SKEMA strengthens its PhD in Management to meet the highest global academic standards

SKEMA Business School’s PhD in Management programme is evolving and reaffirming an enhanced global academic ambition under the leadership of Florencio Lopez de Silanes, Strategic Programme Director and Zakaria Babutsidze, Programme Director, both emblematic professors at the school.

A highly selective doctoral programme delivered over five years and taught entirely in English, SKEMA’s PhD in Management is now built on a redesigned structure and renewed academic pathways. Throughout their studies, doctoral candidates benefit from close supervision provided by SKEMA’s faculty-researchers. Through its new format, the programme aims to train future academics in line with the standards of the world’s leading business schools.

A new academic roadmap from January 2026

From January 2026, SKEMA’s PhD in Management will be underpinned by a new academic roadmap. This overhaul is accompanied by a restructured research environment, supported by a series of academic seminars and discussions with researchers from leading institutions.

Open to 15 students per year, this multidisciplinary programme stands out for its demanding and highly selective admissions criteria. It is primarily designed for internationally oriented candidates holding a master’s degree in a relevant field, notably management, economics, statistics, applied mathematics, or engineering.

“Doctoral candidates must also demonstrate strong quantitative and writing skills, either through recognised international certifications such as the GMAT or GRE, or during the interview process,” explains Zakaria Babutsidze, the Programme Director. He adds: “At the end of their doctoral studies, students will be awarded SKEMA’s PhD as well as a doctorate from Université Côte d’Azur.”

Six tracks available

Delivered over five years, the PhD in Management is structured around six tracks: Strategy and Innovation, Finance and Accounting, Analytics and Operations, Marketing, Sustainability, and Artificial Intelligence for Business.

The first two years are devoted to coursework delivered on the Sophia Antipolis campus. The final three years focus on research and take place on the doctoral candidate’s thesis supervisor’s campus. Access to this research phase, from years 3 to 5, is subject to passing two comprehensive examinations.

A personalised pathway and tailored supervision for each doctoral candidate

The core curriculum in the first year is common to all tracks. In the second year, students follow advanced courses related to their chosen specialisation. Doctoral candidates opting for one of the cross-cutting axes, Sustainability or Artificial Intelligence for Business, must necessarily anchor their training within one of the programme’s four disciplinary specialisations.

During the research phase, from the third to the fifth year, each doctoral candidate is supervised by a thesis director whose number of supervisees is deliberately limited to ensure close and personalised support. Doctoral candidates also benefit from dedicated financial support for their research, including participation in academic conferences and access to proprietary databases.

Over the course of the programme, doctoral candidates are required to produce three high-level scientific articles, intended for submission to leading international academic journals.

“This new structure places SKEMA’s PhD in line with the most demanding international academic standards and prepares our doctoral candidates for careers of academic excellence,” concludes Florencio Lopez de Silanes, Strategic Director of the PhD in Management.

Practical information – PhD in Management

• Full-time doctoral programme, delivered entirely in English
• Duration : 5 years
• Format and location : Years 1 and 2: Coursework on the Sophia Antipolis campus (France) ; Years 3 to 5: Research at the thesis supervisor’s campus
• Intake : September
• Cohort size : 15 doctoral candidates per intake
• Degrees awarded : PhD in Management from SKEMA Business School and Doctorate from Université Côte d’Azur
• Admission requirements : Master’s degree in a relevant field, excellent quantitative and academic skills, GMAT or GRE recommended

Applications : Applications must be submitted online via the SKEMA website.