part time phd in management europe

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• Part-time PhD programme | study & research as you work

September 2024

New knowledge for your business

New knowledge from research is always needed in business. Sometimes, the best person to carry out that research is you. 

Business professionals interested in further developing their academic skills while researching their own business activity or industry can now take part in academic study and research at the same time as working. This new six year programme leads to a PhD degree from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM).

RSM’s Part-time PhD Programme in Management (PT PhD) started in September 2015. It has the academic rigour of a full-time PhD degree, and produces new and practical knowledge that can be absolutely relevant to your particular area of business.

A programme of theoretical foundations as well as a strong methodological basis organised into manageable modules

Supervision and coaching by RSM’s top research faculty

Access to RSM’s excellent research facilities, electronic journals and databases, as well as its world-class conference events and research seminars

Programme details

Why this programme, joining the part-time phd programme at rsm gives you.

• access to cutting-edge research in a vibrant academic community
• the opportunity to publish parts of your PhD thesis in top international managerial or academic journals, and present your work at scientific conferences
• an internationally recognised PhD degree from one of Europe’s leading business schools resulting in prestige in both the corporate and scientific worlds
• a range of specialisations that reflect important and widely-applicable topics in business and industry such as logistics and information systems, strategy and entrepreneurship, marketing, finance and accounting, and organisation and leadership
• a large and highly active international network of alumni and corporate relations

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is a leading European business school, ranked consistently among the top three business schools in Europe for research and 17th worldwide. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who carry their innovative mindset into a sustainable future thanks to a first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes. RSM also has an office in Chengdu, China.  Highlights of RSM’s cutting-edge research in business and management can be found at  www.rsm.nl/discovery .

The five- to six-year programme has eight modules, each of three or four consecutive days based in Rotterdam. They cover a broad range of theoretical foundations and practical skills. All modules are taught in English. Your PhD thesis will also be written in English, according to international academic standards.

Programme schedule

• Year one: four residential modules cover research methods, skills and foundations, and writing your research proposal
• Year two: a residential module covering field-specific specialisations, master classes, and a ‘back to campus’ module for PhD candidates to present their work.
• Years three and four: a ‘back to campus’ module
• Year five and six:  ongoing writing of the dissertation  

Schedule year 1, 2023/2024

Module 1.1        25 - 29 September 2023

Module 1.2        27 November - 1 December 2023

Module 1.3        12 - 16 February 2024

Module 1.4        20 – 24 May 2024

Schedule year 2, 2023/2024

Module 2.1        13 – 17 November 2023

Module 2.2        23 – 26 April 2024

Schedule year 3, 2023/2024

Module 3.1        23 – 26 April 2024

Schedule year 4, 2023/2024

Module 4.1        23 – 26 April 2024

For admission to the Part-time PhD programme at RSM, you must

• be in a relevant discipline with a strong interest in research, willing to combine the Part-time PhD Programme with your full-time or part-time job.
• have a strong interest in research and proven track record that includes excellent study results, or writing and publishing white papers, articles or other work.
• hold an MSc degree in a relevant discipline. If you hold an MBA and have written an MBA thesis to complete it, you may be eligible for the programme as well. In case of doubt contact the PT PhD Office ([email protected])
• have proof of proficiency in English (see below)

In addition to these formal requirements, candidates will be selected according to excellence. Your CV, motivation, research ideas, and if applicable, your reference from your future supervisor or supervisors will be taken into consideration.

The Admissions Committee may also ask you to take a GMAT test as part of the evaluation process.

RSM requires that candidates whose native language is not English have to submit scores of the TOEFL/IETLS test. RSM requires a TOEFL score of at least 100 on the internet-based test and 600 on the paper-based test. For the IELTS, the minimum overall band score required by RSM and ESE is 7.5; furthermore, the language test results should not be older than 2 years. If you are a native English speaker, or if the language of instruction of your entire university education (bachelor and master programme) was English, you may apply for a TOEFL/IELTS waiver.

The programme fee is € 10,000 per year for the first two years, € 7,000 for year 3 and 4, and  € 6,000 for each subsequent year, up to a maximum of €46,000.

These costs cover your admission to courses, tuition, coaching and supervision, your access to RSM’s research facilities, the cost of design, layout and printing for your PhD thesis, and the support of our communications team, for example to publicise your research findings to the corporate world and appropriate media.

A small number of tuition fee waivers will be considered in exceptional situations, where academically excellent candidates are not able to financially sustain program participation from their own resources. Waivers are granted for the duration of one year only. Decisions on the continuation of grants are taken on an annual basis and are contingent on study progress, need for financial support, and available budget.

Candidates who wish to apply for a tuition fee waiver need to indicate this during their application or, for enrolled candidates, at least two months prior to start of the academic year. Waiver requests need to accompanied by a credible demonstration of financial necessity. This includes evidence of own income and the impossibility to obtain external financial support, such as a contribution from the employer or a research scholarship.

The application deadline for the 2024 round of our programme has passed. We will not accept any more applications. We would like to invite you to apply for next year’s cohort in January 2025.

How to apply?

Please have a look at our PhD project descriptions structured by research areas which you can find  here . Applications can be submitted in our application portal which will open on January 10 th  2025 and closes on the 15th of March 2025. An application should consist of the following documents:

• A motivation letter that refers to a research area specified in  our open projects . Please sketch your background, research idea and intended research approach, and clearly relate it to one or several of the topics described in the research area of your choice. The additional submission of a research proposal is optional (see point “proof of writing” below).
• A brief research statement (one page suffices) in which you outline the type of research questions that you intend to study and the type of methodologies that you intend to employ. You may broadly sketch your interests or be specific about concrete research questions that you envision answering. You may also explain whether (or not) you intend to utilize data from your current employer and/or work on research questions related to your current profession.
• A proof of writing in English language. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate that you are capable of writing academic texts in English. This can be, for example, a chapter of your Msc or MBA thesis, a paper, or a research proposal for your intended research.
• Proof of English, i.e. the results of a TOEFL or IELTS test not older than two years
• BSc  and  MSc or MBA diploma + grade lists (for both)
• Curriculum Vitae
• Optional: if you have already been in contact with RSM faculty who would be willing to supervise you if you are accepted to the program, please add a letter of recommendation from your intended promotor at RSM
• The statement that you cannot pay the tuition fees from own resources
• A summary of other funding opportunities (e.g., employer contribution, scholarships outside of RSM etc) that you have explored so far

The Admissions Committee may also ask you to take a GMAT test and/or to submit additional documents as part of the evaluation process.

What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a written ‘plan’ for the research that you want to conduct as a PhD student.

Most research proposals start by briefly sketching the  broader context  in which your research is embedded and by highlighting its relevance.

A good research proposal, however, then manages to narrow down the focus to one or several approachable  research questions : these are the questions that you plan to answer in your research.

Thirdly, your research proposal should give insight into the  methodology  that you plan to use, that is, you explain how you plan to answer your research question. This includes data collection and access. If you have access to data or information, due to your day job or network, that will help you in answering your research questions, you can mention this in your methodology.

Fourthly, in your research proposal you demonstrate that you are aware of the state of the academic literature regarding your research topic, and, if it is practice-related, of the state of the art in practice. You do that by including  a literature review  and  a review of practice .

In summary, a good research proposal shows that:

• you have relevant and innovative ideas about your research topic;
• you know and understand what is already known and have identified a ‘gap’;
• you aim to address with your research;
• you have an executable plan;
• you are the right person to execute it.

Towards the end of the first year of the part-time PhD programme, we expect all PhD candidates to have a good research proposal.

During your application to the programme, you can attach a research proposal as ‘proof of English writing’ but it is not required. If your research ideas are not yet concrete enough to write a good research proposal, it is sufficient to sketch them in your cover letter and attach a different document as proof of English writing (for example a Master or MBA thesis, a report, or a paper).

Please be aware that acceptance to the programme does not imply ‘acceptance of the research proposal’. Most likely your supervisory team will challenge you to improve and change it during the first year in the programme.

In general, a research proposal is never ‘set in stone’. Research plans may and will change while the research progresses (also after the submission of the proposal at the end of programme year 1). 

PhD candidates

Rotterdam School of Management, RSM University hosts approximately 100 Part-Time PhD candidates from a great variety of professional and academic backgrounds. If you are curious about their motivations and experiences, read their testimonials in the “Testimonials” section. 

Would you like to become one of the new candidates, starting in September 2025? See our admission criteria in the “Admission” section and find out how to apply in the “How to apply?” section.

Find all current Part-Time PhD candidates in each of the following departments below.

A&C: Accounting and Control

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A.N. (Alexandru) Fugariu

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R.C.E. (Renske) Evers

Dial +31 10 4088168

+31 10 4088168

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About J. (Jing) Zhao MSc, FRM

Bsm: business society management.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About L.M. (Liselotte) Dijkstra

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About V (Valerie) Sydry

About l.j. (laurie) jansen.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About P.S.M. (Philine) van Overbeeke

Philine is academic researcher and lecturer at the Business-Society Management Department at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. Besides her research and teaching she works part-time on a PhD in Management on the topic of volunteer management. Philine holds a BSc in Business administration and a MSc in Gobal Business & Sustainability, both obtained at RSM. Her MSc thesis focussed on the value of volunteers for UNICEF the Netherlands. In her PhD projects she will expand this research with the overarching question: How do volunteers create value-added for different stakeholders. In answering this question, attention is given to third-party models and volunteer inclusion.

Philine teaches several courses on the BSc and MSc level, including courses on nonprofit management, economics of nonprofits, value of volunteer organizations, inclusive leadership, social consultancy and qualitative research methods. She also coaches several theses and research projects with a focus on CSR, volunteer management and related topics.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A.S. (Ahmed) Gaara

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A.F. (Filipa) Pires de Almeida

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About F. (Francesco) Lovecchio

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About P.J. (Puck) Hendriks MSc

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About E. (Eduardo) Notario Garcia

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About M. (Mariapia) Pazienza

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About M.C.N.C.G. (Michael) Putra

The investment gap in the energy transition: Nudging the most relevant energy players amidst the trade-offs within Sustainable Development Goals nexus

Energy transition to meet the Paris climate goal requires a doubling of current rate of investment in global energy sector throughout its chain, which means there is an estimated of ±$2 trillion of investment gap per year. Shifting existing investment, e.g. from fossil to renewables, is far from suffice.  These investments need to take place at the right place (high-energy demand and high population growth centers), at the right time (now), and at the right scale (exponentially more than current rate). This research project will assess the energy investment regimes in the top ten most populous countries in 2030. These countries account for almost 60% of global population in 2030, and nine of them are developing countries who will still grow their energy consumption for the coming decades. Investment decisions in the energy sector in these countries today will dictate the course, path and pace of the global energy transition.

This research intends to better understand the clarity of the destination and the credibility of the energy transition pathways as a wicked problem. It aims to provide a “reality check” of the energy transition journey as part of the SDG’s decade of action, and examine among others:

• To what extent the business models and investment regimes in the most populous countries support or hamper energy transition investment decisions?, and
• What framework can investors who are motivated to contribute to energy transition use in navigating this highly ambiguous and wicked landscape?

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R. (Ronny) Reshef

The effect of civil society - government relations on welfare: longitudinal study.

I am researching the dynamics of Jewish Philanthropy in the 18th-19th centuries in the Netherlands. This is done by looking into the relationship between civil society and government. The main theories for studying this relationship are those of Salamon [1995] and Young [2000]. A historical case study of over 200 years will be analysed focussing on legitimacy [Suchman] and proper governance. The research incorporates digital humanities platforms and tools to work more efficiently with the archival data.

This research is intended to enable an improved, more detailed understanding of long term variations in mutual influence patterns and power relations between civil society and government. The conceptual insights could also be relevant for similar modern case studies. 

Nonprofit-government relations, welfare, longitudinal research, qualitative research, regulations, Jewish history, digital humanities, legitimacy, proper governance, pekidim and amarkalim

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About ing. J.P. (Jop) (Jop) Versteegt CPC MBA

Jop Versteegt is a part-time PhD student in Management at RSM’s Department of Business-Society Management.

The main research question in his PhD is: Can moral and ethical decision making in organizations be improved by using a normative ethical decision framework? And can AI also contribute to this?  

In more detail; is using a normative ethical decision framework useful to answer moral and ethical questions more in-depth? Or is a answering without a framework even successful? And is the design of the framework depending on availability of time, experience, and purpose? 

The research themes are divided in four parts: 

Part 1: A review of normative ethical decision making frameworks A literature research study on existing ethical decision making  frameworks or even ones still under development. What is the academic fundament for these models? What differentiates them from each other? The result is an insight into the various publications on normative ethical decision making frameworks and if applicable the empirical research on the models.

Part 2: The effectiveness of normative ethical decision making frameworks Theory vs practice (application of models vs intuitive decision-making). Empirical research will be done on the use of different decision frameworks in live situations. This is most likely one of the most challenging and interesting parts of the research. What actually happens in practice?

Part 3: Toward a new type of normative ethical decision making framework Testing the applicability of the updated framework. Based on the first two parts of the research we can continue to test new possibilities. A new developed or updated decision framework or frameworks will be tested. 

Part 4: The added value of AI to a normative ethical decision making framework The final part is extending to the research in the field of AI. Can AI-Robots add value by their analysing skills in improving our moral and ethical decision making? In case the earlier sub-studies show that there is added value to use a normative ethical decision making framework, we could continue to see where AI can provide support on the framework. Which aspects can AI add on increasing data analysis and thus further improvement / optimization of our the results of our decision framework? Or can AI even take over parts of the decision framework so focus is only necessary on that specific part which cannot be done by AI-Robots.

See for more info: www.jopversteegt.com  

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About J.P.M.R. (Juri) Hoedemakers

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D. (Divya) Sethi

About m.a.j.l. (martijn) labohm, about t.h. (tristan) hahn.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About P. (Prasenjeet) Bhattacharya

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About J. (John) Fell

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About X. (Xiaowei) Kang

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D. (Daniel) Liebau

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About L. (Leon) Luepertz

Dial +31 (0) 10 408 8038

+31 (0) 10 408 8038

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About Dr. F. (Florian) Madertoner

Florian Madertoner is a Lecturer at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. He holds a degree in Banking- and Finance. Florian’s research interests include Capital Structure Theory, Behavioral Finance and the Economic History. He is responsible for the course “Economics” in the bachelor study programs International Business Administration and Business Administration. In addition, Florian teaches “Corporate Finance” and supervises bachelor theses in both programs. In the master program Finance & Investment Florian supervises Master theses. Florian teaches the elective “Finance for Communication Professionals” in the executive master program Corporate Communication as well as the executive training “Finance for Non-Financials”. He has been awarded multiple awards for his teaching activities: the "Professor of the Year Award" seven years consecutively from 2016 to 2022 for his undergrad course “Corporate Finance” in the programs IBA and BA. In 2020 Florian has also been awarded the “Professor of the Year Award” for his course “Economics” in the IBA program as well an award for “Best Adaptation to the Coronavirus Situation”.

About DP (Daniel) Pimentel

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D.K. (Dan ) Raghoonundon

About f.p. (federico) pippo.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A.E. (Annebeth) Roor

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About X. (Xiaonan) Wang

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About F. (Felix) Zwart

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R.R. (Ramiro) Caso Besada

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R-B (Ragna-Britt) Taube

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About C.A.M. (Linda) van Rijn

Opm: organisation and personnel management.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D. (Dijana) Aleksic

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About B.T. (Björn) Atterstam

Björn is an educator, facilitator and leadership expert. For more than 20 years he has worked with large organizations across the world to create novel and impactful approaches for developing strategy, organizations and individuals.

His research interests reside in the intersection of psychological functioning and organizational performance.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A.E.M. (Marten) Bernstad

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About P.R. (Ronald) Boers

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R.R. (Raj Reddy) Konduru

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A (Anna) Matthewes

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A. (Afonso) Pegado Medonça dos Reis

About p.b. (pedro) brito.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About E.S. (Elliot) Reed

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About C. (Clovis) Rondineli Silva

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D. (David) Schmidt

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About J.B. (Jochen) Schuler

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About T. (Thilanka) Silva

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About K. (Katrina) Simon-Agolory

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A. (Anna) Tillmann

About m.p. (marian) plasschaert.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A. (Aleksandra) Wrobel

About j.f. (jeppe) frandsen, s&e: strategic management and entrepreneurship.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D. (Denver) Berman-Jacob

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A. (Ajlin) Dizdarevic

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About S. (Sarah) Dodson

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About S. (Syed) Gilani

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R. (Roland) Kemper

E-mail [email protected]

About O.Y. (Oh Young) Koo

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R. (Ruud) Kuijpers

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About (Pragathi) Mavinakere Swamygowda

About k.m. (kelvin) memeh.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About J.A. (James) Profestas

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A. (Alexander) Schmidt

Alexander is a part-time PhD candidate at the Department of Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship and is working in technology management in the energy industry. The focus of his research is around technology adoptions as well as to what extent goal conflicts and managerial power influence innovation in large organizations.

Publications:

Schmidt, A., Mom, T.J.M. & Volberda, H.W. (2023). Factors Influencing Technology Adoption in a Traditional Multinational Energy Company. Research-Technology Management , Vol. 66:5, p.36-43. doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2023.2235535

Schmidt, A., Ahmadi, S. & Mom, T.J.M. (2022). Can Multiple Goal Conflicts Affect the Innovative Behavior of Employees?. Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, Vol. 2022 No. 1, doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2022.17466abstract

Conferences:

Schmidt, A., Ahmadi, S., & Mom, T.J.M. (2022). Can multiple goal conflicts affect the innovative behaviour of employees? The Moderating Impact of Paradox Mindset and Top-Management-Team Alignment in a Multilevel Study. Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (AoM), Seattle, US.

Schmidt, A., Ahmadi, S., Volberda, H.W. & Mom, T.J.M. (2022). Can paradox mindset help reducing tensions once employees encounter conflicts between multiple operational goals? The moderating effects of paradox mindset and top-management-team alignment. European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS), Vienna, Austria.

Schmidt, A., Ahmadi, S., Volberda, H.W. & Mom, T.J.M. (2022). Can multiple goal conflicts affect the innovative behaviour? The Moderating Impact of Paradox Mindset and Top-Management-Team Alignment in a Multilevel Study.  European Academy of Management (EURAM), Winterthur, Switzerland.

Schmidt, A., Volberda, H.W. & Mom, T.J.M. (2021). A Process Model of Technology Adoption Speed for Mature Organizations: How Organizational Speed influences Technology Adoption. International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), Berlin, Germany.

Alex graduated with an MPhil in Engineering from Cambridge University (2013) and an MSc in Energy Economics from RWTH Aachen University (2011).

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About (Martin) Schwarz

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About L.Y. (Leon Yehuda) Anidjar

Tom: technology and operation management.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About O.L. (Bosun) Anifowoshe

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About S. (Shijian) Chen

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About C.J.J. (Niels) Eldering

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About S. (Sebastian) Freyhofer

About b. c. (brieuc) corlay.

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About O. (Olga) Gonzalez Salmeron

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About (Liwen) He

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About S.M.H. (Siraj) Kabir

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About M.A. (Mohamed) Kotb Mobarak

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About J.C. (Juan Carlos) Martinez Delgado

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A.J.D. (Arabella) Pollack

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About L. (Luis) Prato

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About R. (Renske) Prins

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About D. (Duncan) Rooders

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About S. (Saritha) Saraswathy

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About A. (Ana Maria) Sierra-Maya

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About B.J. (Bart) Scheffer

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

About E.A. (Elisah) van Kempen

About y.l. (yue) liu, about ib (ivan) burov, testimonials.

Find out why our current participants are enthusiastic about the Part-time PhD programme in the "PhD candidates." 

Would you like to become one of the new candidates, starting in September 2021? See our admission criteria in the "Admission & Tuition" section and find out how to apply in the "How to apply?" section. 

Ana Maria Sierra Maya

Why did you choose the RSM part-time PhD program?

I chose the RSM part-time PhD program because I want to be part of the RSM mission to be a force for positive change in the world having an impact in society through business research.

The RSM part-time PhD program is a great opportunity to combine my executive activity with top notch research abilities, the program is designed to suit the agenda of active executives. The quality and support of all the professors, of the supervisory team and the program coordinators inspires and effectively guides the PhD process.

What do you like about the program?

I like how the RSM part-time PhD program has challenged my skills and views. This program gives me a structured approach to top quality research and reignites my understanding of management. I specially enjoy the lectures and conversations with the RSM faculty, a community of highly rated academics that open the black box of scientific research philosophy and tools in an inspiring and enthusiastic way.  I am proud to be part of this program and willing to create knowledge combining my decades of real business experience with the wisdom of the global research community that is now available for executives through this unique program.

Curtis Goldsby – Alumnus 2024

I applied to RSM’s part-time PhD program because of its winning combination of academic rigor and professional emphasis. As one of the top European institutions for progressive management research, RSM has poured its longstanding experience with academics into a part-time PhD program that gives professionals the knowledge and tools needed for rigorous academic research. For instance, the program systematically guides students to produce and publish high-quality academic articles. Because part-time PhD students typically work at the heart of pressing managerial challenges, RSM’s program is also designed to provide enough flexibility to accommodate the part-time schedule of professionals. Taken together, this makes for a rigorous and flexible program that leads to a sustained and effective learning experience for professionals!

I commend that RSM’s part-time PhD program accounts for the individual needs of students (e.g., schedules, topics, supervisors), and that the program provides a structure in form of “modules” intended to support the student in producing high quality academic work.

Daniel Liebau

I researched and compared a fair bit across the different programs available for working professionals globally before submitting my application. What I liked a lot about RSM/Erasmus University was a clear focus on high-quality research. There are probably easier paths to a doctorate. But if one wants to learn how to conduct best-in-class academic research, this is the right place. I have not seen any other University that offers a part-time PhD program with the same rigor, especially in my area (Finance).

Three things really: First, I very much liked the many courses and seminars on research methods during the first 18 months of the program that were taught by senior faculty members. They helped me to gain a good understanding of the techniques required to do academic research. Second, and most importantly, I am most thankful to work with my two supervisors, Peter and Thomas. They have excellent research experience and expertise. Their work is being published in the very top academic journals in Finance and Management. For me, as a novel researcher, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from the best. Lastly, I am very thankful for having met my fellow PhD candidate friends in the cohort. They are a diverse, smart and global group of people I can learn from.

Dijana Aleksic

I was aware of the RSM reputation for the quality of faculty and the high standard of research. I wanted to be exposed to, and stretched to the higher level of academic curiosity, while keeping in sight practical application of my research. Additionally, I liked a very organized and structured approach to lectures, as well as opportunity to be part of the cohort with other students.

My advisors are experts in their fields, who have given me an invaluable guidance, support and questioning that is keeping me even more motivated to continue with my research. I enjoy the camaraderie of the participant in the part-time PhD program, not just from our cohort, but also other cohorts, to mix fun with a forum to talk about research.

Izaak Dekker - Alumnus 2022

The RSM program introduces professionals and business leaders to the world of academic rigor and guides them through the exhilarating processes that accompany a PhD. During this journey, the diverse group of ambitious and experienced fellow part-time PhD-candidates offer moral support and camaraderie.

Linda van Rijn

Having finished my MSc many years ago, I like the solid foundation of the first one and a half years. During the first one and a half years, the courses were a good refresher. The workload also prepared me for the hard work that comes after that.

I enjoy the contact with my fellow cohort members. They understand what it is like to be in a Ph.D. trajectory, and they are great sparring partners. I also like that it is possible to take additional courses that contribute to my projects, apart from the mandatory program. More plusses are my advisors, the facilities, and the campus.

Malika Ouacha - Alumna 2024

Why did you choose the Part-Time PhD?

I once read this quote, saying: "If you want to become the best in what you know, then you must work with those who strive to always be the best". This always came up on crucial moments in my life, when I had to make a long-term decision. After completing both my Master of Arts at the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech and my Master of Science at the University of Amsterdam, both degrees in social and cultural anthropology, I discovered how much I enjoyed doing research and sharing my findings with the world around me. The next logical step would be pursuing my PhD. Yet, I didn’t see myself working on one specific topic, full-time, for four to five years. Even though I love doing research, and I already had an idea of what I wanted to write my dissertation about, I stuck to the aim to not write to end up on a bookshelf, but to write my PhD dissertation to conversate, develop better understanding and therefor serve humanity. I believe that the development of knowledge brings along a certain amount of social responsibility. I always knew that the combination of academic research and the gain of experience in the field would be the best training for me, to become that future version of me. Both personally and professionally. To serve humanity, indeed. I shared this aim with my supervisor and promotor prof. dr. Lucas Meijs, during our first meeting. Further research made me realize that it is also what RSM is best in doing, which explains its top ranking in the world and confirms my earlier mentioned quote. The Part-Time PhD programme is perfectly designed to spend just enough time on my PhD while also leaving room for other responsibilities life brings along. It is hybrid in a way that it doesn’t matter in which field one works or aims to do research in. By how the programme is designed and the joining scholars and professors, every PhD, no matter the subject of their research, is challenged and trained to connect several worlds in the best of both ways: Academic knowledge and expertise, and real-life practices.

What do you like about the programme?

Besides the intriguing combination of the development of academic knowledge and best-practices, the programme can also be described as cosmopolitan. It is fit for everyone – no matter your cultural background, field of expertise or personal interests. Growing up between several cultures myself, and seeing this as a norm within RSM instead of an exception, made me feel very welcome. I am part of a super diverse cohort with people from all parts of the globe, and meeting earlier cohorts, confirmed the amount of inclusiveness and diversity that is shared by both PhDs and staff. It is therefore assumable that being part of this, inherently effects my research and future aims, in a very positive way. This reminds me of another quote, that says: "Be around radiators". Joining the part-time PhD programme made me feel like I am surrounded by radiators.

Open projects

Open projects in the area of "accounting and control".

Financial scandals around the world have harshly shown the importance of transparency and reliability in performance reporting systems. Companies that fail to clearly communicate externally with investors on their investments, financial position, and financial performance likely face increased difficulty accessing external financing or an increased cost of financing. Companies that do not report, evaluate and compensate performance transparently and equitably internally, can create detrimental organizational cultures and can stimulate managers to behave opportunistically by managing earnings, by gaming the performance measurement system and by acting myopically.

Accounting is the research discipline that examines the role of accounting information in companies´ communications, both externally and internally. Top and middle managers, as well as outside providers of financing such as banks and equity investors, use accounting information for decision making and control purposes.

The objective of this Ph.D. project is to identify and analyze innovative research questions in the area of accounting. The project can apply to the subfields of managerial and/or financial accounting (incl. auditing), or on the intersection thereof, depending on research interests and goals, and skills and preference of the candidate. This research project has a strong potential to influence companies’ external and/or internal communication policies and/or accounting and incentive systems, as well as influence regulatory policies and/or accounting institutions.

Open projects in the area of "Business Information Management"

We live in a highly connected world that is filled with digital technologies, social media, mobile devices, Internet-of-Things, smart cities, and connected cars. Growth of the information technologies has created new opportunities across different industries as companies innovate to meet changes in consumer demand, and has given rise to new challenges. In our Ph.D. program in Information Systems, you will be trained to conduct innovative research to address increasingly complex challenges facing digital society.

We are seeking highly motivated working individuals with demonstrated academic ability, that are committed to interdisciplinary research on significant information technology and management issues, and who desire to pursue a PhD research in this field. As a Ph.D. student, you will gain the training and experience necessary to conduct independent research. You will work closely with the advisors to define, develop, and execute your own research.

You will have the opportunity to collaborate with our faculty members. They are working on a wide-range of interdisciplinary research topics, broadly categorized in three sub-domains: Digital Strategy, Business Analytics, and Energy Informatics. More specifically, the faculty members are interested in supervising the following topics including:

• Digital transformation
• Digital platforms
• Digital marketing and recommendation
• Crowd sourcing and crowd funding
• User generated content
• Mobile advertising
• Digital markets and auctions
• Digital privacy
• Social networks
• Ethics of AI
• AI and decision making
• Energy markets and smart grid
• Smart cities

Open projects in the area of "Business-Society Management"

Acting on unprecedented change

Traditionally, management research takes the perspective of business and focuses on how conditions for business can be improved. Research conducted by the members of the Department of Business-Society Management starts with the challenges that society and our natural environment face and focuses on how business, in partnership with other actors and organizations, can address these challenges. In other words, we help business to take responsibility for the context in which it operates. This is important because our social and natural environments are changing in unprecedented ways. Business contributes to some of these developments, such as climate change, growing inequality, global displacement and also alienation from the general public by losing track of the interests of broader society. Yet, society also changes in ways that are difficult to foresee for companies and other organizational actors alike.

The research conducted by the members of the value based organizing program focuses on a variety of topics—all directly relevant to business acting upon unprecedented change. A common theme underlying all of this research is that it seriously considers the possibility that the way companies do business—including how they relate to the context in which they operate—needs to be changed fundamentally and that small gestures are unlikely to be sufficient to help.

Topics include alternative definitions of and approaches to business, including issues around climate change, corporate communication, sense-making processes in the context of sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy, new business-society strategies, alternative organization forms such as social enterprises and partnerships, alternative governance regimes such as commons, and aligning corporate value propositions with societal issues and social innovation in times of grand challenges and wicked problems. Due to the diversity in research topics, the research methods we use vary widely, from qualitative techniques to survey and laboratory research.

Open projects in the area of "Finance"

The mission of finance research is to enhance our understanding of financial decision-making by firms and managers, the actions of participants in financial markets, as well as the functioning of financial markets and intermediaries. 

We are a vibrant and diverse group consisting of leading international researchers. Our faculty undertakes world-class research that is both of high societal relevance and meets high methodological standards. A list of recent publications by our finance faculty can be found  here .

Research in our group takes place along three broad lines: The first theme is corporate finance, including interests such as entrepreneurship and private equity. Second, we investigate financial markets and asset pricing. Our third theme is banking and financial intermediation, including asset management. 

We are looking for highly motivated candidates that have an interest in undertaking research that is both challenging and rigorous, but also has societal relevance. Candidates may have a background in finance, but we also welcome applicants with an education in Economics or Econometrics.

Currently we especially welcome candidates with interests in the following areas:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning  • Asset management • Banking and financial intermediation • Behavioral finance • Blockchain and tokens  • Climate finance • Investments

Open projects in the area of "Innovation Management"

Innovation Management (IM) involves all the actions needed to generate innovative ideas and turn them into attractive new products, services, and business models. Today’s business credo mandates more innovations, and those innovations become substantially more complex, multi-dimensional and risky. At RSM we study the latest developments in innovation and we investigate how to manage them successfully in practice by linking the latest management theories to business practice.

We are particularly interested in working with PhD students on the following topics:

Idea management: How to cultivate and select the best ideas? Over and over again:  Companies increasingly use idea management programs or crowdsourcing platforms to collect as many ideas as possible from their employees or from people outside of the organization. But having many ideas does mean that one has—or is able to recognize—high-quality ideas. Another challenge is that the motivation of people to participate in idea management programs often declines over time. As a result, a firm’s innovation pipeline might dry up and with that the opportunities to successfully compete. Therefore, the question is how the quality of idea submissions can be enhanced, how idea evaluation and selection decisions can be improved, and how sustained levels of creativity can be encouraged.

Personality change and innovation : We live in an age in which people plan, pursue, and experience individual changes that affect career and life trajectories. People improve their educational credentials, change residences, move jobs, switch nationalities, and undergo gender reassignment. All of this is familiar to management researchers. But personality change is only recently emerging in the organizational behavior and management research landscape despite extensive research evidence, practitioner attention and mass-media interest. Management research generally emphasizes the stability of personality structures tends to underestimate the possibility that personality can change. I want to build consensus on the relevance of personality change for research in organizational behavior and manager, with a specific focus on innovation. Research questions of interest include: do people change their personality after a major change in work activities is introduced? How does the use of innovation shape or change psychological variables related to the innovation domain (e.g. openness to experience?) Specifically, I am interested in designing an experimental design in order to assess whether and how personality can change and what are its organizational consequences.

Innovation Strategy:  Organizations are in a constant hunt for the next blockbuster design, product, or service to gain or sustain their competitive edge. However, innovation management is not about an endless chase for any creative idea. It requires developing an innovation strategy to direct and achieve innovation-related goals since organizational resources are limited. Innovation strategy helps organizations sense the needs and changes in the business landscape, and transform their organizations by fostering creative ideas and further into product/service and process development implementing these ideas. This Ph.D. project focuses on how and why organizations develop and execute strategies to innovate. It also highlights sustainability as a special topic of attention. This is because organizations can no longer turn a blind eye to the societal and environmental challenges the world faces: waves of pandemics, global warming, pollution, inequality, and ongoing discrimination. We know much less about how organizations can envision, implement, change and govern an innovation strategy—be it via deliberate or emergent—to address societal and environmental challenges. Hence, I welcome candidates motivated to investigate the dual goal of achieving sustainability and competitive advantage as a critical and urgent research direction within the innovation strategy field.

Open projects in the area of "Marketing Management"

The marketing group at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) ranks among the best in the world. Our members publish their research in top journals in marketing as well as related fields. They deeply care about open science practices (e.g., data sharing and open-source software), and frequently host seminars to encourage knowledge exchange. The group is diverse (in terms of research interests and cultural background), collaborative, and collegial.

Our faculty members can supervise PhD students on a broad range of topics, typically divided in three sub-domains: Quantitative Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, or Consumer Neuroscience. Several faculty members work as the intersection of two of these sub-disciplines (e.g., consumer behavior and quantitative marketing), which enables us to cater to students interested in more interdisciplinary research.

Quantitative Marketing:

The faculty in the quantitative group in our department work on a wide range of topics, such as design of multi-armed bandits and reinforcement learning models with applications to recommendation systems and clinical trials (Gui Liberali), virtual / augmented / mixed reality (Yvonne van Everdingen), digital platform markets (David Kusterer), privacy (Gilian Ponte), behavioral economics (Alina Ferecatu), causal inference (Jason Roos), marketing strategy (Gerrit van Bruggen), consumer eye tracking (Ana Martinovici), deep learning (Sebastian Gabel), consumer and firm networks (Xi Chen), customer analytics (Aurélie Lemmens), consumer learning (Maciej Szymanowski) and quantitative modelling approaches to predict the psychological processes involved in consumer judgments and decisions (Antonia Krefeld-Schwalb and Dan Schley).

Consumer Behavior:

Our faculty members in consumer behavior work on a wide range of topics, such as how advertising works psychologically (Steven Sweldens), judgment and decision making (Gabriele Paolacci), self-control and consumption (Mirjam Tuk), how technology augments behavior Shwetha Mariadassou and Anne-Kathrin Klesse), numerical processing (Dan Schley and Christophe Lembregts), biological influences on consumption and goal pursuit (Bram Van den Bergh), how to measure consumer preferences (Antonia Krefeld-Schwalb), pro-social behavior, social credit, and consumer advocacy (Alex Genevsky), marketplace morality (Johannes Boegershausen), and pro-societal consumer interventions (Romain Cadario).

Consumer Neuroscience:

Within the department, researchers at the Center for Neuroeconomics (Maarten van Boksem, Ale Smidts, and Alexander Genevsky) work on a wide range of topics in decision neuroscience such as understanding the neurological basis of emotions, social conformity, dishonesty, charitable giving, consumer judgments and predicting population-level outcomes from neural data.

Leveraging work experience 

Regardless of the specific topic that a PhD student likes to work on, the department sees a lot of value in supervising students who would like to leverage their work experience (e.g., from their current profession) to collect practically relevant data and/or conduct (field) experiments that can provide the empirical basis for their PhD project.

The PhD student’s task will be to:

• identify novel research questions based on real-world phenomena and/or extant theory.
• review existing literature and theories to build a coherent theoretical foundation for his/her own research.
• identify the fundamental variables and relationships that are most important to studying the phenomena at hand and formalize them in a measurement model or set of experimental hypotheses.
• gather experimental or observational data to test hypotheses or measure phenomena.
• identify the critical assumptions needed to draw inferences from empirical results.
• write computer code to analyze experimental or secondary data.
• present research findings at international conferences.
• write up findings for publication in international journals.
• participate in and contribute to departmental research functions (PhD Day, research seminars, weekly research meetings)

Well-connected faculty members

Our faculty members possess excellent networks and have collaborators at top institutions worldwide. Further, several of our faculty members are leading expert practices at the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA). These expert practices fulfil the purpose to bring together academics from various disciplines and practitioners to exchange knowledge and collaborate on research questions surrounding specific topics. More information for each of these expert practices can be found here.   

• Trial Design and Experimentation
• The Psychology of AI lab
• Virtual and Augmented Reality
• Customer Analytics

More information on our faculty members can be found  here .

Open projects in the area of "Organisation and Personnel Management"

Understanding the way people operate is central to the success of any organisation. Managing people requires understanding organisations in their full complexity, thus at several levels of analysis. The department covers topics on four levels: those that apply to the individual such as leadership, leader development, people management, power, incentives, and goals; those applying at the team level such as diversity, team processes, hierarchy, managerial behaviours, and professional identity; those at organisation level such as organisational learning, organisational design, coordination, organisational culture and change, HR practice and system design, and organisation of work; and topics at the level of the environment such as social, technological, economic changes, and politics.

Research within the department of Organisation and Personnel Management has always been a force for positive change, helping people and organisations worldwide to thrive and prosper. Pioneering faculty work at the forefront of human issues such as diversity, organisational change, employee wellbeing, and leadership studies. Working successfully with business cultures that may have very different methods, expectations and models to those in Europe, the UK and North America constitute an important focus.

Areas of research

More information on possible research directions within the area of OPM will follow soon.

Open projects in the area of "Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship"

The field of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship   focuses on understanding why some firms perform better than others, how firms behave, and what determines success in international competition. Given its broad scope, the field is highly integrative and multi-disciplinary, and feeds on insights from a wide range of disciplines, such as sociology, psychology, law, finance, and economics. The field focuses on actions associated with changing the firm's scope and profile of business lines. It also addresses questions of how decision-makers can best leverage knowledge and innovation to foster competitive advantage for their firms as well as how external forces influence firms and entrepreneurs in a global context and in societies expecting more sustainable strategies. Other topics include entrepreneurial behavior in new ventures, scale-ups, and established organizations. Moreover, the field focuses on how strategic leadership and governance shape firms, firm behavior, and outcomes. 

Current themes that have the focus of our faculty and PhD candidates are:

• Strategy, Organization, and Governance. This line   aims to explain and identify the mechanisms through which modern firms shape and align their organizational structures, governance and ownership with the strategies, resource dependencies, and business models through which they create and capture value.
• Strategic Entrepreneurship. This strand is concerned with understanding how organizations link entrepreneurial behaviour and strategic advantage-seeking actions to create and capture wealth.
• Strategy, Knowledge, and Innovation .  This theme   focuses on how managers and entrepreneurs build and renew the technological, social, and relational capital to shape new technologies and business models.
• Global Strategy.   This branch   aims to enrich our understanding of how internationally operating firms form and implement their strategies, and how firms shape, and are shaped by, their global context and societies expecting sustainable practices.
• Behavioural Strategy and Entrepreneurial Behaviour .  This branch informs us about the psychology behind high-impact and complex strategic and entrepreneurial decisions.

More extensive descriptions of these themes can be found  here .

Open projects in the area of "Supply Chain Management"

Supply Chain Management (SCM) focuses on the effective and efficient management of the lifecycle of products and services. Successful SCM is imperative for any competitive business, but also for the public sector and other non-profit organisations. Through our research, education and engagement, we have an established record in achieving double impact; not just within academia but also in society at large. In research, we focus on four main areas:

• Topics: international supply chains, sustainability, and facility logistics
• Methods: predominantly quantitative modelling, some large-scale empirical studies.
• Topics: planning, design and real-time management of transportation and logistics systems (goods and persons)
• Methods: mostly quantitative methods and tools
• Topics: demand forecasting, inventory management, assortment planning, supply chain coordination
• Methods: analytical modelling, empirical methods and behavioral experiments
• Topics: supplier relations, contracting, health care procurement
• Methods: empirical methods including qualitative research, field and behavioral experiments

Dissertations

Academic thriving stands for a combination of academic outcomes as well as success in other relevant domains, such as well-being and finding the right job. What causes students to thrive academically? The studies in this dissertation contributed to this question with the use of experimental, interdisciplinary and longitudinal studies, and a critical theoretical examination of the arguments against evidence-based education. A large-scale field experiment showed that first year students who reflected on their desired future, prioritized goals, and wrote detailed plans on how to reach these goals, performed significantly better (in study credits and retention) than students who made a control assignment. This low-cost and scalable goal-setting assignment was made at the start of college and only took the students two hours to complete. Personalized follow-up feedback delivered by an AI-enhanced chatbot could further improve benefits to study outcomes as well as well-being. The final study in this dissertation tracked the effects of different types of jobs on the study progress of teacher education students over a four-year span. This longitudinal study showed that student who had a paid job in education gained more study credits than students with other types of work or without a job. Additionally it showed that working 8 hours per week relates with the most study progress in the first and third semester of college.

RSM Part-time PhD Programme

This PhD thesis has sprung from the Part-time PhD Programme at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). Part-time PhD candidates conduct research against the highest academic standards on topics with real-world application value, thereby contributing to the positive impact of RSM research on business and other societal stakeholders. This programme allows candidates to develop their academic and research skills while they work. During the five-year programme, candidates are trained in research methods, use RSM’s research facilities and databases, participate in international conferences, and are supervised by research active faculty.

Below you can find dissertations of RSM Part-time PhD candidates:

Mulder, F., New forms of leadership Leading in the plural and plural leadership , Supervisor: Prof. dr. S.R. Giessner, Co-supervisor: Prof. dr. B. Koene

Goldsby, C. M., _ Demystifying Digital Governance: Exploring the Mechanisms and Trade-offs of Blockchains for Organizations , _ Supervisor: Prof. dr. ir. J.C.M. van den Ende, Co-supervisor: Dr. H.J.D. Klapper 

Isabel de Bruin Cardoso, E.W., _ The Dark Side of the NGO Halo: Exploring moral goodness as a driver for NGO unethical behavior _, Supervisors: Prof. dr. S.P. Kaptein & Prof. dr. L.C.P.M. Meijs 

Ouacha, M., Receiving by Giving The examining of cross-border diasporic and bi-cultural Philanthropy , Supervisor: Prof.dr. L.C.P.M. Meijs, Co-supervisor: Dr. C.H. Biekart 

Jakobs, K., ICT Standardisation Management: A multidimensional perspective on company participation in standardization committees , Supervisors: Prof.dr.ir. H.J. de Vries & Prof. K. Blind 

Carpentier, P.D.J.  A New Frontier for the Study of the Commons Promotors: Prof.dr. L.C.P.M. Meijs, Prof.dr. V.J.A. van de Vrande

Reinders, H.J.  Financial Stability in a Changing Environment Promotors: Prof.dr. D. Schoenmaker, Prof.dr. M.A. van Dijk

Dekker, I.  Academic Thriving; Optimising Student Development with Evidence-Based Higher Education . Promotors: Prof. dr. M.C. Schippers, Dr. E. Klatter & Dr. E.J. Van Schooten https://pure.eur.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/53684049/dissertatiemiddelenizaakdekker_6267af186ff73.pdf

Heeren, J.  Management Innovation in the Military, Practice Adaptation Processes and Innovation Performance Consequences Solving the Paradox Between Institutional Pressure, Rational Motivation and Implementation Misfit Promotors: Prof.dr. H.W. Volberda, Prof.dr.ir. V.J.A. van de Vrande & Dr. E.J. de Waard https://www.eur.nl/en/events/phd-defence-jwj-jasper-heeren-2022-04-22

Caballero Santin, J.A.  Stunted Innovation: How large incumbent companies fail in the era of supply chain digitalization. Promotors: Prof.dr.ir. J.C.M. van den Ende, Dr. M. Stevens https://pure.eur.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/50170730/phd_dissertation_jaimereduced_620135877e60f.pdf

Renault, M.  All for One and One for All: How Teams Adapt to Crises. Promotors: Prof.dr. J.C.M. van den Ende & Dr. M. Tarakci https://pure.eur.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/50866956/max_thesisall_chapters_combined_and_preliminary_pagesfinal_embargo_621f67faca9ce.pdf

Duijm, P.  On the Cyclical Nature of Finance: The role and impact of financial institutions , Promotor(s): Prof. D. Schoenmaker & Prof. W.B. Wagner, 1, https://repub.eur.nl/pub/120767

Maas, S.A.  In the moment of giving: Essays on contemporary forms of private and corporate philanthropy.  Promotors: Prof. L.C.P.M. Meijs & Prof. J.P. Cornelissen. https://repub.eur.nl/pub/124976

 Langenbusch, C. A lot to lose. Organizational identity and emotions in institutional contexts. Promotors: Prof. J.P. Cornelissen, Prof. G. Jacobs. https://repub.eur.nl/pub/125099  

Van Zanten, J. A.  Business in the Age of Sustainable Development  https://repub.eur.nl/pub/135674

Profiles of Part-time Phd programme students

Patty duijm - cohort 2015.

Topic:  On the cyclical nature of finance: The role and impact of financial institutions Supervisors:  D. Schoenmaker (Dirk) ,  W.B. Wagner (Wolf) Author: Patty Duijm started her part-time PhD in 2015, at the Finance Department at RSM. Alongside her PhD she worked as an Economist at the Financial Stability Division and subsequently at the Supervisory Policy Division of De Nederlandsche Bank. She has been involved in regulatory and international policy topics covering recovery and resolution, stress testing financial institutions, and macroprudential policy. Her research interests include the impact of policy reforms on financial institutions, international banking, investment behavior and risk diversification. She completed her PhD in 2019. Patty currently works at the Data Science Hub of De Nederlandsche Bank, aiming at getting most value out of the data by incorporating data science at central bank and supervisory practices. An overview of her publications and current research can be found here.

Project description: Cyclical patterns are characterized by periods of strong economic expansions (‘booms’), followed by periods of detractions (‘busts’). In finance, we have seen these boom-bust cycles occur in, for example, the equity, credit and housing markets. During the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, we have seen that periods of economic downturns intensified financial market disruptions, and vice versa. The existence of these cycles that are closely linked to financial crises and that can intensify each other calls for a better understanding of their underlying mechanisms.

• Read Patty Duijm's dissertation

Stephanie Koolen-Maas - Cohort 2019

Topic:  In the Moment of Giving. Essays on contemporary forms of private and corporate philanthropy Supervisors:   L.C.P.M. Meijs (Lucas) ,  J.P. Cornelissen (Joep) Author: Stephanie Koolen-Maas started her PhD in 2015 at the Business-Society Management Department at RSM. She worked as an academic researcher and lecturer for the same department alongside her PhD. Stephanie’s research interests include the societal role of organizations, philanthropy, nonprofit and volunteer management, and business-nonprofit relationships. After completing her PhD in 2020, she started to work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Philanthropic Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She also continued to work for the Business-Society Management Department at RSM as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer. She is currently associated with Impact Centre Erasmus as a senior impact researcher. Her ultimate goal is to better understand and increase the societal impact of philanthropy and philanthropic, hybrid and commercial organizations.

Project description:  No part of the philanthropic landscape appears to be as diverse as the ways in which individuals and for-profit organizations seek to do good. While philanthropy is not a new phenomenon, its diversification of practices and the emergence of (third party) organizations and new vehicles call for a renewed understanding. The studies in this dissertation represent a more in-depth exploration of contemporary forms of private and corporate philanthropy. First, I examine temporary episodic volunteering by examining National Days of Service. National Days of Service are state- or countrywide volunteering programs in which individuals and groups support nonprofit organizations by giving their time to a one-day, time-limited volunteer project. In the first two studies, I show how nonprofit organizations integrate National Days of Service and how they can do so more meaningfully. Second, I examine two vehicles that channel important elements of corporate philanthropy and that stand between corporate donors and nonprofit recipients. These include a corporate foundation serving the interests of multiple corporate donors simultaneously (collective corporate foundation) and third-party intermediary organizations. In the last two studies, I demonstrate how these two channels of corporate philanthropy add value and what the consequences are for corporate donors and nonprofit recipients.

• Read Stephanie Koolen-Maas' dissertation

Christina Langenbusch - Cohort 2015

Topic:  A lot to lose Organizational identity and emotions in institutional contexts Supervisors:   J.P. Cornelissen (Joep) ,  G. Belschak-Jacobs (Gabriele) Author: Christina Langenbusch is a senior organizational developer whose dissertation research focused on the qualitative analysis of organizational life at the intersection of global crisis management, organizational identity, sensemaking in the context of the grand challenge of forced displacement, emotions in institutions, and the process of theory development. Christina is currently researching quantitative evaluations of group behavior by translating organizational culture into a data-driven tool for leadership and change processes in the context of technology adoption. In addition to her work as an organizational developer and researcher, she continues to coach master's students. Christina has been awarded the 1st prize of the 2021 EDAMBA thesis competition. Project description:  Organizational life entails complex, informal processes that can defi ne an organization just as much as its basic operational premises. To investigate these phenomena, this dissertation begins with a systematic literature review that critically investigates how the formation and strength of an organization’s identity is associated with value creation, providing a multi-level and multi-theory framework.

• Read Christina Langenbusch's dissertation

Anton van Zanten - Cohort 2016

Topic:  Business in the Age of Sustainable Development Supervisors:   Prof.dr. R. van Tulder ,  Dr. F. Wijen Author: Jan Anton van Zanten works at Robeco, an international asset manager specialized in sustainable investing, as Strategist for the Sustainable Development Goals. He was awarded his PhD with distinction (cum laude) in 2021. He had joined the part-time PhD programme in 2017 at RSM's Business-Society Management department. His research interests center around corporate sustainability, sustainable development, and sustainable investing. Prior to joining Robeco, Jan Anton was a Senior Consultant at Steward Redqueen, and a Consultant at the United Nations Environment Programme. Jan Anton holds a Master’s in Global Business & Stakeholder Management from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a Master’s in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge.

Project description: This dissertation contains five studies that investigate the role of companies in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first study builds on institutional theory to develop propositions that explain how corporate engagement with SDGs is influenced by traits of SDGs and by traits of companies. The second study conducts a systematic literature review to survey and synthesize the positive and negative impacts of diverse corporate activities on the SDGs and their underlying targets. In study three, corporate impacts on the SDGs are investigated using network analysis. This allows for identifying four types of companies, each having a unique sustainability imperative. The fourth study then asks how companies might improve their impacts on the SDGs, thereby contributing to developing a theory of sustainability management. This conceptual paper that is grounded in the sustainability sciences literature introduces a nexus approach to corporate sustainability. This nexus approach induces companies to manage their positive and negative, and direct and indirect, interactions with the SDGs in order to advance multiple SDGs simultaneously (“co-benefits”) while reducing the risk that contributions to one SDG undermine progress on another (“trade-offs”). Finally, the fifth study reflects on how the SDGs can help transform towards more sustainable societies throughout, and beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Read Anton van Zanten's dissertation

More information about the RSM part-time PhD programme

Academic Director of Part-Time PhD Programme

E-mail [email protected]

[email protected]

Filipa Covas

Programme Officer

Vusala Guliyeva

Wardah Tahir Shah

Course Coordinator Part-Time PhD

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Executive phd.

• Diploma Doctor of Philosophy
• Mode Part-time (blended)
• Course date May 2025
• Duration 4 years

The part-time Executive PhD programme in Private Sector Development (preferably for Emerging Economies) allows working professionals and researchers with full-time or part-time jobs to combine their careers with obtaining a PhD. The programme provides advanced training in the theory and skills crucial to private sector development, design and research. As the highest academic qualification, obtaining a PhD will improve your career prospects both in academia and in business. In addition, you will make an original contribution to your field of interest that will add to previous research. During the programme, you will benefit from the extensive knowledge and expertise of the key lecturers and supervisors in the programme, who are leading scholars in the fields of the research themes. By joining the programme, you will become part of the stimulating and challenging research community of Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) and Maastricht School of Management (MSM). Research focus Within the Executive PhD programme, the PhD candidate’s research should focus on Private Sector Development, ideally within the context of emerging markets. Within this area topics may relate to the following themes: 

• Private sector development (in general)
• Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Digitisation
• Educational Development
• Globalisation, Value Chains and Industrial Policy
• Inclusive and Sustainable Development
• Leadership, Change and Organisational Development

Accreditation

Maastricht School of Management (MSM) is part of the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE). SBE has been awarded three prestigious accreditations, AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, resulting in what is known as the Triple Crown accreditation. Only 1% of business schools worldwide can boast this honour, many of which are SBE partner institutes.

Reasons to follow this programme

• Advance the current state-of-the-art and produce new knowledge
• Combine your current career with obtaining a PhD
• Improve your career prospects
• Receive coaching from leading scholars

Ask Iris Weijenberg PhD Admissions Team

Monika SAVELSKYTE

Global Executive Ph.D. Recruiter Schedule a call +33 (0)6 78 44 12 62

• Global Executive Ph.D.

October 2024

Language of instruction

Where you study

• Executive Education
• Fees & Financing

Global Executive Ph.D. Designed for an executive audience

Information Coronavirus:

Despite the situation related to Covid-19, we continue to accompany you with your professional development project.

The ongoing recruitment process: Application files to be completed online and selection interviews conducted remotely. Our team is always ready and available to listen to you.

Doctoral-level Qualification

The world we are living in is facing profound evolution and relentless change. In this environment, we need visionary leaders who are capable of adapting, learning and inspiring others. Our programme enables senior executives and business leaders to act as reflective practitioners and to conduct valuable, doctoral-level research on a part-time basis over three to four years. You will benefit from the expertise of ESCP’s international world-class faculty.

Participants are expected to remain in employment and leverage their professional and personal experience throughout the programme.

Overview of ESCP Global Executive Ph.D.

Research method modules.

Develop methodological and theoretical skills at a doctoral level

Advanced Specialisation Modules

Develop field-specific expertise

Modules delivered over 3 residential sessions

Research paper.

Apply the skills you have acquired to a concrete industry-relevant problem. Participants who successfully complete this paper and all courses from year 1 will be awarded an Executive Masters in Management Research from ESCP Business School.

Ph.D. Dissertation

Complete a publishable-level research work in your chosen field of expertise. The dissertation can take the form of three publishable papers or a monograph.

Why choose ESCP's Global Executive Ph.D. programme?

A unique opportunity.

The ESCP Global Executive Ph.D. represents a unique opportunity to enhance, validate, and leverage your professional expertise within a rigorous academic framework.

Stimulates your Intellectual Expertise

Whether your goal is to enhance your knowledge and expertise in a given operational area, enhance your industry practice with academic experience, or continue your lifelong appetite for learning, the ESCP Global Executive Ph.D. is for you. The programme will enable you to combine the most advanced academic research findings with the "hands-on" experience of experts and apply your conclusions to complex management paradigms.

Your Benefits

Company benefits, key facts of the global executive ph.d..

• 86 executive participants
• 2020 inaugural cohort
• 33 nationalities represented
• 44 year old, on average
• 16 average years of work experience
• 12 average years of managerial experience
• 30% C-level, owners, and partners

Satisfaction rating  (2023) 3,7/4

Webinar An Executive Ph.D. Journey: How to Choose Your Research Topic

Tuesday, 16 april 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (cest).

Prof. Daniela Lup Professor of Management

Sam Sena Global Executive Ph.D., Class of 2025

[On-demand] Webinar Elevate Your Expertise: Becoming a Thought Leader Through Research

Thursday, 7 march 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (cet), [on-demand] webinar the impact of ai on research, thursday, 1 february 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (cet), [on-demand] webinar the future of management, tuesday, 12 september 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (cest), [on-demand] webinar unlock your research potential with the global executive ph.d.: the power of a strong advisor-advisee partnership, your resources white papers, discover the entire series of white papers: leaders for the future., global executive ph.d. academic research & a hands-on approach, programme structure, stage 1 18 months.

Coursework and First Research Paper

Stage 2 18* or 30 months * 18 months for accelerated participants

• 6 Research methods modules
• 4+ Advanced Specialisation modules
• Research Paper 2 (RP2)
• Research Paper 3 (RP3)
• 2 Research Bootcamps

The Ph.D. dissertation can take the form of three publishable papers or a monograph.

Following Stage 1 and the successful completion of required courseworks and Field Research Paper 1 (RP1), you will be awarded an Executive Master in Management Research.

Following Stage 2 and the successful completion of your Ph.D. dissertation, you will be awarded an Executive Ph.D. (ESCP degree). ESCP Business School is a founding member of the Sorbonne Alliance.

For more details, contact your programme advisor .

Innovative Learning Model

• A combination of academic, managerial teaching and reading materials will allow you to see how theoretical insights can be immediately translated into business outcomes.
• An adapted learning methodology enables participants to combine their career experience with a Executive Ph.D. including assignments that help you master new knowledge in detail.
• In-depth specialisation seminars allow you to acquire cutting-edge skills and to reflect on current and future trends in management.

International Standards

The courses adhere to the highest international standards. You will be taught research methodologies and benefit from specialisation courses linked to your dissertation project. Assignments will be given after each module to allow you to better integrate both the fundamentals and advanced concepts. You will also have a dedicated supervisor as well as coaching sessions to guide you towards the successful completion of your dissertation.

RESEARCH METHODS MODULES (Methodological and theoretical skills development)

• Research Methods: Theory and Practice
• Art Thinking and Research Creativity
• Theory Building in Management Science
• Design of Field Research Methods
• Reading Seminar
• Quantitative Methods: Empirical Methods and Causal Inference
• Quantitative Methods
• Applied Econometrics* * Participants who choose this module will have three specialisation modules instead of four.

SPECIALISATION MODULES (Field-specific expertise development) Below are examples of specialisation modules offered in alternate years.

Some advanced specialisation modules will be available and delivered online. Please contact the Global Executive Ph.D. office for the course schedules.

• Management of Innovation
• Advanced Topics in the Future of Work (Diversity, Inclusion and Global Leadership)
• Advanced Topics in Artificial Intelligence and Social Media
• Advanced Topics in Consumption in New Digital Age
• Advanced Topics on Finance and Society
• Advanced Topics in Behavioral Finance and Tech-driven Financial Services

Information & Operations

• Advanced Topics in Big Data and Digital Transformation
• Advanced topics in the Future of Supply Chain and Operations Management
• Advanced Topics in the Robot and AI wave: business implications

Entrepreneurship

• Advanced topics in Entrepreneurial Decision-making under Uncertainty

Accounting & Management Control

• Advanced topics in Accounting and Boundaries of Organizations in the Digital Economy

Economics & Public Policy

• Advanced topics in Real Estate and Public Policy

Sustainability

• Advanced Topics in Sustainability

Ph.D. dissertation

Participants are required to write a Ph.D. dissertation , which takes the form of a monograph or three publishable papers. The Ph.D. dissertation defence is oral and open to the public.

Students are expected to complete the Ph.D. programme in 3-4 years in total.

Participants will be guided by their dissertation advisors all throughout this intellectual journey and supported through coaching and the “research bootcamps” which will help orient and adjust their work.

Global Executive Ph.D. Work closely with world-class faculty and benefit from their cutting-edge expertise and research

Professor Avgoustaki's interests lie at the intersection of human resource management and industrial relations. Her work has been published in Industrial and Labour Relations Review, Human Resource Management, and Economic and Industrial Democracy. Her work has been covered in media outlets such as The Financial Times, FT China, Business Insider UK, Le Monde, Le Figaro, The Daily Mail, Insider, CNBC, Le Soir, The Guardian, Women’s Health, New Scientist, Entrepreneur, MDR Radio, CNBC, and the World Economic Forum.

Professor Becker's research focuses on econometric modelling of marketing decisions, particularly advertising and its effectiveness. Maren’s work has been published in the Journal of Marketing and Journal of Marketing Research and was featured in press outlets such as die Zeit, Markenartikel, and Harvard Business Manager.

Professor Bunkanwanicha's research lies research lies at the intersection of family business, political connections, and finance. Published in top-tier finance and economic journals, namely the Review of Financial Studies, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Comparative Economics, his research has been also presented in major academic conference such as the American Finance Association (AFA), the Western Finance Association (WFA), the European Finance Association (EFA).

Based on Professor Bureau's research on creative practices, he created the Art Thinking : a method to create the improbable with certainty. He teaches this method in unique locations like Centre Pompidou. He has been a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and City University of New York. Sylvain is also the co-founder of Storymakers, an app to make pitches people remember, and co-author of Free Your Pitch (Pearson, 2018).

Almudena Cañibano holds a PhD in Employment relations and organisational behaviour from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research seeks to understand the changing nature of work and its impact on employee well-being and organisational outcomes. She has looked at work practices such as flexible working and the digitalisation of work. Her work has been published in outlets such as Human Relations, Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Management Decision and the Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations .

Areas of expertise : Sustainability, Supply Chain Management, Circular Economy transition.

Recent publications : Carmagnac, L., Carbone, V. and Touboulic A. (2022) “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The Ambiguous Role of Multistakeholder Meta-organisations in Sustainable Supply Chains”, Management, in press.

Areas of expertise : strategic innovation, entrepreneurship, international business, market strategies.

Recent publications : BRIDOUX, F., COEURDEROY, R. and R. DURAND Heterogeneous social motives and interactions: The three predictable paths of capability development, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, 2017

Professor di Giuli was a research assistant at the London School of Economics and a visiting fellow at Harvard Business School. Her research focuses on corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, mergers and acquisitions and family firms.

Frédéric Fréry is a Professor of Strategic Management at ESCP. He is author or co-author of 40 books, among which Stratégique, the most widely used strategy manual in the French-speaking world. He is also honorary professor at CentraleSupélec and expert for the Association Progrès du Management. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. His research and teachings focus on strategy, organization and management of innovation.

Professor Getz is a former Visiting Professor at Cornell and Stanford. His book Freedom, Inc. has been published in 14 countries and won the Best Business Book award. His other book L'entreprise liberée has also won the Best Business Bookaward. Isaac has studied over 300 organizations on four continents and has published extensively.

Professor Haenlein is the most cited researcher in the field of Word-of-Mouth, among the top three in the field of Customer Relationship Management and among the top ten in the field of Social Influence. Since May 2019 Michael is part of the Executive Committee of EMAC where he serves as Vice President Corporate Relationships.

Héctor González Jiménez has worked on projects for small to medium sized businesses as well as large international companies such as Pepsi or Ford. He is interested in interdisciplinary research that addresses phenomena on the self and consumption as well as human-robot interactions.

Professor Karehnke's work has been published in Management Science (Spanning Tests for Assets with Option-Like Payoffs: The Case of Hedge Funds) and the Review of Finance (Time-varying state variable risk premia in the ICAPM) among others.

Professor Daniela Lup produces research, teaches, and consults in areas related to organizational behaviour, with a focus on practices related to decision making during transformation, negotiations, diversity & inclusion, creativity & teamwork. Her work is published in internationally renowned journals such as Organization Science, Journal of Business Ethics, Work Employment Society , and has been featured in Harvard Business Review and LSE Business Review .

Jaime P. Luque is Associate Professor of Economics at ESCP Business School, where he holds the BNP Paribas Professorship in Real Estate and serves as Director of the Monaco Real Estate Tech Innovation program. He is the Academic Director of the MSc in Real Estate and the Institute of Real Estate Finance and Management . Prior to joining ESCP in July 2018, he was Real Estate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. Jaime’s research interests include real estate finance, real estate technology and housing. He has published in the Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Public Economics, Economic Theory, Real Estate Economics, and Regional Science and Urban Economics.

Professor Moatti's current work focuses on the sustainable dimension of supply chain management, as well as innovation strategies in the fashion industry. She is the author of articles (published in Strategic Management Journal, European Management Journal, and International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, and Management, Business Strategy and the Environment, Supply Chain Forum – An International Journal…).

Professor Zhou received the Shanghai 1000-Talents Award (2018) and consequently leads the multi-disciplinary and multi-country research in the field of big data analytics, artificial intelligence, IoT, cryptography, and transportation engineering.

Guest Professor

Prof. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #3 in 2019; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019 and Talent Award in 2017.

Join A Dynamic Ecosystem Of Corporate And Academic Research Leaders

Be a part of the ESCP global knowledge community. Benefit from the latest research at the highest level linked to companies and business and share your knowledge with colleagues from a large variety of academic specialisations and institutions around the world.

Global Executive Ph.D. candidates will be immersed in a world of knowledge:

• Participants can attend research seminars, conferences and colloquia organized by ESCP's full-time Ph.D. programme,
• Benefit from all the ecosystem of ESCP Chairs and Professorships.

Discover our multiple chairs and professorships on significant topic: Chairs & Professorship

Global Executive Ph.D. Admission

Admission requirements, a previous university degree.

A previous university degree: Masters (MBA or equivalent Masters). Non-management Masters holders are required to take additional management courses from the ESCP Executive MBA programme.

A minimum of ten years’ professional experience

A minimum of 10 years’ professional experience (at least 3 years at managerial level).

English proficiency (C1 level)

English proficiency (C1 level): courses are taught in English and all coursework must be submitted in English. IETLS: 7; TOEFL: 100 or In-house English Test (free) provided by British Council: CEFR c1*.

Admission Process

Application deadlines, for the 2024 intake.

Please contact the Global Executive Ph.D. recruitment manager, Monika Savelskyte , to receive the list of upcoming jury dates.

Individual assessment meeting with the admissions department (initial discussion in person, by phone or visio-conference, with your programme advisor or another member of the admissions team).

Applications are made online. The applications file will be made available to you following your initial discussion with your programme advisor. Please note that only complete applications will be reviewed:

• Your personal details: name, address, e-mail, telephone number
• Degree certificates or grade transcript
• Up-to-date CV
• Two reference letters, ideally one from an individual who knows you in a professional context (e.g. current or former manager) and the other by a person of your choice, if possible from an academic context (e.g. a university professor)
• English language certificate (for non-native English speakers), TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS
• Copy of passport or ID
• Application fee of €350
• Statement of purpose: 1500 - 2000 words

Your application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

Following a successful review of your application, an online admission interview with the Academic Admissions Jury (Executive Ph.D. Committee) will be organised.

Admission decision

Confirmation of enrolment and payment of tuition fees (You will be asked to pay a deposit to secure your place).

Statement of purpose

Your statement of purpose should address the following questions: Why do you want to do a Global Executive Ph.D. at this point in your career? What do you expect to acquire from the programme? What are your career aspirations following the Global Executive Ph.D.?  Please describe your previous research experience, if any. What area of research are you interested in at this stage?

This programme is accessible to people with a disability

Global Executive Ph.D. Fees & Financing

Tuition fees for the 2024 intake, scholarships.

For more details, you can contact your programme advisor .

ESCP has partnerships with banks in several countries around the world. Loans at reduced rates are available for admitted candidates (final decision with the bank).

Funding may also be available in the form of scholarships or government loans in your country. Our Admissions Officer will be happy to advise you about funding opportunities.

Our on-campus teams are available to discuss tailored instalment schedules and flexible payments.

Global Executive Ph.D. Meet Us

Events - europe, fairs - america, fairs - africa / middle east, fairs - asia.

The ultimate degree for business leaders

Part-time PhD programme in Business

Through the programme’s modular structure, participants develop the ‘know how’ and academic skills to conduct high-quality research, whilst step-by-step constructing their own papers, with support of their academic advisors. 

The part-time PhD programme is a four-year programme, of which each year consists of up to six training modules which guide participants through the process of writing a scientific article. Throughout the four years (or more if necessary), they will typically develop four scientific articles, which will form the body of their PhD thesis.

Each programme year has its own specific focus, but is always aimed at writing a scientific article, which will eventually be included as a chapter in the PhD dissertation. Throughout the process, the programme supports participants in developing methodological skills and academic writing capabilities, and in publishing research in international scientific journals.

The programme consists of three phases:

• writing a systematic literature review paper on a topic of choice, and
• developing an academically valid research proposal, which will serve as the blue print for the empirical research in the second phase.
• The second phase (2nd and 3rd year) is dedicated to conducting original, empirical research (qualitative or quantitative, or mixed methods).
• The third phase (4th year and beyond), is dedicated to finalising the fourth research paper, and finalising the PhD dissertation in close  collaboration with the academic advisors.

More detailed information follows below.

The part-time PhD programme in Business supports doctoral research on a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to):

• Boards / board dynamics
• Business processes
• Careers and/or career guidance
• Coaching (limited capacity)
• Consultancy
• Diversity and inclusion
• Entrepreneurship
• General management
• Human Resource Management
• Innovation and knowledge management
• Marketing (limited capacity)
• Organisational behaviour
• Organisational change
• Organisational theory
• Strategy / Strategic management
• Teams / team dynamics

If you would like to conduct your research on other topics, please contact the Programme Director Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova: 

Part-time PhD in Business - The Ultimate degree for Business Leaders

An overview of recent PhD disserations and journal articles written by participants in the Part-time PhD programme

• Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova

Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova is a full-professor of Organisational Behaviour at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is Head of Department - Management & Organisation, and Head of Section - HRM/OB. 

Between 2009-2017, she served as a founding Director of Amsterdam Business Research Institute (ABRI). ABRI caters for doctoral education in management and organisation studies at VU. She also served as Director of Doctoral Education between 2009-2015. Since 2013, she is Director of the part-time  PhD programme  in Business Studies. Her research focuses on the link between careers and institutions. Topics:

• Individual careers as a resource for innovation
• Employees who take initiative to make changes
• Nascent entrepreneurs who make their careers successful
• Board members who define the future of their firms

Prof. dr. Maria Tims

Maria Tims is a full professor at the department of Management and Organisation at the VU Amsterdam since 2014. Previously she worked as an assistant professor at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she obtained her PhD cum laude in 2013.

Her scientific and practical expertise lies in the areas of  employee proactivity and work design (at the individual and team level, such as self-organizing teams), and workforce analytics.

VENI research grant from NWO for research project "Looking for the “I” in teams while still functioning as a team: Individual job crafting and its relationships with individual, team, and organizational outcomes."  

Dr. Evgenia I. Lysova

Dr. Evgenia Lysova is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at VU Amsterdam. She is Director of the VU Center for Meaningful Work at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

Dr. Lysova is an active member of the “International Consortium for the Cross-Cultural Study of Contemporary Careers” (5C). 

Her research primarily concerns calling, meaningful work, careers, and Corporate Social Responsibility. She is especially interested in understanding what enables employees to experience a sense of work meaningfulness in their careers, how individuals can pursue their meaningful careers in in a “healthy” manner in the long term and what role organisations play in supporting this process. 

Her work has been published in the international peer-reviewed journals such as Career Development International.

First Year: Research proposal and literature review

The first phase coincides with the first year of the programme, during which you will give start to your PhD dissertation. During this first year, you will focus on developing a PhD proposal and writing a literature review paper on your chosen research topic. This will later become one of the chapters of your final PhD dissertation. At the end of your first year, your PhD proposal and literature review paper will be officially assessed by a scientific committee. Based on the academic quality of your work, the scientific committee will produce a binding positive or negative advice with regards to admission to the second phase of the programme.

Timetable year 1, 2024

Module 1: January 17, 18 and 19

Module 2: February 14, 15 and 16

Module 3: April 10, 11 and 12

Module 4: June 5, 6 and 7

Module 5: September 5, 6, 7 (Rome, Italy)

Module 6: November 15

In the first year of the programme, we focus on:

• Writing a systematic literature review paper
• Writing a PhD proposal
• Philosophy of Science
• Topic coaching
• Academic writing
• Construct clarity and conceptual blending
• Research designs

Second and Third year: Empirical research

The second phase of the PhD programme in Business covers the consequent second and third years of the programme. During this period you will focus on conducting original research.

Additionally, depending on the topic of your dissertation, you can choose between dedicating a year on developing a quantitative research paper or a qualitative research paper. 

Once more, this second phase revolves around writing academic research papers.

Timetable year 2, 2024

Module 2.1: January 25 and 26

Module 2.2: March 20, 21 and 22

Module 2.3: June 19, 20 and 21 

Module 2.4: June 21, 22 and 23

Module 2.5: September 18, 19 and 20

Module 2.6: Q1 2024

In year 2, we focus on:

• Conducting original research
• Qualitative or quantitative research methods
• Key perspectives in management and organisational theory

Fourth Year: Empirical research and finalizing the PhD dissertation

Finally, the third phase coincides with the fourth year of the PhD programme in Business. This is dedicated to finalising your research papers and integrating your entire research work into a single PhD manuscript. During this final phase, you will work in close collaboration with your scientific supervisors. Upon the approval of your dissertation by the supervisors, the final decision is made by an international reading committee, composed of renowned international professors experts on the topic. 

Consequently, you will be able to present your research project publicly during a highly traditional and ceremonial academic defence at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

• Finalise your research
• Integrate your research into a PhD manuscript
• Present your research project publicly

Would you like to offer (parts of) this education in-company? Contact Emiel Erbé to tailor a programme.

Need help with your choice?

If you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss several study programmes: please feel free to contact us.

We are happy to help you! 

Reach out for more information

For general information, please contact the Programme Coordinator Niki Konijn. For research-related questions, please contact the Programme Director Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova

General questions?

• [email protected]
• Niki Konijn MA
• Head of Operations at M&O
• Programme Coordinator ABRI Part-time PhD programme
• + 31 20 59 85 667

• Head of Department, Department of Management & Organisation, Programme Director part-time PhD in Business
• Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Head of Section HRM/OB
• + 31 20 59 82414
• [email protected]

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Search term

Part-time phd programmes, ever thought of working towards a phd alongside your full-time job.

The part-time PhD programmes for professionals at the Campus Brussels of Maastricht University offer a unique opportunity to obtain a doctorate degree to enhance your professional career. The programmes are designed to equip you with the skills necessary to research and complete a PhD project, and offer individual supervision by professors of Maastricht University that will be tailored to your own work commitments and according to your preferred study schedule.

PhD Programme for Professionals European Studies

If you wish to apply to the Part-time PhD Programme in European Studies please download the step-by-step guide for applicants below. If you have any questions EU Studies you are welcome to contact the director of the programme,  Dr Gergana Noutcheva

Step-by-step guidelines for applicants

Read the interviews of the PhD graduates of the part-time PhD Programme for Professionals in European Studies to learn about their experience, research and lessons learnt.

Download the presentations from the Information Session

• Part-time PhD Programme Europea Studies presentation 2019 (685KB, PDF)
• 2022_Guidelines_for_Applicants (459KB, PDF)

• PhD Programmes

Part-Time PhD

• Admission & Tuition

Admission & Tuition

For admission to the Part-Time PhD Programme in Business and Management at ERIM, you must:

• Be in a relevant discipline and willing to combine the Part-Time PhD Programme with your full-time or part-time job
• Have a strong interest in research and proven track record that includes excellent study results, or writing and publishing of white papers, articles or other work
• Hold an MSc degree in a relevant discipline. If you hold an MBA and have written an MBA thesis to complete it, you may be eligible for the programme as well. In case of doubt, please contact the programme's management team ( [email protected] )
• Have proof of proficiency in English*

In addition to these formal requirements, candidates will be selected according to excellence: Your CV, motivation, research ideas, and, if applicable, your reference from your future supervisor(s) will be taken into consideration.

The Admissions Committee requires the following from applicants with intended supervisors from ESE:

• A research plan coordinated with the intended supervisor from ESE
• Two reference letters
• A reference letter from the future supervisor. Note that at least one of the supervisors has to be employed full-time by ESE

The Admissions Committee may also ask you to take a GMAT test or GRE as part of the evaluation process.

*ERIM requires applicants whose native language is not English to submit TOEFL/IELTS test scores. For the TOEFL, ERIM requires a total score of at least 100 on the internet-based test and all section scores (writing, speaking, reading, and listening) should be at least 23. A minimum score of 600 is required on the paper-based TOEFL test. For the IELTS a minimum overall band score of 7.5 is required. Furthermore, all section scores (writing, speaking, reading, and listening) should be at least 6.5. The language test results should not be older than 2 years. If you are a native English speaker, or if the language of instruction of your entire university education (bachelor and master programme) was English, you may apply for an exemption. The final decision on the exemption will be made by ERIM.

The programme fee is € 10,000 per year for the first two years, €7,000 for years 3 and 4, and €6,000 for each subsequent year, up to a maximum of €46,000.

These costs cover your admission to courses, tuition, coaching and supervision; your access to RSM’s research facilities; the cost of design, layout and printing for your PhD thesis; and the support of our communications team, for example to publicise your research findings to the corporate world and appropriate media.

A small number of tuition fee waivers will be considered in exceptional situations, where academically excellent candidates are not able to financially sustain program participation through their own resources. Waivers are granted for the duration of one year only. Decisions on the continuation of grants are taken on an annual basis and are contingent on study progress, need for financial support, and available budget.

Candidates who wish to apply for a tuition fee waiver need to indicate this during their application or, for enrolled candidates, at least two months prior to start of the academic year. Waiver requests need to be accompanied by a credible demonstration of financial necessity. This includes evidence of own income and the impossibility to obtain external financial support, such as a contribution from the employer or a research scholarship.

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Management Concentration

This concentration is one of the three concentrations offered in  Frankfurt School's Doctoral Programme.

We are among the very few European business schools conducting top-level scientific research and training doctorates in English. Joining the Management track enables you to study cognitive and behavioural processes shaping the decisions of managers, entrepreneurs, employees and customers as well as the external and internal drivers of organisational design, strategy and performance in fast-changing, globalised markets.

Choosing life as a management scholar is an ambitious but rewarding career choice. If you join our five-year doctoral programme, you will be expected to get your bearings through a number of theory and method courses before moving on to produce research of international scientific standard.

Programme Structure

A prototypical path through our programme would have you brush up on statistical inference, qualitative induction, or machine learning, immerse yourself in the theory of the firm or decision making, beef up your knowledge of your chosen specialist area with internal and external courses, learn-by-doing on research projects with faculty members, craft and execute an original thesis, present and publish ongoing work at conferences and journals, go on an overseas visit to engage with leaders in your field, hone your teaching skills and prepare for the institutional demands of entering the professorial job market.

Each field of research specialisation deserves a slightly modified version of the above. To get you started, you will have approximately two years’ worth of courses, beginning with the standard courses required for all Frankfurt School doctoral students. These will be complemented with the specific management courses. During the course period, you can start exploring research projects with Frankfurt School faculty. The idea is to thus identify an advisory team for the later, research stage of the programme.

Management research at Frankfurt School is to move the research frontier, be it through theoretical or empirical contributions. We pride ourselves on making meaningful additions to knowledge by tackling hard problems with novel approaches. To equip students with the foundation needed to join us in this scientific endeavour, we deliver the in-house courses listed below and additionally ask students to partake in specialised courses outside Frankfurt School. This is to ensure that students get exactly the content needed for their individual research foci:

Mathematics & Statistics

Calculus of Several Variables Functions of Several Variables Implicit Functions and Their Derivatives Quadratic Forms and Definite Matrices Unconstrained Optimization Constrained Optimization Concave and Quasiconcave Functions Economic Applications Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors Advanced Linear Algebra Advanced Analysis Basic Probability and Statistics

Econometrics I

The class provides key knowledge on how different econometric models work and most importantly sheds light on their limitations. The course also provides step by step application of new tools to different data sets in the computer lab. You will be asked to replicate and in some cases improve, prior empirical studies.

Microeconomics

1. Demand Theory 2. Expected Utility Theory 3. General Equilibrium Theory 4. Non-Cooperative Game Theory a) Dominant strategies and applications b) Nash Equilibrium and applications c) Subgame Perfect Equilibrium and applications 5. Principal-Agent Theory 6. The Theory of Incomplete Contracts

Field Experiments

Coming soon

Students can choose up to three elective courses suitable for their chosen area of specialisation. These can be offered by Frankfurt School but often are found at other research universities. The faculty and the programme office help the student identify appropriate courses.

Econometrics II

Game Theory

The course aims to familiarise students with the basic concepts of game theory. Students learn different classes of games and a variety of solution concepts to predict strategic behaviour in these games. They will learn how to capture practically relevant situations in a game and the necessary tools to solve these games.

Causal Inference

Computational Statistics

Industrial Organization

Advanced Topics in Management

The course covers a variety of methodological concerns, topic include: Philosophy of science, experimental design, case study methodologies, problems with and alternatives to traditional model fitting approaches, replication and prediction, data management.

Multivariate Statistics

Students can choose up to three elective courses suitable for their chosen area of specialisation. These can be offered by Frankfurt School but often are found at other research universities. The faculty and the programme office help you to identify appropriate courses.

PhD Brownbag

Master's Thesis / 2nd year paper

The second year paper is the first piece of the student’s very own presentable research work. It can also be used to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Research and Analytics.

Research (Dissertation and Defence)

Upon passing the Qualifying Exam at the end of the 2 nd year, students enter the research phase of the programme. Students dedicate themselves to their research projects, produce scholarly papers and present their research at international academic conferences. They also have the opportunity to interact with international scholars visiting Frankfurt School to present research in the seminar series.

Seminars & Conferences

Research is a social process. Your Frankfurt School experience includes opportunities to both solicit feedback on your own research as well as learn from others’ ongoing research. The former you can do by presenting early drafts of your ideas and papers at the department’s brownbag seminar series, where colleagues provide a friendly environment for improvement. Besides informal chats with the faculty and your peers, the department’s annual summer school provides an additional intensive event for discussing research. To learn about and discuss current research conducted at other universities, a regular seminar series and occasional conferences with outside speakers provides ample possibilities for interaction with the field. You can find the upcoming management seminars in the below table.

Recent management conferences at FS include:

FS Marketing Research Camp

PROGIC : Workshop on Combining Probability and Logic

SMS : Strategic Management Society Frankfurt Special Conference

Research projects at FS

We are currently looking for highly motivated researchers interested in our research projects in marketing, strategy and organizational behaviour.

Strategic Decision Making of CEOs, TMTs, and BRDs

The goal of our research is to gain a greater understanding of how social and behavioural forces affect human actors at the top of the organisation. We do that by studying the contexts of strategic decision making by CEOs, top management teams, and boards of directors. Our research has an impact through the development and testing of new theoretical insights in top journals, and also by disseminating those insights through articles geared towards a lay audience.

Prof. Dr. Markus Fitza

Prof. Dr. Stevo Pavicevic

Microfoundations of Scaling: Implications for Strategy and Organization Design

The goal of this project is to develop a novel research agenda that investigates the microfoundations of scaling in firms, including the properties of organizations that give rise to scaling laws, as well as the implications of scaling laws for strategy and organization design. Today, the most valuable companies in the world employ a significant share of digital resources, such as software, algorithms, and data.  The greater scalability of firms’ digital resources is fundamentally changing the nature of competition and the basis of competitive advantage.  Yet, we are only beginning to understand the underlying forces that determine scaling and its implications for strategy and organization design.  What organizational challenges must be met to achieve success in the age of scaling?  What strategies are (not) effective in the age of scaling?  Are you excited about the opportunity to contribute research that addresses these questions?

Prof. Dr. Thorbjørn Knudsen

Prof. Dr. Lucas Böttcher

Consumer Information Processing

From the perspective of marketers it is very important to be able to predict and influence consumer choice. We study the relationship between cognitive and motor processes in consumer decision making/choice using eye and mouse tracking technologies. Our goal is to predict and influence choice. For example, we ask in the context of asking consumers to donate to a cause, in an online environment, would the design of the webpage and the physical location of the cursor (mouse) impact willingness to donate?

Prof. Dr. Selin Atalay

Prof. Dr. Florian Ellsäßer

Customer Reviews in the Context of Products with Short Life Cycles

Reviews are important for consumers, manufacturers, brands, and retailers for various reasons. The review history of a product has a strong effect on the success of the product on the market. It reduces uncertainty about product quality and fit and can therefore stimulate a purchase or help to avoid costly product returns. A rich product review history has proven to be very powerful, especially in market places with large product assortments. In the context of products with short life cycles, such as products in the fashion industry, accumulation of product reviews pose a substantial challenge as products’ life span is very limited. We are interested in how the fashion industry (and other industries with products with short life cycles) can address this problem. The topic is crucially important from the perspective of brand reputation building.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Bleier

Prof. Dr. Siham El Kihal

Prof. Dr. Tetyana Kosyakova

Experimental Organization Science

The goal of this project is to examine behavioural patterns of judgement and decision making at the group level, including dynamics arising from temporal or hierarchical structures. An example topic is the aggregation of individual decisions under uncertainty into organisational resource allocation and outcomes. Few lab studies examine behaviour at the organisational level, and organisation science comprises few experimental studies. Yet, properly understanding firms requires research on the level above the individual, and below that of markets. To isolate mechanisms operating at that level, experimental methodologies have few rivals. In theory. In practice, organisation-level lab work requires special care. If you want to contribute to a fledgling movement on experimental organisation science, we would love to hear from you.

Prof. Dr. Ronald Klingebiel

Prof. Dr. Mirko Kremer

Constructing and Evaluating R&D Portfolios

The goal of this project is to understand the theoretical and behavioral issues when building R&D portfolios, and to develop  novel methods and tools to evaluate the quality of an R&D portfolio

For R&D- and innovation-driven organizations, long-term success critically hinges on those firms’ ability to build impactful R&D portfolios. However, constructing an R&D portfolio—that is, selecting which innovation projects (not) to pursue—is a daunting challenge: In the early stages of such innovation projects, uncertainty dominates, and it is hence hard to predict, ex ante, which projects will be the best choice ex post. In addition, firms can rarely predict, with sufficient precision, the interaction effects between the different projects in their R&D portfolio. So, what is the best way to build an R&D portfolio? Which biases do managers introduce to that decision process? And how can we evaluate, ex post, how well an R&D portfolio was constructed? Are you excited about the opportunity to contribute research that addresses these questions? Join us!

Prof. Dr. Jochen Schlapp

Sample Publications

Frankfurt School publishes in the top outlets for management research. To get a sense for the kind of research we conduct, please click on the following sample publications:

Management Faculty

Strategy & organisation area, data & decision analysis area, technology & operations area, marketing area, student funding and scholarships.

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

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

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

The stipend will be granted for five years conditional on the continued satisfaction of all academic programme requirements.

From the first year onwards doctoral students will receive EUR 1,820 for the period of 5 years.

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

Application process

1. target group.

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

Candidates in the final year of a Master’s or Bachelor’s programme are welcome to apply with their most recent academic transcript. Please note that the degree has to be completed by the time of the beginning of the programme.

2. Online Application

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

Required Documents

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Interview

Successful applicants will be invited to a online interview with faculty members of the chosen concentration.

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

Isabeau Köhncke Recruitment Officer

Lianna Mirzoyan Recruitment & Admissions Manager

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

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

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

Our doctoral programmes

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

Our world-class research programmes offer:

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

PhD with Integrated Study in Accounting

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

PhD in Business Economics

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

PhD with Integrated Study in Finance

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

PhD in Financial Technology

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

PhD with Integrated Study in Management

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

PhD in Management Science & Analytics

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

PhD entry requirements

Learn more about the entry requirements for our PhD programmes.

Scholarships and funding

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

Find a supervisor and subject group

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

Our researchers

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

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Part-time PhD programme

Push the boundaries of philosophical thinking to address global challenges

Ever thought of working towards a PhD alongside your fulltime job? Our part-time PhD programme offers a unique opportunity to obtain a doctorate degree to enhance your professional career. 

We offer individual supervision by professors of our faculty that will be tailored to your own work commitments and according to your preferred study schedule. 

Our programme is designed to equip you with the skills necessary to research and complete a PhD project, leading to a doctorate degree from Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil), Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Philosophical research at Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) is currently organized into four main research themes . All research at ESPhil aims at making connections to other disciplines and contributes to current debates in society and policy-making.

Part-time PhD students are encouraged to explore these research themes and connect to one ore more researchers and projects in them. 

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PhD in Management

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

IESE PhD in Management

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

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

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

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.

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Flexible part-time degree programs

Are you looking for a way to combine your career and your life with a flexible degree program - without making any compromises? Then the flexible part-time programs at TUM might just be the thing you are looking for.

Our part-time programs offer you maximum flexibility: You can choose between different tracks, reducing the work load to 50% or 66% or a full-time program. You can change the track every semester, and even switch between full-time and part-time - just as it fits your personal plans and needs.  

What part-time degrees does TUM offer?

Degree Programs at TUM with a part-time option

What else do I have to know about part-time programs?

• Double degree programs are a further option allowing you to enroll in two part-time programs simultane­ously, or to com­bine a full-time program with part-time studies.
• The   Student Union fee   and the base-level   semester­ ticket fee   must be paid in full.
• Proof of   health insurance coverage   is required. If you are working and your earnings exceed the limit for marginal employment, you will not be eligible for the reduced student rates.
• Applicants are not entitled to federally funded student financial aid   ( BAföG ).
• Applicants from outside the EU who have enrolled in a part-time program are not entitled to a resi­dence per­mit.

How do I apply for a part-time degree program?

If you are interested in applying for one of our part-time programs, be sure to contact the student advising office first - they will answer every question you may have.

The contact details are listed on the page of the degree program

Please note that you have to fulfill the same admission criteria and adhere to the same application deadlines as students applying for full-time programs.

More info on applying to TUM

For questions concerning our part-time programs, please contact the Academic Advising staff of the faculty or school.

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PhD Studies & Research

Science and research in Germany are characterised by a distinguished infrastructure, a wide variety of disciplines, well-equipped research facilities and competent staff. Germany offers various career opportunities for international PhD students and researchers.

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Sweden and the Netherlands: 16 fully-funded PhD positions

Are you looking for exciting PhD positions at esteemed universities in Sweden and the Netherlands ?

Over 16 fully-funded multiple doctoral scholarships in diverse fields are available at various universities in Sweden and the Netherlands for the year 2024. These fellowships provide funding for doctoral researchers to conduct their research projects at universities, research institutions, and other organizations in these countries. These PhD positions are funded by prestigious sources including the MSCA doctoral program and other funding programs.

For detailed information on specific doctoral positions, please visit the provided links to explore corresponding PhD scholarships, which include specific requirements and application procedures.

PhD positions available in Swedish universities:

1.  Computational condensed matter physics, Linköping University

2.  Urban Freight Management, Chalmers University of Technology

3.  eDNA environmental monitoring, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet

4.  Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Luleå University of Technology

5.  Medical Science - Regional differences in gestational duration, University of Gothenburg

6.  Computational Sciences within the national Data-Driven Life Sciences program, Umeå universitet

7.  Computational biology of infection, Lunds universitet

PhD positions available in Dutch/Netherlands universities:

8.  Donders Centre of Neuroscience - Motor Disorder Rehabilitation, Radboud University

9.  Human-aligned Video-AI, University of Amsterdam (UvA)

10.  Multivariate Dependence Modelling and Statistical Machine Learning Algorithms for Patient Risk Profiling, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

11.  Computational Cognitive Neuroscience at the Predictive Brain Lab, Radboud University

12.  Atmospheric Sciences - Unraveling the mesoscale organisation of shallow convective clouds for better climate projection, Wageningen University & Research

13.  Dynamic On-Body and In-Body Compression Systems, University of Twente (UT)

14.  Modelling Micropollutant Removal using Charge-Mosaic Nanofiltration Membranes, University of Twente (UT)

15.  Economic Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Hydropower, University of Twente (UT)

16.  Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Hydropower, University of Twente (UT)