1. Leeds University Business School
  2. Research degrees
  3. Applying
  4. Define your research area

Define your research area

To start your research degree journey you’ll need to spend some time defining your research area before you develop your research proposal and start the application process.  

Watch our step-by-step guide on how to define your research area.

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Step 1: Identify your research department 

At the Business School, we are keen to make sure that your research links as closely as possible to our own research interests and expertise. We believe that this helps you not only produce work to a high standard but also helps to integrate you more fully into the wider research community within the School and more generally.  

By defining your research in this way you are also likely to receive more focused advice and support in the future with publishing and disseminating your results.  

None of this means that you will be discouraged from developing your own ideas and interests. Rather our aim is to ensure that the time you spend with us is as productive and focused as possible.   

To identify your research you will need to:  

  • Decide which of our six research departments  you think your research is best suited to. We are currently welcoming applications within identified research areas. You could also suggest your own topic, but must define your research within Leeds University Business School. 

  • With our interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, each department has multiple associated research centres. Consider which research centres your research proposal might best fit. 

  • Look at our supervisor profiles to gauge whose research interests align with your own. However at this stage, we can’t guarantee who’ll be assigned as your supervisor.

Step 2: Check entry requirements 

Once you’ve identified the appropriate department, you’ll need to ensure you meet our entry requirements to be eligible to study for a research degree. 

Make sure you check the department entry requirements as these can differ between areas.  

Step 3: Complete the ‘Defining your research area’ form 

Download and complete the ‘Defining your research area’ form which you will submit as part of your application. 

You can only select one research department and one or two research centres when you complete the form, so the previous steps are crucial to ensuring an accurate submission.

Next steps 

Now that you have defined your research, you are ready to start developing your research proposal.

Find out more about writing your research proposal and how to apply.