| Qualifications |
Duration |
Start dates |
Application period |
PhD
(MPhil also available) |
Full time: 3–4 years
Part time: 6–8 years |
February and October |
April to July
March to June
(February start)
October to January (October start) |
Qualifications
PhD
(MPhil also available) |
Duration
Full-time: 3–4 years
Part-time: 6–8 years |
Start dates
February and October |
Application period
March to June (February start)
October to January (October start) |
The Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL) is one of The Open University Business School’s centres for academic excellence. These centres seek to combine original research, the development of teaching and external engagement in ways that are relevant and useful to a specific community.
CVSL is specifically concerned with research led insight and the production of free and low cost on-line educational resources of relevance to small and medium sized voluntary sector organisations. CVSL focuses specifically on leadership but importantly adopts a broad definition of leadership concerned with making things happen - rather than solely as an attribute of individuals. Leadership is seen as practice that can be collaborative and shared by many individuals who collectively make a difference in an organisation or in the sector more generally.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.
Potential recent research projects
- Leadership practice in a changing voluntary sector
- Collaborating in turbulent times
- Leading in collaborative contexts
- Developing leadership in the voluntary sector
- The voluntary sector contribution to place leadership
- Inclusive leadership
- Ethics and leadership in the third sector
Current/recent research projects
- Shared leadership of trustee boards
- Practice of collaboration in informal contexts
- Leadership development and course production
Potential supervisors
Fees and funding
| UK fee |
International fee |
| Full-time: £4,786 per year |
Full-time: £12,146 per year |
| Part-time: £2,393 per year |
Part-time: £6,073 per year |
Some of our research students are funded via The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership or the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership; some are funded by University studentships; others are self-funded.
For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.
To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.
Links