Global Executive Ph.D.
Design for executive audience
Information Coronavirus:
Despite the situation related to Covid-19, we continue to accompany you with your professional development project.
The ongoing recruitment process:
Application files to be completed online and selection interviews conducted remotely. Our team is always ready and available to listen to you.
Doctoral level Qualification
The world we are living in is facing profond evolution and relentless change. In this environment of constant change, we need leaders who are visionary and capable of adapting, learning and having a vision. Our programme enables senior executives and business leaders to act as reflective practitioners and to conduct valuable, doctoral-level research on a part-time basis, over three to four years. You will benefit from the expertise of ESCP’s international world-class faculty as well as guest lecturers from institutions such as Harvard, Wharton and Tsinghua.
Participants are expected to remain in employment and to leverage their professional and personal experience throughout the programme.
Overview of ESCP Global Executive Ph.D.
Research method modules
Develop methodological and theoretical skills at a doctoral level
Advanced specialisation modules (with 4 research assignments delivered over the 3 years of study)
Develop field area expertise
Modules delivered over 3 residential sessions
Field Research Paper
Apply the skills you have acquired to a concrete industry-relevant problem. Participants who successfully complete this paper, and all year 1 courses, will be awarded an Executive Masters in Management Research from ESCP Business School.
Ph.D. Dissertation
Build a publishable level research work in your chosen field of expertise
Why choose ESCP Global Executive Ph.D. program?
A unique Opportunity
The ESCP Global Executive Ph.D. represents a unique opportunity to enhance, validate, and leverage, your professional expertise within a rigorous academic framework.
Stimulates your Intellectual Expertise
Whether your goal is to enhance your knowledge and expertise in a given operational area, make the switch from industry to the academic world , or indeed to continue your lifelong appetite of learning, the ESCP Global Executive Ph.D. is for you. The programme will enable you to apply the most advanced academic research findings along with “hands-on” experience of experts to complex management practice. All this in the context of, a disruptive, ever-changing world.
Your Benefits
*Doctoral School ED559 École Doctorale de Management Panthéon-Sorbonne
Company Benefits
Global Executive Ph.D.
Academic research & a hands-on approach
Programme Structure
Stage 1
18 months
Coursework and Field Research Paper
Stage 2
18* or 30 months
* 18 months for accelerated participants
Ph.D. Dissertation
- 6 Research methods modules
- 4+ Advanced Specialisation modules
- Research Paper 2 (RP2)
- Research Paper 3 (RP3)
- 2 Research Bootcamps
Following Stage 1 and successful completion of required courseworks and Field Research Paper 1 (RP1), you will be awarded an Executive Master in Management Research.
Following Stage 2 and successful completion of your Ph.D. dissertation, you will be awarded an Executive Ph.D. (ESCP degree).
After the completion of Stage 1, participants can choose to apply for a French Doctorate degree (Doctorat ès Science de Gestion) in addition to the ESCP Executive Ph.D. degree. The quality of the Stage 1 Research Paper will be judged before admittance into the academic track. Candidates who are selected must submit an academic Ph.D. dissertation and fulfil the graduation requirements as set by the ESCP PhD full-time program which is attached to Doctoral School ED559 École Doctorale de Management Panthéon-Sorbonne. For more details, see your programme advisor.
Coursework
Innovative Learning Model
- A combination of academic, managerial teaching and reading materials will allow you to see how theoretical insights can be immediately translated into business outcomes.
- An adapted learning methodology enables participants to combine their career experience with an Executive Ph.D. including assignments that help master new knowledge in detail.
- In-depth specialisation seminars allow you to acquire cutting-edge skills and to reflect on current and future trends in management.
An International Standards
The courses adhere to the highest international standards. You will be taught research methodologies and benefit from specialisation courses linked to your dissertation project. Assignments will be given after each module to allow you to better integrate both the fundamentals and advanced concepts. You will also have a dedicated supervisor as well as coaching sessions to guide you towards the successful completion of your dissertation.
RESEARCH METHODS MODULES (Methodological and theoretical skills development)
- Research Methods: Theory and Practice
- Art Thinking and Research Creativity
- Theory Building in Management Sciences
- Design of Field Research Methods
- Qualitative Methods
- Applied Econometrics*
* Participants who choose this module will have three specialisation modules instead of four.
SPECIALISATION MODULES (Field area expertise development)Below are examples of Specialisation modules offered in alternate years.
Some advanced Specialisation modules will be available and delivered online. Please contact the Executive Ph.D. Office for the course schedules.
Management
- Advanced Topics in the Next Generation of Leaders
- Advanced Topics in the Future of Work
- Advanced Topics in Circular Economy and Sustainability
Marketing
- Advanced Topics in Artificial Intelligence and Social Media
- Advanced Topics in Consumption in the Digital Age
Finance
- Advanced Topics in Sustainable Finance and Emerging Markets
- Advanced Topics in Behavioural Finance and Fintech
Information & Operations
- Advanced topics in Big Data and Digital Transformation
- Advanced topics in the Future of Supply Chain
Entrepreneurship
- Advanced topics in Entrepreneurship and Uncertainty
Accounting & Management Control
- Advanced topics in Accounting and Organisational Boundaries
Economics & Public Policy
- Advanced topics in Real Estate and Prop Tech
Ph.D. dissertation
Participants are required to write a Ph.D. dissertation, which typically takes the form of three publishable papers. If dissertation advisor approves, students are also allowed to write their dissertation in a monograph form. The Ph.D. dissertation defence is oral and open to the public.
Students are expected to complete the Ph.D. programme in 3-4 years in total.
Participants will be guided by their dissertation advisors all throughout this intellectual journey and supported through coaching and the “research bootcamps” which will help orient and adjust their work.
Global Executive Ph.D.
Partner with a global faculty with cutting-edge expertise and research areas

Her interests lie at the intersection of human resource management and industrial relations. Her work has been published in Industrial and Labour Relations Review, Human Resource Management, and Economic and Industrial Democracy. Her work has been covered in media outlets such as The Financial Times, FT China, Business Insider UK, Le Monde, Le Figaro, The Daily Mail, Insider, CNBC, Le Soir, The Guardian, Women’s Health, New Scientist, Entrepreneur, MDR Radio, CNBC, and the World Economic Forum.

His research lies at the intersection of family business, political connections, and finance. Published in top-tier finance and economic journals, namely the Review of Financial Studies, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Comparative Economics, his research has been also presented in major academic conference such as the American Finance Association (AFA), the Western Finance Association (WFA), the European Finance Association (EFA).

Based on his research on creative practices, he created the Art Thinking: a method to create the improbable with certainty. He teaches this method in unique locations like Centre Pompidou. He has been a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and City University of New York. Sylvain is also the co-founder of Storymakers, an app to make pitches people remember, and co-author of Free Your Pitch (Pearson, 2018).

She was a research assistant at the London School of Economics and a visiting fellow at Harvard Business School. Her research focuses on corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, mergers and acquisitions and family firms.

Frédéric Fréry is a Professor of Strategic Management at ESCP. He is author or co-author of 40 books, among which Stratégique, the most widely used strategy manual in the French-speaking world. He is also honorary professor at CentraleSupélec and expert for the Association Progrès du Management. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. His research and teachings focus on strategy, organization and management of innovation.

Former Visiting Professor at Cornell and Stanford. His book Freedom, Inc. has been published in 14 countries and won the Best Business Book award. His other book L'entreprise liberée has also won the Best Business Bookaward. Isaac has studied over 300 organizations on four continents and has published extensively.

He is the most cited researcher in the field of Word-of-Mouth, among the top three in the field of Customer Relationship Management and among the top ten in the field of Social Influence. Since May 2019 Michael is part of the Executive Committee of EMAC where he serves as Vice President Corporate Relationships.

She regularly presents her research at leading international conferences, such as Academy of Management (AoM), Babson, etc. Her recent research papers are published in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (ETP) and Journal of Business Venturing (JBV), Small Business Economics (SBE), among others.

Héctor González Jiménez has worked on projects for small to medium sized businesses as well as large international companies such as Pepsi or Ford. He is interested in interdisciplinary research that addresses phenomena on the self and consumption as well as human-robot interactions.

His work has been published in Management Science (Spanning Tests for Assets with Option-Like Payoffs: The Case of Hedge Funds) and the Review of Finance (Time-varying state variable risk premia in the ICAPM) among others.

Jaime P. Luque is Associate Professor of Economics at ESCP Business School, where he holds the BNP Paribas Professorship in Real Estate and serves as Director of the Monaco Real Estate Tech Innovation program. He is the Academic Director of the MSc in Real Estate and the Institute of Real Estate Finance and Management. Prior to joining ESCP in July 2018, he was Real Estate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. Jaime’s research interests include real estate finance, real estate technology and housing. He has published in the Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Public Economics, Economic Theory, Real Estate Economics, and Regional Science and Urban Economics.

Her current work focuses on the sustainable dimension of supply chain management, as well as innovation strategies in the fashion industry. She is the author of articles (published in Strategic Management Journal, European Management Journal, and International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, and Management, Business Strategy and the Environment, Supply Chain Forum – An International Journal…).

He pursues research at the intersection of financial accounting, financial analysis, auditing, and taxation. His research has been published in top-tier accounting and business journals, namely the Review of Accounting Studies (RAST), European Accounting Review (EAR), Journal of Accounting and Public Policy (JAPP), and the International Business Review (IBR), among others.

She studied Economics and Management at the University of Freiburg (Germany), Yale University (US), and Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain). Her research focuses on empirical methods (e.g., experimental design and estimation techniques), leadership, and diversity. At ESCP, she currently teaches courses on research methods at all academic levels.

He received the Shanghai 1000-Talents Award (2018) and consequently leads the multi-disciplinary and multi-country research in the field of big data analytics, artificial intelligence, IoT, cryptography, and transportation engineering.
Visiting Professor

Harvard Business School
Prof. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #3 in 2019; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019 and Talent Award in 2017.
Join A Dynamic Ecosystem Of Corporate And Academic Research Leaders
Be a part of the ESCP global knowledge community. Benefit from the latest research at the highest level linked to companies and business and share your knowledge with colleagues from a large variety of academic specialisations and from institutions around the world.
Global Executive Ph.D. candidates will be immersed in a world of knowledge:
- Participating in seminars from the doctoral school of ESCP with ESCP’s Faculty and Invited Faculty (Harvard, Wharton, Tsinghua, etc.)
- Benefit from all the ecosystem of ESCP Chairs and Professorships.
Discover our multiple chairs and professorships on significant topic:
Chairs & Professorship
Global Executive Ph.D.
Admission
Information Coronavirus:
Despite the situation related to Covid-19, we continue to accompany you with your professional development project.
The ongoing recruitment process:
Application files to be completed online and selection interviews conducted remotely. Our team is always ready and available to listen to you.
Admission Requirements
A previous university degree
A previous university degree: Masters (MBA or equivalent Masters), Non-management Masters holders are required to take additional management courses from the ESCP Executive MBA programme.
A minimum of ten years’ professional experience
A minimum of 10 years’ professional experience (at least 3 years at managerial level).
English proficiency (C1 level)
English proficiency (C1 level): courses are taught in English and all coursework must be submitted in English. IETLS: 7; TOEFL: 100 or In-house English Test (free) provided by British Council: CEFR c1*.
Admission Process
Application deadlines
For the programme starting in October 2020
- 15th June
- 13th July
An additional selection Jury may take place in September should spaces be available (Date TBC).
Step 1
Individual assessment meeting with the admissions department (initial discussion in person, by phone or visio-conference, with your programme advisor or another member of the admissions team).
Step 2
Applications are made online. The applications file will be made available to you following your initial discussion with your program advisor. When you apply for the global Executive PhD, as well as the online application, you will have to submit the following documents to Mme Zhihao HU (zhu@escp.eu), please note that only complete applications will be reviewed:
- Your personal details: name, address, e-mail, telephone number
- Degree certificates or grade transcript
- Up-to-date CV
- Two reference letters, ideally one from an individual who knows you in a professional context (e.g. current or former manager) and the other by a person of your choice, if possible from an academic context (e.g. a university professor)
- English language certificate (for non-native English speakers), TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS
- Copy of passport or ID
- Application fee of €350
- Statement of purpose: 1000 - 2000 words
Step 3
Your application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
Step 4
Following a successful review of your application, an on-campus admission interview with the Academic Admissions Jury (Executive Ph.D. Committee) will be organised.
Step 5
Admission decision
Step 6
Confirmation of enrolment and payment of tuition fees (deposit to secure your place).
Statement of purpose
Your statement of purpose should address the following questions: Why do you want to do a Global Executive Ph.D. at this point in your career? What do you expect to acquire from the programme? After graduation, what are your career aspirations post Global Executive Ph.D.? Please describe your previous experience of research, if any. What area of research are you interested in at this stage?
Global Executive Ph.D.
Fees & Financing
Tuition Fees
Scholarships
For more details, you can contact your programme advisor.
Financing
ESCP has partnerships with banks in several countries around the world. Loans at reduced rates are available for admitted candidates (final decision with the bank).
Funding may also be available in the form of scholarships or government loans in your country. Our Admissions Officer will be happy to advise you about funding opportunities.
Our on-campus teams are available to discuss tailored instalment schedules and flexible payments.