Overview
Introduction
The programme
You’ll study the foundations of employment relations and human resource management and gain the skills to design, conduct and evaluate quantitative and qualitative research.
Drawing on our wide-ranging research strengths, you’ll have the chance to study topics such as diversity and inclusion, wellbeing, recruitment and selection, and people analytics. Multidisciplinary study is a key feature of learning at LSE. So, alongside your core studies, you’ll take an elective course from a related field such as political science, sociology or law.
You’ll begin your studies on the master of research degree and move on to the PhD (subject to satisfactory progress). You’ll also have the chance to complete a substantial piece of work that makes an original contribution to the field.
Students can apply for LSE and departmental financial support, including a full tuition award and a five-year annual stipend granted each year to at least one exceptional candidate applying to this programme. Find out more below under "Scholarships, studentships and other funding".
Research environment
Here at LSE, we have a vibrant community of world-class academics and doctoral students who are pursuing varied research in different fields of management. Ranked sixth in the world for social sciences and management, LSE is the ideal place to engage in the latest employment debates and learn from world leaders in the field.
We're also ranked second in the UK by percentage of overall four and three stars in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).
Preliminary readings
- Salas, E., Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Chen, G. (2017). A century of progress in industrial and organizational psychology: Discoveries and the next century. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 589-598.
- Farh, C.I.C., Liao, H., Shapiro, D.L., Shin, J., & Guan, O.Z. (2020). Out of sight and out of mind? Networking strategies for enhancing inclusion in multinational organizations. Journal of Applied Psychology. Advance online publication
- Hulshof, I. L., Demerouti, E., & Le, P. B. (2020). Reemployment crafting: Proactively shaping one's job search. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104, 58-79.
- Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 707-721. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.707
- Dulebohn, J. H., & Werling, S. (2007). Compensation research: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Human Resource Management Review, 17: 191-207.
- Bolino, M. C., Kelemen, T. K., & Matthews, S. H. (2021). Working 9‐to‐5? A review of research on nonstandard work schedules. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(2), 188-211.
- Felps, W., Mitchell, T.R., Hekman, D.R., Lee, T.W., Holtom, B.C., & Harman, W.S. (2009). Turnover contagion: How coworkers’ job embeddedness and job search influence quitting. Academy of Management Journal, 52(3), 545-561.
- Bell, B. S., & Kozlowski, S. W. (2008). Active learning: effects of core training design elements on self-regulatory processes, learning, and adaptability. Journal of Applied psychology, 93, 296-316.
- Cappelli, P., and Conyon, M. J. (2018) What Do Performance Appraisals Do? Industrial and Labor Relations Review, vol. 71, 1: pp. 88-116.
- Dobrow Riza, S., & Heller, D. (2015). Follow your heart or your head? A longitudinal study of the facilitating role of calling and ability in the pursuit of a challenging career. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100, 695-712.
- Bowen, D. E. & Ostroff, C. (2004). Understanding HRM–firm performance linkages: The role of the “strength” of the HRM system. Academy of Management Review, 29(2), 203–221.
- Chowhan, J. (2016). Unpacking the black box: understanding the relationship between strategy, HRM practices, innovation and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Journal, 26(2), 112-133.
- Bulger, C. A., Matthews, R. A., & Hoffman, M. E. (2007). Work and personal life boundary management: Boundary strength, work/personal life balance, and the segmentation-integration continuum. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12, 365-375. doi: 10.1037/1076-8998.12.4.365
- Chamberlin, M., Newton, D. W., & Lepine, J. A. (2017). A meta‐analysis of voice and its promotive and prohibitive forms: Identification of key associations, distinctions, and future research directions. Personnel Psychology, 70(1), 11-71.
- Booth, J. E., Lup, D., & Williams, M. (2017). Union Membership and Charitable Giving in the United States. ILR Review, 70(4), 835-864.
- Amengual, M., Distelhorst, G. and Tobin, D., 2020. Global purchasing as labor regulation: the missing middle. ILR review, 73(4), pp.817-840.
- Frege, C. and J. Kelly (2020): Theoretical perspectives on comparative employment relations. In: Frege, C. and J. Kelly (eds.): Comparative Employment Relations in the Global Economy. Routledge. Ch 2.
- Frymer, P., & Grumbach, J. M. (2021). Labor unions and white racial politics. American Journal of Political Science, 65(1), 225-240.
- Cappelli, P., Tambe, P., & Yakubovich, V. (2020). Can Data Science Change Human Resources?. In The Future of Management in an AI World (pp. 93-115). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
- Anthony, C., Bechky, B. A., & Fayard, A. L. (2023). “Collaborating” with AI: Taking a system view to explore the future of work. Organization Science.
Entry requirements
Upper second class honours (2:1) degree in any discipline, or the equivalent.
For the GRE/GMAT requirements for this programme see below under "Additional tests".
Please select your country from the dropdown list below to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.
Overseas
Additional tests
GRE/GMAT requirement
The GRE/GMAT is required for all applicants. We don't require a specific GRE/GMAT overall score but the test gives us an indication of your aptitude for our programmes.
A strong GRE or GMAT score will count in your favour, but other information, such as your research interests, your examination results, previous qualifications and references are central to our overall evaluation of your application. We recognise that if your first language is not English, the verbal test will be more demanding and we view your score on that basis.
There is no preference for GMAT or GRE but all applications must submit scores at the time of application. Your score should be less than five years old on 1 October 2026 and show full and percentile scores for all sections.
Find out more about GRE/GMAT, including detail on our requirements and submission of test scores, and LSE’s institution codes.
English language requirements
The English language requirement for this programme is Higher. Read more about our English language requirements.
Competition for places at LSE is strong. So, even if you meet the minimum entry requirements, this doesn't guarantee you an offer of a place.
However, please don’t feel deterred from applying – we want to hear from all suitably qualified students. Think carefully about how you can put together the strongest possible application to help you stand out.
Programme content
The Employment Relations and Human Resource Management (ERHR) Faculty Research Group conducts research and teaching focused on work, employment, and relationships emerging in these contexts, from multi-disciplinary, multi–level (ie, individual, group, organisational, national, and international), and strategic perspectives.
Members of the faculty group draw on the fields of psychology, sociology, human resources, labour relations, economics, law, political science, and other related disciplines to conduct theory-building, theory–driven and applied research in a diverse range of workplaces, industries, and countries.
We aim to produce top-quality social scientists with the ability to engage with the conceptual foundations of employment relations and human resource management – from both an international and comparative perspective – and employ robust methods to produce significant and original research.
Year 1
In the first year of your MRes you will work on skills training in research design, quantitative and qualitative research methods. You'll take the first of two seminar courses (MG518 or MG519) covering micro-HRM, macro-HRM, the future of work, labour markets, institutional, and comparative employment relations perspectives, and the full range of research methods from across the ERHR field.
Alongside this, you'll attend the A Social Sciences Perspective of Academic Research in Management. This seminar is run within the Department of Management for all research students and will develop your understanding of the diversity of specialisms across faculty groups and develop your critical analysis skills. You'll be invited to attend Employment Relations and Human Resources Faculty Group Seminars and have regular meetings with your doctoral programme lead.
In either the first or second year. you'll be required to join the Advanced Quantitative Analysis for Research in Management with other students in this programme and the Organisational Behaviour programme. The course runs alternate years, therefore it'll be avavilable in either your first or second year.
From the first year you'll also engage in short research projects, called Research Practicums, with different members of Faculty. The rotation of practicum assignments will include one-to-one training and collaboration that provides you better understanding of the research process, such as literature reviews, applied research methods, coding and data analysis and evaluating findings. It'll also give the opportunity to interact and get to know different members of the faculty group.
Year 2
In the second year of the MRes you'll take the second of the specialist courses covering micro-HRM, macro-HRM, and continue to take a taught course aligned to your research interest. You complete a supervised research paper in your field of interest which will form an important element in your upgrade to PhD. You continue to work with faculty in research practicums.
Year 3
Having successfully completed your MRes and met the requirements you'll upgrade to PhD candidate at the start of your third year on the programme. You'll work on developing your PhD thesis proposal and continue with your research.
Years 4 and 5
You'll focus on your PhD thesis, research and writing papers for presentation at conferences and publication and continue to participate in your Faculty Group seminars.
At the start of your final year, you'll present your final year plan which outlines your timetable to completion and submission of your thesis, and actively engage and promote yourself in the job market.
For the latest list of courses, please go to the relevant School Calendar page.
A few important points you’ll need to know:
We may need to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees due to unforeseen circumstances. We’ll always notify you as early as possible and recommend alternatives where we can.
The School is not liable for changes to published information or for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study, due to developments in teaching practice, regulatory requirements that require us to comply, lack of demand, financial unviability of a course, or due to circumstances beyond our control, such as the loss of a key member of staff or where a location or building becomes unavailable for use.
Places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements so we cannot therefore guarantee you a place.
Changes to programmes and courses may be made after you’ve accepted your offer of a place – normally due to developments in the discipline or as a consequence of student feedback. We may also make changes to course content, teaching formats or assessment methods but these are made to improve the learning experience.
For full details about the availability or content of courses and programmes, please take a look at the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department.
Some major changes to programmes/courses are posted on our updated graduate course and programme information page.
Why study with us
Discover more about our students and department.
Meet the members of the Employment Relations and Human Resource Management Faculty Research Group
Meet the department
Our mission
Welcome to the Department of Management. Our mission is to inspire superior management practices by fostering a comprehensive understanding of individuals, teams, organisations, and markets, along with the psychological, social, political, and technological contexts that influence them.
By studying with us, you'll gain access to a world-leading centre for education and research, uniquely positioned within a world-class social science institution at the heart of a truly global city.
The environment
Join a vibrant intellectual community comprising of world-renowned faculty, astute students, dedicated and responsive professional services staff, and high achieving alumni. Through pioneering research and high-level teaching, you'll receive comprehensive, intensive, and rigorous methodological training to help you become an expert in your specialist fields.
The rich and culturally diverse learning environment at LSE’s Department of Management, won't only enrich your experience through developing a broad perspective and understanding, but also unlock an invaluable network of global peers.
Create a better world
We go beyond the boundaries of a traditional business school by integrating diverse disciplines such as economics, marketing, data, and analytics. Our comprehensive approach ensures that students gain a profound and multifaceted understanding of the business world, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to excel in a dynamic global environment.
Join us in our vision to create a better world, where a profound understanding of management drives positive change in both business and society.
Discover more about our programmes and research.
Who's who
Why LSE
University of the Year 2025 and 1st in the UK in 2025 and 2026
Times and The Sunday Times - Good University Guide 2025 and 20261st in London for the 14th year running
The Complete University Guide - University League Tables 20265th in the world for the study of social sciences and management
QS World University Rankings by Subject 20266th in the world for leading the way in social and environmental sustainability
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026Your application
We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of our staff at LSE. For this reason, we recommend that you review our staff research interests before applying.
We individually evaluate each application and carefully review all the details you provide in your application form. We consider the following as part of your application.
Overview
See the "Entry requirements" above.
Your statement of purpose is your opportunity to describe your academic interests in, understanding of, and suitability for the programme you are applying to.
Clearly demonstrate your motivations and objectives for applying to the programme. Highlight your academic strengths and draw on any previous experiences that will strengthen your application.
We're interested to learn about your research experience to date, and how you plan to develop these skills further during your time at LSE and beyond.
Clearly explain how you envisage studying in the department will help support your professional and academic development, as well as your long-term academic career plans.
We're keen to understand how you will enhance and contribute to the research community and support our research focused environment within the Department of Management and LSE.
Your research statement is as an opportunity to showcase your research and methodology interests to the selectors.
Your research proposal will play a particularly significant role in the evaluation of your application.
The selectors will place weight on how you are able to tackle a question and propose a viable methodology to solve it.
The outline research proposal demonstrates your academic potential, research interests, and it helps selectors in identifying potential supervisors.
We understand that as you undertake your study and enhance your research skills during your MRes, your initial idea may change, and we therefore don't expect this idea to be fixed but the outline research proposal should demonstrate your research interests.
The proposal word limit is 1500 words maximum.
In addition to the guidance given in Supporting Documents, please outline and include the following in your research proposal:
- Working title: state your research question or the working title of your research at the start of your research proposal.
- Keywords: on the first page of the proposal include up to 10 keywords or phrases which accurately reflect the content of your project (eg, "digital innovation", "fintech", "identity", "gender", "workplace discrimination", "proactivity", "digital platforms").
- Introduction to the research idea: what is your general topic? What questions do you want to answer? Why do you think these are interesting and important questions that deserve to be answered? What are the main hypotheses of the work?
- Literature: what is the key literature and its limitations?
- Methodology: what research methods do you intend to use? What are the strengths and limitations of your chosen methodology?
- Conclusion: in what ways will your ideas contribute to the field, and how will this help to change our understanding of your research topic?
- Bibliography: clearly reference any literature you have used in your research proposal (not included in the word count).
Please submit a sample of academic writing as part of your application. You're encouraged to use something you have already written and an example of your best academic work.
There is no word limit, but two to three pages would be sufficient. This enables our selectors to assess your writing style and academic writing communication skills.
References are important, carefully plan who you will ask and make sure they are able to complete the reference in in advance of the deadline or it will delay your application being reviewed. Guidance on selecting your referees
You may have to provide evidence of your English proficiency, although this is not needed at the application stage. See LSE's English language requirements webpage.
Our application process allows candidates to apply to up to two programmes. You can therefore apply to both the Employment Relations and Human Resources (ERHR) and the Organisational Behaviour (OB) programme if you're unsure where your research interest will find the best match. This means faculty from both groups will review your application, and you may be invited to interview for either one or both programmes.
Although ERHR and OB faculty members focuses on their respective research areas and interests, both faculty groups generally draw from similar disciplines (eg, psychology, sociology, or economics), theoretical underpinning, and literatures that guide their multi-level (eg, individual, groups, organisational, and/or institutional) quantitative and qualitative scholarship.
Applicants are encouraged to investigate faculty interests in both ERHR and OB to discern potential faculty who may have the best fit.
Please note that LSE allows part-time PhD study only under limited circumstances. If you wish to study part-time, you should mention this (and the reasons for it) in your statement of academic purpose, and discuss it at interview if you're shortlisted.
For students awarded an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) studentship, the structure and duration of the studentship offered, including part-time study, will depend on a candidate's previous academic experience, and social research training and experience. ESRC studentships are applicable to both full-time and part-time study. We can discuss part-time options with you if you're interested in applying. International students requiring a student visa should also see the student visas information in the GOV.UK website and the LSE visa advice for more details.
Faculty members are unable to comment on your eligibility without viewing your full application file first. However, if you have any questions regarding the programme please contact the Department of Management PhD Office at dom.phd.enquiries@lse.ac.uk.
- Admissions enquiries
For questions related to the admissions process, please contact the LSE Graduate Admissions team via their getting in touch page.
Talk with a member of our programme team
When to apply
The application deadline for this programme is 14 January 2026.
If you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by this application and funding deadline.
See the fees and funding section below for more details.
Fees and funding
The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes.
You're charged a fee for your programme. Your tuition fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It doesn't cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.
Home
Home student fee (2026/27)
The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with fee levels recommended by the Research Councils.
Learn more about fee status classification.
Overseas
Overseas student fee (2026/27)
The fee is likely to rise over the full duration of the programme in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, four per cent each year).
Learn more about fee status classification.
At LSE, your tuition fees, and eligibility for any financial support, will depend on whether you’re classified as a home or overseas student (known as your fee status). We assess your fee status using The Higher education (Fee Limit Condition) (England) Regulations 2017.
Scholarships, studentships and other funding
We recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town/city or country and we provide generous scholarships to help both home and overseas students.
For this programme, students can apply for LSE PhD Studentships, and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding. To be considered, you’ll need to submit your application (and any supporting documents) before the funding deadline.
The department also offers student financial aid and funding for this research programme. Each year, we award full tuition coverage and an annual stipend for five years to at least one exceptional candidate applying to this programme.
Funding deadlines
Funding deadline for the LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 14 January 2026.
In addition to our needs-based awards, we offer scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for certain subjects.
External funding
Additional funding opportunities may be available through other organisations or governments. We strongly recommend you investigate these options as well.
Further information
Learn more about fees and funding, including external funding opportunities.
Learning and assessment
How you learn
During your MRes you'll take taught courses in the:
- Department of Management
- Department of Methodology
- other LSE departments such as Sociology, Gender or Law.
There is flexibility to choose the courses that best suit your research interests, including courses offered at other University of London institutions.
Format and contact hours
Most courses in person lectures and in person class teaching, or longer small group seminars. To get a broad idea of the study time involved in the Calendar within the Teaching section of each course guide.
Independent study
Alongside taught courses you participate in one-to-one research projects with a member of Faculty and will work independently on your own research development and writing.
LSE teaching
LSE is internationally recognised for teaching and research and our academics bring wide-ranging expertise. Courses may be taught by faculty members, guest teachers, visiting members of staff. Learn about the teacher responsible for each course in the relevant course guide.
You don't need to have identified a supervisor prior to application.
During the first two years of the programme, you'll participate in Research Practicums, working in collaboration with different faculty mentors. Each research practicum will enable you to participate in research activities, understand Faculty research interests, and develop your own research skills. Your PhD supervisors will be appointed when you upgrade to PhD.
How you're assessed
Progression and assessment
You'll need to meet certain criteria to progress to each subsequent year of the programme, such as achieving certain grades in your coursework and engaging in all aspects of the programme.
Your final award will be determined by the completion of an original research thesis and a viva oral examination.
Graduate destinations
Overview
Students who successfully complete the programme often embark on an academic career.
Explore the placements of previous Department of Management PhD students
Teaching
The Department aims to give all qualified doctoral students the opportunity to teach. Developing teaching skills and experience is an important component of the students' career development and prepare you for future academic roles. To make this experience as valuable as possible we draw on the support from the LSE's Teaching and Learning Centre.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
Career support
You'll receive advice, information and strategic guidance on how to approach and prepare for the academic job market during your programme. Throughout the programme, you're expected to participate in Employment Relations and Human Resources Faculty Research Group research workshops, enabling you to grow familiar with the process of presenting and discussing academic papers with experienced faculty, and provide opportunities for networking. Funding is also available for you to attend and present papers at academic conferences.
LSE Careers has a team dedicated to PhD students offering a wide range of resources and advice. You'll receive regular updates on career events and workshops offered by LSE Careers and the LSE’s PhD Academy. Research based employment opportunities are communicated to students in our newsletters and email updates.
All career services are available to PhD students, and PhD alumni for up to five years after completing your PhD.
Browse LSE’s wide range of services for PhD students and research staff
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