INVITATION FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR DOCTORATE (PhD) IN BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2026 -2027

1. Program’s Content

The PhD in Business and Management at Philips University aims at the promotion of research in the scientific sectors of the Department of Business Administration, and the creation of knowledge through the training of new researchers, able to produce and process knowledge. Therefore, the PhD program is a research oriented training program that trains doctoral students to conduct research at the highest level and take responsibility for research development and teaching tasks in the private and public sectors. In addition, the program is designed to meet the needs of senior professionals who aim to improve their critical thinking and research skills whilst producing original research. The PhD is awarded by the University in recognition of the successful completion of research training and independent research, which will be included in a thesis / dissertation.[1]

[1] Applicants can be informed in detail on all issues related to PhD Application, by utilizing the document, Doctorate in Business and Management, at the University website (https://philipsuni.ac.cy/business-administration-department/)

2.  Admission Requirements

The Program of Doctoral Studies accepts applicants who have a Master’s Degree or its equivalent, in the area of Business and Management as the basis for admission to the Program. Applicants must have a strong academic record and have a weighted average grade in the Master’s (or equivalent education) of B or higher, in accordance with the University’s grading system, plus evidence that the applicant is competent in written and spoken English. Applicants will be assessed based on their academic record, other relevant qualifications and their statement of research interests and research. The Council of the School reserves the right to request that applicants take specified post-graduate courses and/or pass special appraisals prior to admission to the PhD Program.

Application

Applications for admission to the PhD Program must be made on the official PhD Application Form as shown in the Appendix submitted electronically to the Secretariat of the Department of Business Administration [e-mail: [email protected]].

The application process includes the following:

• Completion of the official PhD Application Form through the University’s website. On the application form, the applicant should also indicate a preference for a particular Supervisor among those Faculty related to the PhD Program.
• At least two (2) letters of recommendation, provided by the applicant
• Personal interview.
• Submission of a preliminary research proposal for admission to the PhD Program.

Research Proposal

Applicants must provide a preliminary research proposal as a part of the application process to the PhD Program. The proposal refers to one research area of the List presented below.

The research proposal should:

• Include an outline of the student’s research interests.
• Present the student’s initial thoughts about a topic.
• Demonstrate understanding of the key literature in the suggested area of research.
• Identify possible research questions to be addressed and their significance.
• Identify possible research methods to be applied.
• Indicate a possible theoretical framework to be applied (if applicable), particularly if the proposed research is related to the applicant’s Master thesis.
• Provide any initial findings (if applicable), particularly if the proposed research is related to the applicant’s Master thesis.
• Be in the range of 3000 – 5000 words.

Application Evaluation

All applications are evaluated by the Application Evaluation and Interview Committee and the pertinent School. Under normal circumstances, a response to an enrolment application can be expected within eight weeks of the School receiving the application.

Composition of PhD Program

For obtaining a PhD degree in Business and Management, a total of 240 ECTS needs to be completed.

The Program comprises four (4) stages:

• Completion of three courses (30 ECTS) and a comprehensive qualifying examination (10 ECTS)
• Preparation and submission of a thesis/dissertation proposal (End of First Year Progress Review Meeting) (10 ECTS)
• Research stage and writing-up stage (140 ECTS)
• Final writing-up and thesis/dissertation defense/VIVA (50 ECTS)

Students are expected to successfully complete the taught phase of the program, including the comprehensive qualifying exam, before being considered for progression to the “Research phase of the PhD program”.

Duration of Studies

Full – Time: minimum 48 months, maximum 72 months

Part – Time: minimum 60 months, maximum 96 months

Selection Process

The application for enrolling to a doctoral program can be submitted twice a year, before the beginning of each semester. Submissions for Academic Year 2026 – 2027 start on June 22, 2026 and end on September 30, 2026.

List of PhD Research Areas

1. Strategic Management. From RBV and Dynamic Capabilities to New Emerging Theories and Practices and the Role of A.I.
2. Operation and Process Management
3. Marketing Management, Marketing, Digital Marketing
4. Human Resource Management
5. Accounting, Financial Accounting
6. Finance, Investments
7. Leadership
8. Financial Markets, Banking
9. Corporate Governance
10. Corporate Social Responsibility
11. Tourism Management
12. Green Management
13. Quantitative Economics
14. Health and Pension Policies in Cyprus
15. Machine Learning and Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic Pricing and Revenue Management, for Supply Chain Resilience and Inventory Optimization and Customer Lifetime Value Optimization.
16. Assessment of Economic Memorandum Policies in E.U. Member States
17. Assessment of Economic and Social Reforms in Cyprus
18. The Welfare State in Cyprus

University Academic Staff available

Andreas Hadjis, Dean, Professor of Strategic Management and System Dynamics

Manolis Petrakis, Visiting Professor of Industrial Organization and Policy

Spyros Missiakoulis, Professor of Econometrics

Panayotis Alexakis, Professor of Business Economics and Financial Markets

John Yfantopoulos, Professor of Health Economics

Eleni Chrysostomides, Professor of Accounting

Constantina Shiakallis, Professor of Accounting and Finance

Yannakoudakis Manolis, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems

Kouremenos Athanasios, Professor of Marketing

Papalexandris Nancy, Visiting Professor of Human Resource Management

Poutos Evangelos, Assistant Professor of Accounting and Finance

Ioannou Iakovos, Assistant Professor of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence

Challoumis Constantinos, Assistant Professor in Economics, Mathematical Modelling of Financial and Applied Technologies

Christodoulides Kyriakos, Lecturer of Data Science