Business Management and Accounting
The Business Management and Accounting Track (BMA track) of the PhD in Management is focused on the development and the consolidation of knowledge on the fundamental issues of management and accounting, according to an integrated approach, studying problems with traditional and new approaches, combining different and multidisciplinary analysis perspectives. In addition, it wants to develop investigations of specific issues in the field of management science and operations, marketing, organisational science, organizational behaviour, strategy and entrepreneurship, financial and managerial accounting, in order to push forward the frontiers of knowledge, with cutting-edge and significant implications for the entire theoretical and/or operational context.
The BMA Track Coordinator is Professor Gianpaolo Abatecola.
Track Schedule
The selection of Ph.D. Students for the new academic year (new PhD cycle) usually starts in springtime, with exams (written and oral) during the summer, and the activities of the Ph.D. start in September/October. The list of the activities for the full year (e.g. research methodology classes, seminars, conferences, other learning events) are planned at the beginning of each year.
At the end of each academic year (July) the Ph.D. Students have an official evaluation. In case of a negative evaluation the Ph.D. Student will quit his/her program because will not be allowed to enrol for the next year.
At the end of the third year (October) the PhD Students that complete their thesis can be admitted to the final exam, where a committee made by three members will judge the research work.
Track Program Overview
The BMA track program is a three years program and Ph.D. candidates are required to take part in the scheduled activities, namely, (i) attendance of lectures, and (ii) the completion of a research project, individually and/or as a member of a team, aimed at finalizing the doctoral thesis. During the years PhD candidates accrue credits, as follows: 120 ECTS for the thesis; 50 ECTS for attendance of lectures; 10 ECTS for supplementary and other training activities (overall credits 180 ECTS).
Individual study plans may provide for sections of the Program to be undertaken at other Universities or research institutes, in Italy or elsewhere, for a period of no more than one year. The Program encourages Ph.D. candidates to take part in international conferences and/or visiting period.
First year
It is focused on consolidating the Ph.D. candidate’s basic knowledge about the research skills and the existing body of research in their field. Students are involved in learning activities such research methodology classes, seminars, and other initiatives. In the second half of the first year the PhD student has to identify and select a research theme, with the support of a senior researcher that will play the role of Supervisor, taking into account student’s research interests and study/professional experience, by attending the events promoted by the Program and the partner Universities, in order to obtain the credit points for the various Program activities. At the end of the first year, the Ph.D. candidate present his/her proposal, including the title of the thesis, and a full review of the literature that supports the proposal and stress the importance of the research project to advance the frontier of knowledge on a specific area of interest.
The proposal will be evaluated, and in case of a positive result the Ph.D. Student is admitted to the second year of the program. Whenever the research proposal will not be positively judged, the PhD Student will not be allowed to continue his/her Ph.D. program.
Second year
In the 2nd year of the Program, Ph.D. candidates continue their studies and research activities in order to implement the proposals, also by spending a period of study at another University, business, (public or private) research institute, in Italy or abroad, subject to the prior authorization of the Director and acting on the proposal of the supervisor. Students can attend further different types of events such as seminars and summer schools, and they will participate to academic conferences useful to improve knowledge about the research topic of the thesis. The focus of the second year is the refinement of the research questions and the design of the field research.
Third year
In the 3rd year of the Program, the Ph.D. candidate must focus on the compilation of the doctoral thesis and the preparation of the related final discussion, presenting the output in academic events and submit them for publications in academic journals.
Teaching is an integral component of the training of the doctoral Ph.D. candidates from the 2nd year. Ph.D. candidates, therefore, may be asked to provide limited teaching support, with respect to the Program courses or to other (first or second level) courses. Teaching support, however, is optional and, as a rule, unremunerated; however, it may exempt the Ph.D. candidate from the payment of the admission and attendance fees.
