phd in business management in europe

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PhD in Management

A doctoral program that is 100% funded and prepares you for a world-class career in academia.

IESE PhD in Management

IESE PhD is an exceptional opportunity to specialize in the area of your interest at the world’s most prestigious educational institution.

IESE’s doctoral program in Management is 100% funded, including a fee waiver and stipend, so that you can focus on what really matters: becoming a world-class researcher and preparing for a career at the forefront of business scholarship. You’ll receive rigorous training in qualitative and quantitative research, designed to help you hone the craft of research. And from the moment you begin, you will be mentored, guided, and supported by the IESE faculty who are some of the finest minds in global management research.

The benefits of having open-door access to international business experts and participating in cutting-edge projects are reflected in the excellence of our student research. IESE doctoral students emerge from the PhD program as thoroughly trained researchers capable of producing innovative research for publication in top-tier business journals. It’s this commitment to research excellence that results in more than 90% of our PhD students finding academic careers in leading universities and institutions.

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Read more about the PhD in Management in our brochure.

5 reasons to choose the IESE PhD in Management

Master quantitative and qualitative methods. Pursue empirical and theoretical research and publish in the world’s leading journals.

Leverage the global IESE student, faculty, and business networks for data and research findings. Build your international business network.

Present at world-class conferences and build your academic network through collaborative research with other leading business schools.

Enjoy open-door access to some of the finest minds in business academia. Research and publish with hands-on guidance from your mentor.

You’re 100% funded when you study a PhD in Management at IESE, so you can devote 100% of your time to your research.

Gain world-class research skills

Stay close to business experts

Be part of a global network

Meet the finest minds in business academia

Benefit from full funding

The IESE PhD : A journey of passion

PhD students, Abhishek Deshmane, Rocío Martínez, and Lorenzo Lesana tell us their journey of passion. Discover how IESE is ensuring that the research digs into the most emerging concepts in the global business panorama, by staying close to business itself.

Official PhD in Management

The Board of Universities, under ministerial regulation, recognizes the PhD delivered on IESE Business School as official program.

In the following link you can consult the list of all the most frequently asked questions about IESE . On the right side, you will find the specific questions about this program.

No, you need the Master in Research in Management (MRM) or equivalent in any case. Your MBA is a professional degree but does not give you the necessary background for doing research.

Our Master in Research in Management (MRM) and PhD Programs require full-time dedication onsite here in Barcelona.

No,  GMAT  (Graduate Management Admission Test) or GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)  are required for all the applicants.

Tests  taken more than five years prior  to date of entry will not be accepted.

Results should be sent directly from the test agency, using IESE’s code: S21-BK-53 for GMAT and 3607 for GRE.

For further information please check the official website of either  GMAT  or  GRE .

Visa requirements vary depending on the country where the program is located, and on the nationality of individual students.

IESE has five campuses in some of the world’s most interesting, vibrant cities. IESE’s main campus is in Barcelona, Spain , and we also have campuses in Madrid , Munich , New York and São Paulo .

Many of IESE’s programs hold Open Days to allow you to visit campus and experience IESE firsthand. Open Days are listed on the individual programs’ websites, and you can also contact the program directly for further information.

You can consult all of our programs here.

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Each month, we take an in-depth look at a hot topic inspired by current business trends.

Explore some of our featured content.

• PhD Programmes

Erasmus PhD Programmes in Business and Management

ERIM hosts the Erasmus Full-Time and Part-Time PhD Programmes in Business and Management, which are focused on developing and nurturing international academic talent. It enables promising students to develop into ‘thought leaders’ and become top researchers at the world’s best universities and business schools. Depending on the PhD project, generous funding can be generated for 4 or 5 years; further extensions are possible.

Facts and figures

• Erasmus University Rotterdam is ranked number 3 in Business Administration and number 4 in Management (ARWU 2021)
• ERIM currently supports a community of around 250 senior researchers and 160 doctoral students
• 5 research programmes spanning all areas of management research: Business Processes, Logistics & Information Systems; Organisation; Marketing; Finance & Accounting; Strategy & Entrepreneurship
• Research initiatives which focus on specific areas of research interest
• Access to EUR's state-of-the-art behavioural lab, extensive range of databases and excellent computing facilities.
• ERIM has a strong presence in top academic journals
• More than 200 international research seminars, workshops and conferences are held each year

Latest doctoral news

PhD Defence Malika Ouacha

In her dissertation, "Receiving by Giving: The Examining of Cross-Border Diasporic and Bi-cultural Philanthropy", ERIM's Malika Ouacha zoomed into the context of the Netherlands to examine the cross-border diasporic and bi-cultural philanthropy. Morocco was taken as an example of a homeland of diaspora and bi-cultural groups and as representative of one side of the spectrum of Western and non-Western countries, cultures, religions and civilizations. Malika's research showed that diasporic philanthropy is about much more than mere support of the homeland. Instead, the dissertation underscored the impact of cultural identity, intercultural traditions of giving behaviour, and multi-cultural civil society in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe. As a result, Malika's work concluded that voluntary and philanthropic energy through diaspora and bi-cultural groups can form invaluable bridges for international business. However, businesses and practitioners must first understand what drives these groups constantly towards the homeland and the Global South as a whole in order to form successful collaborations with them.

PhD Defence Ymro Hoogendoorn

In his dissertation, "Vehicle Routing with Varying Levels of Demand Information", ERIM's Ymro Hoogendoorn studied the vehicle routing problem, for which he centred the exact methodology in three different levels of demand information: deterministic, stochastic and sensor-driven. The vehicle routing problem encompasses the challenge of efficiently serving a set of customers with a fleet of vehicles while minimising the travel costs and ensuring each vehicle starts and ends at a central depot. Ymro enhanced the branch-price-and-cut algorithm, introducing resource-robust cuts for the capacitated vehicle routing problem with deterministic demands, resulting in speedups for specific instances. Additionally, he pioneered an advanced integer L-shaped method for optimal solutions in stochastic demand situations. Applied to waste collection with sensors, the algorithm recommended optimal sensor placement for locations with variable waste. Overall, Ymro’s research significantly contributes to improving routing efficiency, showcasing potential cost savings and environmental benefits.

• Erasmus Full-Time PhD Programme in Business and Management
• Erasmus Part-Time PhD Programme in Business amd Management
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Choose your language, doctoral programme, in accounting, finance and management.

Programme Overview

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is one of Europe’s leading business schools with an internationally recognised reputation for relevant and rigorous research. We are determined to attract the most talented doctoral students in accounting, economics, finance and management, therefore we offer a stimulating academic environment.

Researchers at Frankfurt School work on fundamental problems that challenge firms and society. How should firms respond to climate change? Can markets be redesigned to support fair outcomes? Does working from home improve gender equality?

The five-year doctoral programme equips students to contribute to these debates. The first two years generally consist of classes in which students focus on analytical skills. Students also take courses in their chosen area of academic specialisation in Accounting, Economics, Finance, or Management, which provides the foundation from which to develop research topics. The programme encourages students to broaden their scope and obtain training in related areas such as data sciences, operations research, or economics.

The coursework phase ends when students successfully pass their Qualifying Exam and graduate to the dissertation stage. At this time, students have the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Research and Analytics as part of their doctoral programme. In the dissertation stage (years 3-5), students move to active research and write their dissertation.

While our primary intention is to provide graduates with an ideal platform to enter the world of academia, their research topics are also directly relevant for business and politics. We train our students to develop solutions to complex problems and to develop the social and conceptual skills they need to advise others. Our faculty mentors and supports students in their research. This nurturing intellectual climate is combined with an exciting state-of-the-art campus environment.

Frankfurt School confers a Dr. rer. pol., the German equivalent of a PhD in Economics. The School offers fully-funded study places and a generous monthly stipend for up to 5 years.

by Menghan Zhu

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How my phd visit strengthened my research network.

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COVID-19: How can risk management handle the challenge?

by Lorenzo Schönleber

My journey on finding a finance assistant professor position.

by Wenjiao Cao

On the job market.

My PhD Visit at the NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Science

by Felix Fritsch

My experience in the fs doctoral programme.

by Yuriy Timofeev

When do victims of non-financial fraud lose more.

Incentive-based Compensation and Financial Misreporting: Evidence from a Refined Sample

In the first two years, doctoral students attend core courses, elective courses, and concentration courses in their respective academic specialisations. In this phase, they obtain the knowledge and skills to research.

The four specialisations, Accounting, Economics, Finance & Management, follow a similar structure.

We asked Dr. Timo Vogelsang, Assistant Professor of Management Accounting, why it is important to invest in coursework at the beginning of your research career. Here is what he had to say:

“The courses are an important basis for excellence while doing your dissertation research. Moreover, during your academic career, you will probably never have so much time available to learn new things. My supervisor always told me this. Now I sometimes regret that I did not spend much more time during the course-phase to learn more about the most current empirical methods and theoretical approaches.“

Ruishen Zhang, Assistant Professor of Accounting

Finished his doctoral studies at frankfurt school and is now an assistant professor at shanghai university of finance and economics., "the frankfurt school faculty has introduced me to a wide range of topics in accounting research and has helped me connect with the international research community. my experience at frankfurt school has prepared me for my academic career.", ruishen zhang, assistant professor of accounting,.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Berg

Professor of finance, head of finance department, „we seek to educate our dr. rer. pol. students so that they can work on the frontier of academic research. we want to foster creativity and challenge dr. rer. pol. students every day, making them well prepared to work at top universities and research institutions worldwide.“, prof. dr. tobias berg,.

Prof. Dr. Frank Ecker

Professor of accounting, head of accounting department, "what i find very attractive about accounting is how many different important research areas it actually encompasses. while evolving around the concept of “information”, accounting spans strategic considerations in the reporting of financial and non-financial information, consequences for resource-allocation decisions, corporate governance, employee performance measurement, and designing optimal incentive schemes, to name a few. many important questions in these areas remain unanswered, providing ample research opportunities for talented students from all over the world.", prof. dr. frank ecker,.

Ionela Andreicovici

Assistant professor of accounting, “having a data science background myself, i can confidently say that frankfurt school is the perfect place for me to apply my knowledge in data science in answering important questions. for instance, i use machine learning algorithms to try to push the boundaries of accounting research. for dr. rer. pol. students, the faculty not only offers vision but also resources to support them in putting their data science knowledge into action while advancing their understanding of economics.”, ionela andreicovici,, doctoral student life at fs.

We asked some of our current doctoral students to describe a typical day in their lives at the Frankfurt School. Here is what they said:

"On a typical day, I get up at 7:30 am. I check my emails, do in-door sports, and have breakfast. I leave home around 9:15 am and learn German on the underground. At school, I continue working where I stopped yesterday. As a third-year student I have finished my coursework, so I fully focus on my research. My favourite part of the day is the lunch break when I meet my school mates. Today in the afternoon, I attended the regular reading group lead by Professor Falko Fecht on the topic of banking and financial intermediations."

My favourite part of the day is the lunch break when I meet my schoolmates. Today in the afternoon, I attended the regular reading group lead by Prof. Dr. Falko Fecht on the topic of banking and financial intermediations."

“Once a week, we usually have a research seminar day, where a scholar from another university presents their research. Sometimes these scholars are legends in your field, whose work is quoted everywhere and it is always interesting to see the rigour with which their work is still interrogated. My favourite thing about this day though, is you get a chance to spend some time speaking with them and you realize they are pretty cool people, trying to do the best research they can, just like you. ”

My favourite thing about this day though, is that you get a chance to spend some time speaking with them and you realise they are pretty cool people, trying to do the best research they can, just like you.”

“On a usual day, I am arriving at my desk between 8 and 9 am after having exercised in the morning. Then, I am getting my first coffee in the Faculty Lounge, which is also an excellent place to meet fellow PhD-students or faculty. After that, I am settling down at my desk and start working. As I am mostly working on theoretical projects, a lot of my work consists of solving mathematical problems. Hence, I am either programming potential solution algorithms or I am working with pen and paper. Here, the atmosphere at the Frankfurt School allows me to work in a highly concentrated manner."

At around twelve, most doctoral students are having lunch together. So, that’s perfect timing to chat about current news, research updates, or general things. Often, we are also having a seminar at lunchtime, where a top researcher presents his or her current project. These seminars are mostly highly interactive and a good way to get to know professors from other institutions as well. Due to Corona, a lot of seminars also shifted to online, such that there is a virtual presentation at some conference or seminar series almost every day. After lunch, I am typically trying to read a paper to catch-up with the current state of research. Thereby, I am trying not to focus too much on a single field but really to get a broader understanding of the economics and finance literature. Thereafter, I am often having a meeting with my supervisor or some other faculty member in the afternoon. There, we discuss my progress and these meetings are a great opportunity to ask open questions that help me to progress faster. After having had some more coffees throughout the day, I am leaving the Frankfurt School in the evening. After dinner at home, I am mostly reading books that are not connected to my research. Sometimes, this is also the perfect time to answer emails from students that arrived throughout the day.”

Student funding and scholarships

Frankfurt School offers fully-funded study places for the doctoral programme in order to attract and support the brightest minds in academia.

Students are expected to devote 100% of their working time to their doctoral studies at Frankfurt School for up to five years.

Funding includes a tuition fee waiver and a cost-of-living stipend. The monthly stipend comprises of EUR 1,820.

The stipend will be granted for five years, conditional on continuing to satisfy all academic programme requirements.

Doctoral students will receive EUR 1,820 from the first year onwards, for five years.

Furthermore, Frankfurt School covers costs related to research, including conferences and overseas visits.

Publications by doctoral students

Frankfurt School doctoral students contribute to high-quality research and publish in scientific top journals.

Application process

1. target group.

Outstanding graduates of a Bachelor‘s or Master’s programme in business administration, finance, management, accounting or related fields who aspire to launch an academic career.

Candidates in the final year of a Master’s or Bachelor’s programme are welcome to apply with their most recent academic transcript. Please note that the degree has to be completed by the time of the beginning of the PhD. The expected grade of the applicants may not be less than a “B” grade point average or 75% of the achievable credits. Foreign degrees will be checked regarding their equivalence.

2. Online Application

The first step of our application process is to complete the online application form. You will need to upload the required documents. Please note that you need a certified English or German translation for all documents not originally in German or English. The application platform will be open from 15 September until 15 January

Required Documents

• CV and list of publications (if existent)
• Certified copy of your University Entrance Qualification (Abitur, A-levels or equivalent)
• Certified copy of your University Degree Certificate or equivalent and academic transcript of records
• Official GMAT or GRE results
• Proof of English Language Proficiency Test (TOEFL IBT min. score of 100/IELTS min. score of 7.0)
• Statement of Purpose (up to 2 pages): Why are you interested in your chosen field of study? What are the potential areas of research you might pursue? Have you completed any research projects with faculty? Is the research of any member of the FS faculty of interest to you?
• Optional Statement: If you would like the committee to consider any of the following factors, you can describe their relevance in a separate statement within the application. This can contribute to the diversity of the entering class: background, extracurricular activities, work experience.

Two letters of recommendation: To request the letters from your recommenders, you have to register on a separate platform and send your request from there.

Please click on this link to access the platform: http://apply.interfolio.com/79802

Create a profile by clicking on the button “Apply now”.

If you require assistance, go to the “Home” tab and click the “Dossier Quick Start Guide”.

Once you send your request to your potential recommender, they will receive an e-mail together with a link where they can upload their recommendation letter confidentially. Please provide a deadline for your recommendation letter to ensure we receive it on time. Once the recommender has uploaded the letter, we will be notified and will be able to access it.

3. Interview

Successful applicants will be invited to an online interview with faculty members of their chosen concentration.

The final decision regarding admission to our doctoral programme will be made by the Committee for Doctoral Proceedings. It is based on the applicant's overall portfolio and the interview.

If you wonder what qualities the selection committee is looking for in applicants, here is some advice:

Prof. Dr. Markus Fitza, Professor of Management

states: “We are looking for outstanding conceptual and analytical skills. A genuine interest in research and a career in academia is a must.”

Prof. Dr. Francesco Sangiorgi, Professor of Finance

similarly highlights analytical skills for the Finance programme: “We encourage applications from candidates with strong analytical and quantitative skills.”

Prof. Dr. Yuping Jia, Professor of Accounting

emphasizes that applicants do not need to be experts in accounting regulation, indeed she argues that “Accounting is interested in original thinkers, who are creative and have broad interests. People with diverse backgrounds, but with genuine curiosity will find that accounting research has a lot to offer.”

Isabeau Köhncke Recruitment Officer

Lianna Mirzoyan Recruitment Officer

Doctoral Programmes

• Programmes & Training

Find your programme

First-class academic institution.

A first-class academic institution cannot content itself with spreading knowledge through its programmes and teachings. It must go further by producing original and pertinent findings through the support of research activities which will eventually lead to scientific publications. An academic institution must also be a stepping stone for professor-researchers who conduct research and broadcast knowledge concerning the ideas of tomorrow.

This is the primary role of the doctorate programmes of ESCP, which benefit from the resources of diverse European academic traditions. In order to accomplish such projects, two doctoral programmes, available at the Berlin and the Paris campus, offer all students the possibility of working in close proximity with Faculty members, in addition to providing methodological and theoretical teachings.

2 Programme(s) match(es) your search

Berlin Doctoral Programme

With its doctoral programme ESCP Business School Campus Berlin is a leading player among German business school faculties....

Paris Doctoral Programme

Our Ph.D programme offers a great environment to do your Ph.D. Our Ph.D. students are provided not only with the indispensable academic and financial...

Take the first step in your Business & Management research career

PhD in Business and Management

The ABRI PhD Program in Business and Management is a challenging program that will help you leverage your talent for doing research. Our program, along with the mentorship of a dedicated supervisory team, will support your development into a leading scholar, teacher, and influential thinker in international business and management research. During the 4-year rigorous training trajectory, you will acquire the academic foundations of business and management research, learn theoretical knowledge and methodological skills for conducting independent research in your field of choice, and develop 3+ academic papers that will form the body of your PhD dissertation. What does this PhD programme deliver?

Through this PhD program in Business and Management we support you in:

• Learning to conduct high quality research
• Publishing research in international peer-reviewed scientific journals
• Becoming a valuable member of, and a contributor to a vibrant academic community

The PhD program in Business and Management at a glance:

• Start date: September 2024
• Duration: 4 years
• The PhD in Business and Management is a full-time program
• Most courses and training activities will take place at the campus of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (during Covid also online)
• Fully-funded PhD positions (including a generous salary and financial support for conferences, international research visits, data collection and other research expenses) are available on a competitive basis
• Tuition fees is €7,500 for the complete program for part-time external PhD candidates: €2,500 per year for the 1st and 2nd year, and €1,250 per year for the 3rd and 4th year; and €20,000 for the complete program for full-time external (scholarship) PhD candidates.
• Applications open in october 2023 . 

View all admission requirements, costs & practical information 

Accreditations

Discover your PhD program in Business and Management

The PhD programme is a structured four-year training programme. The learning process will follow a curriculum that ensures you acquire the academic foundations, theoretical knowledge, and methodological skills relevant for conducting high-quality research in your field of choice.

Throughout your trajectory, you will be mentored by team of supervisors who are experts in your desired field of research. Right at the beginning, they will help you develop a training and supervision plan entailing the course work and other training activities necessary to become an expert in your field. In the first year, you will focus on your course work and the development of a research proposal, which will be reviewed before you advance to the second year. In the remaining three years, you will focus on the development of scientific papers, which will eventually become part of the PhD dissertation and can be submitted for publication in international peer-reviewed journals.

In addition, you will get the opportunity participate in ABRI research seminars, present your work at international conferences, and acquire skills regarding other aspects of an academic career such as teaching and project management.

Drive innovation and change, with a PhD in Business and Management!

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Related study programmes

Part-time PhD programme in Business

Pre-PhD Research Training Programme

Would you like a word of advice?

Please contact the ABRI Director of Doctoral Education Dr. Maria Tims.

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• Prof. dr. Philipp Tuertscher
• Full Professor Collaborative Innovation
• Scientific Director ABRI
• [email protected]

• Prof. dr. Maria Tims
• Full Professor
• Director Doctoral Education ABRI
• [email protected]

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PhD in Management

Do you wish to become a top researcher at the world’s best business schools or universities? Are you looking for a rigorous PhD programme with purpose – to become a force for positive change – provided by one of the best research institutes in Europe? Then the full-time PhD in Management, organised by Erasmus Research Institute of Management, is the programme for you. It offers excellent research facilities and support programmes, personal supervision by distinguished professors, paid PhD positions, thorough training for a successful academic career and a wide range of specialisation areas in management: Business Processes, Logistics & Information Systems; Organisation; Marketing; Finance & Accounting; Strategy & Entrepreneurship.

• Learn more about the full-time PhD programme

Are you a research-interested, excellent MSc or MBA graduate who wishes to engage in highly relevant academic research that helps people and organisations to thrive worldwide, resulting in a PhD degree? Do you wish to combine the academic rigour of a full-time PhD degree with the practical insights and relevance from today’s business world? If so, then the part-time PhD Programme in Management, offered by Rotterdam School of Management, is the programme for you.

• Learn more about the part-time PhD programme

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As a PhD candidate you will have the opportunity to pursue original research and make a significant contribution to your chosen field.

Why choose a PhD at the University of Edinburgh Business School?

Listen to staff and students at the Business School discuss the doctoral programme

Our doctoral programmes

As part of a world-renowned University, triple accredited ( AMBA , AACSB , and EQUIS ) and ranked 5 th in the UK for research power ( Times Higher Education , 2022) within Business and Management, our Business School provides a highly dynamic and supportive research environment for our large and diverse graduate community.

Our world-class research programmes offer:

• Supervision from acclaimed academic faculty within a wider range of subject areas
• Courses designed to expand your knowledge base and develop your research strategies
• Dedicated, modern facilities with state-of-the-art databases and specialist resources
• A peer network of students and inspiring alumni from across the globe
• A vibrant research environment with regular seminars, masterclasses, and events allowing you to connect and learn from experts across the business world

PhD with Integrated Study in Accounting

Research an accounting topic such as the applications of accounting in society, or historical methods and strategies used by those practising in the profession.

PhD in Business Economics

Research a business economics topic by using quantitative methodologies and modelling techniques to solve problems relating to economics or finance.

PhD with Integrated Study in Finance

Research a financial topic such as behavioural finance, corporate finance and governance, or aspects affecting financial markets and institutions.

PhD in Financial Technology

Undertake a fully funded research opportunity in collaboration with one of our leading industry partners.

PhD with Integrated Study in Management

Research full time, or maintain your current role while studying part-time with our Professional Pathway option.

PhD in Management Science & Analytics

Research a management science and analytics topic. This highly analytical programme, integrates management science, decision analysis, business modelling, and data analytics.

PhD entry requirements

Learn more about the entry requirements for our PhD programmes.

Scholarships and funding

Discover scholarships and funded projects available for new students beginning their PhD programme.

Find a supervisor and subject group

Review staff profiles as prospective supervisors for research and browse our academic subject groups.

Our researchers

More than 130 student researchers from around the world are currently enrolled in our research programmes.

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New professors strengthen clinical research in Kuopio

Doctoral defence of mustafa beter, msc, 5 april 2024: epigenetic drugs to modulate angiogenesis, childhood sedentariness accelerates premature vascular damage, sustainability and circular economy morning coffee session, unite spring webinars 2024: round table discussion about the role of gamification, mustafa beter, msc: doctoral defence in molecular medicine, kuopio.

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World-class business research expertise

Doctoral programme in business studies.

The Doctoral Programme in Business Studies (DPBUSINESS) provides world-class business research expertise that transcends the traditional limits of the discipline.

Doctoral studies in business studies aim at familiarising the students with the research, theories and research methods in the field in a way which qualifies the students to prepare a licentiate thesis or a doctoral dissertation. Furthermore, students strengthen their knowledge in their specific specialisation fields. The doctoral programme encourages students to take an international approach: to participate in researcher exchanges, study in foreign universities, make presentations in international conferences, publish in international journals and become members of international researcher networks.

The Doctoral Programme in Business Studies in the University of Eastern Finland operates at Joensuu and Kuopio campuses. In the doctoral programme, doctoral students work on research projects that follows the research profile specified for both campuses and aim at the degree of Licentiate of Science (Economics and Business Administration) or Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration).

The director of the doctoral programme is Professor Juho Pesonen , and the coordinator is Amanuensis Salla Lappalainen.

Research areas in the doctoral programme

The mission of the Business School emphasizes cross-disciplinary and internationally acknowledged approaches to research and teaching. Research is also aiming to conrtibute to the development of local business life and to the wellbeing of society as a whole. The common dominator of the research is the development, growth and internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

One of our main objectives is to have more and better research articles published in prestigious journals. We encourage our personnel to build international networks through researcher exchange, conference participation and international research funding.

There are seven fields within Business Studies for doctoral students to choose from:

• Innovation Management (Kuopio Campus)
• Service Management (Joensuu Campus)
• Accounting and Finance (Kuopio Campus)
• Business and Law (Joensuu Campus)
• International Business and Sales Management (Kuopio Campus)
• Tourism Marketing and Management (Joensuu Campus)
• Digital Marketing and Analytics (Joensuu Campus and Kuopio Campus)

Research groups in UEF Business School

Applied Business, Law and Economics Research Group (ABLE)

Intellectual Capital Management

Innovation Management (INNO)

International Business and Sales Management (IBS)

Accounting and Finance in SMEs

Marketing and Consumer Behavior Research Group

Tourism Business

Trust in Organizations

How to apply?

In the doctoral programme, doctoral students work on research projects that follows the research profile specified for both campuses and aim at the degree of Licentiate of Science (Economics and Business Administration) or Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration).

Fields of research and contact persons

General instruction:  [email protected]

The fields of research, heads of the major (first on the list) and main supervisors:

International Business and Sales Management:

Saara Julkunen

Irina Mihailova

Service Management:

Tommi Laukkanen

Pia Heilmann

Jonna Koponen

Business and Law:: 

Tourism Marketing and Management:

Raija Komppula

Juho Pesonen  (head of the doctoral programme)

Innovation Management:

Päivi Eriksson

Hanna Lehtimäki

Tero Montonen

Kaisa Henttonen

Accounting and Finance:

Mervi Niskanen

Hannu Ojala

Henri Teittinen

Digital Marketing and Analytics:

Eligibility and admission procedure

Admission requirements.

The background requirement for eligibility for a doctoral study right is either a master degree in Business, other higher education level degree or an equivalent foreign degree that has been completed in an institute part of the official higher education of the country. The degree must also have included an advanced level thesis. The grade of the thesis or equivalent, as well as the overall grade of your advanced level studies must be at least “good” (GPA 3 on a scale of 0-4, Finnish grade 3/5 or equivalent). In addition, there are requirements for English language certification. Your research topic must fit into the focus areas of the main subject and all the other criteria must be met. These admission criteria have been described in the following sections.

Admission requirements concerning background education

The criteria for the eligibility of the study background has been described in the next applicant groups 1-4. The applicant’s study background must fill all the criteria mentioned in one of the groups to be eligible for doctoral studies. If the applicant is not eligible, they cannot be granted a doctoral study right.

If the major subject decides necessary, a qualified applicant must supplement their studies, for example, if they have graduated in other subject than the major subject that they are applying to or if the background degree is not in the field of business or if they do not possess sufficient competencies for completing a doctoral degree in the chosen major subject. The professor of the major determines whether supplementary studies are required or not and they must be completed before completing studies that are part of the doctoral degree. The maximum of supplementary studies is 60 ECTS. Supplementary studies must have an average grade of “good” (3/5 or equivalent).

Applicant groups

• Applicants with a Finnish Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration or other field who have mainly achieved the grade good (cum laude approbator, 3/5 or equivalent) or higher for their pro gradu thesis or equivalent and the grade good (3/5 or equivalent) or higher for their major subject studies. If the grade is lower than this, it is possible for the applicant to be accepted through other merits (excellent research plan and/or previous peer reviewed publication).
• Applicants with a degree in a Finnish university of applied sciences and the degree includes a thesis. The thesis must be completed with the overall grade good (3/5 or equivalent) or higher and the average of the major subject studies must be good (3/5 or equivalent). If the grade is lower than this, it is possible for the applicant to be accepted through other merits (excellent research plan and/or previous peer reviewed publication).
• Applicants with a Finnish licentiate or doctoral degree in Business or other field.
• Applicants who have acquired a relevant degree abroad which, in the country in question, provides eligibility for further university studies and for pursuing a doctorate. Applicants who have obtained their qualifications abroad must demonstrate their competence to pursue a research project by detailing their major studies (that include a Master’s thesis or other similar study project that corresponds to a pro gradu thesis) for which mainly at least the grade good (GPA of all studies must be at least 3 on a scale of 0-4 and additionally with a degree completed in other than an EU country, GMAT must be at least 600 points) has been awarded and which have been completed before applying to the doctoral programme. If the Master’s thesis or other study project has been written in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English, an English summary must be attached to the application. Applicants with a degree completed abroad must also attach their original thesis in PDF-form on the application form. Major subjects will also check the thesis with a plagiarism detection program.

Other admission requirements for doctoral study right

• The proposed research topic must be scientifically and practically relevant and connect to the research strategy and focus areas of the pursued major subject (the links to research groups can be found on our webpage). The applicant must select their major subject when applying and the applicant must have the competencies and readiness for doctoral studies and undertaking a dissertation. The major evaluates the competences during admission and the requirements vary between subjects.

Required competencies in major subjects:

• International Business and Sales Management: high scientific level of research plan and theoretical contribution in the field of International Business and Sales Management, high goal orientation of publication plan concerning international peer-reviewed journal publications.
• Accounting and Finance: The requirement is that the applicant has taken enough courses in Accounting and/or Finance. The applicant should also demonstrate knowledge relating to research methodologies relevant for the planned doctoral dissertation through previous thesis or equivalent.
• Service Management; Innovation Management, Business and Law; Tourism Marketing and Management: it must be apparent from the research plan that the applicant has familiarized themselves with previous research through which is able to indicate a justified research gap, the research problem must be well-justified and defined, the applicant must have good knowledge of a method that suits the research problem.
• There must be enough supervision resources to be allocated for the proposed thesis. The major subject which the applicant selects when applying to a doctoral study right will decide the availability of supervision resources.
• When applying for a doctoral study right through student admission, a maximum of 5 page long research plan is required (reference list is not included into the maximum). The plan must be of high quality and e.g. the following aspects will be evaluated: what is the scientific contribution of the proposed research topic, how realistic and coherent the research plan is and how it is executed, acknowledgement of the research ethical questions.

Contents of the plan:

• starting points and theoretical basis of the research, previous research
• aims of the research, research tasks and questions
• research methods and data, administration of data
• working plan, working plan for part of the tasks. Especially in article dissertations it is important to describe what kind of parts the research will be conducted in and published (when applying to positions, a more detail description is required but when applying to a doctoral study right, it is not required to have a comprehensive plan of all the articles)
• schedule and funding plan
• publication plan
• evaluation of opportunities to exploit the results of the research, societal significance of the research results
• Proficiency in English.

If the applicant fulfils at least one of the following requirements, a separate language test is not required but the applicant is to prove their English proficiency with the applicable degree certificate and the transcript of their academic record:

• English as foreign language included in at least a Bachelor-level degree conducted in Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) or in an EU/EEA country.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree conducted in English language in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) or in an EU/EEA country.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree conducted in English language in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States.

The applicants are to prove their language skills in English as follows if they do not fill the aforementioned requirements:

 English language test: 

TOEFL paper-based: Total score 600 and Writing 4.0

TOEFL Internet-based: Total Score 100 and Writing 22

IELTS (Academic): Overall Score 6.5 and Writing 5.5

PTE (Pearson Test of English), min. 59 points

C1 Advanced (CAE), pass levels A, B or C / C2 Proficiency (CPE), pass levels A, B, C or level C1 Certificate

Funding doctoral studies

The right to pursue doctoral studies does not include funding or a contract of employment at the University. However, full-time doctoral students need to look for funding to cover their costs of living and potential research costs (travel costs, research material etc.).

Doctoral studies can be funded for example by external funding from a fund or by studying part-time while at work. Occasionally there are early stage researcher positions open for application at the UEF. Doctoral students apply for funding themselves and there are no automatic scholarships or positions received.

Read more about funding options of doctoral studies on Kamu Student handbook.

Application period

You can apply to the Doctoral Programme in Business Studies twice a year: by the end of October and by the end of April.

What is Studyinfo.fi?

Studyinfo.fi is the official national admissions portal with all the up-to-date information about study programmes leading to a degree in Finland.

Apply via Studyinfo.fi

Fill in the online application for the programme at the studyinfo portal., requirements for the doctoral dissertation.

The doctoral dissertation demonstrates the student’s in-depth knowledge of the field of research, related fields and the philosophy of science. Furthermore, the dissertation demonstrates his or her ability to apply the methods of scientific research in practice, both independently, and critically in his or her field of research as well as independently to generate new information.

One of the following can be accepted as a doctoral dissertation:

• A separate piece of research (monograph). A monograph is a work based on the research project by the doctoral student. It is a coherent and independent study and should contain the data and methodology used and the results as a whole.
• An article-based dissertation (a collection of research articles):

     Please see the requirements for an article-based dissertation in Kamu:

      Requirements of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies

      Requirements of the Philosophical Faculty

In business an essay-based dissertation can also be approved. The essay-based dissertation comprises at least three published or unpublished independent entities dealing with the same set of research problems. Some of these entities may be scientific articles or other publications and unpublished essays.

The degree consists of a licentiate thesis or a doctoral dissertation and 40 ECTS (from 1 August 2024 onwards, 30 ECTS) of studies supporting research and professional competence. The curriculum details are available in the Study Guide of student information system Peppi.

Courses for doctoral researchers are organized by doctoral programmes, faculties and the Doctoral School of UEF .

Instructions and forms for doctoral studies

You can find information for different phases in the doctoral education on Kamu Student handbook :

• Doctoral education at the University of Eastern Finland
• Starting doctoral education
• Doctoral curriculum and study requirements
• Internationalisation in doctoral education
• Guidance and support in doctoral education
• Support for doctoral research
• Funding of doctoral education
• Wellbeing of doctoral researcher
• Permission for public examination and pre-examination of doctoral dissertation
• Publishing of doctoral dissertation

Travel grants for doctoral researchers’ seminar and conference visit costs

UEF Business School awards travel grants for study, seminar and conference trips for doctoral researchers upon application. These travel grants are intended for doctoral researchers who are not employed by the University of Eastern Finland (including part-time work for grant-funded researchers).

Applications must be accompanied by:

• a statement of completion of the studies foreseen in the postgraduate study plan and an individual plan for the timetable for the missing studies
• approval from the supervisor to attend the event(s) (e-mail is acceptable)

The travel grants are awarded by the head of department/school. The application period is continuous. Applications will be processed within 1­-2 months of receipt (excluding the summer vacation period).

Applications are submitted using the digital application form . See the application form and further information.

News and events

Dissertations, doctoral defence of thota durga devi, msc, 22 march 2024: immunomodulatory nanotherapy for post-ischemic tissue repair in type 2 diabetes, doctoral defence of mir md abdus salam, msc, 21.3.2024: evaluation of survival, growth, and phytoremediation potential of populus and salix seedlings grown in polluted soils, doctoral defence of mzomwe yahya mazana, msc, 27.3.2024: mathematics teaching and learning activity model for blended instruction in tanzanian higher education, doctoral defence of mariana verdonen, msc, 22 march 2024: the new insights into periglacial landscape dynamics, doctoral defence of antti kyytsönen, mth, 22 march 2024: the parables of jesus evoke emotions and guide listeners in the desired direction.

All dissertations

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Presentation

Academic team, call for applications, request access, doctoral programme in business management (interuniversity: upc, upm, upct, uoc).

The doctoral programme in Business Administration and Management seeks to inspire, develop and channel research in areas related to economics and the world of business.

The strategic alliance between the four participating universities enhances the possibility of leveraging synergies and mutually benefiting from the complementary strengths of a critical mass of high-quality research teams. An active partnership such as this will boost research potential and open the door to new areas and lines of doctoral research. To further our already advanced knowledge of business analysis and other concomitant lines of research, the participating universities jointly contribute their wealth of unique experiences in relation to the complexities of the digital economy and knowledge society, as well as a shared approach to applied economics.

The fast-paced nature of technological change brings about accelerated transformations in the skill set needed to properly analyse and lead busine...

The fast-paced nature of technological change brings about accelerated transformations in the skill set needed to properly analyse and lead business organizations. The doctoral programme thus provides new opportunities for students to acquire complex and versatile skills. It places a strong emphasis on knowledge transfer, which can benefit the production system by delivering improvements and innovations or a greater ability to analyse organizations and the environments in which they operate.

Doctoral students will find a wide range of research lines and methods in the programme, meaning they have ample opportunities to undertake research relating to their interests and concerns. They will also join research groups that have earned established status and funding, collaborating with teams of proven ability.

The doctoral programme in Business Administration and Management entails developing and directing research in this field of study and relating to the wider field of economics, with particular attention to business management, the employment market and the tourism sector.

Official qualification

The UOC's Doctoral Programme of Business Management (interuniversity: UPC, UPM, UPCT, UOC) is a programme that has been approved by the Spanish Universities Council, and its implementation has been authorized by the Government of Catalonia, in accordance with current legislation.

The UOC's doctoral programmes have full academic validity throughout Spain; where such is the intention, they are qualifications to perform regulated professions, in accordance with the regulations applicable in each case. 

The certificates for these programmes are issued together with a Diploma Supplement (DS), providing details of what the student studied, their results, the professional competencies obtained and the qualification's level in the Spanish higher education system; the aim of this is to facilitate recognition of the qualification and promote students' and graduates' mobility within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). 

In other countries, the ...

In other countries, the validity of the official university qualifications issued by the UOC will depend on each specific country's education laws.

18 Sep 2025

Admission: March 5, 2024

Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

Fully online method

World's first ever online university

Personalized guidance and support

1st Spanish-language online MBA in the world

Programme quality

The quality of this degree programme is endorsed by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU), which ensures that rigorous standards, including those demanded by the EHEA, are met.

AQU quality seal

Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency

Together with:

• Training supplements
• Research Courses

Itinerary and duration

• Lines of investigation

Students studying full-time will complete the programme in a maximum of 3 years and, if studying part-time, a maximum of 5 years, from admission to the programme to the doctoral thesis' defence. This timeframe does not include maternity or paternity leave or such long-term sick leave that the Academic Committee may consider appropriate.

The maximum duration of the programme is three years if pursued full-time and five years if part-time, counting from the doctoral candidate's admission to the programme until presentation of the doctoral thesis. Calculation of this period does not include parental leave or extended sick leave the Academic Commission of the programme considers justified.

Research lines

Doctoral school management, director of the programme at the uoc, thesis directors team.

PhD in Computer Engineering (UAB). He teaches courses on artificial intelligence, infographic, computer vision and business intelligence. He is currently the director of the UOC Doctoral School. His research focuses on the study of computer vision algorithms dedicated to the analysis of human behaviour, facial perception and object and scene recognition.

Agusti Canals Parera

Ana isabel jimenez zarco.

PhD in Economic and Business Sciences from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and a postgraduate diploma in the Construction of Models in Ecology and Natural Resource Management from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. She received an award for her doctoral thesis from the Instituto de Estudios Económicos (IEE) in Madrid.

Angels Fitó Bertran

Antoni meseguer artola, elisabet motellón corral, enric serradell lópez.

Dr Enric Serradell López is an economist and associate professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. He has a PhD in Business Management from the University of Barcelona.

His work brings together professional and academic activities. His main lines of research are business management, e-learning and skills development, problem solving and the innovative use of ICT products and applications in management, particularly in business simulators and business games. He is director of the MeL (Management & eLearning) research group, whose aim is to analyse and design innovative environments for decision-making and the creation and development of skills related to personal and professional decision-making. His research has been published in academic journals and presented at leading international conferences.

Eva Rimbau Gilabert

Francesc gonzalez reverte, inma rodríguez ardura, irene esteban millat, iviane de luna ramos, joan torrent sellens.

PhD in Economics in Information and Knowledge Society from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). Master in Applied Economics and Degree in Economic and Business Sciences from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). His research activity is related to the analysis of the business, economic, labor, well -being and health of digital transformation.

Josep Llados Masllorens

Julie wilson.

Doctor in Human Geography from the University of West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom.

Mònica Cerdán Chiscano

Natalia cuguero escofet, pere suau sanchez, pilar ficapal cusi.

Doctor in Information and Knowledge Society (IN3-UOC). Degree in Psychology (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Diploma of Advanced Studies in Human Resources and Organizations (University of Barcelona).

Ramon Ribera Fumaz

Vicente peñarroja cabañero, 25 years' experience in e-learning.

In 1995 the UOC was launched as the world's first fully online university . More than 25 years later, we are still pioneers in digital education.

Our eLearning Innovation Center oversees the evolution of our educational model, to ensure unique, high-quality, connected and networked learning experiences.

Times Higher Education

According to the Young University Rankings, published by Times Higher Education, we are fourth best in Spain.

Shanghai Ranking

We are among the world's top 300 universities for communication and the top 500 for education.

U-Multirank

Excellent ratings in knowledge transfer, regional engagement, and teaching and learning.

Access requirements

Admission requirements

• Access documentation

Evaluation criteria

General requirements.

To be eligible for the doctoral program, candidates must meet the general requirements of the University and those specific to the programme.

First, prospective candidates must demonstrate that they meet one of the following requirements:

• Holding an official Spanish bachelor's degree, or equivalent, and a university master's degree, or equivalent, and having completed at least 300 ECTS credits in these two programmes.
• Holding an official Spanish university degree, corresponding to previous regulations of university teaching, and having completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at master's level.
• Holding an official university degree from a country that is part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that qualifies for entrance to official master's degree courses, and having completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all official university studies, of which at least 60 must be a...
• Holding an official university degree from a country that is part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that qualifies for entrance to official master's degree courses, and having completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at master's level.
• Holding an official Spanish graduate degree, the duration of which, in accordance with Community law, is at least 300 ECTS credits. In this case, students must take the specific training components on a compulsory basis, unless the corresponding doctoral programme includes research training credits equivalent in formative value to research credits from master's degrees.
• Holding an official university degree in which, after obtaining a training place in the corresponding test of access to specialised health training places, they have completed at least two years of training in a programme to obtain an official degree in one of the specialities of the health sciences with a positive evaluation.
• Holding an official university degree from a country outside the EHEA, without the need for official validation, after verifying that the level of training is equivalent to that of official university master's degrees and that it allows access to doctoral studies in the country issuing the degree.
• Holding a Spanish doctoral degree obtained in accordance with previous university regulations.
• Holding a degree in architecture or engineering with an advanced studies diploma, obtained in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree 778/1998, of 30 April, or who have achieved the research sufficiency regulated in Royal Decree 185/1985, of 23 January.
• Holding an official university degree that has obtained correspondence with level three of the Spanish Framework of Qualifications for Higher Education (MECES), in accordance with the procedure established in Royal Decree 967/2014, of 21 November, establishing the requirements and procedure for officially validating and declaring equivalence with regard to the official university degree and academic level and for validating foreign higher education studies, and the procedure for determining correspondence with the MECES levels of the official titles of architect, engineer, graduate, technical architect, technical engineer and diploma holder.

Applicants who have not passed the Introduction to Research credits on a university master's degree programme will need to take the appropriate bridging courses.

In the case of applicants who only have an official university bachelor's degree certificate which, in accordance with the rules of EU law, has a duration of 300 ECTS credits, or have not taken and passed a minimum number of Introduction to Research credits in a university master's degree programme, their continuation in the doctoral programme is conditional upon them passing the bridging courses corresponding to the Introduction to Research module, pathway or courses for the corresponding period of academic training.

Either Catalan or Spanish can be used to study on the programme, although a command of English is highly recommended.

According to Decree 822/202, of September 28, students with a disability equal to 33% or more have a reservation of 5% of the places.

In addition to the general and additional requirements stipulated by the University itself, the Business Management doctoral programme has the following specific requirements:

• If you're not a citizen of an English-speaking country, you must provide proof of a level of English equal to or higher than B2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Higher levels of proficiency (C1 or C2) will be valued as a plus.
• If you have attended school or have completed a bachelor's or master's degree (or equivalent qualification with regards to enrolment in the doctorate programme) in English in a country where English is an official language, you will be deemed to have an equivalent level to the one required.
• You may also demonstrate your linguistic competency in English by means of another official certificate that proves you have a level equivalent to or higher than the one required. You can consult this equival...
• You may also demonstrate your linguistic competency in English by means of another official certificate that proves you have a level equivalent to or higher than the one required. You can consult this equivalency table to see examples of certificates that correspond to these levels.

The UOC's Centre for Modern Languages offers English courses to attain the minimum level required for admission into the different doctoral programmes.

The UOC offers an online English language proficiency test, which can be accessed via this link , to accredit your knowledge of English. A score of between 72 and 94 accredits a level corresponding to B2 as defined by the CEFR. When taking this test, you must specify the code that corresponds to the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya): 4418. This code does not exempt the student from paying the corresponding exam cost and fees.

Meeting the above requirements does not guarantee admission to the doctoral programme. These requirements must be met in order to apply for admission to the doctoral programme and for this application to be assessed.

If you apply for a UOC grant, you must accredit a level equal to or higher than B2 from the time of application. For other grants, financial aid or research contracts, please consult the terms and conditions and requirements for each case (level of English and part-time or full-time format).

Admission documents

If you are applying for admission to a UOC doctoral programme, you must provide the following documentation:

• A photocopy of your identity card or passport.
• A cover letter written in English addressing the following subjects: (1) your motivation for applying; (2) your research interests and their fit within the research lines and groups involved in the programme; (3) the type of training set-up you are interested in pursuing (distance or on-site) and a justification of your decision; and (4) your time dedication (full- or part-time) and a justified reason for this choice. 
• A curriculum vitae in English listing the master's degree or postgraduate programmes and courses that you have successfully completed and which bear some relation to the research interests you have laid out in your cover letter, as well as any scientific output you are responsible for.
• The names, institutiona...
• The names, institutional affiliations, postal addresses and email addresses of three references .
• A document accrediting that your level of English is at least B2.2 (as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). This does not apply to applicants whose native language is English. 
• A copy of a recently undertaken academic or research project .
• Academic certificates  corresponding to training prior to the doctorate, stating the subjects taken and the grade obtained, the call, the type of subject, the number of credits, as well as the average grade of the academic transcripts if these have not been provided to prove compliance with the entrance requirements.
• Documentation accrediting compliance with the entrance requirements . You will find more information in the corresponding section in the Campus Procedures.

University degrees obtained in higher education systems outside the EHEA and not recognised in Spain must be authenticated through diplomatic channels (or, if applicable, using the apostille of the Hague Convention). When the certificates, degrees and academic transcripts are not in one of the official languages of Spain or in English, they must be accompanied by documentation of their certified translation to Catalan, Spanish or English. Failure to submit this documentation or discrepancies between the information it contains and that provided in the application may result in denial of admission to the doctoral programme.

Once the entrance documentation has been reviewed and your application has been accepted, admission to the doctoral programme is conditional on the presentation of official documentation.

Admissions to the programme will be made during the academic year in the periods established for the purpose. Every application for admission will be studied and assessed by the doctoral programme's Academic Committee in accordance with the academic excellence and suitability criteria defined below. These criteria will be used for ranking applications in the event that the number of applications exceeds the number of places offered. In any event, the minimum score on the academic excellence and suitability criteria is 60 out of a possible 100 points. 

You can see the calendar for the interuniversity doctoral programme in Business Administration and Management on its web page .

Apply for the Welcome and Information Service

Apply for the Welcome and Information Service is a free, no-obligation procedure that provides you with a user name and password that will allow you to enter the UOC's Virtual Campus, from where you will be able to:

1.    Contact experts who will help you settle any doubts you may have about applying. 2.    Consult the Campus Secretary's Office for information about the programme of studies, enrolment prices, documentation, etc.

Before requesting access, check that you meet the requirements for the programme you want to be admitted to.

Access form

On the access form, you must give your personal details and the educational level you have attained.

Access Documentation

You will find a list of the documentation you need when you request access and can consult the Campus Secretary's Office.

If you are eligible for any of the discounts stated in the Price Decree, you will have to submit the appropriate documentation, following the instructions given by the virtual Secretary's Office.

Access the Campus and contact the researcher

Virtual campus

After you have requested access, you will receive a user name and password that will allow you to access the Virtual Campus, where you will find all the information and resources you may need.

You will find the information to contact the lead researcher in the "research lines" section. The researcher can provide support for preparing your application and will be your sponsor, if he or she agrees. Once you have been admitted to the programme, he or she will advise and guide you in choosing courses, in accordance with your prior academic background, your interests and the amount of time you have.

Virtual Secretary's Office

There is a  Procedure  on the Campus where you can consult and manage all academic matters, such as viewing the programme of studies, payment options or the discounts available. 

Apply for admission

You can complete the admission form the virtual campus  Procedures / Doctoral programme admission documentation , where you will have to give your academic details, whether you want to apply for a grant and the research line you are interested in. 

You must submit an enrolment proposal after having chosen the courses you want to follow during the semester, which your tutor will analyse so that you can complete enrolment with his or her counselling. It is a step prior to completing enrolment.

Send the digital documentation

Having completed the previous step, you must attach the documentation in the same section. You can see which documentation you must attach in the corresponding section within  Procedures / Doctoral programme admission documentation.

When you have completed all the steps, the doctoral programme's academic committee will assess the applications that have been submitted. 

If you pass the first phase of the admission process, you will receive notification confirming that you have entered the second phase and a telephone interview will be scheduled.

If you pass the second phase of the admission process, you will receive notification to confirm that you have been admitted. You will have a maximum of one month (counting from the admission notification) to confirm your acceptance of the place on the doctoral programme; if this confirmation from you is not received, you will not be admitted to the programme.

It is at this point that you will be able to complete enrolment, choosing your preferred payment option from among those available. If you are eligible for any of the discounts stated in the Price Decree, you will have to submit the appropriate documentation, following the instructions given by the virtual Secretary's Office.

Remember that once you have enrolled, you will have ten days to send the admission documentation.

The Government of Catalonia establishes the public prices for credits and other academic services charged by public universities in Catalonia and the UOC. You can consult the prices in Decree 125/2023 , of June 28th.

The fees will be those applicable when enrolment is completed. Subject to annual revisions.

This programme belongs to an academic pathway. Find out about the studies with which you can achieve your goals.

7 PhD Programmes in Business Management in Europe for 2024

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration

Selinus university of sciences and literature.

• London, United Kingdom
• Bologna, Italy

Distance learning

A Ph.D. by Research via Distance Learning is ideal for people engaged in the world of work who cannot attend a traditional university. Selinus University is a private and accredited international institution: an alternative that helps adult students around the world achieve their academic goals.

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Doctorate in Business and Economics

Universidade de aveiro.

• Aveiro, Portugal

Portuguese, English

The recently created Doctoral Program in Business and Economics of the University of Aveiro, with three branches of specialization - Economics, Management and Finance - responds to the requests of researchers and graduates to continue their doctoral studies in these areas of knowledge, tackling a gap that exists not only in the context of the doctoral programs of the University of Aveiro, but also, due to its differential nature, in the context of the education Programs in these areas in Portugal.

Executive Doctorate in Business Administration

Paris dauphine university.

• Paris, France

English, French

The Executive PhD of the University of Paris-Dauphine is a doctoral-level program, based on the concept of "engaged research", which is aimed at working professionals, in order to give them all the necessary resources to theorize their practice and produce high-level academic research.

Msc in digital marketing and management

Icn business school.

• Nancy, France

The ICN MSc in Digital Marketing & Management, Bac + 5, is offered on our campuses in Nancy and Paris.

PhD in Business and Management

Newcastle university postgraduate programs.

• Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Our Business and Management PhD gives you the knowledge and skills you need to become a researcher and scholar in Business and Management. These transferable skills are in high demand in knowledge-intensive organisations and environments. They will help you maximise opportunities in careers that include complex cognitive tasks. To find out more about our key research areas, you can visit the relevant subject group research pages.

Corvinus University of Budapest

• Budapest, Hungary

4 semesters

The Ph.D. program in Business and Management aims to prepare students to carry out high-quality research in management and business-related areas. In order to achieve this goal Ph.D. students take courses in research methodology and subject area topics. These courses are designed to inform students of the latest research in that area.

Self-Paced PhD in International Business Management

Ism - international school of management.

Full time, Part time

Our PhD develops the research and teaching skills you need to promote new perspectives and inspire the next generation of business leaders. The program prepares experienced and highly motivated business professionals to embark on careers of engaged instruction and original research in academia.

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PhD Programmes in Business Management

A program in business management emphasizes the importance of organizational structure and managerial policies in various corporate settings. Topics such as marketing, human resource management, accounting, and corporate restructuring will sometimes be covered.

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the western most point of Eurasia, Europe is usually divided from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting the Black and Aegean Seas.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.

• CEU PU - Deutsch
• Közép-európai Egyetem

PhD in Business Administration

• MA in Economics, Data, and Policy 2 year program (NEW!)
• MA in Economics, Data, and Policy 1 year program (NEW!)
• MA in Economics
• MA in Economic Policy in Global Markets
• MS in Business Analytics
• MS in Finance
• Admission Requirements
• Research Areas/Interests of the Business Faculty
• PhD in Economics
• BA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics
• BA/BSc in Data Science and Society

Please note that we no longer accept applications to this program. In the context of shifting emphasis away from management education, CEU Senate made a decision to stop recruitment of new candidates to the PhD Administration program.

WHAT IS THE CEU EXECUTIVE PHD?

At CEU, our Executive PhD is centered on research that generates novel business and management knowledge that is directly applicable to business practice and success. Our world-class faculty work with doctoral fellows on their multidisciplinary research utilizing an array of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

WHAT IS THE COST OF THE PROGRAM?

Total program credits (120 US/240 ECTS)

The total cost, including tuition, research supervision, and access to all university services for the duration of the program (up to 6 years for part-time track participants and 3 years for full-time track participants), is €60000 payable in annual installments. A limited number of scholarships are available for students in the full-time track.

Head of Program: Prof. Yusaf Akbar, Building: Vienna, Quellenstrasse 51, Room: B-504

Contact person by email

Program Coordinator: Dash, Dominika (room: QS B-507, email  )

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• Global EMBA
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• European Business Schools

Masters in Management 2023

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Table notes

Some 186 points separate the top programme, at HEC Paris, from the school ranked 100. The schools are divided into four groups, indicated by bold lines: those in groups one and two score above the average for the cohort, and groups three and four are below it. The difference in scores between schools ranked consecutively is greater within groups one and four than in groups two and three. Group one includes 12 schools from HEC Paris to Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai.   The second group includes schools from WHU — Otto Beisheim School of  Management, ranked 13, to Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in 43rd position. The third group, headed by Eada Business School Barcelona, spans schools ranked joint 44 to joint 78. The fourth group includes schools from Lancaster University Management School at 82 to the University of British  Columbia: Sauder at 100.   

*Data in these columns are for information only and are not used in the rankings. In the Internships (%) column, some schools did not provide data,   therefore it does not mean they do not offer internships if you see 0. Please check with schools if you want to know what their course offers. 

**Grande École programme.

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Online MBA 2024

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