Doctoral Landscape for Entrepreneurship Studies in UK

1. Doctoral Landscape for Entrepreneurship Studies in UK David Watkins <david.watkins@solent.ac.uk>

2. 3 Types of Doctoral Degree • Traditional PhD • New Route PhD • DBA These differ in the balance between: • Creation of New Knowledge • Emphasis on Research Training • Professional Engagement

3. Traditional PhD • Flexible • May have MPhil as Exit Point • Full Time or Part Time • Resident or Non-Resident • Distance Learning Possible • Focus on Creation of New Knowledge in a Specific Project • Master – Apprentice Model (Lead Supervisor; Director of Studies) • Relatively Little Training other than 1-2-1 with DoS • Assumption Candidate will Become Researcher / Academic • FT Target is Completion in 3 years • ‘PhD by Publication’ Alone is Possible

4. Traditional PhD Southampton Solent Timescales – MPhil Phase

5. Traditional PhD Southampton Solent Timescales – PhD (Including MPhil Phase)

6. Traditional PhD ‘Milestones’ at Southampton Solent University • Enrolment • Registration of Project Proposal (+ 6 months) • Transfer Registration from MPhil to PhD (~ 18- 22 months • Present and Defend Thesis in Viva (~36 months) • Viva is held in camera. Examiners and Student only

7. New Route PhD • Designed to take 4 Years, not 3 • Balance between Original Research Contribution – Training Differs • Substantial Training Input • Focused on Discipline, not Project • In Later Stages, on Employability • Requires a Concentration / Critical Mass • No Entrepreneurship-Specific Programmes at Present • Centrally Supported as an Experiment in 30 HEIs • More Costly • Requires Residence • Exit Points at Certificate, Masters and Doctoral Level

8. New Route PhD – Training Input • Subject-specific research modules, giving depth and clarity in the research area • Interdisciplinary studies to broaden subject knowledge   • Presentation and communication skills • Media skills • Successful “grantsmanship” • Research Ethics • Enterprise & spin-out companies • Technology transfer • Language skills Teaching • Team building • IT and Web skills • Management Career planning • Interpersonal communication • Teamwork

9. BUT….! • Difference is more Apparent than Real… • For example, SSU runs a Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods and Management, plus additional Seminars, alongside the PhD Programme. Mandatory for Students who are UK-based. • Main Impact is likely to be on Natural Science PhDs in Older Universities

10. DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) • Professional rather than Academic Qualification • Still Evolving • Part-time only. Project is Employment-Related • Focus is Application rather than Creation of New Knowledge • Plus Reflection on this… • HEI typically considers Coursework, Dissertation and Reflective Report in making Award • Variable length, typically 5 years • Substantial Training Input • MBA general level courses • Focused Masters level specific courses • Research Methods • Expensive! • Targeted at CEOs, Potential CEOs • Appeals to some Entrepreneurs • Ambiguous Status • Not Regarded as PhD Equivalent in last RAE, so Funding Implications for HEIs • More fluid Supervision / Tutoring than PhD

11. Networking… • New Route and DBAs much better at this than Traditional PhD Programmes – Built-in from Start • Staff Networks for these are also Strong • In Entrepreneurship, ISBE (UKEMRA> ISBA>) sometimes offers Consortia attached to Annual Conference (or on ad hoc basis) • Bilateral Co-operation between some HEIs • SSU does not generally use ISBE. Has sent students to RENT, EFMD-EISB, Babson, AoM etc. • Difficult to judge best point at which to send people • Have not used EIASM Doctoral events recently. Expensive • Usually send to full Conferences. If a Doctoral Consortium associated, then a Bonus. Does not Influence Decision • Notional budget of £400-500 per student p.a. for these activities. Will go over if ‘Event’ is the right one… • Would normally send student to one event per year