PHD in management

Updated on: Monday, February 20, 2012

Could you please provide me with some information about the colleges and institutions offering PhD in management and their admission procedure?

Shahu Khan

Doctoral programmes in management and related disciplines are offered at all leading Bschools and also at several premier technology institutions and universities.

The programmes are ideally suited for the academically inclined who have some professional experience, intellectual curiosity and discipline - common prerequisites for any scholarly inquiry. These programmes do not require prior management study, and in fact students from diverse academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. They are ideal for those who wish to go into teaching, advanced research or training as well as for those looking at consulting or post-research positions abroad.

While IIMs, XLRI, ISB and other stand-alone institutes offer a fellow programme in management (FPM), universities and the IITs and NITs offer a 'PhD' in management.

The difference between a PhD and FPM is similar to the distinction between an MBA and PGDM. Arguably, the number of prestigious FPMs is higher than that of PhDs. Do keep in mind, though, that for securing teaching positions in universities and colleges, UGC mandates that you have a PhD, while private Bschools and even the IIMs will readily appoint both an FPM and a PhD.

Regardless of nomenclature, doctoral programmes in management are structured so as to introduce students to major functional and general management areas and provide a thorough understanding of the concepts and theories underlying management practices. The first two years of the programme are devoted to course work and the rest to qualifying exams followed by dissertation work.

Where to Study: All the IIMs and leading B-schools such as XLRI, MDI. Several IITs and NITs, IISc, and engineering institutes (such as Delhi Technological University, BITS Pilani, Thapar University) have a department of management studies that offers PhD programmes.

Typical Eligibility Criteria: Master's degree (any discipline) or a professional qualification (eg CA, ICWA, CS) with at least 55%, or a BE/BTech (four-year) with at least 60% marks or equivalent GPA.

Typical Selection Procedure: The selection committee will assess your suitability for research work based on your portfolio and performance in the interview. Consistently good academic record, professional accomplishments, research interest, etc are of particular importance. Most institutes will use the scores of any of the following exams as the first-level of screening: CAT/XAT/GMAT/GRE/GATE, with some institutes also accepting UGC-CSIR NET scores.

Times of India

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