PhD Positions in Management, Economics and Law full scholarship, 100% English

Founded in 1881, HEC Paris consistently ranks among the top research institutions in business, specialized in education and research in management. As a leading academic institution in Europe and worldwide, HEC Paris offers a complete range of selective programs for students and business leaders. The HEC Paris Faculty is dedicated to pushing the frontier of knowledge by actively engaging in research, publishing articles in top academic journals with an international audience and participating in national and international academic conferences. The website Knowledge@HEC promotes the research activities of the HEC community.

Every leading business school or university recruits its professors on the basis of their groundbreaking research and publications in the leading research journals. The HEC Paris PhD Program prepares students for this challenge. It offers the training needed to enter the demanding world of academia. Built on a strategy of excellence, it aims to attract students with the highest level of academic ambition. The hallmarks of our program are intensive coursework, close supervision, and full immersion in the school’s research activities.

Positions available in the following research areas

For the 2025 September intake we look for 12 high potential candidates in the following fields:

• Accounting and Management Control
• Economics and Decision Sciences
• Finance
• Information Systems and Operations Management
• Law and Regulation*
• Management and Human Resources
• Marketing
• Strategy and Business Policy.

The Program

The HEC PhD program is a five-year full-time program, taught 100% in English, that prepares students for a career in research and academia. This requires in-depth knowledge of a particular areas of research, solid training in research methods, as well as hands-on experience in collecting and analyzing data, writing and presenting papers, academic networking and publishing research. 

The program is structured in two phases: The first two years focus on the coursework and the first milestones of the dissertation. They are aimed at providing students with a strong base from which they can carry out their research at the highest level. The following three years are dedicated to working on the research paper-based dissertation, joining a PhD visiting position, presenting paper(s) at international academic events, etc. 

To resume, PhD students benefit from: 

• 100% tuition waiver
• Cost of living scholarship of 26000€/year for up to 5 years
• Eight specializations at the frontier of management research
• Intensive course training in research methods
• Close supervision by research-driven HEC Paris Faculty members
• Full involvement in HEC Paris research activities (seminars, brown bags, conferences, workshops)
• Access to HEC Paris’ corporate network for data collection opportunities
• Research visit opportunities in the world’s best business schools with additional financial support
• Financial support for presentations in the leading academic conferences
• Support for job placement in top research institutions worldwide
• PhD student partners can also benefit from the HEC Paris career services to facilitate their integration into the local community and empower them to navigate the dynamic landscape of career opportunities in France.
• Assistance to find student housing on campus and in Paris (indicative rent: in the range of 600-800 euros per month, depending on the type of arrangement.

The program comprises two prestigious nationally recognized degrees: Research Master (Master en Sciences du Management) and HEC PhD Degree («Doctorat ès-sciences de gestion») accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, in collaboration with the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IPP) doctoral school n°626.

* The PhD in Law and Regulation offers two alternative PhD tracks:

• The 3-year doctoral studies track, open to students holding a master degree in Law.
• The 5-year studies track, open to students holding at minimum a bachelor degree (either bachelor of law or other bachelor degree with minimum exposure to legal studies).

Scholarship and financing 

Each admitted PhD student, without any criteria of academic background or origin, receives:

• Cost of living scholarships of 26,000€ guaranteed for up to 5 years with no teaching or research assistantship requirement
• 100% tuition waiver for up to 5 years
• Funding for research visits in top business schools (travel and additional cost of living scholarship) 
• Travel funding for research conference presentations 
• Funding for research projects
• Support for job placement in top research institutions worldwide
• Research and teaching assistantship opportunities.

Who we look for - Qualifications

Built on a strategy of excellence, the HEC Paris PhD Program aims to attract outstanding and motivated future PhD students with a clear ambition to become top researchers in international academic institutions. We welcome applications from candidates of all nationalities who:

• Hold a university degree (Bachelor or Master) or equivalent in any field (sciences, engineering, political science, etc). Note that the PhD in Law and Regulation requires university studies in the field of legal studies
• Are fluent in English
• Have an outstanding academic record
• Are highly motivated to study at one of the world's best research business schools.

How to apply 

Preparing an application for a PhD Program is a long process and may take time, not only to complete the online application, write your personal statement, but also to choose your referees. Preparing the GMAT or GRE test may also take time. A complete research proposal is not required to apply for the program. To give a maximum of chance for applicants to submit an outstanding and complete application, we have decided to hold two admissions sessions, one in January and one in April. There is no difference whether you apply in the first or second round.  

Two Application Rounds:

A complete application should include the following: 

• Degree certificate(s) or current enrollment certificate
• All official academic transcripts obtained in a higher education institution (Bachelor and Master if applicable) 
• Personal statement motivating your choice of pursuing a PhD 
• Résumé (CV)
• Optional Research material that may support your application (dissertation, paper, research work, ...)
• Management test score report: GMAT or GRE official test score report  
• English language proficiency test score report: TOEFL or IELTS (exemption for English natives and applicants who studied their university degree in English)
• 2 completed online reference forms from professors
• Proof of ID
• Non-refundable application fee of €60.

Selected candidates will be invited for an interview.

Join an online presentation for each specialization: 

We invite interested candidates to join an online presentation for each specialization. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the position and the department’s Faculty.  See the calendar and sign up here. 

Visit the PhD application web-pages here, or start directly your application here. 

Placement – an academic career in management research

HEC Paris accompanies the placement of its PhD graduates. Today, more than 95% pursue an academic career top institutions worldwide such as Columbia University, Bocconi, London School of Economics, London Business School, Princeton, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, ESCP Business School, ESSEC Business School, Cambridge University, University of Michigan, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and many more. Learn more about placement here.

In a nutshell: 

Position: PhD Positions in Management, Economics and Law, full scholarship, 100% English
Format: 5 years, full-time
Study language: English
Program structure: Phase I: course work (2 years). Phase II: dissertation (3 years)
Scholarship: 26000€ for up to 5 years
Tuition: 100% tuition waiver for up to 5 years
Application deadlines:  January 3rd, 2025, April 22, 2025
Start of intake: Beginning of September 2025
Location of studies: HEC Paris, Jouy-en-Josas, France
About HEC: Welcome | HEC Paris
About the PhD Program: The HEC PhD Program
About HEC Faculty: Faculty and Research
About research at HEC Paris: Knowledge | HEC Paris

Contact

PhD Program
Email: doctorat@hec.fr
Tel: +33 (0)1 39 67 94 51 - +33 (0)1 39 67 73 18