Doctoral Loans. These are:

• Your doctoral course – your PhD can be in any subject or field. The underlying requirement is that it is provided by a university in the UK; i.e. a university in either England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• Full-time or part-time course – you need not pursue your PhD full-time to be eligible. The underlying requirement is that your PhD can be completed within eight years regardless of how you allocate your time.
• Taught, research-based or a combination of both – as long as your PhD has an aspect of studying associated with it, the method of obtainment of your PhD will not affect your eligibility.

How Much Funding Can I Get?

The amount of funding you can obtain isn’t means-tested. This means that it isn’t related to your financial background or household income and therefore you can qualify for the full amount regardless of your situation.

The maximum loan amount you can borrow falls into one of three categories:

• Up to £28,673 if your course starts on or after 1st August 2023 ,
• Up to £27,892 if your course started between 1st August 2022 and 31st July 2023 ,
• Up to £27,265 if your course started between 1st August 2021 and 31 July 2022 .

You may apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in any year of study, however you may not receive the maximum amount if you apply after the first year of your PhD. For annual costs, you may receive:

• Up to £12,167 per year  if your course starts on or after 1st August 2023 ,
• Up to £11,836 per year  if your course started between 1st August 2022 and 31st July 2023 ,
• Up to £11,570 per year  if your course started between 1st August 2021 and 31 July 2022 .

When Will I Get Paid?

Your loan payments will be spread out across all academic years of your course.

Example: If you undertake a full-time PhD over 5 years and apply for a loan amount of £25,000, you will receive £5,000 in each academic year.

Further to this, the allocation for each academic year will be paid in three even instalments, with each instalment paid at the start of a new term.

Example: Continuing with the above example, the £5,000 per each academic year would be paid in three instalments of £1,667.

Your first instalment will typically be paid immediately after your course start date. This is because your university will first need to confirm to Student Finance England (SFE) or Student Finance Wales that you’ve officially enrolled with them before the student loan can be released to you.

How and When Do I Repay?

Repayment terms – You will need to start repaying your loan once you have completed your PhD and started earning an annual income over £21,000 .

Once both these conditions are met, you will start making your repayments at 6% of your income above £21,000 . This means that for the first £21,000 you earn, you won’t need to make any contributions towards your loan repayment, however, anything above £21,000 will be subject to a 6% deduction for repayment towards your student loan.

It’s worth noting that if you work for an employer after your PhD, your repayments will be automatically deducted from your salary and there isn’t anything you will directly need to do. However, if you decide to work for yourself as opposed for an employer, you will need to make the repayments yourself.

Like undergraduate loans taken for undergraduate degrees, a postgraduate Doctoral Loan is subject to interest, which will need to be paid on top of your original student loan value. The interest rate is the retail price index (RPI) plus 3%.

Example: The average UK RPI for 2019 was approximately 2.4%. This means that besides the mandatory 3% that is owed, the average interest rate on a Doctoral Loan in 2019 would have been 5.4%.

It’s worth noting that if you aren’t able to completely repay your postgraduate loan within 30 years from the date of your first payment, the remaining loan debt will be voided.

How Do I Apply?

You can apply in one of two ways – either online , by setting up an account on Student Finance England’s website, or by post , by filling in a printable form on GOV.UK ‘s website. Click the respective below to be taken directly to their websites where you can find out more. Note that you will only have to apply once for Postgraduate Doctoral Loans; Student Finance England will contact you every year to confirm the amount you will receive.

Online Application – Student Finance England

Postal Application – GOV.UK

Note: While English residents and EU students who will study in England need to apply to Student Finance England, Welsh residents and EU students who will study in Wales will need to apply to Student Finance Wales .

The application deadline is based on when your doctoral programme is due to start; you should apply within 9 months of this start date.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Other PhD Funding Options

A PhD Loan is only one of several sources of funding to support your PhD studies and living expenses. The other postgraduate funding options available to you are:

• Research Council funding and studentships
• Scholarships and bursaries
• Employer sponsorship
• Charities and Trusts

Browse PhDs Now

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Postgraduate research

UK government doctoral loans

If you're starting a research degree from August 2023, you may be entitled to a government-backed loan.

A postgraduate doctoral loan can help with your course fees and living costs.

Apply for 2024/25 entry (gov.uk)

UK government loan

You could be eligible for a loan from Student Finance England if you're a:

• You're a UK national or Irish citizen or have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay
• You normally live in England
• You've been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of the first academic year of your course (excepting temporary absences such as holidays)

  See full eligibility guidance (gov.uk)

• You could receive up to £28,673 over the duration of the course
• How much you get does not depend on your household income
• The loan is paid directly to you in three instalments each academic year
• Available in all subject areas for PhD-level qualifications lasting between three and eight years
• At least 50 per cent of study over the whole course must be undertaken in the UK
• Available to students aged under 60 on the first day of their course without Research Council studentships (including fees only awards) or NHS Bursaries including Social Work bursaries
• You'll have to start repaying your loan when your income is over a certain threshold amount. Please visit the Government's information on repaying your student loans (gov.uk) for the most up to date information.
• You'll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.

You can also get extra support (gov.uk) if you have a disability.

If you apply after your first year

If you apply after your first year, you might not get the maximum amount. You can apply for a doctoral loan during any year of your course.

Devolved nations loans

• If you live in Wales (studentfinancewales.co.uk)
• If you live in Scotland, you will not be eligible for a loan from the Student Awards Agency Scotland. You could try applying for support from a Research Council instead.
• If you live in Northern Ireland, you will not be eligible for a loan from Student Finance Northern Ireland. You could try applying for support from a Research Council instead.
• Complete our self-referral form

Related links

• PhD loans guide  (findaphd.com)
• UK government Masters loan scheme

In addition to the residency requirements outlined above, you may also be eligible if you're a non-EU national and are:

• the child of a Turkish worker
• a refugee or the relative of someone who is
• under humanitarian protection or the relative of someone who is
• staying in the UK as stateless or the relative of someone who is
• aged 18 or over and have lived in the UK for at least 20 years or at least half your life
• aged under 18 and have lived in the UK for at least seven years
• granted indefinite leave to remain following the Calais camp clearance in 2016 (known as ‘Calais leave’) or the child of someone with Calais leave. You must also have lived in the UK for at least three years before the first day of the first academic year.

You will not normally be eligible if:

• you're a UK national or have settled or pre-settled status in the UK, but live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

UKCISA provides information on funding and loans for postgraduate students that live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Find out if you are eligible .

Other eligibility factors

You will not be eligible if:

• you already hold:
• a doctoral qualification
• an equivalent qualification
• a higher qualification
• you're receiving a doctorate by publication
• you're aged 60 or above on the first day of the academic year in which your course begins
• you've received or will receive Research Council funding (for example, studentships, stipends, scholarships and tuition fee support)
• you're already getting payments from Student Finance England for another course that you’re studying
• you're already getting a social work bursary
• you're already getting an Educational Psychology bursary
• you're eligible to apply for an NHS bursary (even if you’re not receiving it)
• you've received a Doctoral loan before - unless you left your course for a serious personal reason like illness or bereavement
• you're behind in repayments for any previous loans from the Student Loans Company.

How to apply

Applications for 2023/24 are now open.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please complete our self-referral form .

You can receive a loan to study a full, stand-alone postgraduate programme that awards a Doctoral qualification. Eligible courses include:

• PhD / DPhil

Course length and mode

Your course can be:

• full-time or part-time, lasting between three and eight years
• taught, research-based, or a combination of both
• taught by more than one university where one is overseas, so long as:
• the UK university is the lead institution
• you spend at least 50 per cent of your study time over the whole course in the UK
• distance learning, so long as:
• you live in the UK for the whole of your course if you’re not an EU national
• you live in England for the whole of your course if you’re an EU national.

Your loan will be paid to you in three instalments over the academic year, subject to confirmation of attendance by the University. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates, or you can check them in your online account. These will be evenly spaced across your course.

The loan will be paid directly to you. You will be responsible for using the money to contribute towards tuition fees and other expenses as you see fit.

You will begin repaying your loan once your earnings are over a certain threshold. Please check the latest government information for guidance.

Repaying your student loan (gov.uk)

If you're an eligible EU national who joined the University in the 2019/20 or 2020/21 academic years, you'll have access to student loans for the duration of your course.

• For further details, see EU Nationals and Student Finance in England (gov.uk).

If you're unsure of whether you're eligible, or if you have further visa or immigration advice, please complete the International Student Support self-referral form .

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Postgraduate student loans in England

Master's loans are available if you live in england and plan to study a postgraduate degree in 2023/24. our guide shows you all you need to know..

Postgraduate master’s loans in England 2023/24

Are you eligible for a master's loan in england, is your course eligible for master's funding, postgraduate finance for eu and international students, how to apply for a postgraduate loan in england, repaying your loan.

If you’re from England, from August 2023 you can get a loan of up to £12,167 to study a full master's degree.

You can use this money for your tuition fees as well as your living costs. That said, some master’s tuition fees cost a lot more than the full amount of the master’s loan. If that’s the case, you’ll need to fund the difference yourself.

The master’s loan covers your whole course, split between the number of years’ study. The money is paid directly to you three times a year after your attendance on the course is confirmed.

Master's loans in England don't take your household income into account. You can borrow as much or as little as you want, up to the maximum amount. However, if you receive benefits and plan to study part-time, your benefits may be affected.

Unlike undergraduates, you can’t apply for the adult dependents’ grant, parents’ learning allowance or childcare grant. You can still apply for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if applicable – the support for postgraduate students is the same as for undergraduates.

If you’re already repaying an undergraduate loan, payments will only be taken if your income is above the threshold. Your new loan doesn’t count as income for previous loan repayments.

Are you eligible for a master’s loan in England?

You must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a master’s loan from England:

• Be a UK national, Irish citizen or have settled or pre-settled status, with no restriction on how long you can stay in the UK
• Normally live in England. Moving to England to study isn’t considered 'ordinarily resident’
• In general, you must prove you’ve lived in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for the three years before your course starts
• Be under 60 years old when you start your course; if you change course after this, you’ll lose your eligibility for the loan

After Brexit, residency is complex and there are exceptions to the above. We cover some of these in our page on student finance eligibility.

Your personal eligibility also depends on your previous studies and funding:

• It must be your first postgrad loan, unless you had to drop out of a previous course for personal reasons
• You won't get a master’s loan if you already have a qualification at this level or above. This applies even if you funded it yourself or it wasn't from a UK university
• You won’t get a master’s loan if you’re behind on payments for a previous student loan
• You won’t get a loan if you currently get a student loan for another course
• You won't get a loan if you get other public money, such as a social work bursary (unless it's just for travel)

Some undergraduate degrees confer an MA, such as degrees from Scottish unis, Cambridge, Oxford or Trinity College Dublin. These degrees aren’t considered to be equivalent to a master’s qualification.

On the other hand, if you studied an undergraduate degree with an integrated master’s, such as an MEng, MMath or MBiol, this is an equivalent qualification and you can’t get a master’s loan.

If you have a postgraduate certificate or diploma, you can’t get a master’s loan unless you paid for the course yourself. The exception is if you get a loan to study a teaching PGCE.

• Are you eligible for student finance?
• Types of degrees in the UK

Is your course eligible for master’s funding?

Your course must be a taught or research master’s degree of at least 180 credits. This includes MSc, MA, MPhil, MRes, LLM, MLitt, MFA, MEd and MBA courses. It must also be run by an eligible uni or college in England, Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland.

You won’t get a master’s loan from England for any of the following:

• Top-up master’s degrees
• Master's degrees integrated into an undergraduate course (undergraduate loan)
• Master’s degrees integrated into a doctoral course (doctoral loan)
• Postgraduate certificates and diplomas
• Graduate-entry healthcare courses (including pre-registration Nursing)

Graduate-entry healthcare degrees are eligible for undergraduate student finance from England. This applies even for pre-registration healthcare degrees that lead to an MSc.

Intercalated master’s

You can apply for a master's loan if you’re taking a year out of an undergraduate degree course to study a separate master's degree. This is termed an intercalated master’s, rather than an integrated master’s. If you do this, you may not be eligible for undergraduate funding on returning to complete your original course. The exception is if you’re studying to become a doctor, dentist or certain other professions.

Distance learning

You can also use the loan for master’s degrees studied by distance learning. You must live in England on the first day of the first academic year of your course. You may also have to study the whole course in England, depending on your personal eligibility. There are exceptions for students in the armed forces who are serving overseas, or their dependent relatives.

Course duration

Eligible courses can be one or two years long if studied full-time, or double that if studied part-time. A three-year part-time course may still qualify for a master’s loan if there’s no full-time equivalent.

• Postgraduate funding and fees
• Undergraduate university tuition fees and financial support in England

After Brexit, students from the EU are unlikely to get a student loan from the UK. Rules around this are complex, so it’s best to see our page on student finance eligibility for details.

International students are unlikely to be eligible for a postgraduate loan. Exceptions include those given the right to remain permanently in the UK, such as refugees. However, there are often scholarships for postgraduate international students. Check with your university to see what might be available.

• University bursaries and scholarships

You apply for a master's loan online through Student Finance England , or by post.

You only apply once, even if your course lasts more than a year. You don't have to apply right away – the deadline is nine months after the first day of your final academic year. You also don't need to have a confirmed place, as you can change or update your details later.

You must provide evidence of your identity, such as a valid passport. You also need three years address history, to prove where you lived.

You’ll repay your postgraduate loan at the same time as any other student loans you may have. As with undergraduate loans, repayments are based on your income. 

Master's loans from England are repaid if your annual income goes above the threshold. This is currently £21,000. Unlike undergraduate loans, there’s no annual change to this repayment threshold. You repay 6% of anything above this amount.

For example, if your annual salary is £30,000, that’s £9,000 above the annual postgraduate loan repayment threshold. 6% of this works out at £45 per month.

If you have an undergraduate loan, you only repay this if your income is over the relevant threshold for that loan. If your income is more than this, you’ll make repayments on both your undergraduate and master’s loan.

The master’s loan is also charged interest. The interest rate is normally based on the cost of living as measured by the retail price index (RPI) and is set at RPI plus 3%. This changes each September, based on the RPI from the previous March.

However, after inflation increased the RPI to 9% in March 2022, the government announced a cap of 7.3% until the end of August 2023. There may also be short-term reductions in interest, depending on the market rates for personal loans.

Repayments begin in April the year after you complete your course, but only if your income is above the threshold. After 30 years, if you haven't paid off your loan in full, the remaining amount will be written off.

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• Postgraduate study

PhD scholarships

Postgraduate doctoral loans

Considering a research degree at the University of Sheffield? Loans are available to eligible home fee-paying doctoral students studying postgraduate research courses.

• Non-means tested loans are available to eligible home fee-paying students.
• The loan can be used for fees or living costs.
• Students must be aged under 60 on the first day of their course to be eligible.
• Repayment of the loan will involve a single repayment of 6% above the income threshold (currently £21,000) to cover the combined balance of any postgraduate masters and postgraduate doctoral loans.

The information on this page relates to the academic year 2024-2025 for  Student Finance England . Students from Wales can find out more information about postgraduate doctoral loans on the Student Finance Wales web pages .

Apply online via Student Finance England

Further information

The loan is available to UK nationals, or individuals with settled status in the UK, who are ordinarily resident in England.

For further details about who else may be eligible, please find the full list of nationality and residence criteria on the Student Finance England web pages .

The loans will be up to £29,390 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2024 and are intended to be a contribution to the cost of doctoral study. The amount students can borrow depends on which year they started their course.

Students can choose how much they borrow up to the maximum. The money can be used towards the cost of the course, whether on tuition, maintenance, or any other costs associated with study.

The total loan requested will be divided and paid each year of study. 

The Student Loans Company will then pay the yearly amount in three instalments. Each year's amount will be paid in instalments of 33%, 33%, and 34%.

As part of the registration process, students can decide to pay their fees in two or three instalments across the year.

For more information about paying your tuition fees as a postgraduate research student, please visit our web pages:

Tuition fees for postgraduate research home fee-paying students

You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course.

The academic year is a period of 12 months starting on:

• 1 September, if your course starts between 1 August and 31 December
• 1 January, if your course starts between 1 January and 31 March
• 1 April, if your course starts between 1 April and 30 June
• 1 July, if your course starts between 1 July and 31 July

The government has decided that the loan will be available for doctoral programmes that last between 3 and 8 years in duration.

Your course must be: a full, standalone doctoral course (not a top-up course); have started on or after 1 August 2018; last between 3 to 8 academic years; and be provided by a university in the UK with research degree awarding powers.

Your course can be full-time or part-time.

For further details about eligibility, please visit the Student Finance England web pages .

Students in receipt of any Research Council studentships (full or fees only) or an NHS bursary for doctoral study are not eligible to take out doctoral loans.

You can apply for a loan if your doctoral programme includes an integrated masters degree.

No, students already holding an equivalent or higher level qualification will not be eligible for the loan. 

The doctoral loan will be repaid as 6% of eligible income above the repayment threshold (currently set at £21,000). For students with an existing masters loan, the doctoral and masters loan will be treated as a single balance, subject to one combined repayment. 

Repayments will be made concurrently alongside repayment of any outstanding undergraduate student loan.

Your repayments automatically stop if you stop working or your income goes below the threshold.

Any outstanding balance on the doctoral loan will be written off 30 years after the loan becomes subject to repayment.

Students in receipt of funding from a Research Council will not be eligible to apply for a postgraduate doctoral loan.

If you are concerned that your masters course will overlap with the start of your doctoral programme and you may experience a delay in receiving your doctoral loan, please contact our Student Registration Team using [email protected] .

If you have any questions about the postgraduate doctoral loans, please contact [email protected] .

Related information

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Postgraduate Loan for PhD Students (1)

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Think Postgrad

Funding applications for the UK Government PhD loans in England and Wales have been available since 2019. Students have the opportunity to borrow up to £25,700 to help cover costs of course fees and living expenses while studying a UK PhD.

What is the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan?

• A loan worth up to £25,700.
• To help support the cost of living and course fees while studying a PhD at a UK university.
• Available to UK nationals and European Union nationals resident in England.
• Must be under 60 years old to be eligible and must not be receiving Research Council Funding.

How much will I be able to borrow? You will be able to borrow up to £25,700. The amount you receive is not based on your family’s income and can be used to cover your cost of living and pay your course fees.

Am I eligible for a loan?

Your eligibility depends on:

• Your course
• Your nationality or residency status

In order to qualify for a PhD loan, you must:

• Be a UK citizen, European Union (EU) national, or have ‘settled status’ and are residing in England
• Have been residing in the UK for the past three years
• Be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course
• Not already have received a doctoral degree or equivalent qualification prior to applying
• Not be receiving government finance or scholarships towards your PhD, including Research Council funding or other government funding
• Not have begun your PhD before 2018/19

Is my doctorate eligible?

PhD loans are available for most types of doctoral degrees, in any subject, as long as your course is in the UK. This includes both academic and professional doctorates. The course must be a full, standalone doctoral course, not a top-up.

Your course must begin on or after 1 August 2018 and must last at least 3 years but must not exceed 8 years. You will be able to study full or part time, and the degree can be taught, research-based, or a combination of both.

How do I apply?

You can now apply for courses which start on or after 1 August 2019.

You can apply for a PhD loan online by  logging into  your Student Finance England account if you’ve taken out a loan before, or  click here  to set up a new account. Creating an account will take approximately 10 minutes and you will need your National Insurance number.

You can also  download a PDF application form  to apply by post. The address is located on the form.

When do I apply?

The deadline for applying is flexible and depends on when your course begins. You’ll need to apply within nine months of the first day of the final academic year of the course.

Below is an outline of the academic year. The first day of your course will depend on the point in the year when you begin studying.

How do repayments work?

You won’t have to start repaying your PhD loan until you begin earning over £21,000 a year. You’ll only pay back 6% of what you earn over the repayment threshold.

If you are employed and earning over £21,000 a year, then you will start repaying your PhD loan from either the first April after you leave your course, or the April four years after the course begins, whichever comes first.

It’s important to take into consideration that you will be expected to repay any outstanding undergraduate student loans at the same time.

Interest is charged from the day you receive the first payment until you repay the loan in full or it’s canceled. The current interest rate is set at 6.1% and may rise based on the RPI (Retail Price Index) +3% from March of that year.

Any remaining loan balance will be cancelled after 30 years from the point you first begin paying it back.

If you end up having to leave your course early or your circumstances change, you’ll have to pay back any overpayment regardless of whether your income is less than the repayment threshold. Get in contact with  Student Finance England for further information.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan in Wales

Applications are now  open  for Welsh doctoral loans. Students who are resident in Wales will also be eligible for a PhD loan worth up to £25,700.

Applications can be made online or by post and should be sent to Student Finance Wales.

Find out more

Further eligibility requirements can be found  here  on the GOV.UK website.

• Sign up  for or email updates for further information as well as the latest PhD funding opportunities as they are added to Postgraduate Studentships.
• Looking for PhD funding? Attend our annual PhD Funding Fair in December
• Search our listings of the latest PhD Funding available by subject area
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Postgraduate loans

Funding information for Postgraduate students ordinarily resident in England or Wales starting courses in 2024/25 (figures are subject to parliamentary approval).

Loan details

Postgraduate loans (PGLs) are available from Student Finance England to study a master's course. If you are a master's student under 60 you can access a loan of up to £12,471 in total to contribute towards your tuition fees or living expenses.

Postgraduate loans (PGLs) are available from Student Finance Wales to study a master's course. If you are a master's student under 60 you can access a loan of up to £18,950 in total to contribute towards your tuition fees and/or living expenses.

England and Wales

It's important to be aware that the master's finance may not be enough to cover both the costs of tuition fees and living expenses, so you'll need to have additional funding or money to fund these costs.

The PGL of £12,471 from Student Finance England/postgraduate finance of £18,950 from Student Finance Wales is for your whole course. You can apply for less than the maximum and you can increase the amount of loan requested up to one month before the end of the academic year.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent postgraduate loan schemes for students who want to study in the UK. Further details are available on the following websites:

• Student Awards Agency for Scotland – full-time Scottish students
• Student Finance NI (for Northern Irish students)

Eligibility

In order to be eligible you must have been ordinarily resident in England (or Wales) recently and in the UK for at least three years on the first day of the academic year in which your course begins.

Eligible students must be:

• under 60 on 1 September 2024 (or 1 January 2025 if the course starts in January)
• without a master's or PhD qualification
• not in arrears on undergraduate loans or found to be 'unfit' for student support.

Residency requirements

You need to meet certain residency criteria to qualify for PGL from Student Finance England/Student Finance Wales, which are:

• you're a UK national, or have settled status (no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK), and
• you normally live in England (or Wales), and did not move there just to study, and
• you’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years before starting your course.

Individuals may be eligible if they have a residency status of refugee, humanitarian protection, EU settled or pre-settled status. For more information on these categories, visit the UKCISA website .

If you already have a postgraduate qualification

If your qualification is at a lower level than a master's (so for example, a PG cert, LPC or PGDip) you'll be eligible for the PGL as long as you register on a full master's course and don't apply for Prior Certificated Learning or Accredited Learning.

If you have a master's or PhD qualification from anywhere in the world, you won't be entitled to the PGL.

As long as you have not achieved a qualification at master's or PhD level, you'll still be entitled.

Changing courses or repeating a year

As long as you're transferring to another eligible master's course, any PGL/postgraduate finance you have outstanding will transfer with you.

PGL/postgraduate finance isn't available for a repeat year. If, however, you withdraw from your master's course due to compelling personal reasons without achieving a master's award, you may be able to get a second PGL/postgraduate finance if you start a new master's course in future.

Eligible courses

The course must be a standalone master's course. This can be a taught or research master's (MRes). You must register for the full 180 credits in order to receive the loan. Prior Certificated or Accredited learning cannot be used to reduce the number of credits taken.

Student Finance England

The course must be:

• a full-time course lasting one or two academic years
• a part-time course which it is ordinarily possible to complete in no more than twice the duration of its one or two academic year full-time equivalent.
• a part-time course lasting up to three years which has no full-time equivalent course
• not an integrated master's such as MEng or MPlan, and funded as part of an undergraduate course.

If the course is studied as a distance-learning course, you must be a student residing in England.

View a list of eligible courses for 2023-24 (PDF) .

Student Finance Wales

• a part-time course lasting two, three of four academic years.

Postgraduate research courses

You can apply for a loan to study a research course provided it awards a master's degree and doesn't last longer than two years full time. This may potentially include some MPhil courses, but won't cover PhD degrees.

Courses which aren't eligible for the PGL

• Postgraduate Certificates (PG Cert) such as PGCEs
• Postgraduate Diplomas (PGDip)
• PhDs are excluded but are available under the following Postgraduate Doctoral Loans (PGDLs) scheme for students from England and Wales.

If you're studying an MPhil as part of a standalone qualification you should be eligible for a £12,471 postgraduate master's loan from Student Finance England /£18,950 postgraduate master's loan from Student Finance Wales.

If you're only registering for an MPhil in the initial stage of a PhD course, you won't qualify for the master's loan. You should be eligible for the Postgraduate Doctoral Loans (PGDLs) instead.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loans (PGDLs) are available from Student Finance England and Wales if you wish to study a PhD course. PhD students under 60 can access a loan of up to £29,390 from Student Finance England/ £28,655 from Student Finance Wales in total for PhD courses lasting between three to eight years. The loan is spread evenly over each year of the course.

The PhD loans work in the same way as the postgraduate loans outlined above. It's important to be aware that it won't cover the costs of both tuition fees and living expenses, so you'll need additional funding to cover those costs.

You can find out more by reading the government's PhD loan information .

You should apply to the funding body for where you usually reside rather than your nationality. If you're Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish, but normally live in England not just for the purpose of study, you should apply to Student Finance England. If you have moved to England solely for the purposes of studying a master's, you should apply to your home funding body.

Applications for the 2024/25 academic year will open in summer 2024. The quickest and easiest way to apply will be online. Visit Student Finance England or Student Finance Wales for more information. You don't need to have accepted a place on a course to apply, and can update the course and university details later if you need to.

If you're a UK student you can provide your valid UK passport details to confirm your identity, and won't need to send any documents. So for most students the application process should be quick and easy.

You'll need to provide an address history for the last three years and your National Insurance number.

Once student finance have assessed the application, they will send you a letter confirming how much postgraduate loan/finance you'll get and the payment dates.

The Student Loans Company will pay the loan in instalments into your bank account. You can choose to use the money for tuition fees and/or living expenses.

How the loan/finance is paid will depend on the number of years of the course and whether you're studying part time or full time.

One-year course

The PGL is paid in three instalments (33%, 33% and 34%).

• The first instalment will be paid shortly after the start of the first term when UWE Bristol has confirmed your registration on the course.
• The second and third instalment will be paid at the start of terms 2 and 3.

18-month course

If your full-time course is 18 months long you'll receive 50% of the PGL in each academic year paid over three instalments.

Part-time courses

You must complete your master's within four years.

The PGL/finance of £12,471 (Student Finance England) or £18,950 (Student Finance Wales) will be divided equally over the ordinary number of years of the course and paid in three equal instalments in each year.

PhD courses

The £29,390 from Student Finance England/£28,655 from Student Finance Wales will be split equally over the number of years of the course duration (3 to 8 years) and paid in three instalments in each academic year.

• The postgraduate loan is to be repaid concurrently with undergraduate loans.
• The repayment rate on postgraduate loans will be 6% of income above £21,000 per year. The repayment rate on undergraduate loans is 9% of income above £27,295 (if you commenced your undergraduate course between 2012 and 2022) or £25,000 (if you commenced your undergraduate course after 1 August 2023) per year.
• The interest rate will usually be inflation rate (or Retail Price index) + 3%.
• During periods of high interest rates the government will apply an interest cap .
• Repayments are due from the April after you complete your course.
• Any balance outstanding after 30 years will be written off.

Below is a table that models the concurrent repayment of undergraduate and postgraduate loans linked to the level of your post-study earnings.

If you have student loans from your undergraduate study, you'll need to add the monthly repayments together to work out your total loan repayments. The amount you repay on your undergraduate loans will depend on when you started your undergraduate course. See the government student finance page to determine which plan you are on.

*Monthly repayments UG loans – Plan 2: Includes undergraduate courses commencing between September 2012 and August 2023.

Further information

Please visit the following websites for more information:

• Student Finance England (for English resident students)
• Student Finance Wales (for Welsh students)

• Best Online Ph.D. In Management

Best Online Ph.D. In Management Of 2024

Published: Apr 16, 2024, 3:33pm

Key Takeaways

• A Ph.D. in management prepares students for advanced, research-based roles in business
• Concentrations for management Ph.D. programs vary widely, including areas like engineering management, project management and sport management
• The typical Ph.D. in management requires around 60 credits of coursework

A Ph.D. in management is one of the most advanced degrees you can attain in the business field. If you aspire to a high-level role in research, academia or consulting, you might consider pursuing a Ph.D. in management online.

Online Ph.D.s in management typically require a dissertation and delve into contemporary theories of leadership and management. However, many do not include in-person requirements. Rather than practical learning components, students complete theoretical coursework before turning their attention to their dissertations.

We’ve ranked the 10 best online Ph.D. programs in management. Read on to learn more.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

Our Methodology

We ranked 13 accredited, nonprofit colleges offering online management Ph.D. programs in the U.S. using 14 data points in the categories of student experience, credibility, student outcomes and affordability. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites.

Data is accurate as of February 2024. Note that because online doctorates are relatively uncommon, fewer schools meet our ranking standards at the doctoral level.

We scored schools based on the following metrics:

Student Experience :

• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Socioeconomic diversity
• Availability of online coursework
• Total number of graduate assistants
• Proportion of graduate students enrolled in at least some distance education

Credibility :

• Fully accredited
• Programmatic accreditation status
• Nonprofit status

Student Outcomes :

• Overall graduation rate
• Median earnings 10 years after graduation

Affordability :

• In-state graduate student tuition and fees
• Alternative tuition plans offered
• Median federal student loan debt
• Student loan default rate

We chose the 10 best schools to display based on those receiving a curved final score of 88% or higher.

Find our full list of methodologies here .

• Best Online Accounting Degrees
• Best MBA In Finance Online
• Best Online Finance Degrees
• Best Online Master’s In Accounting Degrees
• Best Online Master’s In Finance

Degree Finder

Best online ph.d. in management, should you enroll in a ph.d. in management online, accreditation for online ph.d.s in management, how to find the right online ph.d. in management for you, frequently asked questions (faqs) about online ph.d.s in management, western new england university, capitol technology university, liberty university, university of the cumberlands, maharishi international university, bellevue university, troy university, indiana state university, national university, amridge university, featured online schools.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial credit and much more by clicking 'Visit Site'

Program Tuition Rate

$1,575/credit

Percentage of Grad Students Enrolled in Distance Education

Overall Graduation Rate

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, Western New England University offers an online Ph.D. in engineering management comprising 10 classroom courses and a research-focused dissertation, which students must defend before faculty members. Notable courses in the 57-credit curriculum include operations research and project management.

WNE delivers most online coursework asynchronously through the Kodiak learning management system. Applicants need a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and must submit GRE scores. Students can enroll full time or part time.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn on your schedule
• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 57 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time, part-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Operations research, project management
• Concentrations Available: N/A
• In-Person Requirements: No

$950/credit

Located just outside of the nation’s capital city in South Laurel, Maryland, Capitol Technology University offers six online management Ph.D.s in engineering management, facilities management, occupational risk management, product management, project management and real estate management. All programs require 60 credits.

Learners don’t have to fulfill any on-campus courses or residencies, completing their Ph.D. entirely online.

• Our Flexibility Rating: Learn around your 9-to-5
• Application Fee: $100
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full-time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Product management future demands, engineering management research backgrounds
• Concentrations Available: Engineering management, facilities management, occupational risk management, product management, project management, real estate management

$565/credit

Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University enrolls more than 135,000 students, most of whom take online courses. The university’s online Ph.D. program in organization and management – leadership provides a comprehensive study of leadership. The 60-credit curriculum includes courses like ethical leadership, leading effective teams, leading organizational change and leading theory. The program culminates with a dissertation.

Liberty delivers all program coursework asynchronously to maximize flexibility.

• Program Enrollment Options: Full time
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Ethical leadership, leading effective teams

$549/credit

Based out of Williamsburg, Kentucky, the University of the Cumberlands is a private, Christian-affiliated university that offers several online degrees, including a Ph.D. in business management.

The program’s 66-credit curriculum includes core courses in advanced managerial accounting, comparative economics, strategic marketing, and managerial ethics and social responsibility. All students also take courses in statistics and research methods, leading to a dissertation.

The curriculum offers seven focus areas, including entrepreneurship, finance and healthcare administration.

• Application Fee: $30
• Degree Credit Requirements: 66 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Advanced managerial accounting, comparative economics
• Concentrations Available: Accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, healthcare administration, marketing, project management, strategic management

$6,000 to $10,800/year

Located in Fairfield, Iowa, Maharishi International University offers an online Ph.D. in management that stands out for several reasons. The degree incorporates a distinct focus on sustainability, and students do not take finals at the end of their courses. The program runs on a block system, in which students immerse themselves in a single course at a time. All students at MIU practice transcendental meditation twice per day.

Online students can choose between synchronous and asynchronous course delivery, although synchronous attendance is encouraged.

• Application Fee: $20
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Assessing human development, performance management in strategy research

$799/credit

Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, Bellevue University offers many online programs, including a Ph.D. in human capital management. While most coursework takes place online, students must complete two on-campus residencies: one at the start of the program and another at the beginning of the dissertation process. The 51-credit curriculum includes seminars in performance management, qualitative methods, and leading and aligning human capital.

The university delivers most online coursework asynchronously to promote flexibility.

• Degree Credit Requirements: 51 credits
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Seminar in performance management, seminar in qualitative methods
• In-Person Requirements: Yes, for two residencies

$550/credit

Based in Troy, Alabama, Troy University is a state school that offers several online programs, including a Ph.D. in sport management. The 60-credit curriculum delves into topics like sport management pedagogy and the legal aspects of sport. The program culminates with a dissertation that involves original research and scholarship. Students never need to visit campus.

Troy delivers all online coursework asynchronously through Canvas. Each online course typically lasts for nine weeks.

• School Type: Public
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Sport management pedagogy, seminar in legal aspects of sport

$450/credit

Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, Indiana State University offers several online programs, including a Ph.D. in technology management. The 66-credit curriculum includes five specialization options, among them construction management, manufacturing systems, and human resource development and industrial training. In addition to a specialization, all students must complete a research-focused dissertation requirement.

Notable courses in the curriculum include technology project management and advanced economic analysis. ISU offers its Ph.D. program in technology management along with a consortium of three other universities.

• Application Fee: $45
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Technology project management, advanced economic analysis
• Concentrations Available: Manufacturing systems, construction management, quality systems, digital communications, human resource development and industrial training

$442/quarter credit

Headquartered in San Diego, California, National University primarily focuses on online programs, offering distance degrees to students around the nation. The university’s Ph.D. in technology management requires 60 credits and includes courses in statistics with technology applications and principles of technology innovation management.

Students can choose from six concentrations, including computer science, information systems and data science. NU delivers most online coursework asynchronously. New students can begin the program each Monday.

• Application Fee: Free
• Example Major-Specific Courses: Statistics with technology applications, principles of technology innovation management
• Concentrations Available: Computer science, IT project management, information systems, engineering management, data science, cybersecurity

$700/credit

Based in Montgomery, Alabama, Amridge University maintains an affiliation with the Churches of Christ. Amridge has recently expanded its distance learning presence to include an online Ph.D. in organizational leadership and management.

The program’s 51-credit curriculum includes foundational courses in legal aspects of management, research methodology, and leading innovation and change. All students must also complete a qualifying examination, after which they tackle a research-focused dissertation in organizational leadership.

• Example Major-Specific Courses: Legal aspects of management, research methodology

Though distance learning is widely appealing, not all students thrive in online learning environments. To determine whether you should pursue your doctorate online, ask yourself the following:

• What are your other obligations? If you are a parent or if you plan to keep a full-time job while enrolled, asynchronous online learning might provide a good fit. Asynchronous course delivery eliminates scheduled class sessions, allowing you to complete assignments on your schedule so you can better manage your commitments.
• What’s your budget? Online learning is often more affordable than on-campus learning. Distance learners generally avoid campus-related costs like housing and transportation. Moreover, some public universities—which typically charge higher rates to out-of-state learners —allow online students to pay in-state or otherwise discounted tuition rates , regardless of their state residency status.
• What’s your learning style? While online learning offers flexibility and affordability, it is not for everyone. Distance learners need a great deal of discipline, organization and time management skills. If you need additional structure to do your best, you might prefer a synchronous, hybrid or on-campus program.

There are two important types of college accreditation : institutional and programmatic.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) oversee the third-party agencies that handle the institutional accreditation process. Accrediting agencies evaluate schools for the quality of their academics, finances and faculty, among other areas. You must be enrolled at an institutionally accredited college to qualify for federal student aid.

To check a school’s accreditation status, you can look at its website or visit the database on CHEA’s website .

Programmatic accreditation provides a similar vetting service, but for specific degree programs and departments. The importance of programmatic accreditation varies by field, but it is fairly relevant in business.

For management programs, you should keep an eye out for accreditation from one of three organizations:

• The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
• The International Accreditation Council for Business Education

AACSB is not recognized by the ED or CHEA, but it is still widely respected in the business field and among the best-known business degree accreditors.

Consider Your Future Goals

An online Ph.D. in management can lead to high-level positions in academia or research. You may also be able to find work as an economist or a consultant.

In general, advanced business these positions involve analysis, research and scholarship. If you want to work as a C-level executive or entrepreneur, you might be better off getting an M.B.A. degree in your preferred business subfield. M.B.A. programs focus more on applied, practical business skills as opposed to theory.

If you know you want to work in research or academia, you should choose a Ph.D. in management that requires a dissertation. A dissertation will give you a chance to try out research and scholarship and perhaps even contribute to the field by publishing your findings in a journal. This work can help you land a job as a professor or researcher once you graduate.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

Per-credit tuition rates for the 10 qualifying Ph.D. programs in our guide range from $450 to $1,575. Over the course of a typical 60-credit Ph.D. program, this translates to between $27,000 and $94,500 in total tuition. That’s no small investment.

To defray the cost of your graduate education, you should first fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is the gateway to federal student aid opportunities like loans, grants and scholarships. Universities and other aid providers may also use FAFSA data to determine their awards. Additionally, you can pursue financial aid through private lenders and third-party organizations.

What does a Ph.D. in management do?

A Ph.D. in management prepares graduates for careers in research, scholarship and academia. To that end, most management Ph.D. programs include a course in research methods and require students to complete a dissertation before they graduate.

How long is a Ph.D. in management?

Our top-ranked Ph.D. in management programs take between three and five years to finish, but completion times vary depending on program requirements and student enrollment status.

Which Ph.D. is best after an M.B.A.?

The best Ph.D. for an M.B.A. holder depends on their individual goals and circumstances. A Ph.D. in management generally builds on the managerial and business skills gained through an M.B.A. program.

Is a Ph.D. in management worth it?

The value of a Ph.D. in management depends on your career goals. This degree is a good fit for students who want to become business professors , researchers and consultants. If you want to become an executive or entrepreneur, an M.B.A. program is likely a better fit.

Mikeie Reiland is a writer who has written features for Oxford American, Bitter Southerner, Gravy, and SB Nation, among other publications. He received a James Beard nomination for a feature he wrote in 2023.