MPhil in ISO Class profile 

Meet our MPhil in Innovation, Strategy and Organisation class

Every year our cohort is made up of bright students from all over the world. They all have first class degrees for well-recognised universities. Class sizes vary from year to year but will typically be between 12 and 20, substantially more on courses shared with other programmes. 

The students and faculty form a terrific cultural and discipline pool, which creates a stimulating and fast-paced environment to teach and learn first hand about management in a global world – and to make friendships around the globe that last a lifetime. 

12

Students

26

Average age

%
92

Female students

What will you research on the MPhil in Innovation, Strategy and Organisation?

Professor Matthew Grimes, Director of the MPhil in ISO, talks to Professor Jennifer Howard-Grenville about the way the MPhil in ISO programme helps students to develop an impactful research agenda.

Professor Matthew Grimes: “So in your experience, how does the MPhil in ISO programme help students to develop an impactful research agenda?”

Professor Jennifer Howard-Grenville: “I think there’s a couple of things. First is we do have a number of modules that really take them through the core things that they need to understand, both in terms of theory and in terms of methodology. We also have a fantastic and engaged group of faculty, who are themselves eclectic but brought together by our common use of certain types of theory, mostly qualitative research methods. And we all find different ways to engage with the student interests through the different things that we bring to the table. And finally, they get to learn by doing. So all of the students will end their year with us, their short year with us, with their own thesis project, which is a really great opportunity for them to put into practise the research methods that we’ve been teaching them and to bring their ideas, their data forward. So it’s really the whole package.”

Matthew: “In some ways, there are two ways of thinking about the impact that our research creates. On the one hand, we’re trying to study the ways in which organisations are, in fact, creating impacts. But then on the other hand, as well, we as researchers want our research to matter, to have impact as well. And it seems like both of those goals are important. In what ways do you feel like the MPhil in ISO programme helps students accomplish both of those goals?”

Jennifer: “I think it absolutely helps students accomplish both of the goals. Because as faculty, we’re very tuned in to how organisations, not just businesses, create impact. As a faculty group, we share common interests in societal grand challenges. And so we really do care about what the impact of business is, and other organisations beyond their boundaries. And so we’re really well equipped to help students on that journey.

“But I think the other piece is we’ve all watched an evolution and, in many cases, been part of driving the evolution so that our research that appears in journals is actually more relevant to the issues that are out there facing the world and that we can take our research, not just through publication in those top journals, but that we can also have other messages come out more broadly associated with moving that research through to impact.

“So it’s kind of a whole cycle where we study organisations and the real problems and issues and opportunities they’re facing, and then we come back and bring a lens, a rigorous lens to it, and hopefully deliver more insight to the very organisations and others who are seeking to have a greater impact.”

View video with transcript

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