PhD Program Management

Structure and Content

Structure

The PhD program in Management is a three-year program. It covers 180 ECTS, comprising 25 ECTS of compulsory course work, 5 ECTS of professional development, 10 ECTS in the form of a literature review, and 140 ECTS for the PhD thesis including its defense.

The course language is English, but the PhD thesis can be written in either English or German. Each year, around 20-40 students enroll into the program.

Students can enroll into the PhD program at any time during the year. However, courses follow the semester cycle, i.e., they start in early October (winter term) or early March (summer term), respectively.

Coursework

The five courses to attend are:

Methodology
Quantitative Research Methods I or II
Qualitative Research Methods I or II
The PhD Research Seminar, and
The (general) PhD Seminar.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the work with which you prove that you have made an original contribution to the respective field of research. Our curriculum allows two formats: a research monograph (i.e., a book) and a collection of papers (i.e., a cumulative dissertation). In writing your dissertation, you are guided by two supervisors. After submitting the dissertation, two referees will evaluate your work in writing. Finally, you defend the dissertation.

More information on the structure, content, and administrative processes is available in the information leaflet.