Teaching Program

TEACHING PROGRAM CYCLE XL

A.Y. 2024/2025

Learning areas (SSD)

The Department of Business and Management excels in numerous clusters of research but is specifically interested in research projects related to the following prevalent areas of research:

SECS-P/08 – Economia e gestione delle imprese
SECS-P/09 – Economia degli intermediari finanziari e finanza aziendale
SECS-P/10 – Organizzazione aziendale

Program structure

The PhD in Management is a full-time, four-year program aimed at developing scholars specialized in specific areas of Management, particularly in the fields of Strategy and Innovation Management, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior. The comprehensive program involves mandatory coursework during the first two years, covering subjects such as epistemology, research methodology, and field-specific topics (corresponding to the three aforementioned areas), along with attendance at research seminars, an international study period, and thesis preparation (including formal progress presentations, such as the research proposal presentation in the second year). The third and fourth years are primarily focused on the final thesis writing.

The program provides continuous interaction opportunities with the scientific community, both Italian and international, through seminars conducted by experts invited by the Department of Business and Management on a regular basis (such as Visiting Professors) or on an ad-hoc basis. The PhD team organizes one-on-one sessions for each student to engage with these scholars and receive their advice and suggestions.

The combination of courses, seminars, and other educational activities provides doctoral students with the foundation to design and develop their final thesis project. In particular, during the first year, doctoral students must attend all the courses offered and, with the support of the Academic Board, identify a supervisor and a co-supervisor.

To be admitted to the second year, doctoral students must pass their exams, earning at least 90% of the total credits required by the first-year curriculum. At the end of the first year, students must present a first-year paper, serving as an initial checkpoint on the progress of their research work, which will culminate in the thesis at the end of the program. During the second year, doctoral students must attend all the planned courses, participate in seminars, and present a pre-research proposal, usually in January, to demonstrate further progress in their research and receive feedback. Another critical checkpoint is the Research Proposal, typically presented in June of the same year.

To be admitted to the third year, doctoral students must pass their exams, earning at least 90% of the total credits required by the second-year curriculum, and receive positive evaluations from the supervisor, co-supervisor, and the academic board concerning the Pre-proposal and Proposal presentations. During the third year, doctoral students must develop their research project, attend Department seminars, Doctoral workshops, and seminars dedicated to Soft-skills and Research-skills. Each doctoral student is required to spend a research period abroad (visiting period). Additionally, they have the opportunity to attend other conferences and seminars in Italy or abroad on specific research topics.

The outcome of the third-year research activities is a Progress Report, to be presented in June of the third year. A positive evaluation of this report allows admission to the fourth year. During the fourth year, doctoral students concentrate on writing their thesis, which they must submit typically in September, at the end of the 48-month study period. If necessary for the completion of the thesis, doctoral students may participate in conferences and seminars in Italy or abroad.

Program Goals

The PhD Program in Management aims to develop international-level scholars capable of advancing knowledge and pushing the boundaries of research in management disciplines. Its primary goal is to prepare students for academic careers at leading national and, especially, international universities. As a secondary objective, the program equips individuals with the necessary skills to successfully work in businesses, consulting firms, financial institutions, international organizations, and economic policy and regulatory authorities.

The Luiss PhD in Management aspires to train talented doctoral candidates who can produce rigorous and relevant research in the field of Management. Upon completion of the PhD program, candidates are expected to:

• Demonstrate the ability to conduct and publish academic research of internationally recognized standards;
• Apply fundamental methodological tools to their research, ensuring theoretical arguments meet the highest scientific criteria recognized by the scholarly community;
• Acquire an in-depth understanding of the relevant literature in their area of study;
• Produce original contributions to knowledge in their chosen field;
• Utilize quantitative and qualitative research methods and techniques effectively;
• Critically evaluate scientific research work;
• Present and discuss academic work and its implications in a variety of contexts, including professional settings.

N.B. The PhD courses are also open to students enrolled in PhD programmes of other Universities, upon payment of a fee. For further information please contact the PhD & Education Funding Office (dottorati@luiss.it).