Admission Procedure
The Executive PhD is Université Paris Dauphine – PSL’s executive training program in applied research (with a strong research element) within Organizational and Decision-making Sciences.
It is an Executive Education training program for international managers with an academic background. It provides them with training in responsible management practices, balancing practical, real-world relevance with scientific rigor.
Requirements
- Applicants must hold a Degree equivalent to at least Bac+5 (Master’s Degree in Research / DEA (Post-Graduate Degree), Professional Master’s / DESS, MBA, Engineering Degree, for example).
- Applicants must demonstrate at least 10 years of professional experience within positions of responsibility.
- You must have an interest in research, and a defined research topic. The nature of the Executive PhD program means that a particular approach to study is required. Applicants should have an inclination for reading and structured reasoning, and the motivation to work with scientific methods and models.
- Applicants must at a minimum have a good level of English reading skills.
Candidate selection
By application
By clicking on “ submit my application ”, you will be redirected to the MyCandidature platform.
To find Executive PhD :
- Diploma : Choose “ Executive Doctorate - Dauphine Executive Education ”
- Mention/Domaine : Choose “ STRATEGIE ET ORGANISATION ”
You can then click on“ Executive PhD ”
Documents to attach to your application
- Your CV
- Cover letter
- Ten-page research proposal
Applicants to the Executive PhD program must submit a proposal outlining their chosen research topic at the time of application, and must be able to justify their interest in this topic from both a practical and theoretical standpoint. This research proposal outline will be refined at a later stage. For the purposes of the application, the proposal can take the following form: :- Outline the nature of the problem/question that you are interested in.
- Why is this an important issue for businesses/organizations ?
- What academic reading have you done on the subject? How has this helped you to develop your thinking on the topic ?
- Do you have any ideas on how to develop a research plan on the basis of the problem identified? If yes, how would you go about this ?
- Once your research has been completed, who would be the target audience for the knowledge gained through the research work?
- Bibliography specifying the references used within the document.
The full instructions for completing this project can be found in the attachments in the online application folder.
- 2 letters of recommendation
Attach to the online application or send later by email.
- Your CV
Interview
Participants selected following review of their application will be invited to attend an individual interview at Université Paris Dauphine – PSL, which will take place either in-person or online. The selection interview will take place before a panel, made up of Executive PhD program directors, a faculty member and/or a former participant.
The panel will assess the candidate on the basis of a series of indications of their ability to carry out rigorous research for the Executive PhD thesis, based on the research plan that has been submitted.
Interview dates : there will be a set date, 1 day per month, from April to September.
What are the selection criteria for the Université Paris Dauphine – PSL Executive PhD ?
What will the panel base their decision on, when deciding whether or not to offer the candidate a place on the program ?
A combination of professional experience, the written work submitted, and the research proposal outline... In this video, Lionel Garreau, Co-Director of the Executive PhD, explains all (you can watch the video here or on YouTube).
Qualification awarded
The Executive PhD is a University Diploma (DU) that is internationally recognized.
Upon completion of the Executive PhD, you will have gained a Bac+8 level, doctoral level qualification.
Graduates of the Dauphine Executive PhD program may use the title "Executive PhD" or "Exec PhD" – but not "PhD" or "Doctor", which is reserved for "doctoral theses", as defined by the Ministry.
It should be noted that in the American education system, the title of "Doctor" is used interchangeably to denote the various doctoral degrees, which include the Executive PhD. Graduates will therefore be able to join the teaching staff at private business schools in France and abroad, or universities abroad (while French universities require a national doctorate approved by the Ministry).
To gain the qualification, participants must produce an Executive PhD thesis and defend that thesis publicly, before a panel that has been selected according to stringent rules.
