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PhD in Management

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Academics and Research - PhD in Management

Areas of Specialisation

Our eight choices of specialisation cover the whole breadth of business – and the entire business school curriculum. During the first two years of the programme, there are core courses common to all areas, giving you insights from other disciplines and confidence for your future career. As a PhD student, along with these core courses, you will take a set of advanced course requirements applicable to your chosen field and these must be met in order to qualify and progress in your PhD studies.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

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Accounting

Accounting research seeks to identify and understand the market and institutional forces that affect the production and use of information by organisations broadly defined to include people, firms, not-for-profit entities, government agencies, etc.  
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Decision Sciences

Decision Sciences is an interdisciplinary field that draws on economics, forecasting, statistical decision theory, and cognitive psychology. Broadly speaking, Decision Sciences addresses three fundamental and inter-related questions.
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Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship research at INSEAD seeks to understand creation and growth of new organisations and markets, renewal of existing companies, creation of new businesses within existing firms, innovation, and family business in a global world.
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Finance

Finance studies the workings of the financial system in an economy, and its role in channelling financial resources from suppliers of capital to its final users, and in allocating risk among investors.
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Marketing

Marketing is one of the broadest and most encompassing areas in a business school. It involves a deep understanding of how consumers and firms interact on a number of dimensions in the market.
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Organisational Behaviour

Organisational Behaviour is a core field of study in INSEAD. Drawing upon psychology, anthropology, sociology and economics, this field examines how the organizational, social, and economic context influences behaviour and how, in turn, behaviour influences context.  
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Strategy

Faculty members of the Strategy area are concerned with the foundations of sustainable superior firm performance. 
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Technology and Operations Management

Technology and Operations Management encompasses all activities that an organisation carries out to transform inputs into value for the customer.

Programme Structure

We will not deny that it entails hard work indeed, but the INSEAD PhD in Management could represent five of the most fulfilling years of your life.

Years 1 and 2

Area of Exploration

 

Becoming an expert

  • Coursework (core + advance)
  • PhD campus exchange
  • Research practicum
  • Summer paper
  • Research paper
  • Academic writing preparation programme
  • Field comprehensive exam

Years 3,4 and 5

Dissertation and Research

 

Award of PhD degree

  • PhD candidacy
  • Research and dissertation proposal 
  • Job market review and search
  • Submission and defence of dissertation 
  • Graduation

Throughout the Programme

Your Doctoral Journey with the INSEAD PhD.

 

Essential Academic Skills and Training

  • PhD teaching preparation programme
  • Teaching practicum
  • Soft skills training
  • Participation in conferences
  • Annual performance review

INSEAD Doctoral Courses

The first two years of the programme teach the fundamentals of business in interdisciplinary classes, with the addition of specialist courses in your chosen area of specialisation. These core and advanced courses form the foundation of your knowledge in your area, along with intensive training in research methodologies, culminating in producing a formal research paper during your dissertation phase. 

PhD Core Course Classroom

Core Courses

A set of core courses in the first year provides the basic theory and methodology for management research, irrespective of the eventual field of specialisation. It forms the basis for the second year's more advanced, specialised studies.
PhD Core Courses
PhD Advance Course Class

Advanced Courses

During the second year (some may start as early as the end of the first year), students focus on training in their chosen field of expertise. Advanced courses are typically offered on a two-year cycle and may be complemented by reading courses or independent studies in areas of interest to the student and faculty members. 
PhD Advanced Courses

Research

Research is a fundamental component of the PhD Programme at INSEAD.  Our doctoral degree is designed to teach you many cutting edge research methodologies to enable you to contribute to a global body of knowledge that informs how business is and should be conducted.  Our programme will train you to create and even publish your own original body of research, which will become the foundation for your career as a professor in business.

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INSEAD-Sorbonne Behavioural Lab

The state-of-the-art facility in Paris welcomes all behavioural researchers at INSEAD – faculty and PhD students – across all academic areas. The facility can run various studies, ranging from survey questionnaires to computer-controlled behavioural experiments.
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Doctoral dissertations

Doctoral Dissertations

The dissertation is the culmination of doctoral study. It is intended to represent independent and original research work of a publishable standard.
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awards

Awards & Publications

Students regularly publish during the programme, together with INSEAD faculty members or as single authors, leading to their final dissertations. In addition, they participate in major global conferences as part of their doctoral training...
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strategy

Strategy Foundations Interview Series

Doctoral students are bringing the academic community closer to esteemed scholars who have contributed a significant foundational body of work...
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research

PhD Research Series

The PhD Candidates’ Research Series is one of the avenues to display a PhD Candidate's ability to articulate his/her research or dissertation in a nutshell to the viewing public. 
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Campus Exchange

Campus exchange is an integral experience of the students' doctoral journey. PhD students will have the unique opportunity to spend time in Europe and Asia and...Read more

Our Campuses

With campuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and North America, INSEAD’s business education and research spans around the globe. The PhD Programme, although taught across the Europe and Asia campuses, benefits from this truly global educational experience.

Learn More About Our Campuses

Campus Exchange

With campuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and North America, INSEAD’s business education and research spans around the globe. The PhD Programme, although taught across the Europe and Asia campuses, benefits from this truly global educational experience.

The INSEAD - Wharton Alliance

INSEAD's alliance with The Wharton School is a major strategic partnership between the two schools. Each school offers complimentary centres of expertise and campus locations for a compelling global network that no other school can offer. Exchanges and visits of doctoral students are significant pillars of this long-standing relationship. PhD students primarily benefit from this collaborative relationship between the two schools. Some financial aid may be available through the Alliance Centre for Global Research and Development for exchanges and other research-related activities, all subject to prior approval by both schools.

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Sorbonne Université Alliance

As part of our ten-member Sorbonne Université Alliance membership, PhD candidates benefit from the partnership with Sorbonne Université through the use of our INSEAD-Sorbonne behavioural lab, etc. INSEAD is proud to be part of the Alliance Sorbonne Université, which provides members with access to numerous shared programmes and projects in a cross-disciplinary and global approach to education and research.

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Upcoming Events

25-27 Mar '25

Doctoral Programme

DocNet PhD Recruiting Forum 2025 in Chile and Costa Rica

Meet the INSEAD PhD in Chile and Costa Rica at the DocNet PhD Recruiting Fairs.

Latin America
Various timings
Open to Public
Latin America
Various timings
Open to Public
INSEAD PhD Event
19-21 Jun '25

Doctoral Programme

PhD Summer Camp - AI for Research in Organization Science

Europe Campus
Open to By Invitation Only
Europe Campus
Open to By Invitation Only
PhD Event Top Banner V2
27 Aug '25

Doctoral Programme

PhD Opening Ceremony 2025

We are delighted to welcome our incoming cohort of doctoral students for AY 2025-26. The opening ceremony will take place simultaneously on our Europe and Asia Campuses. This event is by invitation only and is open to our incoming PhD students, community, faculty members, and staff. 

Europe and Asia Campuses
9:00 CET / 15:00 SGT
Open to By Invitation Only
Europe and Asia Campuses
9:00 CET / 15:00 SGT
Open to By Invitation Only
PhD Opening Ceremony 2018