Corresponding to our research programmes, we offer five specialisations:
The aim of the Business Processes, Logistics and Information Systems research group is to be at the forefront of developments in Logistics and Supply Chain management in interaction with business operations, information, and technology innovation, and to make a major contribution to both management science and practice.
The programme is focused on three themes: Logistics and supply chain optimisation, operations and innovation management, and next generation information systems.
The Organisation programme aims to develop and test fundamental theory in applied organisational research. It covers issues from the micro to the macro level of analysis.
The programme has two “centres of gravity” that provide focus and visibility to the programme’s research efforts: Organisational Behaviour, and Value-Based Organising. Both centres have a distinct focus, but also actively search for overlapping and interdisciplinary areas of research.
The Marketing programme focuses on both managerial and consumer decision-making processes in marketing. The programme’s mission is to contribute to the body of knowledge of marketing in a way that has academic rigour, leads to new scientific insights and has practical relevance.
The three themes of the Marketing programme are: Consumer behaviour, marketing management and strategy, and marketing modelling.
The Finance and Accounting programme aims to enhance understanding of the financial decision-making of firms, managers and market participants, as well as the functioning of financial markets and intermediaries.
The programme strives for high-quality scientific contributions in all major areas of finance and accounting, and to disseminate its knowledge locally and internationally. The three broad themes of the Finance and Accounting programme are: Asset pricing, corporate finance and accounting.
We are eager to help jumpstart the careers of promising PhD candidates pursuing high-impact research in strategic management and entrepreneurship! Our doctoral programme combines gaining an in-depth understanding of core strategy topics, developing a thorough command of different research methods and skills, and hands-on training of getting high-impact research published. Joining the PhD programme means joining a department with a highly collaborative and cutting-edge research culture in which faculty members and PhD candidates work on topics that cover nearly all domains of the wider strategic management and entrepreneurship fields.
Every academic year, we admit about three internally and several externally funded, promising doctoral candidates, who follow a range of doctoral courses, work on joint and supervised papers, and hold conference or workshop presentations. The Department welcomes excellent candidates from diverse disciplinary and national backgrounds. We look for highly motivated candidates with a strong research orientation, as evidenced, for example, by an intriguing master thesis or research article. For more information, you may contact PhD Coordinator Dr. Brian Pinkham.
PhD candidates enjoy excellent study and research facilities at ERIM.
- ERIM Support Programmes: Financial support for research-related activities
- Erasmus Behavioural Lab (EBL): For conducting behavioural experiments
- Erasmus Survey Centre (ESC): Advanced software and servers to design and conduct surveys
- Erasmus Data Service Centre (EDSC): Access to financial and social science databases
- Academic Licenses and Databases: Specialised research software and access to more than 250 databases
Admission to our full-time PhD progamme is highly competitive - securing a spot ensures you join a vibrant community of some of the most talented researchers in the world. Find complete details on requirements below.
To be considered for a position in the ERIM-RSM PhD in Management programme, applicants are expected to have:
- At least an MSc, MA or MPhil degree in business or economics, or from related fields such as psychology, sociology, engineering, mathematics, etc. (depending on the PhD project)
- Excellent results in their first degree/graduate study
- Explicit interest in and motivation for scientific research
- A GMAT or GRE test. Ideally you have GMAT/GRE scores that place you in or above the 85th percentile of the test takers. It is possible to apply without GMAT/GRE scores but we will look for additional evidence of excellence such as very good grades (top 15%) on your previous degrees (GPA), degrees from renowned universities, a very good Master thesis, research experience, publications, and or other output that documents scientific engagement. The test results should not be older than five years. GMAT/GRE test results should be sent directly to ERIM by the test provider. To facilitate this, please make sure to specify ERIM as a recipient of your official score report. For the GMAT test, our programme is registered as “Erasmus University - Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University - Erim Gs/PhD” and the institutional code is QK8-CX-23. The GRE institution name is Erasmus University ERIM and the institution code is 7103. Find more information on the GMAT and GRE websites
- ERIM requires that applicants whose native language is not English have to submit scores of the TOEFL/IELTS test. If the language of instruction of your entire university education (bachelor and master programme) was English, you may submit a TOEFL/IELTS waiver request. If only a part of your university education was in English, you still need to submit the English test scores. The final decision on the waiver request will be made by ERIM. For internet-based TOEFL test, ERIM requires a total score of at least 100 and all section scores (writing, speaking, reading, and listening) should be at least 23. A minimum score of 600 is required on paper-based TOEFL test. For IELTS, the minimum overall band score is 7.5 and all section scores (writing, speaking, reading, and listening) should be at least 6.5. The language test results should not be older than two years. ERIM's institution code for TOEFL is 8268. Find more information on the TOEFL and IELTS websites
- A Statement of Purpose/Motivation Letter. This describes why you wish to apply for a PhD position at ERIM and why you are the right person for this PhD position
- A Research Statement. Please describe the type of research questions that you are interested in and the type of methodologies that you would like to use to answer this/these questions. This Research Statement should be a maximum of 2 pages (font 11, single interline). It may include academic references
- In addition to these formal requirements, applicants for the programme are selected on the basis of their CVs, academic references, and interview(s) with the potential supervisor(s)
For required documents, please see how to apply, below.
See the FAQ page for more questions on the application procedure and the required tests for the ERIM-RSM PhD positions.
The number of applicants for the ERIM full-time PhD in Management exceeds the number of available PhD positions by far, so applicants are subject to a competitive selection process.
Upon receipt of the complete online application (including all the required documents), the ERIM Full-time PhD Office performs an initial screening of an applicant and their application. If the applicant meets the initial requirements, the supervisors then assess whether the applicant is a suitable candidate for the project by reviewing the application files and conducting at least one interview (in person, via video call, or by phone). If the supervisors are not interested in the applicant, unfortunately no interview will take place. If the supervisors are interested they will write a nomination letter to the ERIM management team. However, a nomination for a PhD position does not automatically entail acceptance into the ERIM PhD programme. The ERIM management team makes a final decision on which nominated candidates will be offered a position within the ERIM PhD programme.
Please note that nomination and selection of PhD candidates will take place only after the application deadline. The results of the selection procedure will be available approximately two months after the closing of the deadline.
All applicants will be notified in due time about the results of their application. It is therefore not necessary to contact the ERIM Doctoral Office for updates on the status of your application.
Find complete details on how to apply for the ERIM full-time PhD programme below.
Applications to the ERIM PhD Programme for the next available intake (new academic year) are fully electronic and are made available in autumn (November) every year. The application deadline is mid-January. The processing of applications begins mid-January to February, and applicants are advised of admissions decisions mid-March.
Please note that the deadlines for some PhD vacancies might differ from the above-mentioned general deadlines. An occasional PhD vacancy might become available outside the annual recruitment round. The deadline for application is specified in each project description. Please find further details on the PhD vacancies page.
To apply for the PhD Programme in Management, every applicant first needs to choose among the available PhD positions (see the PhD Vacancies page). Please note that you can only apply to a maximum of two PhD projects.
You must submit your application online.
For the online application, applicants need to scan and upload several files and required documents. Only one file per required document is allowed, so you may have to merge several documents into one. It is preferred for your uploaded files to be in PDF format, although Microsoft Word and JPEG files are also accepted.
We advise you to prepare all the required documents specified below before you start filling in the online application form.
- Curriculum vitae in English, including all personal data
- A certified copy of all academic diplomas in the original language (certified copies should bear the original sign and original seal of the issuing office). If you are still in process of completing your current degree programme and do not have a diploma yet, you will need to provide it as soon as it is available
- A certified translation of academic diplomas in English or Dutch (if applicable). If a translation is not available from the issuing office, a translation bearing the original sign of a sworn translator will be accepted
- A certified copy of all academic transcripts (lists of grades) in the original language (certified copies should bear the original sign and original seal of the issuing office). If you are still in the process of completing your current degree programme and do not have a final list of grades yet, you will need to provide a provisional grade list first. It should be an official document issued or verified by the registrar's office or examination administration. It should not be older that one month at the moment of application. If you submit a provisional grade list, you will still need to provide the official one as soon as it becomes available
- A certified translation of the transcripts in English or Dutch (if applicable). If a translation is not available from the issuing office, a translation bearing the original sign of a sworn translator will be accepted
- Two academic reference letters (only academic reference letters are accepted). You will specify the e-mail address, affiliation and position of the referees in the online application form. We ask you to inform your referee that you have provided his/her contact details (where possible) and that we may contact this person. They will be invited by ERIM to submit their reference letter. There is no special format for the reference letters. We ask for two references but you may provide a third reference if you prefer to do so
- Original GMAT or GRE test score (see Test Information), ideally you have GMAT/GRE test scores that place you in or above the 85th percentile of the test takers. It is possible to apply without GMAT/GRE scores, but we will look for additional evidence of excellence such as very good grades (top 15%) on your previous degrees (GPA), degrees from renowned universities, a very good master thesis, research experience, publications, and or other output that documents scientific engagement
- Original TOEFL or IELTS test score (see Test Information)
- A Statement of Purpose/Motivation Letter (why you wish to apply for a PhD position at ERIM and why you are the right person for this PhD position)
- A Research Statement (please describe the type of research questions that you are interested in and the type of methodologies that you would like to use to answer this/these questions. This Research Statement should be a maximum of 2 pages (font 11, single interline). It may include academic references)
- Publications and/or conference submissions (if applicable, not mandatory)
Note: Certified document copies should bear the original signature and seal of the issuing office. If a translation of the document is not available from the registrar's office, a translation bearing the original signature and seal of a sworn translator will be accepted.
Applications by e-mail or fax are not accepted.
Only applications with all the required documents enclosed will be considered.
If you have questions regarding the admission requirements and application rules, please refer to admission requirements under admission, above, or the FAQs.
For information about the selection procedure, please see selection procedure under admission, above.
If you want to apply for the programme but were not able to meet the application deadline or have other specific questions that are not listed on the FAQs, please contact the ERIM PhD Office for personal advice at phdadmissions@erim.eur.nl.
You can view our current PhD candidates by department below:
Technology and Operations Management
Ebrahim Mohammadi Hosein Hajlou
PhD Candidate
Giulia Melanie Montagna
PhD Candidate
Mamohau Cecilia Mpojane
PhD Candidate
Organisation and Personnel Management
Marketing Management
Finance
Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship
Mohammadamin Yousefi
PhD Candidate
Discover our students' testimonials and PhD pitches in the videos below.
Explore inspiring stories from our PhD students by watching their testimonials:
Watch our PhD candidates present their research in job market pitch videos:
An academic career is the most popular choice among ERIM PhD graduates, and in fact around 70 per cent of ERIM PhD alumni continue with an academic career. ERIM PhD alumni are now working at many of the best universities and business schools in the world – see by region below:
- Concordia University
- Cornell University
- Florida State University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- McGill University
- Michigan State University
- New York University
- Northwestern University
- Pennsylvania State University
- University of California Los Angeles
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Florida
- University of Maryland
- University of Toronto
- BI Norwegian Business School
- Bilkent University
- Bocconi University
- Católica Lisbon
- ESMT Berlin
- ESSEC Business School
- ETH Zürich
- HEC Paris
- IE Business School
- INSEAD
- IMD Business School
- King’s College London
- Koç University
- KU Leuven
- Kühne Logistics University
- Luiss University
- Nova School of Business and Economics
- Pompeu Fabra University
- Saïd Business School of University of Oxford
- Tilburg University
- University of Amsterdam
- University of Cambridge
- Warwick Business School
- Fudan University
- Renmin University of China
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- Singapore Management University
- Monash University
- Queensland University of Technology
- The University of Melbourne
ERIM values and understands the importance of maintaining the wellbeing of our PhDs. Support is available so that all candidates may perform while feeling their best throughout their PhD journeys.
All PhD candidates may apply for a consultation with the PhD Psychologist when they experience mental health issues, work-life challenges, challenges concerning their relation with their promotor, or any other issue that interferes with or influences their PhD trajectory.
The PhD Psychologist is able to provide up to 5 sessions with each PhD candidate. Unfortunately, this means that for serious mental disorders, candidates may be referred to an external professional who has the capacity to address more severe challenges.
Apart from one-on-one sessions, training sessions on several subjects related to the challenges PhD employees encounter are also available. If you know any PhD candidate that is currently facing challenges and would benefit from one-on-one or training sessions, please refer them to the PhD Psychologist.
You may schedule an appointment with the PhD Psychologist here.
Unfortunately, PhD Psychologist Samia el Kaddouri is absent for an extended period of time due to health reasons. Therefore, scheduling an appointment is currently not possible.
If you need support as a PhD student, you can reach out to your Confidential Counsellor (your first point of contact). Alternatively, you can visit OpenUp or contact Safe@EUR.
If you experience undesirable behaviour as a PhD, know that you do not have to deal with it alone. You can reach out to your Confidential Counsellor - this is your first point of contact for issues relating to academic integrity.
Confidential Counsellors are there to listen and think along with you about steps that can be taken if you experience inappropriate behaviour in the workplace (sexual harassment, intimidation, bullying, discrimination, aggression and/or violence). Conversations with a counsellor are confidential unless a serious criminal offense has been committed.
For any further questions or information, please contact ERIM's Kim Harte, Confidential Counsellor for PhDs.
For more information regarding physical, mental, and social wellbeing, as well as support for specific groups or impairments, please visit Healthy & Safe Working on MyEUR. There is also a dedicated section for PhD Candidates and PhD Wellbeing on MyEUR.
The ERIM PhD Council (EPC) serves as an advisory body within the ERIM organization, representing the interests of all PhD candidates affiliated with ERIM. The council is comprised of PhD candidates, who elect a board from among themselves. The EPC's primary mission is to advocate for the needs and interests of PhD candidates throughout their doctoral journey, from their initial appointment through to the completion of their degree.
- Alexandra Bul, Chair & Academic Liaison
- Marloes Hagens, Treasurer
- Natasha Sutherland, Community Liaison
- Lonneke Weterings, Interaction Manager
- Quality and scope of the PhD program
- Access to facilities for PhD candidates
- Review and support of research proposals
- Supervisory relationships
- Enhancing collaboration and communication among PhD candidates
- New Year’s Dinner
- Squash Tournament
- PhD Trip
- Lunches and social gatherings
- Regular meetings with all PhD candidates
For inquiries, contact the EPC at phdcouncil@erim.eur.nl.
