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PhD in Management

A program designed to educate outstanding individuals to become international scholars with a multicultural view of management
duration
language
intake
Mode of Study
Format
Funding
4 years
English
September
In person
Full-Time
Fully funded contracts available for top applicants

RESEARCH AREAS

The PhD in Management is structured around eight research areas: Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Operations, Marketing, Information Systems, Finance, Accounting, and Organizational Behavior and Human Resources. Each area has top faculty publishing at the highest academic level.

You choose the area that matches your intellectual passions with your academic background, then join a faculty group that will guide you from your first year of the program until the completion of your dissertation. Within each area, you will find multiple specific research lines, giving you the freedom to shape a project around the questions that genuinely motivate you.

PhD Program | IE Business School

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Accounting

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Accounting

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WHAT OUR PROFESSOR SAY

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RESEARCH AREAS

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POTENTIAL SUPERVISORS

Marco Trombetta | IE Business School

"Accounting is by nature an applied social science. Executives with intellectual curiosity are a great resource for advancing the discipline. Their experience can help shape new research questions in the field of disclosure, financial literacy and of the financial management of microfinance institutions."

Marco Trombetta, Professor of Accounting and Financial Inclusion.

  • Financial Reporting
  • Auditing
  • Management Control
  • Executive Compensation

STUDY PLAN

The PhD in Management combines rigorous methodological training with original doctoral research, preparing students for careers in academia and research. As a full-time, on-campus program, it offers an immersive environment where students collaborate with internationally recognized faculty, engage in cutting-edge research and contribute to advancing knowledge with global impact.

  • Format: Full-time / In person
  • Duration: 4 years
  • Location: Madrid and Segovia, Spain

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Program Structure
Year 1
    Year 2
      COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS
        YEARS 3 & 4
          Program Structure

          OFFICIAL DEGREE

          Students fulfilling the following requirements will be eligible to request issuance of the official university degree upon completion of the program. This doctoral program is recognized under the Spanish Ministerial Regulation as an official program.

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          DEFENSE CALENDAR OF THE NEXT THESIS

          Frequently asked questions

          • The PhD in Management is a full-time program. Students dedicate themselves entirely to research, coursework, and academic activities, typically equivalent to 40-hour workweek.

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          • Yes. In fact, it is encouraged. Publishing your dissertation chapters as journal articles during your PhD journey is an important part of academic training and helps build your research profile before entering the job market.

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          • Job market preparation is integrated throughout your doctoral journey. Early on, we support attendance at academic conferences where you present your research, receive feedback, and develop communication skills. 

            We actively encourage participation in the job market talks and research seminars regularly hosted at IE University, exposing you to the presentation and interview dynamics of academic hiring. Academic Departments host brown-bag seminars where students and faculty regularly present their ongoing research and prepare students for job market presentations.

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          • The program brings together a genuinely international cohort of future academics and early-career researchers drawn from more than fifteen nationalities, united by academic curiosity and a commitment to rigorous research.

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          • No. Candidates cannot be enrolled in two doctoral programs at the same time due to the intensive time commitment and academic rigor required for the doctoral level.

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          • For doctoral candidates, the Triple Crown Accreditation signals rigorous research quality, high academic standards among faculty and global recognition of your degree. 

            Graduating from a Triple Crown-accredited institution strengthens your competitiveness for academic positions and research careers in management, as it demonstrates that your training meets the highest international standards for research, teaching and institutional excellence.

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