International Joint Doctoral Program

University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern offers internal and external Master graduates of Management Sciences, Business Administration or related disciplines an International Joint Doctoral Programme in Business and Management. The faculty of business administration of University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern is proud to open up this opportunity of high-class academic research with its strategic partners BA School of Business and Finance, RISEBA University and Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. Together, we are looking forward to welcoming you as a future PhD-Student of our International Joint Doctoral Programme.

The Purpose of International Doctoral Studies

Research conducted to obtain a doctoral degree is the highest level of research in academia. The purpose of the doctoral programme is to further educate students who could make essential future contributions to relevant fields through rigorous academic research.

Our doctoral programme aims at educating researchers for universities as well as for non-research industries, including the government and the private sector. One widely acknowledged purpose of doctoral research is training PhD students for academic positions. The doctoral degree qualifies the researcher to hold a university professorship or conduct research in academia. Doctoral research equips students with the skills required for developing hypotheses, testing theories by studying, observing or conducting experiments, and modifying those assumptions based on the data collected.

While doctoral research is still primarily considered to be the path to academic and research positions, there is a growing interest from the private sector in seeking doctoral degree holders for jobs in non-academic environments. Doctoral research aims at teaching PhD candidates the scientific approach to conducting research while preparing students for careers beyond academia. The doctoral programme includes intensive training and coursework in research methodologies as well as recommendations for conducting qualitative and quantitative research. These competences and research skills are useful outside academia for solving current and future social and business problems.

Key Strengths of the International Doctoral Programme

  • International Professors - PhD thesis supervisor from an international environment
  • The best faculties and professors from our partner universities: BA School of Business and Finance, RISEBA University and Stockholm School of Economics in Riga
  • Flexible and comfortable course schedule for working researchers
  • Individual approach and studies in small groups
  • International and diverse mix of students from various fields of business and research