PhD in Economics and Management

In English-speaking countries, the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the scientific doctoral degree in almost all subjects and the highest degree awarded at university. With the introduction of the Bologna Regulation in Europe at the beginning of the 2000s and the changeover from diploma studies to Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, the PhD was adopted and replaced the doctorate “Dr.”, with the exception of medicine and law.

In terms of academic demands, there is no difference. In terms of “perceived” value, the PhD is considered superior to the doctorate in the Anglo-Saxon world. In the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), the transition is still in progress, together with the changeover from the “old” titles, which are used before the surname, and the “new” ones, such as BA, MA, etc., which are used after the surname. Therefore, the personal address of academics will also change, i.e. titles will be dropped. This general trend can already be seen to some extent in business life on business cards.

From a formal point of view, both titles are equal. In the DACH region, some may still perceive the “Dr” as more valuable because it precedes the surname and is spoken as part of the name. Over time, however, this will change. For Generation Y and those following, the terms “BA”, “MA” and “PhD” are already established.

While doctoral programmes were originally quite scientifically oriented, you can now occasionally find part-time, practice-oriented programmes. The quantitative scope of a dissertation has also changed, it has become more compact.

Each university can regulate admission individually, although there is a legal framework in Europe. Usually, a full diploma programme (with a minimum duration of 4 years) or a Bachelor’s degree (3 years with 180 ECTS) and Master’s degree (2 years with 120 ECTS) must be completed.

No, also academics from other disciplines have the opportunity to complete a doctorate. This is particularly attractive for graduates of technical and scientific courses of study as well as lawyers. However, the dissertation topic must fit into the wide-ranging field of Management and Economics.

The programme takes minimum 6 semesters. Up to 12 semesters are possible without additional tuition fees.

The programme always begins in the winter semester. The topic of the dissertation should be defined at the outset. Additionally, 4 publications must be written. Opportunities for publication are offered by the IfM Impulse, at academic conferences and in reviewed journals. Usually, the publications are related to the topic of the dissertation. At the end of the first and second year of study, there is an oral examination covering the topic of the dissertation. The third year of study concludes with the subject-specific examination from the area of the dissertation and then the “defensio” (in which you defend your thesis against a panel of examiners).

The highest academic degree offers ideal opportunities for top management or a later teaching or leadership position at universities of applied sciences and universities. Well-known companies now also expect supervisory board members to have a PhD or doctoral degree.

The funding landscape is broad and highly diverse. There are hardly any fixed, state subsidies, except for tax deductibility for all further education expenses and tuition fees. You can find more information on fees & funding for part-time continuing education at the IfM. Furthermore, we highly recommend consulting your tax advisor.

None. The DBA (=”Doctor of Business Administration”), which is sometimes erroneously listed as a doctoral degree, does not correspond to a PhD.