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Part-time PhD programme in Business

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The part-time PhD programme in Business is specifically designed to enable working professionals to conduct scientific research next to a fulltime working commitment.

Through the programme’s modular structure, participants develop the ‘know how’ and academic skills to conduct high-quality research, whilst step-by-step constructing their own papers, with support of their academic advisors.

The part-time PhD programme is a four-year programme, of which each year consists of up to six training modules which guide participants through the process of writing a scientific article. Throughout the four years (or more if necessary), they will typically develop four scientific articles, which will form the body of their PhD thesis.

Each programme year has its own specific focus, but is always aimed at writing a scientific article, which will eventually be included as a chapter in the PhD dissertation. Throughout the process, the programme supports participants in developing methodological skills and academic writing capabilities, and in publishing research in international scientific journals.

The programme consists of three phases:

The first phase (1st year), is dedicated to
1. writing a systematic literature review paper on a topic of choice, and
2. developing an academically valid research proposal, which will serve as the blue print for the empirical research in the second phase.
The second phase (2nd and 3rd year) is dedicated to conducting original, empirical research (qualitative or quantitative, or mixed methods).
The third phase (4th year and beyond), is dedicated to finalising the fourth research paper, and finalising the PhD dissertation in close collaboration with the academic advisors.

More detailed information follows below.

The part-time PhD programme in Business supports doctoral research on a wide range of topics, including (but not limited to):

Boards / board dynamics
Business processes
Careers and/or career guidance
Coaching (limited capacity)
Consultancy
Diversity and inclusion
Entrepreneurship
General management
Human Resource Management
Innovation and knowledge management
Leadership
Marketing (limited capacity)
Organisational behaviour
Organisational change
Organisational theory
Strategy / Strategic management
Teams / team dynamics

If you would like to conduct your research on other topics, please contact the Programme Director Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova:

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Part-time PhD in Business - The Ultimate degree for Business Leaders

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PhD dissertations, journal publications and alumni

An overview of recent PhD disserations and journal articles written by participants in the Part-time PhD programme

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Learn more about the programme and discuss your research ideas!

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Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova is a full-professor of Organisational Behaviour at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She is Head of Department - Management & Organisation, and Head of Section - HRM/OB.

Between 2009-2017, she served as a founding Director of Amsterdam Business Research Institute (ABRI). ABRI caters for doctoral education in management and organisation studies at VU. She also served as Director of Doctoral Education between 2009-2015. Since 2013, she is Director of the part-time PhD programme in Business Studies. Her research focuses on the link between careers and institutions. Topics:

Individual careers as a resource for innovation
Employees who take initiative to make changes
Nascent entrepreneurs who make their careers successful
Board members who define the future of their firms

View the profile of Svetlana Khapova

Maria Tims is a full professor at the department of Management and Organisation at the VU Amsterdam since 2014. Previously she worked as an assistant professor at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she obtained her PhD cum laude in 2013.

Her scientific and practical expertise lies in the areas of employee proactivity and work design (at the individual and team level, such as self-organizing teams), and workforce analytics.

VENI research grant from NWO for research project "Looking for the “I” in teams while still functioning as a team: Individual job crafting and its relationships with individual, team, and organizational outcomes."

View the profile of Maria Tims

Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3

First Year: Research proposal and literature review

The first phase coincides with the first year of the programme, during which you will give start to your PhD dissertation. During this first year, you will focus on developing a PhD proposal and writing a literature review paper on your chosen research topic. This will later become one of the chapters of your final PhD dissertation. At the end of your first year, your PhD proposal and literature review paper will be officially assessed by a scientific committee. Based on the academic quality of your work, the scientific committee will produce a binding positive or negative advice with regards to admission to the second phase of the programme.

Timetable year 1, 2025

Module 1: January 22, 23 and 24

Module 2: February 19, 20 and 21

Module 3: April 23, 24 and 25

Module 4: June 4, 5 and 6

Module 5: September 4, 5 and 6 (Rome, Italy)

Module 6: November 5, 6 and 7

In the first year of the programme, we focus on:

Writing a systematic literature review paper
Writing a PhD proposal
Philosophy of Science
Topic coaching
Academic writing
Construct clarity and conceptual blending
Research designs

Second and Third year: Empirical research

The second phase of the PhD programme in Business covers the consequent second and third years of the programme. During this period you will focus on conducting original research.

Additionally, depending on the topic of your dissertation, you can choose between dedicating a year on developing a quantitative research paper or a qualitative research paper.

Once more, this second phase revolves around writing academic research papers.

Timetable year 2, 2025

Module 2.1: January 29, 30 and 31

Module 2.2: March 19, 20 and 21

Module 2.3: June 19, 20 and 21

Module 2.4: September 24, 25 and 26

Module 2.5: November 19, 20 and 21

Module 2.6: February 11, 12 and 13 (2026)

In year 2, we focus on:

Conducting original research
Qualitative or quantitative research methods
Academic writing
Key perspectives in management and organisational theory

Fourth Year: Empirical research and finalizing the PhD dissertation

Finally, the third phase coincides with the fourth year of the PhD programme in Business. This is dedicated to finalising your research papers and integrating your entire research work into a single PhD manuscript. During this final phase, you will work in close collaboration with your scientific supervisors. Upon the approval of your dissertation by the supervisors, the final decision is made by an international reading committee, composed of renowned international professors experts on the topic.

Consequently, you will be able to present your research project publicly during a highly traditional and ceremonial academic defence at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Topics

Finalise your research
Integrate your research into a PhD manuscript
Present your research project publicly

Phase 1
First Year: Research proposal and literature review

The first phase coincides with the first year of the programme, during which you will give start to your PhD dissertation. During this first year, you will focus on developing a PhD proposal and writing a literature review paper on your chosen research topic. This will later become one of the chapters of your final PhD dissertation. At the end of your first year, your PhD proposal and literature review paper will be officially assessed by a scientific committee. Based on the academic quality of your work, the scientific committee will produce a binding positive or negative advice with regards to admission to the second phase of the programme.

Timetable year 1, 2025
Module 1: January 22, 23 and 24
Module 2: February 19, 20 and 21
Module 3: April 23, 24 and 25
Module 4: June 4, 5 and 6
Module 5: September 4, 5 and 6 (Rome, Italy)
Module 6: November 5, 6 and 7
In the first year of the programme, we focus on:

Writing a systematic literature review paper

Writing a PhD proposal

Philosophy of Science

Topic coaching

Academic writing

Construct clarity and conceptual blending

Research designs
Phase 2
Second and Third year: Empirical research

The second phase of the PhD programme in Business covers the consequent second and third years of the programme. During this period you will focus on conducting original research.
Additionally, depending on the topic of your dissertation, you can choose between dedicating a year on developing a quantitative research paper or a qualitative research paper.
Once more, this second phase revolves around writing academic research papers.

Timetable year 2, 2025
Module 2.1: January 29, 30 and 31
Module 2.2: March 19, 20 and 21
Module 2.3: June 19, 20 and 21
Module 2.4: September 24, 25 and 26
Module 2.5: November 19, 20 and 21
Module 2.6: February 11, 12 and 13 (2026)
In year 2, we focus on:

Conducting original research

Qualitative or quantitative research methods

Academic writing

Key perspectives in management and organisational theory
Phase 3
Fourth Year: Empirical research and finalizing the PhD dissertation

Finally, the third phase coincides with the fourth year of the PhD programme in Business. This is dedicated to finalising your research papers and integrating your entire research work into a single PhD manuscript. During this final phase, you will work in close collaboration with your scientific supervisors. Upon the approval of your dissertation by the supervisors, the final decision is made by an international reading committee, composed of renowned international professors experts on the topic.
Consequently, you will be able to present your research project publicly during a highly traditional and ceremonial academic defence at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Topics
Finalise your research

Integrate your research into a PhD manuscript

Present your research project publicly

In-company

Contact Michelle Habets to learn more about the programme.

Need help with your choice?

If you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss several study programmes: please feel free to contact us.

We are happy to help you!

Mail us at ee.sbe@vu.nl

For general information, please contact the Programme Coordinator Niki Konijn. For research-related questions, please contact the Programme Director Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

School of Business and Economics Executive Education

De Boelelaan 1105

1081 HV AMSTERDAM

General questions?

n.m.konijn@vu.nl

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Contact

Niki Konijn MA
Head of Operations at M&O
Programme Coordinator ABRI Part-time PhD programme
+ 31 20 59 85 667
n.m.konijn@vu.nl

Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova
Head of Department, Department of Management & Organisation, Programme Director part-time PhD in Business
Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Head of Section HRM/OB
+ 31 20 59 82414
s.n.khapova@vu.nl

Part-time PhD programme in Business

Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova

Prof. dr. Svetlana Khapova

Prof. dr. Maria Tims

Prof. dr. Maria Tims

Phase 1

Timetable year 1, 2025

Phase 2

Timetable year 2, 2025

Phase 3

Topics

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