PhD candidates within DPBR are required to complete a study program of 30 credits for completion. One Credit Point (Leistungspunkt) is equivalent to approximately 30 hours of individual student workload.

Of these 30 CP, at least 10 are required in the Theoretical foundations (Fachwissenschaftlicher Teil) section, at least 8 in the Research methods (Methodik) section and a minimum of 6 credit points in the Professional Skills section. As part of these requirements, all candidates participate in the core module Approaches to Business Research, plus at least one seminar focusing on theoretical developments in a more specific field of business research and present their PhD project within a Colloquium.

 

Participants are encouraged to participate in external course offerings that can be credited for DPBR.

 

Program structure

 

Theoretical foundations (Fachwissenschaftlicher Teil) (min. 10 CP, modules have 2-4 CP)

• Approaches to Business Research (req'd. / Pflichtkurs) - 4 CP)
• Theoretical Frontiers in Business Research: Selected Topics (e.g. Marketing theory, Organization Theory, Theory in FACTS, etc) (req'd. at least once / Wahlpflicht - 4 CP)
• PhD Colloquium (req'd. at least once / Wahlpflicht - 2 CP)
• Gaining own teaching experience (max. 4 CP)
• External modules

 

Research methods (Methodischer Teil) (min. 8 CP, modules have 1-4 CP, Wahlpflicht)

• Qualitative Methods (2-4 CP)
• Quantitative Methods (2-4 CP)
• Research Method Workshops: Selected Topics (e.g. experiments, survey design, econometrics, simulations, QCA, etc. - 1-2 CP)
• External methodology courses (e.g. VHB, summer schools, etc.)

 

Professional Skills (min. 6 CP)

• Writing for publications (2 CP)
• Presentation at international conferences (2 CP)
• DRS courses (e.g. presentation skills, didactics, etc. - 1-2 CP)
• FU-Stat courses (e.g. SPSS, STATA, R, etc. - 1 CP)
• Participation in seminar series (e.g. FACTS Lectures, Forschungswerkstatt, etc. - 1 CP)

 

 You can download our official program regulations here.