Management specialisation PhD programme
Doctoral studies for those who wish to explore in depth the connections between management, organisations, and human behaviour.
The Management specialisation is targeting:
- International graduate students with an interest in an academic career;
- Seasoned professionals who seek to deepen their theoretical knowledge in the field of management and/or pursue scholarship.
Capacity
4 years (240 ECTS)
Prerequisites
Master's degree or equivalent
Language
English
Diploma
PhD in Management
Method
Session based
Price
€600/month (€7200/year); payable directly or through in-kind means (participation in teaching, involvement in external projects or spin-off companies etc.)
General interests:
- Self-developed research topics related to the publicly available capabilities and interests of EBS faculty
- Research or business topics proposed by the EBS Knowledge Teams
- Research based on research grants or projects awarded to EBS (i.e. ETAG, Horizon, Research collaboration)
Probable options for graduates on the labour market:
- pursue an academic career to enhance the recognition and reputation of EBS internationally
- pursue a corporate or entrepreneurial career
There are two different routes within the track. Upon admission to the programme, the candidate can either apply for a Junior Research Fellow position or study as an individual doctoral student. EBS also accepts visiting PhD students from similar focus areas.
At the beginning of the doctoral studies, an individual study plan is established in cooperation with the supervisor, based on the doctoral student’s individual goals.
Admission Requirements
Candidates with a Master’s degree are eligible. EBS expects that the candidate has a basic understanding of academic research.
The candidate needs to present:
- Master’s or equivalent degree diploma and transcript (Master’s and Bachelor’s level)
- Master’s thesis
- Motivation letter
- Research idea proposal
Tuition Fee
Doctoral students enrolling as individual doctoral students have to pay a tuition fee. The tuition fee is €600/month (€7200/year), which provides PhD candidates with full and unlimited access to all EBS resources.
The tuition fee is payable either directly or through in-kind means (such as participation in teaching, involvement in external projects, involvement in spin-off companies etc.).
Programme Structure and Duration
The programme duration is 4 years full-time (240 ECTS). The programme consists of two phases:
General Coursework (60 ECTS):
Focus on advanced seminars in core management areas such as strategy, organisational behaviour, and finance, alongside extensive training in advanced quantitative and qualitative methods. This phase includes the preparation and defence of a detailed Doctoral Project Proposal and Action Plan.
Doctoral Project (180 ECTS):
- Dedicated time for conducting research according to the approved Doctoral Project Proposal and Action Plan
- Independent study presenting an original, well-argued solution to a specific scientific problem, with results published in international professional publications
- Conducted under the supervision of supervisor(s) nominated by the Programme Committee
- Access to EBS research networks within international universities
Outcome
- Defence of the dissertation
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate will be able to:
- critically evaluate, synthesise, and contrast foundational and advanced theoretical paradigms and literature across major sub-fields of Management, such as Strategy, Organisational Behaviour, and Finance
- identify original and significant theoretical gaps and unanswered questions within established academic literature
- independently conceptualise, design, and execute a high-quality, ethical research project that contributes new knowledge to management science
- select, justify, and apply advanced qualitative, quantitative, or mixed research methodologies and analytical techniques
- critically evaluate the methodological and theoretical contributions of peer-reviewed research and defend their own research findings against academic scrutiny
- produce research outputs such as articles or monographs that meet the standards of top-tier international academic journals
- present complex research findings, theoretical arguments, and methodological choices clearly and persuasively to international academic audiences
- develop pedagogical skills to design and teach university-level courses and supervise student research
Admissions process and checklist:
Ready to get started?
If you have any questions, please contact us: doctoral@ebs.ee
Submit your application via the DreamApply platform.
