Skip to main content
About HEC About HEC
Summer School Summer School
Faculty & Research Faculty & Research
Master’s programs Master’s programs
Bachelor Programs Bachelor Programs
MBA Programs MBA Programs
PhD Program PhD Program
Executive Education Executive Education
HEC Online HEC Online
About HEC
Overview Overview
Who
We Are
Who
We Are
Egalité des chances Egalité des chances
HEC Talents HEC Talents
International International
Sustainability Sustainability
Diversity
& Inclusion
Diversity
& Inclusion
The HEC
Foundation
The HEC
Foundation
Campus life Campus life
Activity Reports Activity Reports
Summer School
Youth Programs Youth Programs
Summer programs Summer programs
Online Programs Online Programs
Faculty & Research
Overview Overview
Faculty Directory Faculty Directory
Departments Departments
Centers Centers
Chairs Chairs
Grants Grants
Knowledge@HEC Knowledge@HEC
Master’s programs
Master in
Management
Master in
Management
Master's
Programs
Master's
Programs
Double Degree
Programs
Double Degree
Programs
Bachelor
Programs
Bachelor
Programs
Summer
Programs
Summer
Programs
Exchange
students
Exchange
students
Student
Life
Student
Life
Our
Difference
Our
Difference
Bachelor Programs
Overview Overview
Course content Course content
Admissions Admissions
Fees and Financing Fees and Financing
MBA Programs
MBA MBA
Executive MBA Executive MBA
TRIUM EMBA TRIUM EMBA
PhD Program
Overview Overview
HEC Difference HEC Difference
Program details Program details
Research areas Research areas
HEC Community HEC Community
Placement Placement
Job Market Job Market
Admissions Admissions
Financing Financing
FAQ FAQ
Executive Education
Home Home
About us About us
Management topics Management topics
Open Programs Open Programs
Custom Programs Custom Programs
Events/News Events/News
Contacts Contacts
HEC Online
Overview Overview
Executive programs Executive programs
MOOCs MOOCs
Summer Programs Summer Programs
Youth programs Youth programs

HEC Difference

The HEC Paris PhD Program builds on a longstanding tradition of academic excellence

PhD Pier Vittorio Mannucci
HEC has been a nurturing environment that provided rigorous training, and at the same time ensured me the freedom to develop my own original ideas. 
HEC PhD 2016, Management and Human Resources, Assistant Professor, Bocconi University

Why choose HEC Paris for your PhD studies?

Founded in 1881, HEC Paris consistently ranks among the top research institutions in business, specialized in education and research in management. As a leading academic institution in Europe and worldwide, HEC Paris offers a complete range of selective programs for students and business leaders. The HEC Paris Faculty is dedicated to pushing the frontier of knowledge by actively engaging in research, publishing articles in top academic journals with an international audience and participating in national and international academic conferences. The website Knowledge@HEC promotes the research activities of the HEC community.

Every leading business school or university recruits its professors on the basis of their groundbreaking research and publications in the leading research journals. The HEC Paris PhD Program prepares students for this challenge. It offers the training needed to enter the demanding world of academia. Built on a strategy of excellence, it aims to attract students with the highest level of academic ambition. The hallmarks of our program are intensive coursework, close supervision, and full immersion in the school’s research activities.

 

Message from the Dean

Welcome to the one of the world's top PhD Programs. There are many reasons why people pursue their studies and consider obtaining a PhD degree. Maybe you really enjoyed working on your Master thesis and would like to continue doing academic research? Maybe you want to deepen your knowledge in a particular domain? Maybe you love teaching and transferring your expertise to others? Or maybe you appreciate the freedom an academic career offers? These are all good reasons to join the HEC Paris PhD Program.

Our mission is to train the next generation of scholars. We prepare you for an academic career at a top 50 business school, research university or research institution around the world. We offer high-quality training, guidance, and support to our 60 PhD students who form an integral part of the HEC Paris Research Community. I am very proud of all of them – for their curiosity asking offbeat questions, for their creativity designing innovative studies, and for their ambition and perseverance doing research at the edge of their discipline.  

By joining the HEC Paris PhD Program, you do not only benefit from academic and financial support, you also join our vibrant community of researchers, students, peers, corporate relations, and alumni. We have a lively campus where our community meets through research seminars and conferences, business talks, professional workshops, social and cultural events, sports tournaments, and more. In short, I guarantee that doing your PhD at HEC Paris is not just intellectually stimulating and rewarding, but an overall rich experience that will transform you for life. 

My colleagues and I are looking forward to welcoming you to our campus. Meanwhile do not hesitate to contact us for any questions you may have about the program and the admission process.

Johan Hombert l Associate Professor of Finance l Associate Dean I Director of the PhD Program 

Our PhD students benefit from

  • 100% tuition waiver
  • Cost of living scholarship of 26000€/year for up to 5 years
  • Eight specializations at the frontier of management research
  • Intensive course training in research methods
  • Close supervision by research-driven HEC Paris Faculty members
  • Full involvement in HEC Paris research activities (seminars, brown bags, conferences, workshops)
  • Access to HEC Paris’ corporate network for data collection opportunities
  • Research visit opportunities in the world’s best business schools with additional financial support
  • Financial support for presentations in the leading academic conferences
  • Support for job placement in top research institutions worldwide
  • PhD student partners can also benefit from the HEC Paris career services to facilitate their integration into the local community and empower them to navigate the dynamic landscape of career opportunities in France.
  • Assistance to find housing on campus and in Paris (indicative rent: in the range of 560-700 euros per month, depending on the type of apartment.

The program comprises two prestigious nationally recognized degrees: Research Master (Master en Sciences du Management) 

Logo national grade master

and HEC PhD Degree («Doctorat ès-sciences de gestion») accredited by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, in collaboration with the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IPP) doctoral school n°626.

 

  Logo IPP

 

The HEC Paris Research Community 

At HEC Paris, our PhD students are part of the research community that comprises more than 100 research faculty, post-doc researchers, and numerous visiting scholars. Students are members of the GREGHEC Research Center (“laboratoire”). Many of our students are a research fellow in one of our HEC Research Centers or Chairs. 

 

Research Faculty           Research Centers          Knowledge@HEC          Chairs

A Diversity of Backgrounds

Coming from all continents, PhD students represent a perfect balance of gender, occupational background and disciplinary training.

59

students from all academic backgrounds

81%

international students

44%

women