Paris Doctoral Programme
Educate and train future top international researchers - ambassadors of ESCP research excellence, future peers and collaborators in research.
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. We have developed a four-year programme that is demanding but helps each student to reach international standards of research quality. 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. This supportive environment is a cornerstone for their academic identity.

Prof. Régis Cœurderoy
Dean, Ph.D. Programme
Our programme values
Knowledge Diversity
Doing the Ph.D. programme gives an opportunity to invest in one of the five specialisation tracks. The students will explore several methodological perspectives. In addition, we also foster transversal initiatives across knowledge fields and methodologies. We value exchanges with PhD students from our Berlin campus and we actively support international exposure of research activities.
Research Collaboration
If research is sometimes considered as an individual, even solitary, activity, at ESCP the students will be part of a research community encompassing our six European campuses. During your four-year curriculum, PhD students will benefit from close supervision in departments and will learn through co-writing with the faculty staff. Your success is our success, and vice versa.
Professional Ambition
Doing the ESCP programme gives the opportunity to open new and ambitious professional horizons. Whatever the post doctorate objectives - joining the academic or the business research world-, we support ambitions to go “one step further”. Joining a top university research team; boosting the R&D activities of a cutting-edge organisation.
Key facts
Ressource
47
Professors habilitated to supervise Doctoral Research
Key Performance Indicators
101
Defenses since the launch of the programme in 2003
Average duration of a Ph.D.
4,5
Years
International
16
Nationalities
Online applications for September 2021 intake will open on 15th April.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Curriculum
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 specialisation and a teaching and educational training.
Year 1
Core Courses
30 hours (all students)
- Epistemology
- Research Design
Your choice among five specialisation tracks
Finance
Information & Operation Innovation
Accounting & Management Control
Management & Organisations
Marketing
Three methodological tracks
- Econometrics
- Quantitative Methods
- Qualitative Methods
Summer Paper
Year 2
Professional Seminars
60 hours
- Writing Workshops
- Art of Teaching
Finance
Information & Operation Innovation
Accounting & Management Control
Management & Organisations
Marketing
Year 3
- Personal Branding
Out of the walls
Develop your research and teaching skills
Present your papers in conferences
Go to a research visit abroad
Year 4
- Placement
Thesis Completion
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 Defence
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.
Online applications for September 2021 intake will open on 15th April.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Advisors and Calls
ESCP supervisors provide below a list of their research interests by area in order to inspire potential candidates
Changes are currently in progress in the curriculum and the admission process. An update will soon be available on this website.
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
Online applications for September 2021 intake will open on 15th April.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Ph.D. Community
Changes are currently in progress in the curriculum and the admission process. An update will soon be available on this website.
Online applications for September 2021 intake will open on 15th April.
Paris Doctoral Programme
Admissions and financials
Changes are currently in progress in the curriculum and the admission process. An update will soon be available on this website.
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.