Overview

Our Management programme offered at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano invites young scholars to explore, learn, and grow in a vibrant environment. Students benefit from two diverse universities, inspiring collaborations, and exciting networking opportunities.

Key facts

Students are assigned two tutors (unibz and UniTrento) who support the integration phase and ideally take over the supervision later. The first six months of the programme provide basic knowledge of methods and theories in the field of responsible management in order to develop a common skill set among our doctoral students, regardless of their background. Depending on individual research interests, information and opportunities for specialist training will be provided. Ideally, a working paper will be completed by the end of the first year. At the beginning of September, a progress review takes place to ensure that the expected progress is being met and that the student can continue.

The second year is used to further develop the specific research topic, to present initial results at conferences, to expand methodological and conceptual knowledge and, ideally, to develop a second working paper. Preferably, PhD students will already spend part of their external research stay at partner institutions. The academic year ends with the second progress review.

The third year is devoted to completing or refining further publishable research and submitting it to academic conferences and journals. The dissertation, consisting of at least three published or publishable articles, must be submitted in early summer and defended at the end of the year after being assessed by external referees. Successful doctoral candidates will receive a doctorate from both participating universities.

Programme Structure

Course structure:

The first year of the programme is devoted to imparting basic knowledge of methods and theories in the field of management to develop a common skillset among our PhD students regardless of their background.

Students are encouraged to explore different research approaches and questions before specialising.

By the end of the second year, the programme provides students with necessary skills, competencies, and tools to successfully conduct theory-based empirical research in different fields and with opportunities to build their own scientific network through attending international conferences and summer schools and visiting other universities.

The dissertation is expected to be of a cumulative nature, i.e., a collection of scientific papers with that highlight the research objectives and the findings. Monographs are not accepted.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-11-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-09-11 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

95

Schedule TOEFL®

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Bolzano - Bozen, Italy

Disciplines

Management Studies View 13 other PhDs in Management Studies in Italy

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

95

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

An Italian "Laurea Magistrale" (Master's degree) or degree issued in accordance with the regulations in the indicated degree classes

An equivalent qualification (Master's degree) obtained abroad at an officially recognized academic higher education institution. The degree must be equivalent to the Italian "Laurea Magistrale" (Master's degree), in terms of duration, level and subject area, and must allow the access to an academic course equivalent to the PhD in the country/higher education system of provenance with a final mark of at least ECTS "C" or GPA 3.0 out of 5.0.

Applicants whose mother tongue is not English must document their language skills by presenting a language certificate (minimum level C1), such as TOEFL, IELTS or the First Certificate in English (grade "A") - recognised by the Language Centre of the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano.

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

Studyportals partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and/or in Italy, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

189 EUR / year

≈ 189 EUR / year
EU/EEA Applies to you

Applies to you

EU/EEA Nationals

189 EUR / year

≈ 189 EUR / year

Living costs

Bolzano - Bozen

Italy

750 - 1100 EUR / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.