Executive PhD Program in Management

The "Executive PhD Program in Management" jointly offered by the University of Antwerp, the Antwerp Management School and the Management Center Innsbruck is a four-year, part-time research-based program. It provides the perfect fit for senior executives who have been seeking for high-level DBA programs.

This international Executive PhD Program aims at applying state-of-the-art knowledge and relevant research skills to contemporary business problems. As a premium executive development program, designed to be academically rigorous and intellectually challenging, it closes the gap between traditional PhD and professional DBA programs.

The Executive PhD program will be delivered at the Antwerp Management School as well as at the Management Center Innsbruck campuses.

After successfully defending the doctoral dissertation (after 4 years), participants will be rewarded with the PhD degree (PhD in Management or PhD in Social Sciences, depending on the supervising faculty) conferred by the University of Antwerp.

The degree is officially recognized in accordance with § 88 para 1a of the 2002 Austrian law governing universities (notification process in accordance with § 27 para. 6 HS-QSG successfully accomplished). Degree holders are entitled to use their doctoral degree in official documents.

The program in short:

PROGRAM & DEGREE

• Executive PhD Program in Management, jointly offered by the
• University of Antwerp (UA)
• Antwerp Management School (AMS)
• Management Center Innsbruck (MCI)
• PhD, Doctor of Philosphy, conferred by the UAntwerp

TARGET GROUPS

Executives and senior business professionals who want to

• achieve a highly distinguished academic degree,
• combine their work experience with high-level academic research,
• learn from and collaborate with renowned universities,
• establish or strengthen links with the academic sector,
• pursue a career at the interface of academia and business,
• further develop their research skills and methods,
• broaden and deepen their intellectual capabilities.

LOCATIONS

• Innsbruck, app. 50%
• Antwerp, app. 50%

ADMISSION CRITERIA

• MBA, Master’s level or equivalent university degree in a relevant field
• Minimum 10 years of relevant managerial experience
• Demonstration of academic and professional progression
• Pre-selected field of research which should show high potential for business and management research.
• Two letters of recommendation (one academic and one business)
• Successful completion of the intake procedure

SUPPORT

• Supervisor and doctoral committee
• Peer support through the cohort of PhD students
• PhD circles and workshops, conferences, doctoral colloquia
• Integration into the research groups at the participating universities
• Blended learning environment

DURATION

• 4 years
• Part-time
• 11 on-site three-day seminars (5 in Antwerp, 6 in Innsbruck)
• Intense supervision process by two scholars

LANGUAGE

• English

TUITION

• 1st year EUR 18,000; 2nd year EUR 18,000; 3rd year EUR 12,000; 4th year EUR 12,000

PROGRAM

• Quality assurance through the UAntwerp and the Antwerp Management School
• Didactical concept and definition of content and requirements through the UAntwerp and Antwerp Management School

DOCTORAL THESIS

• Inspired by current business problems
• Based on critical literature review, contribution to management research and empirical research
• Public defense of the thesis before a committee of internal and external examiners at the UAntwerp

Contact us for more information about the Executive PhD Program.