EDHEC PhD in Finance - The Executive Track in Focus
A critical step
Doctoral studies hone a lifelong ability to approach issues scientifically and to research them thoroughly. As such, they are a critical step for practitioners who strive for constant learning and progression in their field.
The EDHEC PhD in Finance is designed for professionals whose aim is to gain and maintain an in-depth understanding of finance as well as the ability to initiate and carry through research projects that will yield original insights and lead to innovative approaches and offerings.
Structure tailored to executive needs
Residential requirements are kept to a minimum—42 days over three years—by concentrating core courses into four separate weeks, delivering elective seminars over three consecutive days in weekly blocks, and using EDHEC Business School’s state-of-the-art e-learning classroom for monthly research workshops.
Core courses are given every year so that missed modules may be made up, and the portfolio of electives offered over the second and third years of the programme allows doctoral candidates to select seminars that fit their professional objectives and constraints.
Dedicated research coaching
To help PhD in Finance candidates acquire first-rate research skills and author high-quality dissertations, EDHEC Business School organises solid research training through courses, seminars and workshops, implements a rigorous procedure to track the progress of dissertation work and offer support and feedback from faculty and peers, and ensures a professor is available for one-on-one input and advice at the dissertation stage.
Selecting a dissertation topic that corresponds to areas of professional expertise and echoes actual problems faced by the candidate’s organisation goes a long way toward reducing the programme’s weekly time commitment. The programme director and core faculty team help each participant identify a suitable topic and dissertation adviser.
On an annualised basis, participants should expect to dedicate 20% of their working hours to the programme.
Close individual work with faculty is an important part of the programme’s research coaching approach. The dissertation adviser is a world-class scholar selected for his expertise in the candidate’s field of specialisation and is responsible for advising the candidate throughout the research process, from the choice of elective seminars to the dissertation defence.
Dissertation advisers commit to providing regular electronic feedback to their advisees and to offering at least two opportunities for live meetings in Europe every year.
Research for professional development
The EDHEC PhD in Finance is the foremost academic and professional qualification for experienced practitioners. The programme requires exceptional dedication, but its career impact and the satisfaction of subsequent work and research on the frontiers of knowledge and professional practices will be ample reward for those who make this commitment.
Sponsoring organisations will benefit from the learning experience of their executives, whose critical thinking and analytical and research skills, enhanced by doctoral studies, will be of considerable value. With the dissertation, they will benefit from scientific research on issues of particular relevance to business and will witness evidence of their executives’ newly acquired abilities to promote innovation in processes and products.
