Program structure
The PhD training program is designed to progressively develop the intellectual, theoretical, and methodological capabilities required to conduct rigorous and impactful research in management.
The structure reflects our core principle: impactful scholarship requires strong methodological foundations, theoretical depth, and structured immersion in active research environments.
The training program is concentrated in the initial phase of the program and is organized into four academic Terms. This phase progressively prepares students for full dedication to independent dissertation research.
Term 1 – Foundations of Scholarly Rigor (October–December)
The first Term provides the methodological and theoretical foundations necessary for high-level academic research.
Students are introduced to:
- The “PhD Journey” seminar, supporting research positioning and academic development
- Applied statistics and econometrics
- Qualitative research methods
- Survey design
- Literature reviews
- Core management theories
- Engaged scholarship and the relationship between research and practice
This phase develops critical thinking, analytical discipline, and the ability to frame research questions within solid theoretical and methodological frameworks.
Term 2 – Advanced Methods and Academic Development (February–March)
The second Term deepens methodological competencies and strengthens academic skills.
Courses include:
- Advanced econometrics and panel data analysis
- Experimental design
- AI and digital tools for research
- Writing for academic publication
- Public speaking and teaching skills
This phase consolidates students’ ability to design publishable research and to engage confidently in international academic debates.
Term 3 – Research Specialization and Field Foundations (April–May)
In the third Term, students specialize within one of the three research domains of the PhD program:
- Innovation
- Sustainability
- Healthcare
For each domain, the program adopts a dual structure:
- Foundations in Research: focused on core theoretical frameworks, major academic debates, and methodological challenges specific to the field.
- Foundations in Practice: focused on understanding sector-specific logics, terminology, governance structures, and the evidence needs of firms, institutions, and policy-makers.
This integrated approach ensures that doctoral students develop both academic depth and the ability to navigate professional contexts with analytical clarity and conceptual precision.
In addition, students attend a dedicated course on Grant Writing for European Research Funding, designed to strengthen their capacity to design competitive research proposals, articulate research impact, and engage with international funding frameworks.
Term 4 – Research Laboratories and Electives (September–November)
The fourth Term is structured around domain-specific Research Laboratories, a distinctive feature of the program. Laboratories are designed as immersive research environments in which doctoral students actively engage in ongoing research projects within the Institute of Management.
Activities may include:
- Participation in competitive academic research grants
- Contribution to research outputs
- Engagement in applied research projects with firms, public institutions, or policy makers
- Exposure to advanced research design, data collection, and analytical processes
Each research domain (Innovation, Sustainability, Healthcare) offers two complementary Laboratory formats:
- Laboratory on Research, focused on academically oriented research projects
- Laboratory on Practices, focused on applied research and interaction with organizational and policy contexts
Through this structured immersion, students experience firsthand how rigorous methodology operates within real research production, both in academically driven and applied research settings.
Elective courses further allow students to deepen their specialization according to individual research interests.