Finance and Accounting specialisation

Overview

Director of the finance and accounting specialisation

The Finance and Accounting specialisation of the PhD in Business Administration at SKEMA is designed to provide doctoral students with a solid education in fields needed to carry out cutting-edge research. Our students first take strong core courses from the PhD qualifying year programme of our partner Université Paris Dauphine-PSL, followed by field courses taught by our top-notch scholars that regularly publish in top-tier academic journals.

Our vibrant seminars and conferences organised by the FAIRR Research Centre enable students to meet other top researchers from around the world. Students also participate (as presenters and discussants) in the International Accounting & Finance Doctoral Symposium (IAFDS) run in partnership with leading institutions from Europe, China, and Australia. This lively research environment prepares students for the academic job market by providing them with an excellent network experience and the skills to publish in leading academic journals.

Successful graduates will receive a PhD. degree from SKEMA Business School and a French state doctoral degree from the Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA). The programme selects highly qualified applicants with strong research potential and motivation. Candidates should hold a master's degree (or be close to completion).

Programme structure

First year

Accepted students will be assigned a supervisor from SKEMA Business School and affiliated with the FAIRR Research Center.

Students are based on the Paris campus and take the PhD Qualifying Year program from our partner Université Paris Dauphine-PSL. The program is taught in English and provides strong core courses to prepare students to deliver high-quality research.

In parallel with the core courses, students must write the research master thesis of the PhD Qualifying Year under the supervision of their supervisors from SKEMA Business School. The research master thesis will be the first step towards the PhD thesis.

Second to fourth year

To continue the PhD program from the second year, students must succeed in the PhD Qualifying Year Program.

Students move to the campus of their supervisors (Paris, Lille, or Sophia-Antipolis) to ensure close interaction and supervision of their PhD thesis.

Students will take several advanced field courses, including corporate governance, entrepreneurial finance, asset pricing, mergers and acquisitions, and banking.

Students must attend the seminars of the FAIRR Research Center. They are also expected to present their research work in (peer-reviewed) academic conferences, including the International Accounting & Finance Doctoral Symposium (IAFDS) run in partnership with leading institutions from Europe, China, and Australia.