what is a phd in business management

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →

PhD Programs

• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management

Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has five areas of study: Accounting and Management , Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , management  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

Boston University Academics

Boston University

• Campus Life
• Schools & Colleges
• Degree Programs
• Search Academics

PhD in Business Administration & Management

Boston University’s PhD in Business Administration & Management program trains scholars to develop and test management theories that contribute to management education and practice. Students acquire advanced knowledge of literature and theory in their major area of specialization as well as solid grounding in a minor (for example, a social science discipline such as sociology, economics, or political science) that broadens their foundation. Students also gain theoretical and practical knowledge of advanced research skills, essential for publishing in leading academic journals.

The PhD in Business Administration & Management program ensures that students develop an appreciation of the role of their research domain in managerial and organizational contexts, and can translate their learning from scholarly research into effective teaching. Our faculty, which has earned worldwide recognition for its scholarly and applied research, is the school’s major resource for doctoral education. Their commitment to advancing management knowledge through research published in top journals, and improving the quality of teaching, enables them to effectively mentor doctoral students, who, in close collaboration with faculty, are part of the intellectual capital of the school.

Learning Outcomes

The PhD curriculum has the following learning goals. Students will:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of literature, theory, and methods in their field.
• Be prepared to teach at the undergraduate or master’s level in a business school.
• Produce original research of quality appropriate for publication in scholarly journals.

After matriculation into the PhD program, a candidate for the degree must register for and satisfactorily complete a minimum of 64 graduate-level credits at Boston University. More courses may be needed, depending on departmental requirements.

PhD in Business Administration & Management Curriculum

The curriculum provides the graduate with a combination of major and minor foci which incorporates both the depth and breadth of knowledge and research skills required to contribute to management research. It creates the capacity for learning and innovation in the face of rapid changes in the social, economic, technical, and political contexts of management. The curriculum has the following specific learning goals:

Students must:

• Acquire advanced knowledge of theory and methods in their area of specialization (the major).
• Gain sound knowledge of theory and methods in an area other than their specialization (the minor).
• Acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of advanced research skills.
• Have adequate preparation to teach at the undergraduate or master’s level in a business school.
• Be capable of independently producing original research of quality appropriate for publication in scholarly journals.

Course Requirements

The minimum course requirement is 16 courses (64 credits).

Course choices must be approved by the department liaison prior to registration each semester. The department liaison must also approve whether courses will be accepted as meeting the requirements for classification as major, minor, or research methodology courses. In the fall of the first year, all students are automatically registered for DS 906 Philosophy and Science of Research. All students must take a noncredit teaching intensive prior to the start of their third year.

Research Methodology & Methods Core

Candidates are required to complete five courses in research methods and design. Students, with the advice and approval of department liaisons, will choose these courses. Courses may be taken at the Questrom School of Business or may be selected from appropriate courses offered in other disciplines at the University.

At least two of the five research methodology courses must be taken from the following list of approved Methods Core courses:

• QST DS 911 Seminar in Macro Organizational Theory
• QST DS 913 Experimental Design and Methods
• QST DS 919 Machine Learning Methods for Social Science Research
• QST DS 925 Methods for Causal Inference in Management Research
• QST DS 929 Analytical Modeling for Business Research
• QST MF 930 Advanced Corporate Finance
• QST MO 923 Field-Studies Seminar

Major Area Courses

Students must acquire advanced knowledge of literature and theory in their area of specialization (the major). Such competence is gained by coursework, participation in seminars, and independent study. Candidates must complete five doctoral courses in the major area and pass a qualifying examination at the end of their coursework.

Minor Area Courses

Students are encouraged to choose a minor that draws on one or more of the social sciences that management theories draw on: for example, sociology, psychology, economics, and political science. Minor area courses may be selected from doctoral-level courses, including independent studies, from any department at the  Questrom School of Business  (other than the major area), or from other graduate departments at the University. The four-course minor may also be custom-designed as an interdisciplinary conceptual area with the advice and consent of the department liaison. For example, a student may define the minor as “human behavior” and take four doctoral-level courses in psychology, anthropology, and sociology to meet the requirement.

Philosophy and Science of Research

All students are required to take QST DS 906 Philosophy and Science of Research.

Related Bulletin Pages

• Abbreviations and Symbols

Beyond the Bulletin

• Questrom PhD
• Questrom PhD Admissions
• Questrom School of Business Undergraduate Program
• Minor in Business Administration & Management
• Minor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Professional Evening MBA (PEMBA)
• Online MBA (OMBA)
• Dual Degree MBA Programs
• MS in Business Analytics
• MS in Management Studies
• Mathematical Finance
• PhD in Business Administration & Management
• Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics
• Graduate Certificate in Financial Technology
• Academic and Student Resources
• Honorary, Service, and Professional Organizations

Terms of Use

Note that this information may change at any time. Read the full terms of use .

related websites

• Questrom School of Business

Accreditation

Boston University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

• © Copyright
• Mobile Version

PhD in Management Program

A phd in management: where business research and education intersect.

Become an industry thought leader while preparing tomorrow’s business leaders.

Our fully funded PhD in Management is designed for ambitious students and professionals interested in a career in university teaching and research.

This residential program, based at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management in Ithaca, NY, combines Ivy League rigor and real-world relevance to prepare you for successful careers in academia.

Why Get a PhD in Management?

With a strong focus on management science and applied research, this doctoral degree is ideal for someone looking to teach at the university level and contribute to the greater body of industry knowledge. Pursuing a PhD in Management is also an ideal next step for executives and senior managers who want to make a transition to academia or enhance their research skills for a successful consulting career.

Fully Funded, Highly Flexible: What Makes Cornell’s Management PhD Different?

As you explore PhD programs’ degree requirements, faculty engagement, and campus experience, Cornell stands alone.

In Cornell’s highly flexible program, you’ll choose a specific area of study and build your own dissertation committee. Our program faculty are genuinely interested and invested in your intellectual development. In this small and highly selective program, you will get to know the faculty and your peers well. 

The SC Johnson Graduate School of Management is home to leading research centers and a high-impact academic journal; these open you up to unique learning and mentorship opportunities.

Business Simulation Lab

The Debra Paget and Jeffrey Berg Business Simulation Lab facilitates in-person and online behavioral research related to decision-making and problem-solving.

Discover More About BSL

Our Three-Pronged Approach to a PhD in Management

The Johnson School’s doctoral degree in management combines the best of theory and practice, building on a three-pronged foundation:

Hands-on Experience

Develop your research and analytical skills. You’ll work with classmates to examine existing literature and theories for class deliverables, which will often include your own original research.

Customizable Curriculum

Design your own academic pathway. You’ll choose one of six primary areas of study and create your own dissertation committee.

University-Wide Coursework

Draw on the expertise from across Cornell. You’ll get to select graduate-level courses from schools and colleges devoted to law , hospitality , engineering , labor relations , and other fields.

At a Glance: Cornell’s Fully Funded PhD in Management

The fully residential, fully funded PhD in Management program includes a tuition waiver and a stipend for living expenses. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

Degree Awarded

PhD in Management

Program Location

Ithaca, NY, with options in New York City

Program Format

Foundational coursework, original research, and six potential areas of study

Hear from Our Community

“PhD is a marathon, not a sprint, and collaborating with great people is paramount. At Cornell, I’ve found a place where amazing people come together, supporting my research and personal growth. Choosing Cornell means joining a community that knows how important it is to work with exceptional people to excel in the program.” – Elina Hur PhD ’23

Customize Your Path: Our Areas of Study

When you apply to the Johnson School’s PhD in Management, you will select a primary area of study. Choosing a concentration allows you to gain specialized skills and knowledge while growing a portfolio of original research.

Examine the role of accounting information in firms and financial markets. PhD-level research at Cornell explores topics such as how firms report information to investors, how accounting information is used to manage firms, and the nature of auditing.

Strategy & Business Economics

Use modern tools and methodologies to gain a better understanding of the world. PhD students in this area explore many aspects of economics including industrial, behavioral, labor, and organizational.

Dive deep into the financial structure and issues of organizations. Your research might look at how conflicts of interest affect corporate policy, how investor psychology affects asset pricing, or how to detect price bubbles.

Learn how theories from operations research, economics, psychology, and sociology intersect to inform corporate and consumer decisions. Your PhD studies will explore both quantitative and behavioral perspectives of marketing.

Management & Organizations

Prepare for a research-focused career in academia or industry. This versatile concentration develops skilled, innovative, analytical researchers through a broad curriculum and close faculty collaboration.

Operations, Technology, & Information Management

Develop the technical skills and behavioral analysis knowledge you need to address high-impact managerial decisions. This focus area also offers an option to complete coursework at Cornell Tech in New York City.

Idea Generation to Publication: A Career in Teaching and Research

The majority of our PhD in Management students pursue careers in academia. After graduation, many land tenure-track teaching positions at top-tier business schools and continue to advance knowledge through original research. Johnson School PhD students often field multiple offers and see starting salaries range from $150,000 to $250,000.

Finding Your Place at Cornell: Meet Our Current PhDs

Students from around the United States and across the globe arrive at the Johnson School to earn their PhD in Management —and their diverse research interests, educational backgrounds, and professional experiences make for a vibrant, enriching learning environment. MEET CURRENT PHD STUDENTS

Research and Placements: Making an Impact in the Management Field

After earning the PhD in Management, our alumni go on to teach and inspire future leaders at top-tier institutions. Not only do they teach and conduct research alongside some of the most brilliant minds in business, but they also advance the field through publishing in leading journals and presenting their work at industry conferences.

Recent PhD in Management Placements

• Piyush Anand, PhD ’21, assistant professor of marketing, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
• Guarav Kankanhalli, PhD ’20, assistant professor, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
• Eunjee Kim, PhD ’21, assistant professor, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University
• Sarah Lim, PhD ’21, assistant professor, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Xuege Lu, PhD ’22, assistant professor, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
• Subrina Shen, PhD ’21, assistant professor, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin

Recent Research Publications

• “ Do Real Estate Values Boost Corporate Borrowing? Evidence from Contract-Level Data ” in the Journal of Financial Economics (2022) — Gaurav Kankanhalli, PhD ’20, with Murillo Campello, Robert A. Connolly, and Eva Steiner
• “ Converging Tides Lift All Boats: Consensus in Evaluation Criteria Boosts Investments in Firms in Nascent Technology Sectors ” in Organization Science (2021) — Xirong (Subrina) Shen, PhD ’21, with Huisi (Jessica) Li, PhD ’20, and Pamela S. Tolbert 
• “ Initial and Longer-Term Change in Unit-Level Turnover Following Leader Succession: Contingent Effects of Outgoing and Incoming Leader Characteristics ” in Organization Science (2020)— Huisi (Jessica) Li, PhD ’20, with John Hausknecht and Lisa Dragoni

“ Does Regulatory Jurisdiction Affect the Quality of Investment-Adviser Regulation? ” in American Economic Review (2019) — Alan Kwan, PhD ’17, with Ben Charoenwong and Tarik Umar

Our Faculty: Accomplished Researchers, Dedicated Teachers

When you join the PhD in Management program at the Johnson School, you’ll be part of a learning community comprising more than 100 accomplished academics and thought leaders. 

Not only will you take courses with renowned professors from across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, but you also will have the opportunity to build your own faculty committee—a group that will become instrumental as you select your dissertation topic and embark on your original research.

Faculty Spotlight: Learn from Leading Thought Leaders

Throughout the PhD program—from foundational coursework to your dissertation—you’ll work closely with dedicated teacher-scholars like these:

Kristina Rennekamp

Dr. Rennekamp’s research focuses on financial accounting from a behavioral perspective. She’s widely published, with work appearing in leading academic journals such as The Accounting Review , Contemporary Accounting Research , and The Journal of Financial Reporting .

Karan Girotra

Dr. Girotra studies the digital transformation of companies, whether it’s looking at emerging tools and practices or exploring new business models. He’s frequently interviewed in an array of mainstream business media outlets, including Bloomberg BusinessWeek , Fortune , and Forbes .

Kaitlin Woolley

Dr. Woolley studies the psychological processes behind consumer motivation. She’s an award-winning educator and researcher with work published in academic journals and national media outlets including the Journal of Consumer Research , Journal of Marketing Research , and The Wall Street Journal .

EXPLORE JOHNSON SCHOOL FACULTY

What You’ll Learn: Curriculum Overview

As you pursue your PhD in business management , you’ll begin with a set of foundation courses and progress into advanced coursework in your area of interest. Through it all, your faculty committee will help make sure you’re on the right track.

Foundational Management Coursework

Early in your doctoral program, you will complete foundational coursework in management and other fields. Many of these will focus on the research process and prepare you for your dissertation.

Advanced Coursework in Your Concentration Area

As you progress in the PhD in Management program, you’ll take electives and advanced courses that align with your research area of interest; these classes can be in the Johnson School and across Cornell.

Your Dissertation: Creating Original Research

During the final part of the program, you begin work on your dissertation—the culmination of your original research. You choose the topic of research in conjunction with your committee.

VIEW PROGRAM SPECIFICS

Beyond Business: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Dialogue

Tap into the experience and expertise of faculty members from across Cornell University.  

Management is a broad science. Business leaders serve in a variety of roles in industries of all kinds: healthcare, consumer goods, agriculture, biotechnology, media, and consulting to name just a few. At Cornell, you can enrich your education and expand your research opportunities by taking courses and finding mentors beyond the college of business.

Explore fields like computer science, psychology, sociology, communication, engineering, and data science—and then connect the dots back to your management research.

Interact with peers and professors from other disciplines by participating in student organizations and special interest groups or by attending public lectures, workshops, and networking events.

Admissions Overview: How to Apply to the Management PhD Program

The ideal candidate for the Johnson School’s doctorate degree in management will have a strong record of academic excellence, a solid understanding of the research process, and an entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving. An MBA or master’s degree is not a requirement for admission. 

Our admissions page offers more details about program prerequisites, selection criteria, requirements, deadline information, and a checklist of materials you need to submit with your application.

Connect With Cornell Admissions

The Johnson School admissions team is available to answer your questions about the program and the application process. Stop in or reach out by phone or email today.

253-D Sage Hall Johnson Graduate School of Management Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-6201

Phone: 607-255-5340 Email: Graduate Research Programs Office

The Cornell Campus: Where You Will Learn, Grow, and Thrive

Learn, grow, and thrive on one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States. As a PhD student, you’ll spend a lot of time in Sage Hall, a Gothic-style building dating back to 1875. You’ll find more high-tech learning spaces just off campus at the Breazzano Family Center for Business Education. You’ll also have access to the innovative campus of Cornell Tech in New York City—particularly relevant to students focused on technology and information management. 

Attending Cornell also means you’ll call Ithaca, NY, home for about five years. Our eclectic downtown is full of eateries, shops, activities, and all of the amenities you’d need for everyday life. When you’re not in class or studying, you can explore all that the Finger Lakes region has to offer.

PhD in Management FAQ: What You Need to Know

Before you apply to a research-focused graduate program, you’re likely to want to do some deep research of your own. For instance, how does a fully funded PhD in Management work? What’s the typical completion time?

We have a robust Frequently Asked Questions section to help you learn more about our program, the admissions process, and dissertation requirements. For our international applicants, you’ll also find specific details about earning your PhD in Management.

May I speak to someone about my interest in the program and visit?

You are welcome to reach out to any professor with whom you see a good research fit. Our website also has a wealth of information about the program.

Is an interview part of the process?

We offer interviews only to a few applicants after their first screening.

May I talk to a professor or advisor?

You are welcome to contact any professor with whom you see a research match. Faculty are more likely to respond to specific research queries.

I have questions; may I write to this program email address?

Yes. Our response time will vary. We are not able to answer detailed questions that are better assessed by faculty during the application process.

May I schedule a campus tour?

Admissions does not offer campus tours for PhD program applicants. However, you may arrange an appointment with a faculty member.

Fraud alert – beware of third-party post-doc scams.

Cornell University recently has been made aware of fraudulent activity targeting overseas students and researchers, including at least one third party website falsely stating that it is offering a postdoctoral or visiting scholar program in association with Cornell. These scams, which may seek to obtain money and/or personal details from interested applicants, are fraudulent. 

Cornell wishes to warn the public about these fraudulent activities being perpetrated purportedly in the name of Cornell, and/or its officials. Please be advised that: 

• Cornell does not, nor has it, worked in collaboration with third-party companies or organizations to offer postdoctoral or research certificate programs.
• Third parties do not collect tuition or fees on behalf of Cornell.
• Cornell does not work with or endorse such organizations including, but not limited to, Shanghai Lufei Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Chinese name: 上海璐斐教育科技有限公司) and Shenzhen Guoyan Era Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Chinese name: 深圳市国研时代教育科技有限公司).

Cornell’s postdoctoral positions are listed on the Academic Career Opportunities website and postdoctoral fellowship programs are available for viewing. If you suspect a third party of falsely advertising a Cornell program, please notify [email protected]. Victims of such scams may also report them to their local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

Start the Application Process Today

Ready to apply to our highly selective, fully funded PhD in Management? We look forward to learning more about you and your research goals. Start the application process today at the Cornell Graduate Admissions website. [You’ll first need to register for an account or log in to an existing one.]

About Stanford GSB

• The Leadership
• Dean’s Updates
• School News & History
• Commencement
• Business, Government & Society
• Centers & Institutes
• Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
• Center for Social Innovation
• Stanford Seed

About the Experience

• Learning at Stanford GSB
• Experiential Learning
• Guest Speakers
• Entrepreneurship
• Social Innovation
• Communication
• Life at Stanford GSB
• Collaborative Environment
• Activities & Organizations
• Student Services
• Housing Options
• International Students

Full-Time Degree Programs

• Why Stanford MBA
• Academic Experience
• Financial Aid
• Why Stanford MSx

Research Fellows Program

• See All Programs

Non-Degree & Certificate Programs

• Executive Education
• Stanford Executive Program
• Programs for Organizations
• The Difference
• Online Programs
• Stanford LEAD
• Seed Transformation Program
• Aspire Program
• Seed Spark Program
• Faculty Profiles
• Academic Areas
• Awards & Honors
• Conferences

Faculty Research

• Publications
• Working Papers
• Case Studies

Research Hub

• Research Labs & Initiatives
• Business Library
• Data, Analytics & Research Computing
• Behavioral Lab

Research Labs

• Cities, Housing & Society Lab
• Golub Capital Social Impact Lab

Research Initiatives

• Corporate Governance Research Initiative
• Corporations and Society Initiative
• Policy and Innovation Initiative
• Rapid Decarbonization Initiative
• Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
• Value Chain Innovation Initiative
• Venture Capital Initiative
• Career & Success
• Climate & Sustainability
• Corporate Governance
• Culture & Society
• Finance & Investing
• Government & Politics
• Leadership & Management
• Markets & Trade
• Operations & Logistics
• Opportunity & Access
• Organizational Behavior
• Political Economy
• Social Impact
• Technology & AI
• Opinion & Analysis
• Email Newsletter

Welcome, Alumni

• Communities
• Digital Communities & Tools
• Regional Chapters
• Women’s Programs
• Identity Chapters
• Find Your Reunion
• Career Resources
• Job Search Resources
• Career & Life Transitions
• Programs & Services
• Career Video Library
• Alumni Education
• Research Resources
• Volunteering
• Alumni News
• Class Notes
• Alumni Voices
• Contact Alumni Relations
• Upcoming Events

Admission Events & Information Sessions

• MBA Program
• MSx Program
• PhD Program
• Alumni Events
• All Other Events
• Requirements
• Requirements: Behavioral
• Requirements: Quantitative
• Requirements: Macro
• Requirements: Micro
• Annual Evaluations
• Field Examination
• Research Activities
• Research Papers
• Dissertation
• Oral Examination
• Current Students
• Entering Class Profile
• Education & CV
• GMAT & GRE
• International Applicants
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Reapplicants
• Application Fee Waiver
• Deadline & Decisions
• Job Market Candidates
• Academic Placements
• Stay in Touch
• Fields of Study
• Student Life

Our faculty members are uncompromisingly committed to student success

Students pursue an intensely focused, highly energized academic experience in their chosen discipline

Recognized experts in their fields, our faculty continually publish groundbreaking research

Our collaborative culture enables students to support one another, and most students live on campus

Learn more about our application materials and what we look for in a candidate

Our graduates pursue tenure-track academic placements at top institutions around the world

Stanford GSB PhD Program

Discover a focus and intensity greater than you may have thought possible. As a PhD student at Stanford Graduate School of Business, you will be inspired and challenged to explore novel ideas and complex questions.

Fall 2024 applications are now closed. Applications for Fall 2025 will be available in September 2024.

Become an Outstanding Scholar

Our PhD Program is designed to develop outstanding scholars for careers in research and teaching at leading academic institutions throughout the world. You will embark on a challenging and meaningful experience, focusing your academic study in one of seven distinct fields within the PhD degree program.

Is a PhD Right for You?

Strong PhD candidates are full of ideas and curiosity, with a passion and aptitude for research. If you’re prepared to embark on a rigorous career in research and develop your full potential, we invite you to explore the possibilities of a PhD in business. Admitted students receive full fellowships for their doctoral studies.

Faculty Publications

Material selection to improve sustainability in the apparel industry, chatgpt, md: how ai-empowered patients & doctors can take back control of american medicine, 2023 state of latino entrepreneurship, phd student voices, school news, stanford economist guido imbens wins nobel in economic sciences, susan athey named president of american economic association, teaching through a pandemic: students recognize two faculty members for their efforts, diversifying the pool of phd students will require systemic change.

Gain valuable research experience and training in a two-year, pre-doctoral opportunity at Stanford University.

• Priorities for the GSB's Future
• See the Current DEI Report
• Supporting Data
• Research & Insights
• Share Your Thoughts
• Search Fund Primer
• Teaching & Curriculum
• Affiliated Faculty
• Faculty Advisors
• Louis W. Foster Resource Center
• Defining Social Innovation
• Impact Compass
• Global Health Innovation Insights
• Faculty Affiliates
• Student Awards & Certificates
• Changemakers
• Dean Jonathan Levin
• Dean Garth Saloner
• Dean Robert Joss
• Dean Michael Spence
• Dean Robert Jaedicke
• Dean Rene McPherson
• Dean Arjay Miller
• Dean Ernest Arbuckle
• Dean Jacob Hugh Jackson
• Dean Willard Hotchkiss
• Faculty in Memoriam
• Stanford GSB Firsts
• Certificate & Award Recipients
• Teaching Approach
• Analysis and Measurement of Impact
• The Corporate Entrepreneur: Startup in a Grown-Up Enterprise
• Data-Driven Impact
• Designing Experiments for Impact
• Digital Business Transformation
• The Founder’s Right Hand
• Marketing for Measurable Change
• Product Management
• Public Policy Lab: Financial Challenges Facing US Cities
• Public Policy Lab: Homelessness in California
• Lab Features
• Curricular Integration
• View From The Top
• Formation of New Ventures
• Managing Growing Enterprises
• Startup Garage
• Explore Beyond the Classroom
• Stanford Venture Studio
• Summer Program
• Workshops & Events
• The Five Lenses of Entrepreneurship
• Leadership Labs
• Executive Challenge
• Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program
• Selection Process
• Training Schedule
• Time Commitment
• Learning Expectations
• Post-Training Opportunities
• Who Should Apply
• Introductory T-Groups
• Leadership for Society Program
• Certificate
• 2023 Awardees
• 2022 Awardees
• 2021 Awardees
• 2020 Awardees
• 2019 Awardees
• 2018 Awardees
• Social Management Immersion Fund
• Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships and Prizes
• Stanford Impact Leader Prizes
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Stanford GSB Impact Fund
• Economic Development
• Energy & Environment
• Stanford GSB Residences
• Environmental Leadership
• Stanford GSB Artwork
• A Closer Look
• California & the Bay Area
• Voices of Stanford GSB
• Business & Beneficial Technology
• Business & Sustainability
• Business & Free Markets
• Business, Government, and Society Forum
• Get Involved
• Second Year
• Global Experiences
• JD/MBA Joint Degree
• MA Education/MBA Joint Degree
• MD/MBA Dual Degree
• MPP/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Computer Science/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Electrical Engineering/MBA Joint Degree
• MS Environment and Resources (E-IPER)/MBA Joint Degree
• Academic Calendar
• Clubs & Activities
• LGBTQ+ Students
• Military Veterans
• Minorities & People of Color
• Partners & Families
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Support
• Residential Life
• Student Voices
• MBA Alumni Voices
• A Week in the Life
• Career Support
• Employment Outcomes
• Cost of Attendance
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• BOLD Fellows Fund
• Application Process
• Loan Forgiveness
• Contact the Financial Aid Office
• Evaluation Criteria
• English Language Proficiency
• Personal Information, Activities & Awards
• Professional Experience
• Optional Short Answer Questions
• Application Fee
• Reapplication
• Deferred Enrollment
• Joint & Dual Degrees
• Event Schedule
• Ambassadors
• New & Noteworthy
• Ask a Question
• See Why Stanford MSx
• Is MSx Right for You?
• MSx Stories
• Leadership Development
• Career Advancement
• Career Change
• How You Will Learn
• Admission Events
• Personal Information
• Information for Recommenders
• GMAT, GRE & EA
• English Proficiency Tests
• After You’re Admitted
• Daycare, Schools & Camps
• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
• Faculty Mentors
• Current Fellows
• Standard Track
• Fellowship & Benefits
• Group Enrollment
• Program Formats
• Developing a Program
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Strategic Transformation
• Program Experience
• Contact Client Services
• Campus Experience
• Live Online Experience
• Silicon Valley & Bay Area
• Digital Credentials
• Faculty Spotlights
• Participant Spotlights
• Eligibility
• International Participants
• Stanford Ignite
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Operations, Information & Technology
• Classical Liberalism
• The Eddie Lunch
• Accounting Summer Camp
• Videos, Code & Data
• California Econometrics Conference
• California Quantitative Marketing PhD Conference
• California School Conference
• China India Insights Conference
• Homo economicus, Evolving
• Political Economics (2023–24)
• Scaling Geologic Storage of CO2 (2023–24)
• A Resilient Pacific: Building Connections, Envisioning Solutions
• Adaptation and Innovation
• Changing Climate
• Civil Society
• Climate Impact Summit
• Climate Science
• Corporate Carbon Disclosures
• Earth’s Seafloor
• Environmental Justice
• Operations and Information Technology
• Organizations
• Sustainability Reporting and Control
• Taking the Pulse of the Planet
• Urban Infrastructure
• Watershed Restoration
• Junior Faculty Workshop on Financial Regulation and Banking
• Ken Singleton Celebration
• Marketing Camp
• Quantitative Marketing PhD Alumni Conference
• Presentations
• Theory and Inference in Accounting Research
• Stanford Closer Look Series
• Quick Guides
• Core Concepts
• Journal Articles
• Glossary of Terms
• Faculty & Staff
• Researchers & Students
• Research Approach
• Charitable Giving
• Financial Health
• Government Services
• Workers & Careers
• Short Course
• Adaptive & Iterative Experimentation
• Incentive Design
• Social Sciences & Behavioral Nudges
• Bandit Experiment Application
• Conferences & Events
• Reading Materials
• Energy Entrepreneurship
• Faculty & Affiliates
• SOLE Report
• Responsible Supply Chains
• Current Study Usage
• Pre-Registration Information
• Participate in a Study
• Founding Donors
• Location Information
• Participant Profile
• Network Membership
• Program Impact
• Collaborators
• Entrepreneur Profiles
• Company Spotlights
• Seed Transformation Network
• Responsibilities
• Current Coaches
• How to Apply
• Meet the Consultants
• Meet the Interns
• Intern Profiles
• Collaborate
• Research Library
• News & Insights
• Program Contacts
• Databases & Datasets
• Research Guides
• Consultations
• Research Workshops
• Career Research
• Research Data Services
• Course Reserves
• Course Research Guides
• Material Loan Periods
• Fines & Other Charges
• Document Delivery
• Interlibrary Loan
• Equipment Checkout
• Print & Scan
• MBA & MSx Students
• PhD Students
• Other Stanford Students
• Faculty Assistants
• Research Assistants
• Stanford GSB Alumni
• Telling Our Story
• Staff Directory
• Site Registration
• Alumni Directory
• Alumni Email
• Privacy Settings & My Profile
• Success Stories
• The Story of Circles
• Support Women’s Circles
• Stanford Women on Boards Initiative
• Alumnae Spotlights
• Insights & Research
• Industry & Professional
• Entrepreneurial Commitment Group
• Recent Alumni
• Half-Century Club
• Fall Reunions
• Spring Reunions
• MBA 25th Reunion
• Half-Century Club Reunion
• Faculty Lectures
• Ernest C. Arbuckle Award
• Alison Elliott Exceptional Achievement Award
• ENCORE Award
• Excellence in Leadership Award
• John W. Gardner Volunteer Leadership Award
• Robert K. Jaedicke Faculty Award
• Jack McDonald Military Service Appreciation Award
• Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award
• Tapestry Award
• Student & Alumni Events
• Executive Recruiters
• Interviewing
• Land the Perfect Job with LinkedIn
• Negotiating
• Elevator Pitch
• Email Best Practices
• Resumes & Cover Letters
• Self-Assessment
• Whitney Birdwell Ball
• Margaret Brooks
• Bryn Panee Burkhart
• Margaret Chan
• Ricki Frankel
• Peter Gandolfo
• Cindy W. Greig
• Natalie Guillen
• Carly Janson
• Sloan Klein
• Sherri Appel Lassila
• Stuart Meyer
• Tanisha Parrish
• Virginia Roberson
• Philippe Taieb
• Michael Takagawa
• Terra Winston
• Johanna Wise
• Debbie Wolter
• Rebecca Zucker
• Complimentary Coaching
• Changing Careers
• Work-Life Integration
• Career Breaks
• Flexible Work
• Encore Careers
• D&B Hoovers
• Data Axle (ReferenceUSA)
• EBSCO Business Source
• Global Newsstream
• Market Share Reporter
• ProQuest One Business
• Student Clubs
• Entrepreneurial Students
• Stanford GSB Trust
• Alumni Community
• How to Volunteer
• Springboard Sessions
• Consulting Projects
• 2020 – 2029
• 2010 – 2019
• 2000 – 2009
• 1990 – 1999
• 1980 – 1989
• 1970 – 1979
• 1960 – 1969
• 1950 – 1959
• 1940 – 1949
• Service Areas
• ACT History
• ACT Awards Celebration
• ACT Governance Structure
• Building Leadership for ACT
• Individual Leadership Positions
• Leadership Role Overview
• Purpose of the ACT Management Board
• Contact ACT
• Business & Nonprofit Communities
• Reunion Volunteers
• Ways to Give
• Fiscal Year Report
• Business School Fund Leadership Council
• Planned Giving Options
• Planned Giving Benefits
• Planned Gifts and Reunions
• Legacy Partners
• Giving News & Stories
• Giving Deadlines
• Development Staff
• Submit Class Notes
• Class Secretaries
• Board of Directors
• Health Care
• Sustainability
• Class Takeaways
• All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions
• If/Then: Business, Leadership, Society
• Grit & Growth
• Think Fast, Talk Smart
• Spring 2022
• Spring 2021
• Autumn 2020
• Summer 2020
• Winter 2020
• In the Media
• For Journalists
• DCI Fellows
• Other Auditors
• Academic Calendar & Deadlines
• Course Materials
• Entrepreneurial Resources
• Campus Drive Grove
• Campus Drive Lawn
• CEMEX Auditorium
• King Community Court
• Seawell Family Boardroom
• Stanford GSB Bowl
• Stanford Investors Common
• Town Square
• Vidalakis Courtyard
• Vidalakis Dining Hall
• Catering Services
• Policies & Guidelines
• Reservations
• Contact Faculty Recruiting
• Lecturer Positions
• Postdoctoral Positions
• Accommodations
• CMC-Managed Interviews
• Recruiter-Managed Interviews
• Virtual Interviews
• Campus & Virtual
• Search for Candidates
• Think Globally
• Recruiting Calendar
• Recruiting Policies
• Full-Time Employment
• Summer Employment
• Entrepreneurial Summer Program
• Global Management Immersion Experience
• Social-Purpose Summer Internships
• Process Overview
• Project Types
• Client Eligibility Criteria
• Client Screening
• ACT Leadership
• Social Innovation & Nonprofit Management Resources
• Develop Your Organization’s Talent
• Centers & Initiatives
• Student Fellowships

Smart. Open. Grounded. Inventive. Read our Ideas Made to Matter.

Which program is right for you?

Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program develops leaders who make a difference in the world.

A rigorous, hands-on program that prepares adaptive problem solvers for premier finance careers.

A 12-month program focused on applying the tools of modern data science, optimization and machine learning to solve real-world business problems.

Earn your MBA and SM in engineering with this transformative two-year program.

Combine an international MBA with a deep dive into management science. A special opportunity for partner and affiliate schools only.

A doctoral program that produces outstanding scholars who are leading in their fields of research.

Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

A joint program for mid-career professionals that integrates engineering and systems thinking. Earn your master’s degree in engineering and management.

An interdisciplinary program that combines engineering, management, and design, leading to a master’s degree in engineering and management.

Executive Programs

A full-time MBA program for mid-career leaders eager to dedicate one year of discovery for a lifetime of impact.

This 20-month MBA program equips experienced executives to enhance their impact on their organizations and the world.

Non-degree programs for senior executives and high-potential managers.

A non-degree, customizable program for mid-career professionals.

PhD Program

Program overview.

Now Reading 1 of 4

Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

Admissions Events

Check out our event schedule, and learn when you can chat with us in person or online.

Start Your Application

Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

Now Reading 2 of 4

The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

May phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview, august phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

Now Reading 3 of 4

Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

Now Reading 4 of 4

The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

How Should We Measure the Digital Economy?

2020 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Avinash Collis

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program  Doctoral Forum Videos

• [email protected]

Keep Exploring

Ask a question or register your interest

Faculty Directory

Meet our faculty.

• Doctoral Profile
• Specializations
• Requirements
• Admissions & Tuition
• Master in Research in Management
• > Master in Management (MiM)
• > Master in Research in Management (MRM)
• > PhD in Management
• > Executive MBA
• > Global Executive MBA
• Programs for Individuals
• Programs for Organizations
• > Artificial Intelligence for Executives
• > Foundations of Scaling
• > Sustainability & ESG
• CHOOSE YOUR MBA
• IESE PORTFOLIO
• PROGRAM FINDER
• > Faculty Directory
• > Academic Departments
• > Initiatives
• > Competitive Projects
• > Academic Events
• > Behavioral Lab
• > Limitless Learning
• > Learning Methodologies
• > The Case Method
• > IESE Insight: Research-Based Ideas
• > IESE Business School Insight Magazine
• > StandOut: Career Inspiration
• > Professors’ Blogs
• > Alumni Learning Program
• IESE Publishing
• SEARCH PUBLICATIONS
• IESE NEWSLETTERS
• > Our mission, vision and values
• > Our history
• > Our governance
• > Our alliances
• > Our impact
• > Diversity at IESE
• > Sustainability at IESE
• > Accreditations
• > Annual report
• > Roadmap for 2023-25
• > Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• > Barcelona
• > São Paulo
• > Security & Campus Access
• > Loans and scholarships
• > Chaplaincy
• > IESE Shop
• > Jobs @IESE
• > Compliance Channel
• > Contact us
• GIVING TO IESE
• WORK WITH US

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.

Download Brochure

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.

Looking for inspiration to drive your career forward?

Subscribe to our StandOut blog newsletter.

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

Explore some of our featured content.

• Meet Dean Anil Menon, Ph.D.
• Compare Programs
• Executive MBA
• Early-Advantage MBA
• Executive Doctorate
• Accelerated Management Program
• Graduate Certificates
• Advanced Entrepreneurship
• Center for Leadership Development
• Management & Executive Education
• Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership

DBA vs. PhD: What’s the Difference?

You’ve tackled your undergraduate business degree, and now you’re feeling ready to take your business education one step further. You might be wondering, “Where do I even begin?” If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place. When it comes to upper-level business degrees, there are a wide variety of options. Two popular options are the Doctor of Business Administration, or DBA, and the Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD. Both options can be an excellent fit for students who are eager to dive even deeper into the world of academia. In this article, you’ll get a better understanding of the difference between the two degrees and gain some insight as to which degree program is the best fit for you.

What Is a DBA?

A Doctor of Business Administration, or DBA degree, is considered a “terminal degree.” This designation simply means that the degree is the highest level of education one can receive in the business world. These degrees are centered around business education with a major emphasis on management. DBA programs often entail a research component that focuses on real-life business problems. Throughout their studies, DBA students learn to apply various theories in solving real issues faced by today’s businesses. This degree is primarily geared toward individuals who currently hold a master’s degree in business or another closely related subject.

What Is a PhD?

PhD programs are another excellent choice for those wishing to further their education. This is also considered a “terminal degree,” and it is the highest-level research degree that one can obtain. These programs involve rigorous research and extensive study. While you’re likely interested in a PhD degree in the business field, nearly any subject can provide this research-based degree, from science, to humanities, to everything in between. While DBA programs are typically intended for students who hold a master’s degree, PhD programs welcome students after completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related discipline. They are the ideal choice for anyone who might be interested in carrying out research or teaching in an academic institution.

Coursework and Duration: Comparing the Curriculum

While both DBA programs and PhD programs give students a deep understanding of the theories that drive the world around us, they do so in different ways. In a Doctorate of Business Administration program, you’ll focus exclusively on business and management from a practical lens. Application of theory is a major focus, and coursework often provides students with opportunities to put their knowledge into practice by solving real-world business problems. Alternatively, PhD programs are offered in just about any subject one can imagine. They take a more theoretical approach with their curricula, teaching students to understand the “why” and “how” behind both business problems and their solutions.

The typical timeline of these graduate programs differs as well. Since DBA programs are intended for people who already have both a master’s degree and significant work experience, they tend to take less time to complete. Many DBA programs are offered on a part-time schedule, and students can expect to complete their Doctorate of Business Administration in about two to four years. While PhD programs don’t always require as much experience prior to enrolling, they tend to require more time to complete. These research-intense programs usually follow a full-time course schedule with an average completion time that ranges from three to five years.

Practical Experience vs. Thesis Research

The major difference between a DBA education and a PhD education can be summed up as practical vs. theoretical. Students entering into a DBA program typically come with a master’s degree in hand and multiple years of relevant work experience under their belt. As such, DBA programs are designed to expand upon their students’ wealth of prior knowledge and experience. These programs teach students to understand relevant theories and principles of business management, but more importantly, they teach students to apply those theories and principles. DBA programs equip students to bring their education and experience to the table when solving real-world problems.

While DBA students focus on using existing knowledge to solve problems, students in PhD programs work to add new knowledge to the business world. Instead of researching the application of existing theories and principles, PhD students are expected to work on original research, unearthing and exploring new ideas. Thus, PhD programs take a much more theoretical approach rather than a practical one. To put their newly gained insights on display, PhD candidates are usually required to complete a dissertation. Through these lengthy research projects, students demonstrate their knowledge, expand upon their ideas, and showcase their experience.

Career Outcomes of a DBA vs. a PhD in Business Administration

Following completion of their degree, DBA and PhD graduates typically take two different paths when it comes to employment. Much like an MBA, a Doctor of Business Administration prepares students for jobs in both the private and public sector. DBA candidates often go on to work in senior management roles or consulting. Some even choose to open their own businesses. Their practical, hands-on approach ensures that DBA programs leave their graduates well-equipped for these roles.

On the other hand, PhD candidates typically stick to the world of academia following their graduation. They often find work with universities as professors and can even go on to be program directors. Some graduates may also opt to continue expanding upon their research while they teach, sharing their research methods with the next generation of PhD students.

However, as with any degree, the job you’ll find afterward depends on a number of different factors. Your prior work experience and unique strengths gained from both work and the classroom play a big part in determining where you’ll take your talents. Just like your interests and passions will likely guide your choice between DBA and PhD programs, they’ll also guide your job search. External factors do play a role as well. The current job market will decide what specific jobs are available at one time or another, and demand for your specific skill set can determine how well you fit the profile of those available jobs.

DBA or PhD: Which Is Right for You?

Deciding to further your education with a doctorate degree is a huge decision in and of itself. Having to choose between a Doctor of Business Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy might be an even more challenging decision. Each of these programs is considered a “terminal degree,” offering students the highest level of education possible in the field. They provide candidates with advanced training and preparation for high-ranking roles. Whether you opt for a DBA or a PhD program, you’ll be opening doors to a wide range of career opportunities.

To ensure that you make the right choice between the two degrees, you’ll want to take time to think about your career goals. Consider where you are now as well as what you want your career to look like in 5, 10, even 2o years. Do you hope to hold a title as a C-suite executive of a major corporation, calling the shots and leading the teams around you? Or do you hope to be in the classroom, teaching the next generation of business professionals about both new and existing theories in the business industry?

Be sure to spend some significant time weighing out these options, including any accreditation requirements. Once you feel confident in the goals you’ve set, look for programs that are in alignment with the things that are most important to you. Check out the academic career resources and coursework of each program you’re interested in. Give yourself the time and space to carefully consider each of these factors prior to making a decision.

Final Thoughts

Getting a doctorate degree can be an excellent way to take your career to the next level . No matter whether you opt for a DBA or a PhD, these terminal business degrees can make your application stand out among the rest and open doors to previously unattainable job opportunities. DBA programs are a perfect fit for people looking to grow their base of practical knowledge in the field. They prepare graduates to work in upper-level leadership roles within the business environment, solving real problems that companies face on a day-to-day basis. Alternatively, PhD programs are the ideal choice for anyone with an interest in the principles and theories that guide business decisions and outcomes. These programs equip graduates to take on roles in the world of academia, such as research and teaching.

However, before you take the jump into your DBA or PhD, be sure to take time to thoughtfully consider your decision. Use your career goals as a guide, and take the time to research your options thoroughly. Seek out advice from peers in the field, and learn from the stories of others making an impact in the business world, like one Crummer Executive MBA student who has a strong passion for both business and academia.

Related Articles

Is it really worth studying for an executive mba.

An EMBA can help you advance in your career. Discover how studying for an Executive MBA is totally worth it with Crummer Graduate School of Business.

How to Write a Top MBA Personal Statement (With Examples)

Discover the essential tips, strategies and examples for crafting a compelling MBA personal statement in this comprehensive guide.

21 Common Entry Level Jobs for MBA Graduates

Looking for entry-level MBA jobs? This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the landscape and find the best career opportunities for your skillset.

Commencement - May 3 & 4

Plan for your visit to campus to celebrate your graduate. All event details are located HERE . 

• Admission & Aid
• Student Life

Executive Ph.D. in Business

Gain the skills needed to make an impact through research, teaching, and leadership in the global business landscape.

Programs & Requirements

Executive student resources, mission & goals.

• Career Outcomes
• Request Info

Push the boundaries of your career. Change the business landscape. Be impactful.

Nobody makes it as far as you have in the business world without having drive and determination. An executive Ph.D. in business management couples that tenacity with advanced business knowledge and skills, giving you the chance to push beyond your career's current boundaries and create brand-new expectations for yourself and your organization.

An executive Ph.D. degree in business management is the highest academic credential attainable in the field of business. The degree is typically designed to prepare candidates for careers in academia, research, and other roles that require complex problem-solving. To that end, our hybrid-format online Ph.D. in business program at Cumberlands focuses on original research and developing new theories to further the body of knowledge in your discipline. If you think you have what it takes, and if you want to advance your business career even further, take this as your sign to consider pursuing an Executive Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management at University of the Cumberlands.

By the Numbers

Executive doctor of philosophy in business management.

The Executive Ph.D. Business Management from University of the Cumberlands will impart the skills you need to stay at the cutting edge of innovations in business, along with the tools you need to teach at postsecondary institutions. In this Ph.D. program you’ll learn the business philosophy, critical thinking skills, and evidence-based practices necessary to excel in any teaching, research, or business roles.

This hybrid Ph.D. graduate degree in business builds on your undergraduate and graduate work and your practical, real-world business experience. Along with professional research courses, you’ll take core business courses in areas ranging from comparative economics and corporate finance to managerial ethics and social responsibility.

Curriculum for this Executive Ph.D. Business Management program — including all coursework and field and clinical experiences — will engage you in the theories, strategies, and tactics you need to:

• Research and attain business discipline-specific knowledge and competencies
• Develop business-related professional skills—from communication to collaboration
• Assess your personal values, connecting them with ethical business and research behaviors

Course Requirements

• BACC 731 Advanced Managerial Accounting
• BADM 733 Strategic Marketing: Research and Practice
• BADM 734 Corporate Finance: Fiscal Management in a Global Climate
• BADM 735 Comparative Economics
• BADM 737 Managerial Ethics and Social Responsibility
• BADM 838 Strategic Thinking, Decision-Making, and Innovation
• DSRT 734 Inferential Statistics
• DSRT 834 Advanced Statistical Applications
• DSRT 837 Professional Writing and Proposal Development
• DSRT 850 Qualitative Research
• DSRT 736 Dissertation Seminar
• DSRT 839 Advanced Research Methods
• DSRT 930 Dissertation
• DSRT 931 Dissertation

A content specialty area of at least 24 hours must be earned in one of the following disciplines:

• Entrepreneurship
• Healthcare Administration
• Project Management
• Strategic Management
• Public Administration 

For a full list of course offerings or more program specific information, visit our Academic Catalog page. 

INTR 799/899 - Applied Learning Practicum

For executive format students, the applied learning component (internship/practicum) is established as an integral (essential) part of the established curriculum.  Due to the applied learning component required for the degree program, executive format students must enroll in INTR every term of enrollment. 

UC's Department of International Graduate Services enjoys providing support resources for our international students. Find tutorials and information regarding offices and policies for the International Graduate Students and programs.

• View Executive Student Resources

Executive Program Format

Our Executive Programs include hybrid course days designed for international graduate students studying in the U.S., or domestic students seeking a hybrid-format program.  We strive to incorporate professional experience and real-world application of course curriculum into our programs to enhance the learning experience.  Practical Training is an integral part of program coursework and available to all students.  At the University of the Cumberlands our degree programs focus on quality education at an affordable price.

Executive Program students take three (3) courses per semester.  The program semester is based on the existing UC semester calendar, with three (3) annual semesters: fall, spring, and summer.  Two of the courses each semester focus on the specific program content.  Additionally, students will be required to attend an intensive residency weekend as part of their course enrollment each term.  The third class includes an Applied Learning Practicum, in which students apply what they are learning in their other two courses to the real world via work or internship experiences.

Residency FAQs

Residency Session dates are determined by the course that you are registered for. It is very important that you make note of the class you registered for, as well as the designated residency weekend for that course as each course will only meet one weekend for the duration of the semester.

Even though we will only be meeting one weekend per semester, we will have the same number of contact hours with you. This will enable the instructors to make residency weekends much more valuable. This change will allow us to have meaningful projects on residency weekends.

You can view your semester schedule in your self-service portal in your Student Profile. Once you log into your MyUC account, click on Academics, then click on Current Schedule. Your schedule details will indicate the date and location of your residency weekend.

You can find information on the residency site locations on our website.

Yes, all three days are mandatory, and requests to arrive late or leave early will not be approved. Should you not be in attendance for the full session, you will be counted absent for the entire session. Please plan travel accordingly!

Attendance to each executive residency class session is mandatory. Students may make up no more than one (1) residency session throughout the duration of their academic program. Missing a second residency will result in the student being dismissed from the university.

A missed session will result in the student attending a make-up session, and paying a $300 residency make-up fee. In addition, the student may be asked for documentation from the program department providing an explanation as to why the scheduled residency session was missed. Make-up sessions must be completed prior to the end of the term. Noncompliance with this policy will result in dismissal from the executive program.

Make-up residency sessions will be held at our campus in Williamsburg, KY. You will be contacted with the time and dates after your absence is reported. There will only be one (1) residency make-up session offered each semester. Failure to attend all days of the makeup session will result in receiving a failing grade for the course, as well as potential dismissal from the University, and SEVIS termination. 

If you cannot be in attendance for all three days then you will be counted absent for the entire residency weekend and be required to attend the make-up residency and pay the $300 make-up fee.

The Department of International Graduate Services will contact you via your UC student email as registration for the next term approaches. Please remember that you are required to register for (one) main class, (one) online class, and Applied Learning Practicum each semester in order to maintain your F1 status – late registration will not be accepted and can result in the termination of your student status. 

Once you register for a class you will want to make note of the residency weekend that your class is scheduled, as that is the only session for that class that will be scheduled for the semester. You will need to be sure to plan your travel accordingly to ensure that you are in attendance for the full residency session.

Registration is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once a course is full, there will not be additional seats added, as we cannot exceed classroom seating capacity; therefore, it is advised that you register for classes as much in advance as possible. As a reminder, students cannot register for future semesters until their current tuition balance is paid in full.

*Please note all times are in local time zone*

Facility will open at 4:00 p.m.

Facility will open at 7:00 a.m.

We ask that you please take note of the above-mentioned times and schedule your travel accordingly.

*These dates have been set; however, if any changes are made, they will be made prior to registration for that semester. Not all dates are available at each residency location.

Fall 2023 (August 28 – December 15)

• September 29 – October 1
• October 6 – 8
• October 13 – 15
• October 20 – 22
• November 3 – 5
• November 10 – 12
• November 17 – 19

Spring 2024 (January 8th – April 26th)

• February 9 – 11
• February 16 – 18
• February 23 – 25
• March 1 – 3
• March 8 – 10
• March 15 – 17
• March 22 – 24
• April 5 – 7

Summer 2024 (May 6th – August 23rd)

• May 31 – June 2
• June 14 – 16
• June 21 – 23
• June 28 – 30
• July 12 – 14
• July 19 – 21
• July 26 – 28
• August 2 – 4

Fall 2024 (August 26th – December 13th)

• September 27 – 29
• October 4 – 6
• October 11 – 13
• October 18 – 20
• October 25 – 27
• November 1 – 3
• November 8 – 10
• November 15 – 17
• November 22 – 24 

Take the Next Step

• Schedule a Visit

Request Information

In harmony with the overall purpose of University of the Cumberlands, the structured curriculum offers you a personalized path for research and administration or for service and practice.

Business Management Careers & Outcomes

All stats from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top Executive $100,090

Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. 

Finacial Analyst $92,220

Financial analysts guide businesses and individuals in decisions about expending money to attain profit.

Marketing Manager: $138,730

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services.

Management Analyst: $95,290

Management analysts recommend ways to improve an organization’s efficiency.

Business Professor: $80,840

Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Project Management Specialist: $95,370

Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project.

Common Questions

An executive Ph.D. in Business is the highest academic credential attainable in the field of business. The degree is typically designed to prepare candidates for careers in academia, research, and other roles that require complex problem-solving. To that end, the program focuses on original research and developing new theories to further the body of knowledge in your discipline. Doctoral candidates pursue interdisciplinary coursework to gain a strong professional foundation. They also take courses on research skills in preparation for completing an original dissertation. 

While both are doctoral degrees, these programs differ in a few ways — most notably, in their approach to research. Because an executive Ph.D. is traditionally intended for those pursuing careers in academia, this program emphasizes original rather than applied research. Therefore, executive Ph.D. candidates focus on making contributions that advance the field of business. Meanwhile, executive DBA programs also require research, but the focus is on applying existing theories to real-world business problems. 

Executive Ph.D. and executive DBA programs may also lead to different professional outcomes. Many students pursue an executive Ph.D. in Business because they intend to teach in a postsecondary setting or work as researchers. An executive DBA, on the other hand, is designed for business practitioners who hope to attain advanced leadership roles in their organizations. That said, after earning an executive Ph.D., many graduates pursue a business career outside the realm of academia. With a doctoral degree under your belt, you’ll be ready to choose your own path.

Earning your executive PhD in business in a flexible yet practical hybrid format could unlock a range of management and leadership career paths. There are many lucrative fields that offer room for growth as you pursue your business leadership aspirations.

After earning an executive PhD in business, you could pursue career paths such as:

• Financial Manager
• Healthcare Administrator
• Project Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Management Analyst

All programs at University of the Cumberlands are offered at some of the lowest rates in the nation – and we even include free textbooks through our One Price Promise! For more information on how affordable this program would be for you, visit our Financial Aid page.

Among other things, by the time you complete your hybrid-format executive PhD in business management at Cumberlands, you will be able to:

• Research and attain business discipline-specific knowledge and competencies,
• Develop business-related professional skills—from communication to collaboration, and
• Assess your personal values, connecting them with ethical business and research behaviors.

Executive Program Admission Requirements

All students in our executive programs are required to meet a standard set of admissions requirements for graduate students.

Faculty Experts

Get to know more about the UC professors you'll interact with.

Dr. Karina Kasztelnik

Contact information.

Dr. Tom Javarinis

Dr. Vanessa Claus

Make sure you have all the information you need. Reach out to us, and we'll respond soon!

Is a Ph.D. in Business Worth It?

Find your perfect business degree.

www.business-management-degree.net is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

A super common question… Is obtaining a Ph.D. in Business worth the time, effort, and money? In this article, we dive into all of the aspects of taking your business education a giant step further.

More college graduates are deciding to pursue a degree in the master’s, professional, or doctorate level of studies in their fields of discipline. Since 2000, the number of adults aged 25 and higher whose highest educational attainment was a master’s degree has doubled to 21 million. The number of doctoral degree holders has also grown to 4.5 million.

Given the rising development, it provides you with an assurance that completing a Ph.D. in Business is a worthy investment, especially in a competitive job market.

For many students, the decision to pursue a Ph.D. in Business studies is a tough one to make. Many aren’t sure if getting a Ph.D. in Business is even worth it. On the one hand, you are a passionate learner of the subject, and you want to deepen your knowledge as an independent researcher.

On the other hand, some factors can’t be ignored, such as completion time, low compensation, or even mundane career prospects.

In this article, we highlight all the essential information you will need to decide if getting a Ph.D. in Business is worth all the time and effort.

Also, see FAST, ACCREDITED Online Schools for Ph.D. DEGREES

Rising Number of Doctorate Degree Holders

Prospective students pursuing a Ph.D. program in a business-related field are generally highly determined to become an expert in their chosen specialization.

The doctorate program in Business offers you a clear and well-funded pathway to pose a question, perform research, discover something new, and publish your work with your name.

As a result, it proves that you have sufficient understanding and contribution to the subject. It is also a common way to get prepared for an academic career – either teaching at an advanced educational level or as a full-time researcher.

Workforce for Universities

Prospective Ph.D. in Business students are often involved in attending, grading, and teaching to the undergraduate student community at a lesser cost compared to an entry-level full-time professor.

As such, colleges and universities actively encourage a large Ph.D. population, advocate their research works, and earn more grants for the educational system while reducing the need to hire full-time teaching positions.

With the undergraduate student population bringing in immense tuition annually, having low-cost disposable teaching support develops an excellent ROI (Return on Investment) for institutions of higher learning.

Increasing Trend in Research Funding

For several years, funding hasn’t been that much for applied and basic research at colleges and universities. With the increasing budget in recent years, more doctorate candidates provide a consistently motivated workforce to keep research progressing forward, thus advocating even more research investments.

Research funding isn’t only supported by federal agencies but also by private sectors and industries investing in basic and applied research work toward technological innovations.

With enough funding, graduate students in business can find the right infrastructure to specialize in improving their skills and knowledge as a researcher.

Graduate School for Bridging Gap Arrangements

When the global economy takes a significant hit due to recession, admission to colleges and universities increases . The idea is that if career opportunities are low, candidates would prefer to boost their worthiness by completing a higher degree until the economic chaos settles.

The length of time it takes to obtain a Ph.D. generally outpaces the duration taken for any stagnant economy to recover, as proven by historical standards. This is the reason why during the 2008 and 2009 global recession, the number of prospective graduate students grew from 2.4 million to 2.7 million (approximately 12%).

Even in the absence of an economic disaster, enrolling in graduate schools is a common way of deferring a career search or escaping unemployed status.

All About Ph.D. in Business Program

Now that we’ve discussed the general factors that might initially convince you that a Ph.D. in Business is a worthy investment, in this section, we will describe the doctorate programs in various business-related fields.

Here are some quick facts about the Ph.D. in Business program to prepare you for what you’ll need to comply with to complete your doctorate program:

• Credits Required to Graduate – 90
• Number of Specialization Courses – 5
• Number of Core Courses – 8
• Number of Elective Courses – 5
• Number of Research and Dissertation Credits Required to Graduate – 36
• Hours in Subject Per Week – 9

Ph.D. In Business Programs: Prerequisites and Requirements

Prospective students are required to complete a bachelor’s degree in a relevant business-related field or discipline together with satisfactory GRE or GMAT test scores to be enrolled in a specific Ph.D. in Business program. Doctoral business courses are research-intensive.

General coursework includes mathematics and business, as well as elective courses that depend on the student’s chosen concentration.

The coursework is completed during the first two years of the doctorate program. Afterward, they generally spend two years teaching undergraduate courses and performing research work. As a culminating requirement, writing and completing the dissertation can be accomplished in one to three years more. Sample coursework includes:

• Business Research Methods
• Financial Markets
• Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
• Mathematical Statistics

What a Ph.D. in Business Program Entails

Doctorate programs in a business-related field prepare you to perform highly specialized scholarly research work. The majority of graduates with a business doctoral program start their careers as consultants or leaders in the business or government sectors, as junior or senior researchers in a college or university, or as professors.

Ph.D. in Business programs are generally research-centric with an emphasis on the development of new theories or concepts in economics, management, and other related disciplines. Specialized areas of research and study include:

• Healthcare Management
• Human Resource
• Information Systems
• Leadership and Organizational Studies
• Operations Management
• Organizational Systems
• Supply Chain Management

Prospective graduates work closely with a faculty adviser who is a recognized practitioner or scholar in the related field. Graduate students and faculty mentors collaborate on research works and meet regularly to develop the students’ dissertation theories or concepts and research.

Also, they can even co-author papers for publication. The dissertation is the concluding product of a Ph.D. in Business program, and it is typically supplemented by a comprehensive exam or a series of examinations.

Most colleges and universities require graduate students to earn teaching experience to complete their business doctorate program. They often work as teaching assistants for their faculty advisor to accomplish this requirement.

Also, they can pursue additional teaching assignments through their college or university.

Employment Outlook and Salary Information for Ph.D. in Business Graduates

Completing a Ph.D. in Business will provide you with the expertise and skills for an academic profession in any business-related field, as well as scholarly research at the collegiate level. You will also acquire advanced business management knowledge that can be applied to the private industries and sectors.

A Ph.D. in Business emphasizes creating new concepts in consulting, economics, finance, public administration, business management, and related fields.

If you’re pursuing a Ph.D. in business, it will require a lot of effort and time. It is a full-time commitment that requires four to five years to complete the program. That said, it is essential to research what your potential wage could be with this doctorate program.

Additional Resource: FASTEST Online Doctorate (Ph.D.) Programs in BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Ph.D. in Business Graduates: Working in the Public or Private Sector

Earning a doctorate program in a business-related field will result in a higher wage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports obtaining a master’s program can provide you with an average $12,000 pay increase over an undergraduate program. In some instances, obtaining a Ph.D. in Business will yield a premium rate over a master’s program.

For instance, some reports indicate obtaining a master’s program in business will result in a median lifetime salary of $3.2 million while completing a doctorate program raises it to $3.5 million. Given this, we can generally conclude that earning a doctorate program will provide you with a higher income.

The primary factor for a wage increase is your employer being in the private or public sector.

Most professionals with a Ph.D. in Business work in the educational or public sector, and some are employed in private companies. Here is a general overview of the annual mean salary obtained from a variety of business-related careers in private industries:

• Business Postsecondary Teacher : $108,060 per year
• Distribution Manager : $108,910 per year
• Financial Manager : $139,790 per year
• Market Research Analyst : $78,880 per year
• Marketing Manager : $158,280 per year
• Sales Manager : $150,530 per year

Ph.D. in Business Graduates: Geographic Location

If you are a graduate of a Ph.D. in Business program, you will obtain a higher wage in some parts of the country than in others. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the national median annual salary for this sector is $131,200; however, your wage can be higher or lower depending upon which state you reside:

States With The Highest Employment Level:

California – $155,120 per year Texas – $119,540 per year New York – $170,150 per year Florida – $121,170 per year Illinois – $128,340 per year

States With The Highest Concentration of Jobs:

District of Columbia – $163,960 per year Massachusetts – $152,970 per year Illinois – $128,340 per year Connecticut – $144,560 per year Maryland- $130,690 per year

Top-Paying States:

New Jersey – $170,260 per year New York – $ 170,150 per year District of Columbia – $163,960 per year Delaware – $157,600 per year California – $155,120 per year

Ph.D. in Business Graduates: Job Titles

Another influential factor in what your wage can be with a Ph.D. in Business program is the job title. Depending on whether you land a career in a private company or academia, your wage can differ significantly.

Here is a quick sampling of the job titles and wages that people with this specific doctorate have:

• Chief Executive : $246,440 per year
• Computer and Information Systems Manager : $173,670 per year
• Legislator : $71,100 per year
• Public Relations and Fundraising Manager : $150,030 per year
• Human Resources Manager : $145,570 per year
• Medical and Health Services Manager : $127,980 per year
• Emergency Management Director : $88,890 per year
• Food Service Manager : $67,130 per year
• Financial Manager : $166,050 per year

Here is one significant aspect: your wage with a Ph.D. degree in Business will also be influenced by the concentration you choose. Numerous Ph.D. in Business programs provide you with concentrations that may have higher wages than others, such as operations management, accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, general management, and information systems.

This section offers some insights into what your wage could be with a Ph.D. in Business. Numerous career pathways you can pursue will affect your earning potential. Once you have identified what you want to do with your doctorate program, you can obtain a better idea of the wage potential.

With the information provided, the primary question – “ Is a Ph.D. in Business worth it? ” entirely depends upon which path you’ll take when it comes to your return on investment.

Ph.D. in Business Completion Rates

Ph.D. in Business programs presents a distinct profile. Not all doctorate candidates will complete – nor should they. Depending on their preferences, they fall into three categories:

1. Those who complete their doctorate studies.

Fairly self-explanatory.

2. Those who can finish but decide not to.

Some students may pursue alternative academic professions, while others may try to venture into becoming entrepreneurs. In these modern times, some people who initially desire to become part of academia may divert to other courses in life.

3. Those who can’t complete their doctorate programs.

Perhaps they lack the motivation and mindset to work on their own. Unless an excellent admissions team intervenes, some students become unable to fulfill the demands of the program and decide to quit.

Each college and university generally provides Doctoral Program Statistics on their official websites. It is one of the methods where prospective students can assess whether a doctorate program in business is worth their time, effort, and money.

For instance, the Cornell University Graduate School has a one-stop-shop with comprehensive information about the statistics of doctorate programs . In 2019, the doctorate in the management program’s admission and the yield rates were 4% and 77%, respectively.

In terms of program retention, the completion rate for the 2011 to 2015 academic years was 60%, while only 19% withdrew from the program.

Some 80% completed the program, while only 20% withdrew during the academic year 2006 to 2010. For 2024, there is a 100% in-progress rate for students who are completing their management doctorate program.

Top 10 Reasons To Pursue a Ph.D. in Business Program

If you still think a Ph.D. in Business is just an additional burden, here are more reasons why it is one of the noteworthy investments you can pursue, as well as meeting your personal and professional aspirations.

1. Opportunity to Teach in an Academia

Graduate students have the chance to teach undergraduate courses or assist professors with their teaching obligations, and some people find teaching a rewarding profession.

Business-related studies can be exciting and fun, but some individuals would want to slow down in their profession after a few years, especially if they want to pursue other ventures or want to start a family.

If you are currently in this state, earning a Ph.D. and some teaching opportunities is a good stepping stone into academia. Deadlines are generally more relaxed, and the work is still fulfilling and exciting.

2. Meet Inspirational People

The business industry is full of successful personalities who have inspiring and exciting stories to tell and provide you with the motivation and drive to succeed.

Although some individuals are fortunate enough to land a career working with someone they admire, for the majority of people, finding a job means working full-time in one place or one set of responsibilities.

On the contrary, academia is more flexible. Generally, it provides you with the opportunity to attend workshops, events, and lectures from prominent personalities or meet someone that you consider a role model at trade shows and conferences.

The majority of individuals are more likely to respond when someone reaches out to them in academic competence and generally share their knowledge in this setting.

3. Explore Your Passion

Majoring in Business opens up numerous career prospects after your graduation. Some people venture into this industry because they aren’t sure yet what they want to specialize in life. With a Ph.D. in Business, there are several opportunities to choose from.

A graduate program offers you more time to explore and discover your passion while still investing in something that will become a massive advantage to your professional life.

4. Have the Confidence to Become Successful

Self-confidence is essential in every aspect of your life, but when it comes to business ventures, it is your key to success. There are several strategies and ways to improve self-confidence, but confidence that results from entirely knowing your subject is challenging to fake.

Business partners, clients, investors, and interviewers appreciate dealing with a person who thoroughly knows their craft and subject inside and out, as well as comfortable talking and answering questions satisfactorily.

Being aware of what it takes to complete a Ph.D. in Business provides you with enough confidence to show you how you portray yourself on your resume.

5. Progress in Your Career

It takes several months or years to progress in your career. The majority of people spend the beginning stages of their profession exploring their footing in the business setting and getting used to how things work.

Your new experience from a business school indicates that you will have the capacity to succeed quickly and will also open opportunities for climbing the corporate ladder within your organization.

6. Improve Earning Potential

In terms of profitability, education is directly proportional to potential income. Numerous businesses and organizations automatically pay higher wages to someone with post-baccalaureate degrees.

Even companies that generally don’t may be willing to negotiate a higher starting wage for a candidate with extensive credentials, and you may be confident enough to ask for a higher range.

7. Specialize in a Field

If you are interested in non-profit management, supply chain management, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, or other business-related industries, a Ph.D. in Business is your key to being proficient in these areas!

8. Develop More Skills

Becoming proficient and competent is more than just a few courses you take in your undergraduate program; it takes a lot of perseverance and practice.

A Ph.D. in Business will provide you with the opportunity and time to develop your skills and expertise in a setting where you have open access to industry experts and high-quality learning resources and tools.

9. Enjoy Networking Opportunities

In the business world, having comprehensive coverage of contacts and a good knowledge of the business industry will provide you with a more significant advantage.

The people you study with will soon become your competitors and colleagues in the future. With that, academic workshops, events, conferences, and symposiums offer excellent opportunities to meet and collaborate with new people and eventually expand your network.

10. Stand Out From the Competition

In today’s modern economy, most career prospects in business and management require some form of business studies. As a result, most job seekers already have a business diploma, certificate, or degree.

Several colleges and universities provide you with accelerated MBA programs, whether traditional or online learning. With a Ph.D. in Business, it is a rare commodity. It provides you with a better advantage and makes you stand out from the rest. Also, it highlights that you are serious about your profession.

Related Links:

• Best Online Schools for Doctorate in BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
• Best Online Schools for Doctors in ACCOUNTING Degree Programs

Rowan Jones Chief Editor

PhD Program

Minimum of 4 years – Full time

Next Intake

September 1st, 2024

France (Cergy)

Concentration(s)

7 concentrations

We invite you to discover our doctoral degree programs in Business Administration and Economics and the opportunities they can offer you. The ESSEC PhD Program prepares you to play an active role in the international academic community and to develop research at the cutting edge. Learn more about our different concentrations and specializations and about the privileged conditions ESSEC is offering its doctoral candidates.

"ESSEC Business School is consistently ranked as one of the best business schools in Europe , with several of its Master's programs are ranked in the Top 5 worldwide (at the time of this writing: #4 in Finance, #4 in Business Analytics, #4 in Marketing Management, #3 in Strategy, #6 in Management). Its proximity to the Paris business hub and its reputation in executive education (ranked #5 in the world for its customized programs) also contribute to a vibrant atmosphere in constant contact with the business world.

Our faculty is world-renowned, highly international, and deeply committed to research and mentoring young scholars. Under their guidance, you will learn to ask insightful questions and design and execute studies that provide rigorous and creative answers.

Because top-notch research requires a true commitment free of financial worries, ESSEC Business School offers full-tuition scholarships and a tax-free stipend covering living expenses so that, from day one, you can focus entirely on your research. Unlike many schools, that tuition is not conditional on teaching for the first four years. It also offers the possibility of obtaining, at the same time as the PhD, a French doctorate. Knowledge of French is neither required nor expected to join the program.

We are looking for bright, motivated young people from around the world, from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, aiming to become academics at excellent universities and business schools. I invite you to undertake the PhD journey in our school. "

Arnaud De Bruyn,

Professor, Associate Dean of ESSEC PhD Program

Please read our yearly Newsletters

The goal of the ESSEC PhD Program is to prepare you for cutting-edge research and create the conditions for your integration into and active involvement in an international academic community. Our program is full-time, entirely in English and it meets the highest international standards.

We are offering six concentrations:

• Accounting and Auditing,
• Operations and Data Analytics,
• Management with specialized tracks (OB/HR, Strategy, Entrepreneuship, Information Systems and Management Control).

We believe that quality research in business administration and economics demands both discipline specialization at the cutting-edge and a broad intellectual inscription with wide-ranging understanding and perspective. Only this kind of combination can generate and nurture truly innovative and relevant research. Our program fosters an interest for issues of current concern in our complex transnational business and economic world. The research developed in the Program is both theoretical and empirical – and we acknowledge the importance of scientific rigor as well as the necessity to be empirically relevant. The ESSEC PhD Program values a community approach to research. As you enter the program, you become a junior member of our international and vibrant community of lead researchers. We also create the opportunity for you to join in the broad international academic debates of your discipline as early as possible by encouraging and supporting participation in conferences and workshops and periods of stay in one of our many partner Universities and schools.

The ESSEC PhD Program has two phases. The first two years is an intense period of coursework where you will be given the opportunity both to acquire a well-rounded and wide-ranging intellectual training and to deepen knowledge and mastery of your specialized field.

General Requirement Courses: They provide you with an overview of the different fields of business administration and of the various epistemologies and methodological tools available. This endows our students with a unique interdisciplinary perspective and with broad-based methodological competencies

Specialized courses and seminars: These courses provide you with in-depth theoretical and methodological knowledge fitted to your concentration and area of specialization. They are tailored to give you access to current state-of-the-art research in your particular field of specialization. After the successful completion of the first two years of the program and of preliminary exams, students are awarded an Advanced Master in Business Administration Research (MS BAR). You then enter the second phase of the PhD Program

Dissertation Proposal: You will work with one or two ESSEC professors who will guide and direct your research. You should validate your Dissertation proposal in January of your third year

Dissertation Defense: It is expected to take place by the end of the fourth year. You will be working closely with your supervisor(s) with tight inscription in the broader intellectual community of your concentration and beyond.

ESSEC boasts a top-level international Faculty that is deeply committed to research. When you enter our Program, you join an intellectually vibrant community that is connected across the world to a broad network of scholars and institutions. Our Faculty members hold PhDs or Doctoral Degrees from the best Universities in the world.Many members in our Faculty have an international reputation in their discipline and field – hence contributing to the brand name and international reputation of ESSEC. ESSEC Business School is a leading global business school (ranked #4 for its MiM Program by the Financial Times), with a double accreditation (AACSB and Equis) and two main campuses – one outside Paris and the other in Singapore.

Accounting and Auditing, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Operations and Data Analytics, Management with specialized tracks – OB/HR, Strategy, Entrepreneuship, Information Systems and Management Control.

The ESSEC PhD program in Accounting and Auditing (A&A) is devoted to training doctoral candidates to conduct research at the highest level on questions dealing with the role of accounting information in an ever-changing economic environment.

It is aimed at providing the necessary intellectual equipment to conduct scholarly research on a variety of accounting and auditing issues.

Research in accounting and auditing addresses a large spectrum of questions, including:

the impact of accounting information on financial market participants and other users;

the issues related to information asymmetries between managers and outsiders and the effects of managerial discretion;

the structure of incentive and monitoring systems;

the challenges in reporting on increasingly complex financial transactions and instruments and their valuation effects;

the convergence of national financial reporting systems towards an international standard of reference and its impact on capital markets;

the role(s) of auditing and the economic effects of regulation of accounting information;

the role(s) of accounting and accountants in organizations and society, etc.

Overview of the program

Accounting and auditing PhD students can choose to follow either a quantitative or qualitative research track.

• Students following the quantitative track are required to undertake training in accounting, finance, microeconomics, statistics, econometrics, and quantitative research methods, etc.
• Students following the qualitative track are required to undertake training in accounting, microeconomics, statistics, management, and qualitative research methods, etc.

In addition, all students can take elective courses they find useful for their research.

Students can specialize in one of the following subfields:

• Auditing and regulation
• Corporate finance and governance
• Empirical financial accounting and reporting
• Financial statement analysis
• International financial reporting
• Organizational and social aspects of accounting
• Social and environmental accounting

The Accounting and Management Control Department enjoys worldwide recognition for the excellence of its research.

Its faculty members publish on a regular basis in top accounting and business journals, such as Accounting, Organizations and Society, Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, Contemporary Accounting Research, European Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of International Business Studies, Management Science, and Strategic Management Journal, etc.

ESSEC professors have strong connections with the academic community, serving as editors, associate editors and editorial board members of major journals, organizing high-level international conferences, and routinely presenting their research in workshops and conferences held by leading academic institutions and premier academic journals.

The Department also holds annually a research seminar series, featuring research presentations by high-profile, world-renowned scholars.

Recent placement of Alumni

• Ionela Andreicovici - Frankfurt School of Finance and Management (Germany)
• Lisa Baudot - University of Central Florida (USA)
• Nava Cohen - New Jersey City University (USA)
• Alessandro Ghio - Monash University (Australia) / Current: Laval University (Canada)
• Dmitry Golubkov - Industry
• Thi Hong Nhung Hoang - SKEMA Business School (France)
• Zhongwei Huang - Cass Business School (UK) / Current: Fudan University (China)
• Jin Jiang - Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (China)
• Like Jiang - University of Melbourne (Australia)
• Damien Lambert - Monash University (Australia)
• Junqi Liu – Xiamen University (China)
• Rucsandra Moldovan - Concordia University (Canada)
• Joanne Sopt - San Francisco State University (USA)

The ESSEC PhD program in Data Analytics, launched in 2022, provides doctoral training with advanced courses and research opportunities in econometrics, machine learning, risk analysis, statistics and related fields.

The program aims at preparing the next generation of experts in data analytics, equipped with a modern skill set for the analysis of high-dimensional complex data and for the quantification of emerging risks.

These skills are paramount to the evaluation and the execution of high quality decision making.

With the guidance of ESSEC faculty at the forefront of research in Data Analytics and with the support of an extensive network of international collaborators, students are prepared for outstanding careers in academia, in public organizations or in data-intensive industries.

Students and faculty in this program hold themselves to the highest standards of integrity and scholarship, and are deeply committed to fostering an environment that encourages creativity, diversity and collegiality.

The program starts with a preparation period with compulsory and elective courses, where students discover and consolidate fundamental skills in modern Data Analytics.

• Compulsory courses include core econometrics and statistics, big data analytics, stochastic modeling, machine learning, optimization, Python/R programming and decision theory.
• Elective courses can be chosen among a large catalog at ESSEC as well as in other graduate programs.
• The course roadmap can be personalized in coordination with the students’ advisors and the program coordinator.

Research starts from the first year through research apprenticeship modules. Research activities intensify over the years as students focus on their dissertation under the guidance of one or multiple faculty members.

The program prepares PhD candidates to make significant contributions to their fields, to publish articles describing these advances and to present them at international conferences.

The program supports the students’ participation in seminars and workshops by developing their communication skills and providing networking opportunities at and outside of ESSEC.

The core faculty in Data Analytics at ESSEC is an international team across the Cergy/Paris and the Singapore campuses. We are hosted by the Department of Information Systems, Decision Sciences and Statistics , and the list of faculty specialized in Applied Probability, Econometrics, Statistics .

In their research, our faculty contributes to active topics in applied probability, Bayesian inference, computational statistics and simulation methods, econometric theory, extreme value theory, forecasting, high-dimensional statistics, machine learning.

Description of our main themes of research

Our team regularly publishes in the best journals in statistics, econometrics and applied probability, and is well connected, through on-going collaborations and partnerships, to other leading experts in France and worldwide.

We host seminar series at which renowned researchers present their latest works (see eco-stat-seminars and WGRisk-seminars ). We are part of active research groups such as the CREAR - Center of Research in Econo-finance and Actuarial sciences on Risk and the Metalab for Data, Technology and Society.

Its faculty have a strong record in the supervision of PhD students, who went on to become faculty at:

• Bocconi University in the Marketing department,
• University College of Dublin in the Economics department,
• Purdue University in the Statistics department,
• Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas in Ecuador and ESPRIT School of Engineering, Tunis.

Our former students received awards or prizes such as:

• The Savage Award (finalists) by the International Society for Bayesian Analysis,
• The Laplace Award by the American Statistical Association,
• The Prix des Sciences du Risque.

Outside of academia our former students have started their careers at the European Central Bank in national institutes or in the financial and technological industries.

The ESSEC PhD program in Economics provides doctoral students with a solid grounding in economic theory, as well as the analytical and statistical tools needed to conduct high-quality theoretical and empirical research.

This program is run jointly with the Economic department at CY Cergy Paris Université, one of the leading French universities in Economics.

It aims to develop multiple skills, notably the mastering of  the concepts of economic theory and analysis ; the methodology of model building at the highest scientific level ; and data analysis using advanced econometric methods and tools.

Overview of the Program

Common and compulsory courses across subfields: Preliminary courses (September of Year 1):

Mathematics for Economics

Introduction to Microeconomics

Advanced courses/seminars (first quarter of Year 1)

Microeconomics

Macroeconomics

Econometrics

Applied Statistics

Advanced courses/seminars (Year 1 and 2):

Advanced Microeconomics

Advanced Macroeconomics

Game Theory

Micro-Econometrics

Time Series Analysis

Research Seminar 1 : Professors Seminar

Research Seminar 2 : Student Seminar

Reading Seminars on Specialized Subjects

In this concentration, students can specialize in any of the following main areas:

Industrial Organization ;

International Economics (with micro or macro emphasis) ;

Public Economics.

The ESSEC Economics department is affiliated with THEMA (Center for Research in Applied Economics) . THEMA is one of the best research centers in economics from the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) and it is based in Cergy-Pontoise, between the CY Cergy Paris Université and ESSEC.

The ESSEC economic faculty regularly publishes articles in the highest level international academic reviews as well as books , chapters and economic reports (a total of 150 publications between 2008 and 2013).

ESSEC professors work in different areas: applied microeconomics ; industrial organisation ; game theory ; experimental economics ; monetary economics ; macroeconomics ; international trade and finance ; international institutional economics ; and health economics.

ESSEC professors are connected with the academic community by doing research with colleagues from all over the world, regularly participating in academic conferences and being board members of international journals.

• Trinity College Dublin (Ireland),
• University College Dublin (Ireland),
• European Central Bank (Germany),
• University of Luxembourg (Luxembourg),
• National Bank of Korea (South Korea),
• Shandong University (China),
• Zhongnan University (China),
• Korea Development Institute,
• Seoul (South Korea),
• CBN Research Institute,
• Shanghai (China),
• The Bank of Israel (Israel).

"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will be solved by science."

Charles Darwin

The PhD program in finance aims to train innovative scholars, able to produce top-quality research in finance.

To achieve this objective, students need to develop deep understanding of contemporaneous finance and related fields, demonstrated through the successful completion of required courses and a comprehensive exam.

Further, they need to show their skills in producing original research through a second-year paper and a dissertation.

The second-year paper must be presented in the Finance Department brown bag seminar before the end of the third year in front of the Faculty.

Students are required to participate in the academic activities of the finance department (seminar, brownbag, conferences) and they will have the possibility to cooperate with the faculty both at the Paris and the Singapore campuses.

Courses and seminars cover three components.

General Requirements

Advanced Courses and Seminars - Year 1

Asset Pricing 1

Asset Pricing 2

Corporate Finance 1

Empirical methods

Introduction to Game theory

Research seminars of the Finance department: Professor seminars and Brownbags

Advanced Courses and Seminars - Year 2

Asset Pricing 3

Empirical Corporate Finance

Microstructure of Financial Markets

Introduction to Stochastic Processes

Microeconometrics

Electives : 3 among

Empirical Corporate Governance

Quantitative Risk Management in Finance

Behavioral Finance

Advanced Corporate Finance

Introduction to Decision Theory

In this concentration, students can specialize in one of the following subfields:

Asset pricing and investments

Corporate Finance

Financial Econometrics

Microstructure

Risk Management

ESSEC's PhD program in Management applies social science disciplines and research methods to management problems. It prepares students for an academic career of research and teaching by providing solid training in research skills and deep knowledge in major developments and debates in the field.

The program encourages students to gain research experience by working closely with faculty on a variety of projects.

Over time students are ready to design, collect data, and write a dissertation that will reflect their curiosity and skills, and that will represent a significant contribution to management knowledge. 

Common courses across subfields:

Disciplinary foundations of management 1: Classics of the Social Sciences

Disciplinary foundations of management 2: Classics of Administration and Management Theory

Corporate and Business Strategy

Organizational Behaviour

Research Design

Epistemology and Philosophy of Sciences

Qualitative Research Methods in Management

Quantitative Research Methods in Management 1: SEM/Survey

Quantitative Research Methods in Management 2: Archival

Introduction to Econometrics

Elective courses and seminars:

Identity Processes in Individuals, Groups and Organizations

International Business

Business History, Ethics and Organizational Governance

Creativity and Innovation Management

Network Analysis

• Entrepreneurship

Human Resources Strategies and Organizational Performance

Decision Theory

Industrial Organization and Economics

Evaluation of IS Applications

Data Warehousing and Decision Support

Modeling and Designing IT Applications

Elective Course in Management Control

Social and Psychological Approaches in Management Accounting Research

Students in the Management concentrations can also take electives in any other concentration of the PhD Program after consultation with their PhD mentor.

• Organizational Behavior
• Management Control

Digitalization and Information Systems

Strategy / Organizational Behavior / Entrepreneurship

Students pursuing one of the three sub-fields will be working under the supervision of the faculty from the Management Department.

The department’s faculty has a broad range of interests ranging from the behavior of individuals and groups to organizational strategy and to the articulation of business and society.

Our faculty enjoys worldwide recognition for the excellence of its research.

They serve as editors in major journals and publish regularly in these outlets:

• Administrative Science Quarterly,
• Strategic Management Journal,
• Organization Science,
• American Sociological Review,
• Academy of Management Journal,
• Academy of Management Review,
• Journal of International Business Studies,
• Journal of Business Ethics,
• Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
• Journal of Organizational Behavior,
• Organization Studies.

The department holds a regular research seminar series in which world-renowned scholars present their work.

Further information on the subfields and the Management department

Students in Management Control will be supervised by faculty from the Management Control (MC) group, which is part of the Accounting and Management Control (A&MC) department. Management control tools such as budgets, key performance indicators and timesheets, practices such as performance assessment, promotion, and remuneration, and culture represent key organizational control mechanisms.

Our group is committed to the creation of knowledge through original, high-quality and interdisciplinary research, which tackles many of today’s societal challenges.

Our team conducts interdisciplinary research , publishing in prestigious journals in Accounting as well as Management:

• Organization Studies,
• Human Relations,
• Journal of Management,
• Critical Perspectives on Accounting,
• Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal etc.

In today’s world where phenomena are very complex, being able to draw on interdisciplinary perspectives to build a research project and to publish it, it is a strong asset. Thus, our team has also been successful in attracting external funding for its projects from the European Union (Marie-Curie IEF Fellowship, Eutopia); Eutopia CY, as well the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR).

Because we care about research with impact, our research is published or featured in practitioner-oriented or wider public outlets such as:

• Harvard Business Review,
• The Economist,
• Psychology Today,

More information on the MC group and its faculty members

Students focusing on Digitalization and Information Systems will be supervised by faculty from ESSEC's Information Systems (IS) group, which is part of the Information Systems, Decision Sciences and Statistics (IDS) department.

Faculty in the IS group conduct research on timely phenomena that are of high relevance for organizations, individuals, and societies, such as artificial intelligence, digital platforms and ecosystems, and blockchain.

Our faculty members publish in or serve on the editorial boards of the most renowned journals in the field, including MIS Quarterly, and Information Systems research. The IS group holds a regular research seminar where renowned IS researchers present their work. More information on the IS group and its faculty members

• Pace University NYC (USA),
• HEC Paris (France),
• St Mary's University Halifax (Canada),
• American University of Beirut (Lebanon),
• Neoma Business School (France),
• Montpellier Business School (France),
• King’s College London (United Kingdom),
• Iqra University Karachy (Pakistan),
• Leeds Business School (United Kingdom),
• IESEG (France),
• HEC Montreal (Canada),
• Concordia University (Canada),
• Warwick University (United Kingdom).

The ESSEC PhD program in Marketing is devoted to training doctoral candidates to conduct rigorous and high impact research in a dynamic business environment.

The program accommodates candidates with both quantitative and qualitative orientations, and provides them with the requisite tools, concepts and theories to engage in top quality research in Marketing.

A key objective of the program is to nurture the students’ scholarly interests within a collegial environment, encouraging interactions and exchanges with the faculty and other students.

In addition, the students have an opportunity to refine their communication skills, stimulate creative and rigorous thinking, all of which are essential for teaching, research and consulting. 

PhD students enrolled in the program take a series of core courses, which provide an interdisciplinary perspective on business administration, such as:

• Epistemology & Philosophy of Science,
• Sociological and Psychological Pillars of Management,
• Applied Statistics,
• Research Design,
• Econometrics,
• Microeconomics for Business Research.

In parallel, all students of the Marketing concentration are required take the following courses:

• Marketing Models 1,
• Fundamentals of Marketing Research,
• Multivariate Statistics in Marketing,
• Consumer Behavior Research,
• Marketing Strategy,
• Experimental Methods,
• Reading Seminar in Marketing (1 and 2),
• Structural Equation Modeling.

Additionally, students need to take mandatory track specific courses (e.g., students belonging to the marketing models track need to take Marketing Models 2).

Finally, the Marketing PhD students take four elective courses among all courses offered by the different concentrations.

PhD participants can do research on:

• Marketing models,
• Marketing strategy,
• Consumer behavior.

The Marketing Department comprises world-renowned scholars who have demonstrated excellence in research.

The faculty regularly publishes in the most highly regarded marketing journals such as:

• Journal of Marketing Research,
• Marketing Science,
• Journal of Consumer Research,
• Management Science,
• International Journal of Research in Marketing,
• Psychology and Marketing.

Several of them serve on editorial boards of the top journals, organize international conferences and periodically present their work at the leading conferences in the discipline.

The department collaborates with other leading institutions to organize conferences where eminent scholars are invited to present their research.

• Erasmus University, Rotterdam (The Netherlands),
• Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (India),
• Université Laval, Quebec (Canada),
• Université Paris-Dauphine (France),
• University of Leeds (United Kingdom),
• Fudan University (China)

Operations Management & Operations Research (OM/OR) is an interdisciplinary concentration of ESSEC Business School PhD Program.

It provides students a structured education in quantitative research methods and complex tools for management science.

It focuses on theoretical, empirical and methodological research of managerial decisions that drive all disciplines interested in the process of formulating, evaluating and executing high quality decision making, possibly applied to economics, management, marketing, digital business, finance, risk management, operations, supply chain management.

The period of courses lasts for 1,5 year, with Research Apprenticeship Modules (RAMs) that start in the first year (under the supervision of a Professor) and aim at producing a first research paper before the Dissertation Proposal, which takes place at the end of the second year.

Each applicant has to choose a single specialization in the application file BEFORE entering the program , explaining her/his specific motivation for the selected specialization. There are open positions in both specializations each year.

Operations Management not only concerns the traditional creation, production, and delivery of products and services, but it takes a broader view that comprises several areas such as supply chain management, logistics, purchasing management, project management, and new product development. All these fields have a strong operational focus and a potential impact on the successful management of operations.

This subfield is hosted by the OMOR cluster and the OM department .

Recent research interests of our faculty include:

• Environmental management and monitoring
• Humanitarian logistics and relief operations
• Supply Chain Management and coordination
• New product development
• Digital operations

Operations Research concerns both the application of quantitative methods to optimally solve planning decision problems. Our faculty performs research on the development of new methods and applications in Operations and Supply Chain management (production planning, transportation and routing, facility location, network design, sustainable operations).

This subfield is hosted by the OMOR cluster comprising professors of the IDS department and OM department .

• Advanced Decision Theory
• Continuous-time Dynamic Games
• Optimal control Theory
• Robust optimization
• Selection problems with choice models (application to assortment, facility location)
• Bilevel programming
• Decomposition methods (Column Generation, Branch-and-Price-and-Cut, Benders decomposition)

The courses in OM/OR cover the following topics:

• Introductory optimization methods (Linear Programming, duality, graph problems, dynamic programming),
• Advanced optimization methods (decomposition methods, Column Generation, Benders decomposition, cutting plane methods, robust optimization),
• Technology management and new product development,
• Sustainable operations,
• Optimal control,
• Game theory,
• Dynamic games,
• Dynamic methods,
• Advanced decision theory,
• Applied statistics,
• Simulation for operations management.

Coding skills are important to implement models, methodologies and solving algorithms.

Coding languages and softwares are presented in various courses.

Laurent ALFANDARI is Professor in the Department of Information Systems, Decision Science & Statistics and holds a Doctorate in Operations Research from Université Paris IX Dauphine. His research fields are: operations research, discrete optimization and applications to operations management (network design, city logistics, scheduling, production planning, routing problems and facility location).

Claudia ARCHETTI is Associate Professor in Operations Research. Prior to joining ESSEC in 2019, she was appointed as Associate Professor at the University of Brescia. Research interests of Claudia Archetti include models and algorithms for vehicle routing problems; mixed integer mathematical programming models for the minimization of the sum of inventory and transportation costs in logistic networks; exact and heuristic algorithms for supply-chain management; reoptimization of combinatorial optimization problems. She is author of more than 60 papers in international journals. She was Area Editor of Computers and Operations Research. She is Associate Editor of Transportation Science and of Networks and member of the Editorial Board of European Journal of Operational Research. She is currently VIP3 of EURO, the Association of European Operational Research Societies, in charge of publications and communication.

Philippe-Pierre DORNIER is Professor in the Department of Operations Management and holds a Doctorat en Ingénierie et Gestion from École des Mines de Paris. His research is focused on change management in supply chain and on optimization of the sales point within the supply chain.

Fouad El OUARDIGHI is Professor in the Department of Operations Management and holds a doctorate in Business Administration from Université Paris Ouest (Paris 10 Nanterre). His main research interests are in the interface of operations management and marketing, in R&D competition, and in pollution control. He is Associate Editor for International Game Theory Review.

Ivana LJUBIC is Professor at the Department of Information Systems, Decision Science & Statistics and holds a Doctorate in Computer Science from the Vienna University of Technology. She serves as Associate Editor for the journal Omega and she is member of Editorial Advisory Board for the journal Computers and Operations Research. She also served as guest-editor of journals: European Journal of Operational Research and Annals of Operations Research and she is currently vice-president of the INFORMS Network Analytics and Telecommunication Section. Her research interests include network design problems, combinatorial optimization, optimization under uncertainty and bilevel optimization.

Felix PAPIER is Associate Professor in the Department of Operations Management and holds a Doctorate from the University of Cologne. His research interests include supply chain and inventory management, sustainable operations, rental fleet optimization, and spare parts management.

Sara REZAEE VESSAL is Assistant Professor at the Department of Operations Management. She received her Doctorate in Operations and Supply Chain Management from HEC Paris. Her research interests include collaboration in supply chain, new product development and collaboration in highly uncertain projects, value of information in coordinating supply chains, and sustainable supply chain.

• Bocconi University (Italy),
• Mercy College, New York (USA)
• The Lebanese American University (Lebanon),
• Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico),
• Curtin Business School, Perth, (Australia).

Direct access to student profiles per concentration :

• Accounting and Auditing
• Data Analytics
• Operations Management & Operations Research

Ahmet BENLIALPER

My research interests include the following: Central Banking and Financial Markets, Monetary Policy, International Finance, Development Economics.

Personal website

Sumon CHAUDHURI

My research is on two key themes - strategic interactions between humans and AI, and applying machine learning techniques to solve marketing problems. I am intrigued by research questions that have an impact on firms, as well as society at large, and I use tools like natural language processing, computer vision, and deep reinforcement learning to answer those questions.

LindedIn profile

I study how firms perceive and adapt to changes in the formal institutional environment, particularly in the international context. My current research explores how firms respond to legal and geopolitical changes in the international institutional environment. Additionally, in my future work, I am interested in exploring how firms strategize about conflictual demands from regulators.

Contact me Personal website

Mélanie MARTEN

Microeconometrics and policy evaluation, environmental economics.

Thomas Michael ROWLEY

Interested in International Trade, Productivity and FDI.

I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Finance. I will be on the academic job market in Fall 2023 / Spring 2024. My research focuses on hybrid finance and accounting topics including financial intermediaries, the applications of big data, and behavioral finance. My job market paper studies the impact of sleep deprivation on the working performance of sell-side financial analysts.

Download the CV Personal website

I am a Ph.D. candidate in accounting and will be on the 2023-2024 job market. My research focuses on financial accounting and capital markets, specifically corporate disclosure. Using archival data and natural language processing techniques, my current work examines how various forms of corporate disclosure, such as financial and ESG reports, are influenced by retail and institutional investors, and how corporate disclosure plays a role in investment decisions or information intermediaries' outputs. In the future, I will continue to explore innovative communication channels that companies use to engage with often-overlooked stakeholders such as retail investors, customers, and employees.

Jong Hyuk LEE

My research interest is centered on understanding ESG and fraud detection. I am particularly focused on employing statistical methods, including structural modeling and machine learning.

My current research interest lies in the combination of Machine Learning and Accounting Research. There are two aspects I would like to explore in the future: (1) using machine learning techniques to convert unstructured data into structured data and (2) detecting the consequences of the use of machine learning in capital market

My research interest lies in financial reporting and disclosure.

My research interest lies in financial accounting and corporate governance.

My research mainly focuses on Reinforcement Learning, Machine Learning, and Computational Statistics.

Vahe KARAGULYAN

My research interest is around high-dimensional statistics

El Mahdi KHRIBCH

My research interests are Bayesian nonparametric methods with an emphasis on Monte Carlo Methods, unbiased estimation, and PAC Bayesian bounds.

Patrick TANG

• Public Economics

Omar AL HUMSI

I am interested in Public Economics, Labor Economics, and Macroeconomics.

Maxime BERROU

My research focuses on the interaction between public policy and globalization. My current project is empirical and aims at estimating the effects of trade liberalization and labor market regulations on the informal sector in India.

• International Economics

Zijun CHENG

My current research interest is in International Trade. More precisely, the spatial productivity difference between different countries. Another research area of interest is macroeconomics, especially in the business cycle and inflation index generation.

Mahaut DE VILLENEUVE BARGEMON

I am interested in theoretical Environmental Economics.

Rajarshi GHOSH

I am interested in microeconomic theory, especially game theory and the game theoretic reasons for the existence of today's social and economic institutions. I am also interested in market failures, market design, and the economics of incentives.

Raphael GOMES DE OLIVEIRA

My main research interests are social welfare and individual and collective decision-making.

Mohammad LASHKARBOLOOKIE

I am interested in microeconomics theory, specially, game theory and its applications in information economics and Industrial organization.

Shuying LIU

My current research interest lies in the intersection of microeconomic theory, information economics and industrial organization within the realm of digital markets.

My research interests lie in international economics and macroeconomics, especially topics related to monetary policies.

My interest research is in spatial economics and labor market.

My research interest lies in two main fields: Macroeconomics, Monetary Policy and Financial economics; Also, Development economics and Environment economics.

Aïcha RAMZA

I investigate gender inequalities in the labor market. In particular, the role of gender discrimination in generating the employment polarization in developing economies.

Mira SERHAL

I am interested in family and gender economics, economics of education, and environmental economics.

I am interested in gender economics, environmental economics and public economics.

Jean TOUPOUVOGUI

Interested in issues of international macroeconomics such as debt crises due to uncertainty shocks and the challenges of international finance and trade in a multipolarized world that threatens both the hegemony of the dollar and the role of Bretton Woods institutions, such as the IMF, as lender of last resort for economies at risk of bankruptcy.

Xiaowei ZHANG

My research interests are Labor Economics, Environmental Economics and Development Economics.

Jiachen DONG

My research interest lies in corporate finance and sustainable finance. In particular, I am keen on connecting my past industry experience in asset management and investment banking to academic topics, such as ESG investment and entrepreneurial finance.

Huilin HUANG

My current research interests lie in the filed of asset pricing, behavioral finance and econometrics.

Hélène IUNG-MATHURIN

My research interests lie in the fields of theoretical macro-finance, asset pricing, machine learning and climate finance.

My research interest lies in the field of financial econometrics, banking finance and household finance. It may be changed several months later.

Soroush MAHDAVIANI

My research interests encompass household finance, behavioral finance, and corporate finance.

Wenliang MIN

My research interests lie in the field of empirical asset pricing, machine learning and green finance.

Menglong NA

I am working on the intersection between sustainable finance, asset pricing and behavioural finance. I am interested in studying the how investors' sentiment and preference affects ESG asset prices.

Rachel PAYA

Broadly speaking, my research interest lies in the fields of environmental and financial economics. In particular, I focus on the behaviour of firms regarding corporate investment decisions in the context of the ecological transition and the public policies able to influence those decisions.

Roya SOLTANI

I am interested in the field of corporate finance, in such areas as financial constraints and financial contracting. I am also interested in asset pricing—areas like market anomalies, liquidity and trading cost, and macro-finance.

My research interest lies in empirical asset pricing. I'm currently working on investigating the momentum effect in the Chinese stock market and exploring the predictability of options in the US market.

Arushi AGGARWAL

I am interested in exploring decision-making within organizations as a function of the actors' social interactions (or networks). Furthermore, I am also keen to understand the dynamics of status, power as well as identity within these contexts.

• Management, Information Systems

Saideh ALAEI

Exploring the fascinating intersection of technology and society, my main research project reveals the dual impact of national digital initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide on the social sustainability outcomes of countries and firms. I aim for a harmonious balance between technological progress and social sustainability aspects such as individual well-being, equitable opportunities, and cohesive social networks. Alongside, my journey ventures into the realm of innovation, where I discuss the potential of machines to assist designers in creating products that attract consumers. For these projects, I employ econometrics and computational methods to illuminate technology's nuanced role in modern society.

Yosra ALEAHMAD

I am a 5th-year Ph.D. Candidate in Management Control at ESSEC Business School in France. My research focuses on management controls and gender; aiming to uncover the ways in which management controls contribute to the persistence of gender inequality. Additionally, my work investigates what shapes accounting calculative techniques.

Abhay BHARGAVA

My research interests lie at the intersection of creativity & innovation, driven by AI and new technologies. This includes their design and implementation. I have authored a book “ Creativity Secrets: Creativity & innovation Secrets for Design, Art, and Business ” based on my several creativity and innovation experiences that include bringing new innovative technologies to market in the US as a consultant and a serial entrepreneur.

Federica BRAGAGNOLO

My research lies at the intersection of management and accounting. I am interested in studying the readiness of organisations to engage in changes within their accounting workflows and procedures. Further analysis will include the study of the social (i.e., organisational employees and executives) and technological (i.e., incremental innovations of cloud computing, Optical Character Recognition, Robotic Process Automation or more breakthrough innovations such as blockchain based Accounting Information System or smart contracts) components shaping the phenomenon.

• Management, Strategy

Liying CHEN

My research interests lie in the CSR and green transitions related to technology, especially in the family businesses, and the interactions of sustainable strategies between Global North and Global South countries

Driven by a fascination with science and mathematics, my journey in Mechanical Engineering began. During my Bachelor's, I excelled in national-level RoboCup competitions, which fueled my passion for innovation. This led me to engage in design and simulation projects during my Master's in Mechanical Engineering. Professionally, my path has spanned diverse industries, including automotive and mining equipment maintenance. In these sectors, I have contributed to various tasks ranging from product development engineering to creating platforms that enhance machinery uptime through user feedback. As I embark on a PhD in Information Systems, my focus is on harnessing AI for design and innovation.

Anna KRAVCHENKO

My research interests focus on the impact of institutions on entrepreneurial processes and outcomes, as well as on family influences on entrepreneurship.

• Management, Organizational Behavior

His research focuses on how the interdependence between subunits of an organization shapes the ways in which solutions for localized problems are discovered and implemented. Taeho uses computational modeling as his primary research method, alongside other methodologies such as lab experiments.

George Boyang LI

My current research interest lies in applying psychological theories and behavioural economic theories in management accounting and control topics by using experimental (lab/field) methods. Key areas include performance measurement systems, forecasting, budgetary processes, and motivations behind employee misbehaviour (e.g. collusion).

Mengyue LIU

My research interest lies in user behaviors under digital transformation and innovation, especially how the digital era reshapes users' identification, decision-making, and interaction patterns.

Evgeny NIVA

I am interested in a wide array of topics related to group dynamics, interaction rituals, microsociology of creativity, individual and team mindfulness.

Dong Nghi PHAM

Dong-Nghi Pham is a 5th-year Ph.D. Candidate in Management at ESSEC Business School in France. Her research focuses on the micro-foundations of organizational learning. In her Ph.D. dissertation, Dong Nghi investigates how intra-organizational learning shapes and is shaped by: (1) organizational politics, (2) organizational design, (3) the shift to remote work, and (4) the replacement of human capital. Because of the complex, emergent nature of these issues, Dong Nghi uses computational modeling as her primary research method, along with a particular enthusiasm for machine-learning approaches.

My interest in research is digital transformation influence and process in corporate level/ new technologies adoption in corporate and individual levels/the function and network effect of digital platforms.

Shubham SINGH

My research interests are in the area of non-market strategy and stakeholder strategy. I am interested in understanding how firms react to changes in their political and regulatory environment.

Marselia TAN

My main research interest are broadly on 1) nascent industry (the collaborative and/or competitive dynamics between entrepreneurial ventures and non-market stakeholders in shaping the new industry's legitimation) as well as on 2) (de)stigmatization process across levels of analysis (e.g. individual, occupational, organizational, industry category). I use qualitative research approaches to investigate underexplored organizational phenomena.

Matthias TRÖBINGER

My research explores how crowds engage in distributed problem-solving and innovation. I am interested in understanding (1) how resource seekers can coordinate with crowds to leverage their support and (2) what governance interventions enhance crowd decision-making processes. To explore these questions, I employ qualitative methods and experiments.

Helen Tsz Ching TSUI

My research investigates the emotion regulation of female leaders. I am interested in studying how beliefs about the emotions displayed by leaders and females shape the way female leaders regulate their own emotions, and how this consequently influences their well-being.

Aleksey TYULYUPO

My research interests revolve around online labor markets as a part of the platform economy. Having done some research with digital traces from online labor markets , I am now trying to overcome the self-imposed limitation of a single data source and platform. In doing so, I intend, first, to embed the view of online labor markets into the broader economy and, second, use them as the empirical ground to advance social theory. For instance, I am interested in questions like: • Can quality labor force at online markets be self-reproducible, or is it bound to only replete with retirees, outcasts and escapists from the office? • How do market matching processes change in the new informational environments, such as those of online labor markets?

Chuning XIAO

I am interested in a range of topics related to decentralization, organizational adaptation and organizational identity, especially in the context of creative industries.

Zipeng ZHENG

My research interest is currently anchored in the domain of corporate strategy, with a particular focus on how digital technologies reshape traditional business models and facilitate novel pathways for value creation. I am also interested in exploring the strategic complementarities between firms and their complementors to enhance innovation capabilities and market competitiveness.

Madhav ARORA

My research interest lies in the domain of emotions and decision-making. I explore how different emotions affect consumer goals and their choices.

Haofan CHEN

My research interest revolves around consuming atmosphere and queer consumption. Currently interested in combining queer theory and CCT to explore how consumer culture shapes and is shaped by the fluidity of gender and sex from a non Western perspective.

Mohammadhesam HAJIGHASEMI

As a consumer behavior researcher, my focus revolves around investigating the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, as well as emerging technologies like NFTs and blockchain. I am passionate about uncovering how these innovations transform consumer perceptions, influence decision-making behaviors, and ultimately generate value for both consumers and businesses.

Lina OECHSNER

My research focuses on creating insights from user-generated content with the help of machine learning, natural language processing or image mining.

Roman PAVLYUCHENKO

My research interests include consumer psychology and consumer culture theory.

Anjana RAJMOHAN

I am interested in CCT-oriented research with a focus on sustainability and climate change.

Danhan WANG

Bayesian statistics, sales forcasting using behavioral and transaction data to understand and predict future purchasing activities.

Pujith Niel WOOD

My research is centered on examining morality and deception within the context of consumer psychology, integrating insights from marketing, social psychology, and philosophy. I employ experiments to unravel the nuanced ways in which ethical considerations shape consumer behaviors. Additionally, I enjoy exploring decision-making and purchase behavior in immersive and virtual retail environments.

I have enjoyed marketing's interdisciplinary nature with an extensive reach. Methodologically, I am interested in quantitative modelling and machine learning. Substantively, I am currently interested in social media and online advertising.

• Operations and Data Sciences

Yerlan KUZBAKOV

Application of operational research methods in various fields such as supply chain management, pricing, demand and supply management, and production management.

Yuanyuan LI

Research interests: • Large scale problem solving • The integration between OR and Machine Learning • Building bridge between theoretical study and practical usage

Minakshi Punam MANDAL

My main interests are in optimization methodologies, robust modeling, stochastic and dynamic programming and decision making under uncertainty that can be applied to operations research and risk management.

Sara MESRAR

I am a software engineer with nine years of corporate experience. During this time, I've played a pivotal role in assisting clients in leveraging technology and data to enhance operational excellence. Furthermore, my background in strategic consulting has provided me with a profound understanding of organizational dynamics, exposing me to global challenges, including issues such as Climate Change. These combined experiences have equipped me with the skills necessary to address intricate real-world problems situated at the crossroads of sustainability and operations. My research interest is driven by a desire to explore innovative approaches for integrating sustainability into the fabric of operational decision-making. My goal is to develop advanced models that empower businesses not only to thrive economically but also to make positive contributions to the environment and society at large.

Moein QAISARI HASAN ABADI

My research interests are Applied Optimization, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management, and Robustness & Resilience.

Shaghayegh RAMEZANPOUR SHALMANI

My research interests include the applications of operations research in production planning, pricing and decision making under uncertainty.

• Operations and Data Analytics

My research interests lie in polyhedral approaches for mixed integer programming and optimization under uncertainty, with applications in transportation, logistics and network design problems.

We provide full financial support for four years, and 5 th year support conditional on strong performance .

Tuition fees waiver during all your studies

Around € 23,000 living allowance per year for four years

Possibility of an associate lecturer contract for your fifth year

Conference budget provided your paper is accepted for presentation

Overseas internship package

External doctoral consortia and courses budget

Your Ph.D. Supervisor is selected officially only during the second year of your Ph.D., based on the research interests you will have developed by then. Although it is useful (and recommended) to scan the research interests of current faculty at ESSEC, it is not necessary to contact them before you have been accepted in the program. Admission decisions are collegial. If you believe your research interests may match well with those of current faculty, please mention it in your motivation letter.

The program is open to excellent students from a variety of backgrounds: business and economics, engineering, hard sciences, psychology, sociology, philosophy, humanities, etc. You can complete the application process online, at your own pace, via a secured and personalized access.

Fill in the online application form indicating university degrees and grades, including a statement of purpose and your Curriculum Vitae

Upload your official transcripts

Upload certified copies of all your grades and university diplomas unless award of the degree is specified on your final official transcript

Upload 3 letters of recommendation to be completed by faculty or research scholars (available in the Application online procedure). Please ask you referees to check their spam/junk folder if they do not receive the recommendation request from ESSEC

Provide a high GMAT or GRE score (test taken within the past five years). Last year's cohort had an average GMAT of 700. The ETS code center for the ESSEC PhD Program is X 6R-91-50 (GMAT) and 0839 (GRE)

The program being in English, applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL, for which the PhD program code is 0045. IELTS is also accepted.

Tuition fees to the PhD Program amount to 10,000 euros per year for the first two years. For students from the European Union, reduced tuition fees of 5,000 euros per year apply.

After the first two years, tuition fees for students in residence amount for 2,400 euros for year. An exceptional waiver of half this amount applies for periods of non-residence.

ESSEC offers a generous package of tuitions waiver, scholarships and conferences funding . If not funded by other sources (governments, foundations, etc.), admitted students are eligible to apply to the ESSEC package. No student is admitted without external or ESSEC funding.