The ISM Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD) is a rigorous and fully accredited doctoral program designed to prepare exemplary professional practitioners and scholars.

Candidates deepen their understanding of research methodology and advanced data analysis techniques through an American-style curriculum of intensive seminars. These seminars are supplemented with a series of collaborative research projects undertaken with faculty.

In addition, all candidates are expected to prepare and deliver a 15-hour academic course, which must be presented to and approved by the Doctoral Committee prior to being taught.

As a final step, a doctoral dissertation further enables candidates to apply insight and skills they have gained through our program to an area of particular interest to them.

Why Professionals Choose the PhD at ISM

• Quality: The PhD degree is accredited in the US and Europe and recognized worldwide.
• Flexible: The PhD degree is designed to be completed within a five to seven-year time frame, with accelerated options available.
• Customized: There is four-course core curriculum in the PhD program, thus giving candidates the choices and flexibility they need to meet their individual career goals and professional responsibilities. Instead, candidates work very closely with their academic advisor to ensure that all major business disciplines are addressed during their course of studies.
• International: With courses offered on campuses in Paris, New York City, New Delhi, and Shanghai, as well as an E-Learning Option, candidates may adapt their studies as their work and travel schedules demand. Candidates will receive certificates from ISM's partner institutions if they participate in one of the international programs.
• Recognized: ISM is proud to provide our doctoral candidates a first class education that prepares them to continue their professionals careers or enter academic immediately upon graduation. ISM alumni have been actively recruited to teach in their areas of expertise at leading American universities such as the University of Chicago and Irvine University.

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The Traditional Option

The Traditional Option, capitalizing on ISM's Paris campus, as well as its international programs, takes place in the classroom to provide candidates with the opportunity to network with one another face-to-face, and share their experience and knowledge. Given the intensive course format, ISM provides candidates with the necessary reading materials one month before each seminar.

Paris:
Each seminar in Paris constitutes 1.5 credits and is taught over a three day period; Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm.

International Combinations:
The New York, New Delhi, and Shanghai programs represent 5 credits each, and are each offered in a 2-week intensive format, with 3-4 seminars per program. The New York program is offered each July and August, the Shanghai  program each November, and the New Delhi program each April.

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The e-Learning Option

The E-Learning Option takes advantage of ISM’s extensive E-Learning curriculum which offers candidates the possibility of completing some or even the majority of their PhD coursework on-line. It is designed for working professionals who may not be able to manage the travel-time required to attend each traditional seminar. With this option, candidates study as their schedules permit, adjusting the pace of the coursework to the demands of their personal and professional lives.

Candidates benefiting from the E-Learning option can take up to 75 percent of their coursework credits online with at least 25 percent of credits to be fulfilled in the traditional classroom setting. The in-classroom requirement allows candidates to benefit directly from their peers and professors, exchanging knowledge and ideas while forging professional and academic ties to ISM’s international community.

To complete the requisite classroom seminars, candidates may choose between the following options:

• Attending 2 seminars in Paris, each worth 1.5 credits.
• Attending a combination of ISM's Paris, New York, New Delhi, and Shanghai seminars.

Please note that e-Learning candidates are not confined to the e-Learning curriculum, and may take as many traditional seminars as they wish to complete their degree.
While there are two different approaches, the degrees are equivalent, and the ISM diploma makes no mention of E-Learning

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Professional Assessment

PhD candidates will complete two Professional Assessment Case Studies as part of their degree program. The assessments take the form of two case study analyses and provide an opportunity to conduct in-depth research on an assigned company. In return, candidates will receive a detailed assessment of their work that will contribute to setting personal academic standards for future coursework at the school. Candidates complete the first case analysis before starting their program and will be assigned a second case towards the end of their studies at ISM.

The Doctoral Dissertation

The final element of the program involves researching and writing a Doctoral Dissertation. Conducted under the supervision of an approved Director of Research, the Doctoral Dissertation will be:

• A project that is both original and pertinent to current international business theory and practice and the candidate’s current or future professional responsibilities.
• Demonstrative of the candidate’s understanding of how conceptual knowledge or academic theory applies in specific contexts.

Having written the dissertation, the candidate will present an oral defense of his or her work before the Dissertation Committee.

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Graduation Requirements

In order to receive the PhD degree, candidates will complete:

• 15 DBA coursework credits
• 12 PhD coursework credits (4 research courses)
• A 15-hour academic course researched, prepared, and taught
• 2 Professional Assessment Case Studies
• 1 doctoral dissertation under the close supervision of their Director of Research and the Dean of the PhD program

The tables below further illustrate the credit breakdown of the ISM PhD degree.

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