Find out about the objectives, research areas and career prospects of the PhD programme.
The University of Bologna’s PhD in Management is an international doctoral programme designed to train researchers capable of producing cutting-edge research across the core fields of management and finance. Established in 1991, the programme attracts more than 300 applications from around the world each year and currently has 40 PhD students, half of whom come from outside Italy.
Through advanced training and intensive research activity, the programme offers a dynamic international academic environment in which candidates develop the theoretical, methodological and research competences needed to address the key challenges facing businesses, organisations, markets and institutions.
The PhD in Management prepares highly qualified researchers to conduct research across the core fields of management, business administration and finance.
The programme provides advanced theoretical and methodological training, enabling candidates to produce high-quality research and develop into independent scholars with the skills to address complex research questions.
Throughout the programme, PhD students are supported by a supervisory team of three academic staff members, who provide guidance as their research project takes shape. The expertise developed during the programme prepares graduates for academic and research careers, while also opening up opportunities in public and private organisations, institutions and businesses that value advanced analytical and research skills.
The University of Bologna’s PhD programme in Management provides advanced research training across the core subject areas of management and finance. The programme is structured around two specialisations. Both combine a strong theoretical and methodological foundation with intensive research training, while each focuses on a distinct disciplinary area and offers specialist teaching.
An international outlook is at the heart of the PhD programme. All learning and research activities are conducted in English, giving PhD students the opportunity to engage on a daily basis with a global academic community through courses, seminars and workshops led by academics and researchers from leading universities and business schools.
As part of the programme, PhD students spend a period as visiting researchers at a leading international university, where they build research collaborations, expand their academic networks and further develop their research project in an international setting.
The programme also promotes joint supervision agreements and partnerships with universities worldwide, while supporting participation in conferences, doctoral consortia and summer schools. These opportunities enable PhD students to become active members of the international research community from the very beginning of their doctoral studies.
Through this international network and the opportunities it provides, the programme prepares researchers to make original contributions to their field and to pursue academic and professional careers in both national and international contexts.
The PhD programme in Management prepares graduates for academic careers at universities and research centres in Italy and around the world. To date, around 70% of graduates have continued their careers in academia and research, contributing to world-class research in leading institutions.
The scientific, methodological and analytical competences developed during the programme are also highly valued by public institutions, organisations and businesses. Around 30% of graduates pursue careers in the private sector or public administration, taking on knowledge-intensive roles, particularly in consulting, financial services and other professional services, where strong analytical, research and decision-support skills are highly valued.
The programme’s quality is reflected in the careers of its graduates, many of whom have gone on to research and academic positions at leading universities and business schools, including Università Bocconi, the University of Cambridge, INSEAD, HEC Paris, Imperial College London, IE Madrid, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of York, Case Western Reserve University and City University of London. Others hold senior positions in public institutions and leading companies, including Bonfiglioli, Unipol, Chiesi Farmaceutici and YOOX.