Doctoral Programs

The doctoral programs of ISM offer you many advantages such as optimal international business management orientated program contents, counseling and support throughout the application process and your subsequent doctoral period.

We offer you the opportunity to continue your academic career after your master's degree and to pursue a doctorate with one of our internationally renowned and accredited partner universities abroad and receive your PhD degree. According to the decision of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of Germany, the doctoral degrees awarded at our partner universities may be used in Germany as "Dr." without a subject-related addition and without a designation of origin.

We are at your side from the first second until the completion of your doctorate. You will receive professional and administrative support, and personal supervision will be provided by an ISM professor. In this way, our doctoral program will optimize the chances of success of your application. This opens up the possibility of doing your doctorate in a very practical way and completing a doctorate abroad. We currently collaborate with various partner universities in Scotland, Spain and Australia.

We have PhD cooperations with

• Strathclyde Business School (SBS) in Glasgow, UK
• Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), UK
• Bond Business School (BBS) in Australia
• Westcliff University (WU) in the US
• University Ramon Llullin Barcelona, Spain

ISM has been collaborating with these universities in the field of teaching for a number of years. The cooperative supervision of PhD projects enables the joint definition of research topics that can be promoted on an international basis. This PhD cooperation additionally allows ISM to intensify its international cooperation and to meet the significantly increasing demand for doctoral research opportunities.

Anyone with a Master's degree in a relevant field and with a grade point average of at least 2.0 (German grade system) can apply for a PhD at ISM. In addition to the research proposal (ca. 4 - 6 pages) with the desired topic for the doctoral thesis, our applicants also need proof of their English language skills in the form of an IELTIS or TOEFL language certificate (this varies depending on the partner university). The different partner universities sometimes have additional requirements for admission. Please see the individual pages (links above) of our partners for more information on the eligibility criteria.

Anyone with a Master's degree in a relevant field and with a grade point average of at least 2.0 (German grade system) can apply for a PhD at ISM. In addition to the research proposal (ca. 4 - 6 pages) with the desired topic for the doctoral thesis, our applicants also need proof of their English language skills in the form of an IELTIS or TOEFL language certificate (this varies depending on the partner university). The different partner universities sometimes have additional requirements for admission. Please see the individual pages (links above) of our partners for more information on the eligibility criteria.

A doctorate in the standard time takes three years. Part-time doctoral studies at German universities take three to six years. If required, the full-time doctorate can be extended to up to four years and the part-time to up to eight years.

During the doctorate, phD students deal intensively with the topic of the doctoral thesis, this enables the new acquisition of important specialist knowledge. A doctorate also has advantages in the working world. For example, the starting salary is higher for an employee with a doctorate, and there is often a better chance of a management position with a doctorate.

The cost of a PhD at ISM depends on the partner university and whether the full-time or part-time model is chosen.

The cost of a full-time doctorate program (three years) ranges from €13,000 - €46,850.

The part-time doctorate program (three to six years) ranges from €26,500 - €62,740. You can find detailed information about the costs at the respective partner universities.

The amounts are made up of the fees of the ISM and the respective partner universities. These set their current fees independently of the ISM and grant a discount to ISM participants. Please therefore check the current discounted fees of the respective partner university before submitting your application to the ISM.

At ISM, you can do a PhD in various specializations at the partner universities. At Strathclyde Business School in Scotland, the main focus is on Accounting and Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, Management, Management Science and Marketing. Our partner school in Australia, Bond Business School, offers research concentrations in Marketing & Digital Business, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Hotel & Tourism Management, Sports Management, Big Data, Management, International Business & Global Strategy, among others. The Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona is particularly suitable for students who want to focus on Corporate Finance and Marketing.