PhD in Management (PMA) | PhD | University of St.Gallen

The PhD Programme in Management (PMA) organised by the School of Management is the largest PhD programme in management in Europe with 293 PhD student (as of Spring 2023) and one of the first EFMD accredited Ph.D. programmes worldwide. A success factor of the PMA is the vital connection between academia and the world of practice, where Ph.D. students find an attractive, international learning environment that is relevant to their future research-based careers in academia and industry.

That's why PhD in Management (PMA)

The PhD Programme in Management (PMA) is the largest PhD programme at the University of St.Gallen and provides preparation for a researchbased career in academia and industry. Thanks to the broad orientation of the School of Management (SoM), PhD students can choose from among five specialisations: Accounting, Behavioral Science, Business Innovation, General Management, and Marketing.

The PMA is divided into a coursework phase and a research phase, each of which can be individually designed. Each specialisation offers a unique course curriculum providing both the necessary methodological background and in-depth subject knowledge concerning the chosen field of specialisation. In particular, there is an openness in the choice of methodological courses: doctoral students are free to choose from a variety of empirical, i.e. qualitative and quantitative, methodological courses. This conceptual orientation of the PMA is intended to support doctoral students as best as possible in their research projects and to take into account that the respective research question should be the guiding principle for the choice of methodological approach and not the research area alone.

Courses and seminars in Accounting, Behavioral Science, and General Management are offered in English only. Courses and seminars in Business Innovation and Marketing are offered in German and English.