Paris Doctoral Programme
Join our unique programme in the vibrant city of Paris and become part of our dynamic Ph.D. students’ community!
Doing a Ph.D. is a great intellectual journey, and the foundation of a professional trajectory. At ESCP, we take these two pillars of any PhD project very seriously. Our Ph.D programme offers a great environment to do your Ph.D. Our Ph.D. students are provided not only with the indispensable academic and financial guidance but also with social and moral support. Far beyond their viva, this supportive environment is a cornerstone for their academic identity.

Prof. Régis Coœuderoy
Dean, Ph.D. Programme
Our programme foster
Diversity
Our Ph.D. students constitute a diverse community in terms of nationality, gender, and professional experience. All types of methodological inclinations are most welcomed. We value exchanges with PhD students from the Berlin campus and actively support international exposure of our PhD students.
Efficiency
More than 80% of our alumni take on an academic position after their Ph.D. Every year an average of 10 viva take place, the average length of a PhD in our programme is 4.5 years.
Adaptability
We train our PhD students to become excellent scholars and teachers with a unique cursus developing academic writing skills, theorisation and analytical skills and pedagogical skills. For us it is important to provide our Ph.D. students with the equipment they need to become well- balanced academics.
Key facts
Ressource
41
Professors habilitated to supervise Doctoral Research
Key Performance Indicators
88
Defenses since the launch of the programme in 2003
Average duration of a Ph.D.
4,5
Years
International
43%
Of Foreign Students,
14 nationalities
Applications for September 2020 Intake are closed.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Acquire the fundamental skills of a teacher-researcher.
Pénélope Van Den Bussche won the Best Thesis Award of the Accounting French Association for her thesis: Une analyse biopolitique de la « communauté » sur les plateformes pair-à-pair[FR]
Testimonial
Antoine Souchaud: Anatomie d'une thèse réussie [FR]
The programme works at promoting
- An active participation of the doctoral students
- Flexibility and adaptation to each individual’s needs
- The entry of doctoral students into national and international networks
- Synergy with the Berlin Ph.D. programme
Exchanges
The programme also includes exchanges during workshops and access to other resources, whether it be internal resources (ESCP programmes) or external (external teachings and seminars, both nationally and internationally).
Main Goal
The main goal of the Ph.D. programme is to help its students acquire the fundamental skills of a teacher-researcher. Through these teachings, students work towards their thesis, a research project of great importance and of the utmost quality. Apart from the dissertation work, the doctoral programme provides a general and thorough research training, a chosen field of specialization and a teaching and educational training, totalling 240 course hours.
5 compulsory Course Blocks
Fundamentals in epistemology
Fundamentals in research methods
Teaching & Pedagogy
Academic Writing
Academic Careers
Choose between two course blocks
On mid-November, PhD students choose between two course blocks: advanced knowledge in quantitative or qualitative methods.
Advanced knowledge
in Quantitative Methods
Advanced knowledge
in Qualitative Methods
In total
are thus compulsory for all PhD students and attendance is a must.
Courses schedule
Courses are mainly scheduled on the first year, on average, one week every month. For academic year 2020-2021, courses are scheduled on the following weeks.
Follow-up the thesis work
Progress Workshop
The doctoral students each present their progress in their research study at least once per year. The objective is to no evaluate the work but to help the student in his or her research orientation. This workshop gathers doctoral students, the thesis director, the programme director and other professors chosen internally or externally in accordance with the thesis subject.
Annual Assessment
Each doctoral student presents a general result of his or her activities (thesis, publications, teachings, assistance, etc.) and his or her projects planned for the following year. The objective is to validate the work done in the previous year and to prepare the stages planned for the following year. The participants are the thesis director, the programme director and possibly other professors chosen internally or externally. It takes place in September.
Pre Viva Voce
With potential members of the jury (referees) about six months before the end of the project.
Visiting Opportunities
Increasing the academic excellence and network’s strength of all PhD students is important to us. The Paris PhD programme welcomes visiting PhD students. Visiting PhD students, our faculty and our PhD students all benefit from the opportunity to share on common research interests.
What visiting PhD students at ESCP are offered:
- The opportunity to interact with your ESCP faculty sponsor and with the PhD students of the programme
- Free access to the PhD courses given during your stay
- Possibility to present your doctoral research in a research seminar
- Access to a workspace in the doctoral rooms (shared spaces with computers)
- Access to the library and cafeteria
- Note that we do not offer any financial support in case your application is successful.
Visiting
We would consider your application as long as your visit is supported by one permanent faculty member from ESCP. For your application as a visiting PhD student, we would ask for :
- A support letter from your sponsor at ESCP,
- A summary of your dissertation project,
- An updated CV,
- A scan of an ID,
- A proof of registration in the PhD programme of your university.
The Dean of Paris PhD Programme will make a decision based on the pieces above and will inform you on the outcome.
Applications for September 2020 Intake are closed.
Paris Doctoral Programme
ESCP supervisors provide below a list of their research interests by area in order to inspire potential candidates
BUSINESS ANALYTICS
Prof. Wei ZHOU
- Applied data analytics for business research
- Data science research - search algorithm and cryptography design
Economics, Accounting and Law
Prof. Didier MARTEAU
- Economie de la régulation du marché des matières premières
- Analyse des stratégies de sortie des politiques monétaires accommodantes
- Volatilité des indices climatiques et gestion du risque dans les entreprises
Prof. Isabelle BEYNEIX
- Droit du numérique (big data, blockchain, RGPD…)
- Droit du travail (relations individuelles/ relations collectives)
- Droit des sociétés (corporate governance, compliance, RSE…)
Entrepreneurship
Prof. Sylvain BUREAU
- Entrepreneurship as a method of creation
- Artistic & entrepreneurial practices
- The political dimensions of entrepreneurship (e.g. subversion, political ideology, societal impacts...)
- Entrepreneurship education
Prof. Caroline VERZAT
- Entrepreneurship education and coaching
- Emotions, leadership and learning
- Reflexive practice in entrepreneurship and education
- Learning teams and environments
Prof. Régis COEURDEROY
- Strategic Innovation
- Organizational Innovation and change
- Internationalization of innovation
- Cross country analysis
- Multi-level analysis
Finance
Prof. Alberta DI GIULI
- Corporate Finance
- Corporate Governance
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Active Investors
Prof. Julien FOUQUAU
- Applied econometrics in the field of finance or energy
- Financial macroeconometrics
- Nonlinear econometric models
Prof. Cécile KHAROUBI
- Hedge funds
- Asset pricing
- Risk Modelling
Prof. Christophe MOUSSU
- Empirical corporate finance
- Real effects of capital markets
- Labor and finance
- Banking, financial regulation and financial stability
- Corporate governance, CSR and firm long term performance
HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
Prof. Frédéric JALLAT
- Behavioural Pricing
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Breakthrough Strategies for the Biopharmaceutical & Healthcare Industries
- Breakthrough Strategies and New Business Models in the Creative Industries (esp. Music & Festivals)
- (Macro) Marketing Reflections on Information Warfare in a Hyper-Connected and Fragmented World
Prof. Olivier SAULPIC
- Governance and performance management of healthcare organizations
- Role of management instruments in the transformation of healthcare organizations
- Interpretative and interventionists methods
Prof. Philippe ZARLOWSKI
- Governance and performance of healthcare systems and organizations
- Management techniques and tools and their roles in the transformation of healthcare management and practices
- Interpretative and interventionist research
Marketing
Prof. Olivier BADOT
- Attitude et comportement de l’acheteur en point de vente sans personnel
- Analyse perceptuelle comparée de chaînes de GMS intégrées et associées
- Transformation digitale des chaines de plus de 1000 points de ventes
- Comparative analysis (European countries) of legal Acts regulating relationships between suppliers and retailers and evaluation of the effects (in collaboration with the Retailing Dpt of Stirling University, Scotland)
- Consumer expectations and attitudes toward e-commerce delivery at home. Hybrid methodology (ethnography and structural modeling) (in collaboration with the Retailing Dpt of Stirling University, Scotland)
- Analyse de la politique de marques de distributeur des hypermarchés. Les cas Sainsburry’s, E.Leclerc et Loblaws.
Prof. Michael HAENLEIN
- Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
- Customer Relationship Management
- Influencer Marketing, esp. Instagram
- Social Media and Word of Mouth
Prof. Frédéric JALLAT
- Behavioural Pricing
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Breakthrough Strategies for the Biopharmaceutical & Healthcare Industries
- Breakthrough Strategies and New Business Models in the Creative Industries (esp. Music & Festivals)
- (Macro) Marketing Reflections on Information Warfare in a Hyper-Connected and Fragmented World
Prof. Raphaëlle PANDRAUD
- Judgment and choice heuristics of consumers
- Luxury products: choice process of consumers and cultural factors
- Age differences in choice process, and in shopping behaviour
Prof. Nathalie PRIME
- Internationalization strategies
- International marketing decisions
- Working across cultures
- Subsidiary-HQ relationships in the MNC
- Emerging markets
- Retailing
Prof. Benjamin VOYER
- The psychology of luxury consumption
- The psychology of alternative consumption and communication
- Cross-cultural consumer psychology
- Marketing for emerging markets and products
Management Control
Prof. Claire DAMBRIN
- Socio-institutional aspects of performance measurement systems
- Quantification and de-quantification processes in organizations
- Gendered dynamics in accounting
- Interpretative methods
Prof. Philippe ZARLOWSKI
- Performance measurement and its roles in organizations and society
- Performance management in the public sector and healthcare organizations
- Performance of public action
- Management control and new technologies
- Interpretative and interventionist research
Prof. Olivier SAULPIC
- Effects of management instruments, especially performance management systems
- Role of management control systems in the transformation of public sector, especially in healthcare
- Socio-technical approach of management instruments
- Interpretative and interventionists methods
Organization Studies
Prof. Aurélien ACQUIER
- Social and Environmental Responsibility issues in Global Value Chains
- Circular economy: institutional and market transformations
- Alternative organizations (coops, open source) and the social good
- Sharing economy, social and environmental responsibilities
Prof. Gilles ARNAUD
- Psychologie et psychosociologie des organisations
- Sens, désir et subjectivité au travail
- Théories psychanalytiques et psychodynamiques
- Approches critiques du management (critical management studies)
- Méthodes qualitatives et cliniques de recherche
Prof. Jean-Philippe BOUILLOUD
- Philosophical aspects of management and organizations (business ethics, aesthetics of organizations, ...)
- Epistemology and development of knowledge in management and business administration
- Management specificities in "non classical" organizations (consulting, non profit org., social business, start ups, ...)
- Qualitative methods (life stories) and ethnological methods; psychosociological approaches
Prof. Valentina CARBONE
- Institutional and Organisational dimensions of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Business & Society interfaces in alternative business models : Sharing Economy, Circular Economy
- Corporate social and environmental responsibility
- Interpretative methods
Prof. Ghislain DESLANDES
- Continental philosophy and European Management
- Phenomenologies of Leadership
- Philosophical foundations of Business Ethics
- Critical approaches to Media and Cultural Management
- Leadership in the Media sector
Prof. Hervé LAROCHE
- Organizational decision-making
- Managerial work
- Errors, accidents, failures and deviance in organizations
- Organizational reliability
- Case studies
Prof. Maral MURATBEKOVA-TOURON
- International Human Resource Management
- Talent Management
- Qualitative methods
Prof. Nathalie PRIME
- Internationalization strategies
- International marketing decisions
- Working across cultures
- Subsidiary-HQ relationships in the MNC
- Emerging markets
- Retailing
Prof. Olivier SAULPIC
- Performance and financialization of social economic sector
- Role of management instruments in the transformation of public sector, especially in healthcare
- Interpretative and interventionists methods
- Role of research for teaching and for organizations
Management : HR, Leadership, Psychology, Ethics, Philosophy
Prof. Gilles ARNAUD
- Psychologie et psychosociologie des organisations
- Sens, désir et subjectivité au travail
- Théories psychanalytiques et psychodynamiques
- Approches critiques du management (critical management studies)
- Méthodes qualitatives et cliniques de recherche
Prof. Géraldine GALINDO
- Digitalization and HRM
- Diversity management
- Innovation and HR
- Personal Branding
- Qualitative methods
Prof. Jean-Philippe BOUILLOUD
- Philosophical aspects of management and organizations (business ethics, aesthetics of organizations, ...)
- Epistemology and development of knowledge in management and business administration
- Management specificities in "non classical" organizations (consulting, non profit org., social business, start ups, ...)
- Qualitative methods (life stories) and ethnological methods; psychosociological approaches
Prof. Ghislain DESLANDES
- Continental philosophy and European Management
- Phenomenologies of Leadership
- Philosophical foundations of Business Ethics
- Critical approaches to Media and Cultural Management
- Leadership in the Media sector
Prof. Léon LAULUSA
- Ceos’ leadership, management and performance measures
- Asian values and management
- Chinese management and management in China
- Chinese firms’ globalization and strategy
- Chinese accounting
Prof. Benjamin VOYER
- The psychology of co-production
- The psychology of luxury consumption
- The psychology of alternative consumption and communication
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Power, status and leadership
Prof. Caroline VERZAT
- Entrepreneurship education and coaching
- Emotions, leadership and learning
- Reflexive practice in entrepreneurship and education
- Learning teams and environments
Supply Chain Management
Prof. Wei ZHOU
- Impacts of emerging technologies (blockchain, IoT, Sensor networks) in the Supply Chain
- Optimization problems in the inventory, transportation and retailing sectors
- Sustainable perishable supply chain management
Prof. Valentina CARBONE
- Institutional and Organisational dimensions of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Business & Society interfaces in alternative business models : Sharing Economy, Circular Economy
- Corporate social and environmental responsibility
- Interpretative methods.
Prof. Joe MIEMCZYK
- Sustainable Supply Chain Management (especially sourcing and global sourcing issues)
- Circular Economy Strategies, Indicators and Impacts
- Buyer-Supplier relationships and impact on performance (especially the Automotive and Aerospace industries)
- Empirical Methods: Case Studies, Survey (not analytic modelling)
Prof. Valérie MOATTI
- Strategic dimension of supply chain management
- Sustainable Development
- Innovation strategies
- Fashion industry and technology
Strategy & Management
Prof. Valentina CARBONE
- Institutional and Organisational dimensions of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Business & Society interfaces in alternative business models : Sharing Economy, Circular Economy
- Corporate social and environmental responsibility
- Interpretative methods
Prof. Régis COEURDEROY
- Strategic Innovation
- Organizational Innovation and change
- Internationalization of innovation
- Cross country analysis
- Multi-level analysis
Prof. Frédéric FRÉRY
- Strategic Management
- Management of Innovation
- Theory of the Firm
Prof. Frédéric JALLAT
- Behavioural Pricing
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Breakthrough Strategies for the Biopharmaceutical & Healthcare Industries
- Breakthrough Strategies and New Business Models in the Creative Industries (esp. Music & Festivals)
- (Macro) Marketing Reflections on Information Warfare in a Hyper-Connected and Fragmented World
Prof. Léon LAULUSA
- Ceos’ leadership, management and performance measures
- Asian values and management
- Chinese management and management in China
- Chinese firms’ globalization and strategy
- Chinese accounting
Prof. Valérie MOATTI
- Strategic dimension of supply chain management
- Sustainable Development
- Innovation strategies
- Fashion industry and technology
Prof. Nathalie PRIME
- Internationalization strategies
- International marketing decisions
- Working across cultures
- Subsidiary-HQ relationships in the MNC
- Emerging markets
- Retailing
Sustainability & CSR
Prof. Aurélien ACQUIER
- Social and Environmental Responsibility issues in Global Value Chains
- Circular economy: institutional and market transformations
- Alternative organizations (coops, open source) and the social good
- Sharing economy, social and environmental responsibilities
Prof. Valentina CARBONE
- Institutional and Organisational dimensions of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Business & Society interfaces in alternative business models : Sharing Economy, Circular Economy
- Corporate social and environmental responsibility
- Interpretative methods
Prof. Joe MIEMCZYK
- Sustainable Supply Chain Management (especially sourcing and global sourcing issues)
- Circular Economy Strategies, Indicators and Impacts
- Buyer-Supplier relationships and impact on performance (especially the Automotive and Aerospace industries)
- Empirical Methods: Case Studies, Survey (not analytic modelling)
Prof. Valérie MOATTI
- Strategic dimension of supply chain management
- Sustainable Development
- Innovation strategies
- Fashion industry and technology
Prof. Nathalie PRIME
- Marketing for sustainable transition
- How to SHIFT consumers towards sustainable consumption
- Branding and sustainability
- Sustainable marketing in emerging markets
Applications for September 2020 Intake are closed.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Ph.D. Community
Applications for September 2020 Intake are closed.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Admissions and financials
IMPORTANT
The admission teams are working hard to maintain admission exam schedules as originally planned, in light of the special circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the time-being, candidates are advised to remain focused and proceed as normal. We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact the current circumstances will have, while continuing to maintain the highest health standards.
Our teams will remain available to reply to your questions, and will be in touch as soon as new information becomes available.
Requirements
Applicants to the ESCP PhD Program must hold a Master degree or equivalent and must have a solid knowledge of French and English. Candidates must have a clear idea of the kind of topic that they are interested in and that may be of interest for a supervisor among ESCP faculty.
Therefore, before applying, we highly recommend to check our website (on the supervision skills page) who could be appropriate supervisors for your PhD and contact those potential supervisors to discuss your project with them. Furthermore, some doctoral projects are sponsored, through research chairs, professorships...
Selection Process
Step 1: Application Form
Applications are made online. Carefully complete the application form before the deadline specified in the Admission Calendar providing the following required documents:
- CV and cover letter motivating your choice of pursuing a PhD in Management at ESCP Paris campus,
- a 5 pages Research Project (including bibliographic references),
- 3 recommendation letters (2 academics and 1 professional)
You can download a template "in French" & "in English" - copies of diplomas and degrees,
- transcripts of most recent degrees,
- any research material that might be useful (dissertation, paper...) in .pdf format,
- copy of your ID or passport,
- 1 digital photo,
- application fees (50€) and payment agreement.
Step 2: Personal Interview
Candidates selected by the admissions jury after a first screening will have half an hour to present their motivation to the interview panel. made up of programme director and faculty members. A Skype interview can be offered to candidates residing outside of Europe.
Step 3: Confirmation
You will receive the admission decision of the final selection Committee. Admitted candidates must confirm their acceptance by the deadline indicated in the offer letter.
Fees and financials
Fees
We offer a full tuition waiver to Ph.D. students eligible for a ESCP doctoral grant (8.300 €/year). Arrangements are possible in other cases, depending on the financial situation of students. However, a legal token registration fee of ± 400€ per year for the Doctoral School applies.
ESCP scholarship
ESCP, with the support of the ESCP Foundation, finances a significant proportion of admitted Ph.D. students with a scholarship (18.000 € per year) guaranteed for 3 years. Each candidate can apply to this cost-of-living scholarship, but it cannot be combined with any other external income. These scholarships are granted on the basis of the excellence of the research project.
Financial aid from the French Government
In addition to the financial aid for which they are eligible in their country of origin, non-French students can seek grants from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Requests should be sent to the Cultural Department of the French Embassy in the student’s country of origin. PhD students can also apply for European exchange program grants (Socrates, Erasmus, Phare). This aid cannot be combined with the ESCP scholarship.

Testimonial
Pénélope Van Deb Bussche
Ph.D. in Management Control
Shareholder speech: mediated by accounting, effects on power relations and on identity.
« ESCP offre un cadre idéal au déroulement de la thèse, favorisant les échanges interdisciplinaires et encourageant l’animation de la communauté doctorale. Grâce à la Fondation ESCP, je réalise ma thèse dans les meilleures conditions, et je tiens à la remercier chaleureusement pour cette aide précieuse. »

Testimonial
Marine Leban
Ph.D. in Management, Marketing
Understanding Luxury Consumption of Millennials in the Digital Age.
"I decided to do a PhD as I want to pursue an academic career in the field of Marketing. So far I have been very pleased with my PhD journey and wish to thank the ESCP Foundation for their generous financial support. I am especially grateful to have the privilege to work on my thesis full- time, as I am very passionate about my research."