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PhD in Management Abroad for Indian Students

Most know that the full-form of PhD is Doctor of Philosophy. However, in most cases the nomenclature is misleading. The degree considered to be the pinnacle of learning has little to do with doctors or philosophy.

A PhD degree could be in various fields including law, medicine, humanities, physical sciences, literature, management – the list could go on.

It is the highest degree available in any given field and a majority of those pursuing their doctoral studies are interested in a career in the academic field though there are other job options as well.

In this post, we’ll focus on a specialisation that’s brings it closest to the business world while retaining its academic flavour – PhD in Management.
 

PhD in Management abroad for Indian Students

In the following sections, we’ll cover several aspects related to the PhD in Management degree – like the eligibility criteria, fees, duration of the course and the job opportunities after completing the PhD degree.
 

What is the duration for completing a PhD in management?

On an average, the completion time ranges from four to five years. The first two years cover the complete coursework. From the third year onwards, students are able to devote themselves to research and dissertation in their area of specialisation. There are also the qualifying exams which the students need to take.

Most of the colleges offer limited seats for the doctoral programs. This provides a good opportunity for the students to collaborate and seek guidance from the faculty members. This mentoring also helps students narrow down on the topics which they can propose for dissertation purpose.

The dissertation (thesis) is expected to be prepared on the basis of original research on part of the students. The students should be thorough in the field chosen and be able to defend it.

The dissertation is the final step and it is a testimonial to the fact that the person has done intense research and is an expert in his/her area of study.

The publication (dissertation) can also be co-authored which means that in addition to the student’s name, even the faculty member’s name can be added.
 

PhD in Management Fees

As per AACSB research report, 80% of the funding for the PhD programs is financed by the school’s own resources. Fellowship and assistantship take care of the remainder. Federal and corporate funding constitutes a very small element in the whole picture.

Colleges may assign teaching responsibilities to PhD students to be able to manage the funding they provide.

The program tuition fee is usually waived off and students receive a stipend that helps them manage their living expenses as well as supports their research-related costs. Students are expected to meet the program requirements inorder to be eligible for this financial assistance. Read this story of a fully funded Management PhD, with stipend in Europe.

Students usually also receive additional benefits like health insurance. They can explore funding options, if any, from their home country as well. They can also take up positions for teaching and research assistantship. This would also be a training ground for them to take up teaching responsibilities in the future.
 

PhD in Management Eligibility

A bachelor’s degree (equivalent to four years of study) is usually good enough to be able to apply. There is a general perception that a PhD has to follow a master’s degree. But that’s not true. For many universities, having a master’s degree would help but is not compulsory. Some might have specific academic pre-requisities before you are allowed into their PhD program.

PhD applicants need to submit either the GMAT or GRE score. The requirement for the TOEFL or IELTS score for international applicants may vary depending upon the school. Some business schools may expect the TOEFL or IELTS score as a compulsory requirement for all international applicants whereas some may waive it off if your medium of study was English.

Then there are the essays, transcript, letters of recommendations (usually two to three) and the updated resume that need to be submitted. You may also be required to attend an interview call.

PhD in Management is usually offered by most business schools including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Tepper, Columbia, London business School, Cornell, Berkeley Haas, Cambridge and Oxford.

The acceptance rate for a PhD in Management is as low as 3% for a top-notch b-school like Harvard, 5% for Yale and falls for the less popular PhD universities.
 

Salary after PhD for teaching jobs

The salary offered to students completing their PhD ranges widely and is dependent on numerous factors like geography, experience in the chosen field, college (public or private) as well as the college reputation and popularity. Those who are offered positions in the private top brands would get the best possible offer. Following is the salary range for those with a doctorate degree:

Jobs after PhD Salary Range
Assistant professor $46,942 – $96,845
Research scientist $53,401 – $120,508
Associate professor-higher education $54,741 – 121,415
Professor in higher education $61,683 – 170,475
Post-doctoral research associate $36,581 – 59, 866

Source: payscale.com
 

PhD in Management Program Fees

In the US, the cost of a PhD can range from $26,000 to $40,000 a year or even higher. However most of the PhD in management programs are funded by the institution and the financial burden is not a matter of concern for the students.

However, you need to check details of the amount of funding being provided and assess if it would allow you to continue with the lifestyle that you’re used to. If you’re married with kids you’ve additional costs that need to be accounted for.

There’s also the opportunity cost that’s involved. If you’d spent these five years in a job role instead of research, you’ll need to factor in the salary you’d have got for the number of years of experience you hold.
 

Research topics for PhD in management

The various areas of specialisation include finance, accounting, marketing, organisational behaviour, operations and strategy. Most of the colleges have these options available for students.

Some b-schools may also have more areas to offer like information systems, business economics, business and public policy, healthcare management and entrepreneurship.
 

Jobs after PhD in Management

A doctoral degree needs rigorous research and business schools recruit them as faculty to maintain high quality standards of education. These highly-qualified PhD holders can support the b-school’s mission to engage in business research.

A career in academia seems to be the first natural choice for doctoral students. The majority of students who complete PhD in Management are offered teaching positions in b-schools globally.

However there are those who may opt for non-academics related career and decide to go back to the industry. Other positions that have been offered in the past include that of research associate, investment analyst or financial economist.

In fact, McKinsey has more than 1400 consultants with PhD degrees globally. Their vision is to use the problem solving skills acquired by those completing their doctoral programs to find a way through their client’s problems.

Others that have hired PhD students include Morgan Stanley, BlackRock Associates, Securities and Exchange Commission.

Completing a PhD may not guarantee a position in teaching. So instead of having a tunnel vision and just focussing on teaching jobs, PhD students can explore other options in the industry or government.

Considering the long duration spent by students completing their doctoral program, it becomes necessary to select a good program that can support you all the way with good mentoring from supportive faculty and provide you with the best resources possible. It’s also a fact that not everyone enrolling for a PhD program is able to successfully complete it.

The dropout rate of PhD students also needs to be considered while shortlisting the program. The subject that you wish to specialise in should be carefully chosen so that it can sustain your interest for years of research that you’ll spend and also have a wide scope for teaching in the future.

PhD applicants have to take into account several other factors such as geography, time requirement, financial position, job placement scenario before taking the plunge.

If you need help with your PhD applications, drop us an email: info [at] mbacrystalball [dot] com.


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Swati
About Swati
After working for over a decade in technical and managerial roles in the corporate world, Swati now works as a freelancer and writes on a variety of topics including education, career guidance and self-improvement.

24 thoughts on “PhD in Management Abroad for Indian Students”

  1. Is it okay to pursue ms plus PhD in U.S and then come back to India to become a professor in IITs . As I’m interested in teaching I want to become a professor after my PhD.

    Reply
  2. Hello ,
    I am currently pursuing M.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering. I am quite motivated towards getting involved into research and joining academics. I want to pursue a PhD after this but chances are that I may get married by then . So a foreign PhD might not be possible for me . Therefore , if I do a PhD from IITs , IISc , TIFR etc. , will it be possible to join IITs ? I feel most of the IITs prefer people with a US PhD for freshers. I am desirous of working in IITs(or BITS Pilani , Pilani too) because of the academic and research environment there. In most of the other engineering colleges , there isn’t much motivation for teaching and research which in turn makes teaching very boring and dull.

    Reply
  3. Hi, I am MBA in finance from IIT and have 8 years of experience. Right now I am AVP. I want to apply for PhD program in US. Can you please help me know the time need to prepare for GRE and the colleges in US.

    Reply
  4. There is no research work im some universities in postgraduation.those students without research papers can apply for phd in america?

    Reply
  5. hi all

    i have completed my ph.d in marketing at univeristy of madras, 2016 january. im now looking forward for job offers abroad.. would any one suggest me how to approach and apply for job after ph.d

    Reply
  6. Hi Sameer,
    As I am interested in PhD in management (FPM), I am planning to go for GMAT. I am 31 and have 2 yrs of work experience with a 2 yr gap( currently working,have a 2 yr old). My academics are good, overall 80% frm 10th to Post graduation (M.Pharmacy). What are my chances of ending up in good B schools?

    Reply
  7. Hi
    I want to ask about marie curie phd fellowships. I completed my MS with CGPA 3.64. I have no publication.What are the prospects of getting Marie Curie Phd Fellowship. Should I apply Or It is just wastage of time with this profile????

    Reply
  8. hello sir!!
    i am doing B.E ECE at Anna university.I am planning to doing my M.Tech at any of the IITs and join for Phd in any of the US universities with doing some jobs in along with studies like Teaching fellow or something like that to balance financial status.and my question is, is it possible to get into phd in uniersities like cambridge,harvard,oxford like that bcz some saying zero possibility of getting into top 100 universities of us? and second quesion is ” can i get opportunities to work there within the universities not outside as like teaching fellow too?

    Reply
  9. I am an average student with MBA in makeg. & hr now I am a housewife with a small kid. It’s my dream to persue phd from usa please guide me for that how to prepare and manage for scholarship to cover all the expenses.

    Reply
  10. Hi,
    I have completed my PDGM in finance in year 2013, I am currently self employed while running my own school. I want your valuable guidance as want to purse PHD in Management from abroad or some good university in India. Please help with the basic informations such as
    1. Is having a good GMAT score provides an edge in shortlisting.
    2. Good universities in Abroad and India that provides PHD in management.
    3. Approx expense eastimation.
    4. Carrier after PHD in Management.

    Reply
  11. Hlo sir
    I do bsc from simple biology after bsc how to apply for PhD and how many time take in PhD and who course available for me

    Reply
  12. Brief on pursuing Phd in Management in foreign country is very useful. Lot of unknown areas for such venture are now clear to the aspirants before taking a decision. One area I would request whether any admission is given for Phd aspirants without GRE / GMAT with teaching experience in india and UGC Net qualified score. If so, which are the Universities and will it be valued in abroad / india. Also whether scholarship will be available. Thank you very much. Regards,

    Reply
  13. I am alekya I am not perfect in a English completed in mba finance I can do in phd course any spelling mistakes in my message I am sorry

    Reply
  14. hi i am lahari,
    i am pursuing my MBA in marketing (final sem now and 8.66 upto 3rd sem) and i hv done my graduation in aerospace engineering with 73%. i am interested to do PHD in US in marketing. can you please tel me whether i am eligible to this and how do i proceed with this and how much would it cost me. i dont hv any work experience .

    Reply
  15. Hi
    I am Krunal
    I am a post graduate in management from premier b school NMIMS with engg background from M.S.University of Baroda. I have around 4 years of work exp. Now I am joining academic career to build my profile for pursuing PhD from foreign universities.
    Can you please tell me the range of GMAT & TOEFL score required for top 1-50 colleges for applying in PhD in Management at foreign universities?
    So that I can prepare myself in next 2-3 years.
    Thank You

    Reply
  16. I Completed my MBA in Chennai and now i have 4 years corporate experience and 2 years academic experience, I am working in a trading company in Muscact, I want to do PHD in An Indian university from distance, Is it possible to Continue PHD from abroad ?

    Reply
  17. HI. Thank you for useful information. I wish to pursue FPM from IIMs. Please guide –

    Which IIM is best for providing quality resources pursuing research in marketing domain ?
    Which IIM is best considering post FPM opportunities ?
    Is it really worth (In terms of value creation) pursuing 4-5 years FPM course from India ?

    Second point is –
    Is any institute in india gives opportunity to pursue doctoral program with global exposure ?

    Reply
  18. Hi,

    I am Archana. I was eagerly looking for information of this course. Thanks for sharing the information. I have done Masters in Pharmacy and possess 4.5 years of years in the field of Quality Management in Laboratory. I am interested in pursuing my PhD in Management from foreign university specifically from US universities. I would like to request you to provide list of Universities offering this course in USA.
    Thanks

    Reply
  19. Hi, I am MBA in marketing and have 8 years of experience in marketing . I want to apply for PhD program . Can you please help me .

    Reply

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