PhD.Program Structure
The PhD in Management at IESE is a research-intensive doctoral program designed to train independent scholars through early and sustained immersion in academic research.
Our PhD students first complete our Master in Research in Management, which lasts two years (core coursework + research methods), or must already be in possession of a postgraduate degree in research methodologies for business and management sciences.
Thereafter, our students progress to the doctoral phase (3-4 years) focusing on developing and advancing their own research projects within a structured academic environment. This phase ends with the dissertation defense.
Research Training and Academic Development
Research training at IESE is centered on continuous engagement with faculty and peers through structured academic activities.
PhD students actively participate in:
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Research seminars led by IESE faculty and visiting scholars
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Brown bag sessions dedicated to work-in-progress discussion
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Regular presentation of their research in internal seminars
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Participation in international academic conferences as part of their research development
Through these activities, students receive ongoing feedback that shapes their research and prepares them for participation in the international academic community
Research Areas and Dissertation Supervision
With IESE’s PhD in Management, you focus on your own specialized field of academic interest from the moment you set foot on campus. PhD students conduct their doctoral research within a chosen research area that reflects their academic interests and the school’s research strengths.
Whatever your specialization, you will acquire solid empirical research skills through constant mentoring and deep interaction with faculty, and the chance to contribute to research projects led by IESE professors.
The areas of specialization offered by the IESE doctoral program are:
- Accounting and Control
- Business Ethics
- Entrepreneurship
- Financial Management
- Information Systems
- Managerial Decision Sciences
- Managing People in Organizations
- Marketing
- Production, Technology, and Operations Management
- Strategic Management
Doctoral research is developed through close academic interaction with faculty and regular feedback in seminars and research discussions. Dissertation supervision is formally assigned following admission.
Program Milestones
Progress in the PhD program is structured around key research milestones that reflect the development of independent scholarly work.
The main milestones of the program include:
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Dissertation proposal presentation
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Dissertation research and writing
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Dissertation defense
Milestones are assessed by faculty committees.
Throughout the program, you will receive close and highly personalized guidance from your faculty mentor. They will help orientate you throughout the process and prepare you for your thesis defense.
Preparing for Academic Careers
Throughout the program, PhD students receive academic mentoring and guidance that support their development as researchers and their preparation for academic careers.
This includes feedback on research presentations, participation in seminars and conferences, and exposure to the norms and expectations of the international academic job market.
IESE PhD. A unique learning experience
As a PhD student, you are encouraged and funded to present your research papers at international conferences.
These conferences include the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, and the Strategic Management Society Annual International Conference. Furthermore, we recommend you to follow seminars and workshops specifically designed for your research topics.
These international conferences and seminars are an opportunity to both enhance your research and build your own professional network.
If you complete a 3-month period abroad at an institution of higher education or research center of prestige, doing research or fieldwork or even course work, you might qualify to be awarded with the “International Doctor Distinction.”
In a weekly Brown Bag Session, both professors and students internally present their research papers and projects; brainstorm on new topics, supervise or suggest, encourage and guide each other.
These sessions clearly improve the climate of collaboration between all the members of the research community.
We encourage students to search for specific courses that can be relevant to their research topic or that can provide them with accurate expertise in a related field at any other recognized institution.
Students are expected to become familiar with the most relevant academic research in the different areas of management sciences. All year round, the different departments invite the most outstanding academics from business schools and universities all over the globe, to present their work here at IESE and to interact with students in the most inspiring and enriching sessions you can encounter within the field of research.
We definitely encourage and support both geographical as well as interdisciplinary mobility within an integrated framework of cooperation between universities and business schools or other institutions beyond all borders or frontiers. Student Mobility
Students who want to take advantage of their stay here, can register for a Spanish language course.
Visiting PhD Students
Post-graduate students registered in a similar PhD program at another university or business school may apply to IESE as visiting students.
Visiting Students come to IESE to work on their research project, using our facilities and follow both the courses of our Master in Research of Management Program and the elective courses planned during the time of their stay.
PhD Candidates from other Universities who have completed all required coursework may registered as a Visiting Student.
For registration, we need the student’s CV with research interests, a letter of his/her PhD director supporting his/her stay here, dates of the stay and the acceptance of one of the IESE faculty members for being his/her supervisor.
Fees: €3.600/Quarter.
The fees include a workspace, access to the library, an IESE e-mail address and Student ID Card that provides with discounts up to 60% on the catering services on campus.
Note: 50% reduction for EDAMBA associated universities.
If you wish to be a Visiting PhD Student, please contact us: doctoral@iese.edu
The IESE Experience
At IESE, you’ll be surrounded by talented peers, supported by a world-class faculty, and challenged by real-life business cases. We’ll put you to the test so that you can reach your full potential.
Discover the benefits of the IESE experience.
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