The ICN PhD programme is rigorous and challenging. It transforms students into responsible researchers who contribute to the development of contemporary, creative and innovative knowledge in management and business in an international context. The ICN PhD encourages creativity in the topics and methodologies, consistent with the school’s transdisciplinary Art-Technology-Management perspective.

The programme is also individualised and collegial, as students develop close working relationships with their mentors from our faculty. Students work side-by-side with our international faculty and join a community of enthusiastic scholars who share a passion for research.

Our researchers are internationally recognised experts in their field. They are academic leaders, provide innovative solutions to the corporate sector, and share their expertise and skills with our PhD students. ICN has an established reputation for excellence in its research into sustainability in business and management and corporate social responsibility. Our researchers place great emphasis on providing future leaders with the skills and tools they need to achieve sustainable outcomes in all areas of business and management.

Guided by the values of commitment and responsibility set in the diverse learning environment provided by ICN, our PhD Program trains researchers for a career in international universities, research-oriented entities, or high-tech industries.

The degree awarded is a PhD in Management (Doctor of Philosophy in Management) and is conferred by ICN Business School. The ICN PhD Programme is the equivalent of three full-time years of study, but can be taken part-time in exceptional cases. The programme is divided into three stages:

Stage One: Starting Out – Year 1

You will receive intensive doctoral training and benefit from a development programme to equip you with the general and subject-specific knowledge and skills needed to successfully pursue a PhD. After completing the doctoral seminars, you are awarded the ICN research certificate and are authorized to continue your thesis provided the doctoral committee validates your project.

Stage Two: Moving Forward –Year 2

Guided by your supervisor, you will become an autonomous researcher and develop the scope and originality of your project. You will demonstrate that your PhD will make a genuine intellectual contribution in a doctoral student seminar in which you will present your research and review the work of your peers.

Stage Three: Completion – Year 3/year4

You will complete your empirical and / or theoretical work and present your findings at advanced research workshops. You are expected to submit your PhD at the end of year three and proceed to the thesis defence.

The PhD thesis can take the form of monograph or a collection of papers. In the latter case, an introduction clearly specifying the common aspects between the different articles, and a conclusion addressing the overall contributions to academia and practice as well as the limitations of the research and avenues for future research should be added.

During the 1st year, there are 6 seminars taken as compulsory courses from October to May.

In the 2nd year (seminar 7) and 3th year (seminar 8), there is one workshop / conference that usually takes place in May.

The attendance is mandatory:

the presence on site is required for all the seminars / conferences.

There is no remote mode available. Students must make arrangements to come to France to take part in face-to-face seminars.

To be eligible for programme you need to have either:

• a Master’s degree or an equivalent degree appropriate to the programme

OR

• research or professional experience at the postgraduate level and published research work or written reports, or be able to provide other appropriate evidence of achievement.

You will also have to prepare the following documents for your application:

• CV
• research proposal : To support prospective candidates in shaping a strong and relevant research proposal, ICN faculty members have prepared a selection of indicative PhD topics for the 2026 intake. Each topic includes only a title, a brief contextual description, and the name of the potential supervisor. These topics aim to highlight ICN’s research strengths and strategic priorities while giving applicants the freedom to develop their own approach and contribute original ideas.

Candidates are welcome to build on one of these proposed themes or submit an independent project, provided it aligns with the school’s research identity and academic mission.

• statement of motivation for completing a PhD
• 1-2 academic references.

All documents must be in English.