Programme objectives
- To offer you education to equip you for a doctoral research at international standards
- To provide guidance to successfully write and defend your Doctoral Dissertation within 4-8 years
- To participate in a dynamic research community.
Programme offerings
- Expert academic supervision by your Dissertation Chair, a Full-Professor or Associate Professor
- A PhD programme and a Capita Selecta educational program
- Participation in international research networks
- Access to on-line library facilities and online communities with fellow doctoral candidates.
Programme structure
The programme is a hybrid of traditional and distance learning. Periodic workshops and meetings are organised to promote discussions with fellow students, experts and professors. In addition, (virtual) academic communities are formed with similar teams of professors, experts and fellow students within your special area of interest/expertise. In combination, these two elements enable you to combine your career and attaining your PhD in a successful, pragmatic and rewarding way.
The PhD program at the Faculty of Management Sciences of the Open Universiteit offers a part-time route to doctoral research in management sciences and economics. Phase 1 provides the research training and guidance needed to turn an initial idea into a scientifically grounded and feasible PhD proposal. It comprises two consecutive stages, lasting approximately 11 months in total. Modules are taught in English and delivered online through Microsoft Teams, supported by Brightspace.
See the Module overview for Phase 1A and 1B.
Phase 1A Building the foundations for doctoral research
During Phase 1A, which lasts approximately six months, candidates develop fundamental research skills and begin shaping their own research project. Modules cover academic writing, research design and project management, research paradigms, and qualitative and quantitative research methods. Candidates also become familiar with the OU research environment and learn how to formulate a research problem, explain its relevance, and select appropriate methods.
Training combines instruction, practical exercises, discussion, and feedback on candidates’ own work. Attention is given to research ethics, privacy, data management, and realistic project planning. Throughout this phase, candidates develop a preliminary proposal with two guiding research questions and a methodological approach aligned with those questions.
Phase 1A concludes with a pass or no pass assessment of the qualitative and quantitative research methods components and a supervisor assessment of the preliminary proposal. Candidates who pass proceed to Phase 1B.
Phase 1B Developing the literature review and full proposal
Phase 1B lasts approximately five months and focuses on developing a systematic literature review framework and completing the full research proposal. Through the Systematic Literature Review modules and SLR LAB, candidates learn to design transparent search strategies, select and critically evaluate studies, synthesize findings, and identify research gaps. Guided practice and feedback help them apply these skills directly to their own research topic.
Further modules strengthen theoretical framing, methodological choices, and research communication. Topics include organization theory and schools of thought, databases, critical discourse analysis, econometric models, experimental design, structural equation modeling, design science, and system dynamics. Academic publishing modules address journal selection, peer review, publication ethics, and open-access publishing.
Candidates refine the alignment between their research questions, theory, methods, and intended contribution, culminating in the presentation of their systematic literature review framework and full proposal. The promotor and a second reader assess the proposal’s scientific contribution, literature synthesis, research design, ethical considerations, and feasibility.
Successful completion of Phase 1 leads to a Research Master certificate. Candidates who also receive a GO decision are recommended to continue to Phase 2, where they conduct their doctoral research and prepare the dissertation. Admission to Phase 2 requires formal confirmation by the OU Doctorate Board.
Formulating and writing the research proposal is supervised by your intended promotor(s). This proposal is assessed and based on this assessment, a 'go -no go' decision will be made. In case of a positive outcome the student can proceed with the next phase.
In Phase II (the actual PhD project), which lasts three to five years, conducting the research and writing the dissertation are key, but a number of capita selecta courses will be available as well.