The program is a full-time Ph.D. Program in English that meets the highest international standards.

Several concentrations are offered in 2008/2009: "Management", "Decision and Management Sciences", "Marketing", "Economics" and "Finance"

- General Requirement Courses (200 hours)

- Specialized courses and seminars for the chosen concentration (about 550 hours per concentration)

- Preliminary Examinations (end of second year)

- Dissertation Proposal (end of second year)

- Dissertation Defense (expected by the end of the fourth year)

  

The objective of the General Requirement Courses is to give students an overview of the different fields of business administration, the various methodologies used, and common statistical tools. This gives students a unique interdisciplinary perspective on research in business administration and economics (students in the Economics and Finance concentration also have Preliminary courses).

The specialized courses and seminars in the concentrations focus on methodological issues and research tools in the specific fields. They also examine theoretical developments in each field, the current state of the art, and the frontiers of research.

 General requirement courses and seminars

 Management concentration

 Decision and Management Sciences concentration

 Marketing concentration

 Economics concentration

 Finance concentration

 Research at ESSEC

Doctoral students work with one or two ESSEC professors who guide and direct their research. They benefit from rigorous supervision, the support of a diversified and highly international faculty, contacts with professors from European and North American universities, library research facilities and first-rate computer services.

It takes place when the dissertation chairman informs the Director of the Ph.D. Program that the objective of the research work has been achieved.

The degree awarded is the "Ph.D. in Business Administration at ESSEC Business School”.

France and some other European countries may require students to hold a traditional national doctoral degree. For this reason, subject to approval by the Director of the Ph.D. Program, certain students may also enroll at another national institution, such as the joint ESSEC-IAE d'AIX program, for France, and obtain both the ESSEC Ph.D. and a national doctorate.

Students in the Economics and Finance concentrations may also receive a national doctorate from the University of Cergy-Pontoise (Paris).