The New PhD Programme Management

19.11.2024

Revised Curriculum with new admission requirements from winter semester 2025/26

In the winter semester 2025/26, a revised curriculum for the PhD Programme Management will come into force. A dissertation concept is required as a qualitative admission condition. For details, see “Admission” below.

PhD online Infosession

We are offering a regular online information session for prospective students and those who are generally interested in the PhD Programme Management. No registration required.

Wednesday, 16:00 – 17:00

• 25.09.2024 // 23.10.2024 // 27.11.2024
• 15.01.2025 // 05.03.2025 // 02.04.2025 // 14.05.2025

New: Session on Changing to the New PhD Programme on Thursday, 03.10.2024, 15:00.

To participate in the online information session, please click on the following link: 

https://webconference.uibk.ac.at/rooms/alb-gr4-6hq

In addition to the general information sessions, you may consult with the Associate Dean of Studies for the PhD Programme regarding any questions you have before the start or during your PhD studies.

Regular office hours for PhD students:

• Wednesday, 16:00 – 17:00 during lecture period (except for the dates of the online information sessions listed above)
• Please make an appointment be email to:  phd-management@uibk.ac.at

Programme Overview

The PhD Program Management is a postgraduate research-oriented study programme that typically takes three years to complete on a full-time basis. The core of the programme is your dissertation research project, which concludes with the completion of your PhD dissertation – either a collection of scientific papers or a monograph. The coursework is intended to help you succeed in your dissertation research. It consists of 3 elements: your dissertation, compulsory, and elective modules. You should choose your elective modules in consultation with your supervisor to make sure the modules support your dissertation research.

Dissertation and dissertation defense

The dissertation is a scientific work that demonstrates your ability to independently conduct a scientific research project. The dissertation can be in the form of either a monograph, i.e., a book, or a collection of three scientific papers, one of which must be written as the sole author, and one must be accepted by a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Specific regulations for paper-based dissertations are laid down in § 9 (4) of the curriculum:  Curriculum 2023W

Once the examiners have positively marked your written dissertation, you will be required to publicly defend your dissertation in a colloquium lasting approximately 60 to 90 minutes before the examination board.

Compulsory modules

Methodology for PhD Projects

This is the introductory module you must successfully complete to be able to enrol in further modules (except for professional development courses and the specific research methods module). It provides an overview of requirements for conceptualising research projects and introduces methodological perspectives fundamental for PhD research projects.

Quantitative Research Methods

This module equips you with PhD-level skills in quantitative research methods. You will learn to conceptualise a quantitative research project.

Qualitative Research Methods

This module equips you with PhD-level skills in qualitative research methods. You will learn to conceptualise a qualitative research project.

Professional Development

In this module, you can choose from a number of courses on professional skills, such as project management, scientific writing, presentation skills, good scientific practice, gender competencies, and many more. You should consult with your main PhD supervisor on which courses to choose. Please note that these courses can be found in a dedicated section of the course catalogue:   Generic competencies - PhD of Management

It is also possible that a presentation at a Doctoral Colloquium of a peer-reviewed established scientific conference can be acknowledged.

Elective modules

It is important to carefully choose the elective modules in consultation with your main PhD supervisor, as these modules should align with your special interests or needs, e.g., learning about a specific type of research method or theory necessary for your PhD research.

You must acquire 10 ECTS-credits from elective modules, i.e., choose 2 modules.

Generic Competencies

You can choose from the course programme in generic competencies:   Generic competencies - PhD of Management

It is highly recommended to choose a course on gender competencies.

Specific Research Methods

You can take special research methods courses with the approval of your main PhD supervisor. It is also possible to have courses recognised that are offered at other universities or institutions, provided it is agreed with your main PhD supervisor and the Dean of Studies in advance.

PhD Research Seminar

You can take thematic PhD courses that cover specific research fields or topics, theories, or scientific discourses. Besides courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Management, there may be courses offered at other faculties, universities, or institutions, provided it is agreed with your main PhD supervisor and the Dean of Studies in advance.

Scientific Discourse

This module involves presenting a research paper at a recognised peer-reviewed scientific conference. You must not only have authored or co-authored the paper, but also present it yourself. Please make sure to have the agreement of your main PhD supervisor and the Dean of Studies in advance.

Recommended study plan

The table below shows the recommended order for taking modules. An important piece of advice: Please do NOT try to complete as many courses as possible at the beginning of your studies to ‘get rid of the coursework’.

It is crucial to note that the courses and modules serve as support for your main work, the dissertation. It might not be clear which courses and modules will be instrumental for you at the beginning. It is vital to remember that the most important part – in quantitative and qualitative terms – is your dissertation. From the start, it is imperative to reserve most of your time for the dissertation.

Curriculum 2023W

This page contains information about the formalities of the PhD programme. But there are more practicalities and bits of advice to successfully do your PhD with us.

What can you expect from us?

We offer diverse research areas and topics where you can pursue your PhD research. The Faculty of Business and Management  comprises five departments – Accounting, Auditing & Taxation; Banking & Finance; Information Systems, Production & Logistics; Organization & Learning; Strategic Management, Marketing & Tourism. Each department offers various special research opportunities.

Our faculty members and teams are also members of the Research Area “Economy, Politics & Society” (EPOS), as well as the Research Centers “Accounting Theory & Research”, “Innsbruck Decision Sciences”, and “Strategic Leadership – Innovation – Branding”. Additionally, you may want to explore the Innsbruck Doctoral College “Organizing the Digital”.

Our faculty is well-connected internationally in different research communities and networks. If you are motivated and engaged, you can benefit from the competence and experience of your supervisors from our faculty. 

What do we expect from you?

Although you submitted a brief research proposal when you registered for the PhD Program Management, please note that you will NOT be automatically assigned a supervisor. You must find a supervisor among the professors within the faculty. The information provided about the faculty and research units shall help you identify potential supervisors. When negotiating supervision, you should consider that your initial research proposal may have to be changed according to your supervisor’s advice.

Generally, doing a PhD requires a high amount of self-organisation. We expect you to actively search for a supervisor, maintain contact with them, and actively seek their advice regarding your research, as well as the selection of modules and courses. Moreover, research requires a lot of initiative on your part, such as searching relevant literature and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the state of research in your field of interest.

The PhD Program Management is a full-time programme. This means that the minimum duration of three years is calculated based on the assumption that you can devote your whole time to your PhD. If you can only allocate part-time for your PhD, you should expect a longer duration.

Please note that in all activities of the PhD programme – coursework as well as research – you must follow the principles of Good Scientific Practice. You can find information on the university’s policy on Good Scientific practice here: (Link: https://www.uibk.ac.at/rektorenteam/forschung/sicherung_guter_wissenschaftlicher_praxis/index.html.en).

Please also note the Faculty’s policy on using generative AI: (Link: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/faculty-of-business-and-management/studies/dealing-with-ai/).

Admission to the PhD programme

In order to enrol into the programme, you must submit an application to the Admissions Office. Students with a Master's or Diploma degree from our faculty (e.g. Diploma in International Economics and Business Studies, Master in Marketing and Branding, Organization Studies, etc.) are automatically admitted. All other applications will be assessed on the basis of the qualifications you have acquired in your previous studies. In particular, we expect sufficient coverage of management and research-related subjects in your qualifying studies. Please allow several weeks for your application to be processed.

In the winter semester 2025/26, a revised curriculum for the PhD Programme Management will come into force which stipulates a new qualitative admission requirement: You must submit with your application a dissertation concept that is suitable in terms of subject matter and supervisable by the Faculty of Business and Management. The dissertation concept should outline the topic and objectives of the intended doctoral research project, its relation to current research literature, and how it fits into the research of the Faculty of Business and Management.

You are not required to have the agreement of a supervisor. We recommend, however, that you make yourself knowledgeable about the research represented at the Faculty of Business and Management and, if possible, contact potential supervisors.

The dissertation concept must be in English, and its length shall not exceed 2,000 words and one DIN A4 page of references.

The dissertation concept must address the following aspects:

Brief description of the content of the planned doctoral research project

• What is the research topic or problem?
• What are potential research questions?
• Which research materials (data, sources, cases, etc.) do you intend to investigate?

Brief description how your planned doctoral research fits with the literature and the Faculty

• Which research literature provides the basis for your doctoral research?
• How does your planned research relate to research of the Faculty of Business and Man­agement?

References

• List of cited literature
• Please mark the five references you consider most important for your research.

For more detailed information on the admission requirements, please refer to the requirements section on this page: https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/programmes/phd-program-management/

Course enrolment

Please note that with the admission to the PhD programme you are not automatically enrolled into any of the courses. There is a separate registration for the courses through the lfu:online website. Importantly, course enrolment usually happens the month before the teaching periods start (i.e., September for the winter semester and February for the summer semester). Courses usually start at the beginning of each semester.

All courses for the PhD programme – with the exception of courses in Professional Development and Generic Competencies – are to be found in the Course Catalogue (  Courses and lectures), section ‘PhD Program Management according to the Curriculum 2023.’ There is a special section of the Course Catalogue for courses in Professional Development and Generic Competencies entitled ‘Interdisciplinary and additional courses/Interdisciplinary courses/Generic Skills for Doctoral/PhD Programmes.’

Supervisors

The researchers of the Faculty of Business and Management represent a broad portfolio of different expertise in terms of research fields, methods, and methodology. Below, you find a list of researchers who are supervising PhDs. Their main areas of PhD supervision is indicated and you can follow the links to the researchers’ personal homepages by clicking on the portraits.

Man­fred Auer

Focus Topics: Sustainable human resource management; Corporate equal opportunities policy;

Albrecht Becker

Focus Topics: Social studies of accounting; Calculative practices in Not-for-profit contexts; Organisation and evaluation of research; 

Julia Brandl

Focus Topics: Human resource management; Employment relations;

Andreas Eck­hardt

Focus Topics: Social media in social and political conflict; Virtualisation and restructing of organisations; Security and manipulation in the virtual world;

Johann Rupert Fül­ler

Focus Topics: Innovation management and entrepreneurship; Net-zero solutions; Digital technologies and AI;

Michael Haber­sam

Focus Topics: Evaluation Research, with focus on European Capitals of Culture; Governing/managing not-for-profit organizations in the field of Arts and Culture as well as Education, with focus on calculative practices, performance and impact;

Sven Hart­lieb

Focus Topics: Accounting and annual audit; Sustainability Assurance; Corporate Governance;

Ste­fan Häuss­ler

Focus Topics: Operations Management/Research; Quantitative methods and business analytics for decision support; Simulation, optimization, economic experiments;

Andrea Hemets­ber­ger

Focus Topics: Branding; Mindful consumption;

Jür­gen Huber

Focus Topic: Behavioral and Experimental Economics and Finance;

Katja Hut­ter

Focus Topics: AI and innovation management; sustainable innovation;

Sil­via Jor­dan

Focus Topics: Management control; Interdisciplinary accounting research; Sociology of quantification;

Michael Han­nes Kirch­ler

Focus Topics: Behavioral/Experimental Finance and Economics; Crowd Science;

Oli­ver Koll

Focus Topics: Stakeholder Marketing; Brand Equity Measurement; Marketing and Sustainability;

Jochen Lawrenz

Focus Topics: Asset pricing; Asset management; Financial risk management;

Tho­mas Lind­ner

Focus Topics: Foreign direct investment political environments; Capital structure and foreign security issuance in multinational companies; Human-AI collaboration in decision making in international business;

Kurt Matz­ler

Focus Topics: Open Strategy; Disruptive Innovation; Family Business;

Mar­tin Mess­ner

Focus Topic: Controlling (Management control)

Hubert Miss­bauer

Focus Topic: Production planning and control;

Sté­pha­nie Mit­tel­bach-Hör­man­se­der

Focus Topics: Financial Reporting; Sustainability Reporting;

Kers­tin Neu­mann

Focus Topics: Organizational and behavioral change towards sustainable strategies; Stakeholder collaboration and societal challenges; Interorganizational partnerships and alliances;

Annette Osten­dorf

Focus Topics: Vocational competence development; Vocational education systems; Vocational education theory;

Mike Peters

Focus Topics: Destination; Hospitality; Tourism management;

Mar­tin Piber

Focus Topics: Managing and Organising Art and Cultural Organisations; The relevance and impact of art and culture for society;

Bir­git Pik­ke­maat

Focus Topics: Innovation in tourism; Destination development; Family firms and SMEs in tourism;

Julia Rapp-Hautz

Focus Topics: Open Strategy; Strategy Processes; CEO Research;

Bir­the Soppe

Focus Topics: Organizational responses to climate change; Sustainability transitions; Interorganizational dynamics;

Nicola Stok­bur­ger-Sauer

Focus Topics: Emotions in Consumer Behavior; Product Design; Digital Communication; Services- and Experiential Marketing

Michael Thoma

Focus Topics: Business Education; Dispositive Analytics; Criticality in Teacher Education;

Richard Weiskopf

Focus Topics: Ethics and politics of algorithmic management; Whistleblowing and critical transparency studies; Moral blindness and (lack of) ethical responsiveness in organizational practices;

Kathrin Figl

Focus Topics: Human-AI Interaction, Digital Nudging, Online Manipulation, Human-Centric Information System Design, Fake News, Algorithmic Management, Eye-Tracking

The PhD Program Management qualifies you to become a researcher and provides you with a range of career opportunities, including:

• an academic career as an early career researcher.
• non-academic research-related fields, such as R&D departments or market research agencies.
• a management career, especially in areas that require strong analytical and research skills.

Teaching and learning facilities

The main building for the PhD in Management programme is the SoWi Building at Universitätsstraße 15, 6020 Innsbruck. Besides most of the lecture halls, the building has coworking spaces on each floor that students can use freely.

Easiest way to find your way around the university’s facilities is through the UniApp (Link: https://www.uibk.ac.at/uni-app/)

Library services

The SoWi Library is also located in the SoWi Building  SOWI library. Here, you find most of the books relevant to you PhD studies.

The Main Library is located at Innrain 50 and 52f, 6020 Innsbruck, close to where you the student services are located where you had to go to enrol for the PhD programme in person   Main library.

The library websites also feature many possibilities for literature search in various data banks and search engines. Most important will be the Electronic Journal Library (‘ Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek’)  where you have access to most scientific journals online. Please note that you will need to use the VPN Client if you are not in the IP area of the university. More information

Please note that not all websites are available in English yet. The university is working on it.

Switching from the old to the new PhD programme

For all those PhD students who have not started the module “Literature Review” according to the “old” curriculum (2015) it may be advisable to switch to the new curriculum (2023). Please consult with your supervisors and/or the Associate Dean of Studies.

The courses you have already passed in the old curriculum will be recognised according to the table below:

If you want to switch, these are the steps to take:

• Inscribe into the new PhD Programme Management at the admission office. 
• Pay your student fee.
• You can now move your courses in lfu:online to the new PhD Programme.

1. Where can I find information on the admission requirements for the PhD programme?

For more detailed information on the admission requirements, please refer to the requirements section on this page: Admission requirements

2. How long does it take to complete the PhD programme?

The programme typically takes three years to complete on a full-time basis. However, the length of the programme can vary depending on individual student progress. Students working full-time outside of the university can expect to complete the programme in 3-6 years.

3. What are the elements of the PhD programme?

The programme consists of three elements: your dissertation (150 ECTS credits), compulsory modules (20 ECTS credits), and elective modules (10 ECTS credits). For details see. The PhD programme

4. What is the dissertation format?

The curriculum allows two dissertation formats: a research monograph, i.e., a book, or a collection of three scientific papers, i.e., a cumulative dissertation. Of the three papers, one must be written as the sole author, and one must be accepted by a peer-reviewed scholarly journal.

5. Are there any regulations for paper-based dissertations?

Yes, the regulations for paper-based dissertations can be found in § 9 (4) of the curriculum: Curriculum 2023W

6. What language is used in the PhD programme?

English is the programme’s language. However, the dissertation thesis can be written in either English or German in accordance with your supervisor’s advice.

7. Is it possible to complete the PhD programme while working?

Working part-time or full-time while pursuing a PhD is possible. However, it can be challenging as the programme has a high workload and demands. We recommend entirely focusing on your studies during the PhD programme. However, if you choose to work outside the university while pursuing your PhD, expect to take longer to complete the programme.

8. Is funding available for PhD students?

Yes, funding opportunities are available for PhD students. An overview of available scholarships and funding can be found here: Funding

9. What career opportunities are available after completing a PhD programme?

Graduates of PhD programmes typically go on to careers in academia, research, or pursue a management career in businesses or not-for-profit organisations. While the programme is primarily designed to educate for an academic career at universities or research institutions, a PhD can also provide valuable critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied to many other careers.

10. How can I switch from the old to the new curriculum?

For all those PhD students who have not started the module “Literature Review” according to the “old” curriculum (2015) it may be advisable to switch to the new curriculum (2023). Please consult with your supervisors and/or the Associate Dean of Studies.

If you want to switch, these are the steps to take:

• Inscribe into the new PhD Programme Management at the admission office.
• Pay your student fee.
• You can now move your courses in lfu:online to the new PhD Programme.