Welcome Why choose

from the the Nova SBE

Program PhD in
Director Management?
ACCEPT OUR CHALLENGE. ACHIEVE
EXCELLENCE

DISTINCTIVELY INTERNATIONAL

Conducted entirely in English, the PhD in Management

at Nova SBE follows the best international practices and
emphasizes publishing in international outlets. The Nova
faculty is well connected with leading research institutions
Pedro Neves and programs throughout the world, and will help you place
Director, PhD in Managment
your work into an international context. You will also come
into contact with well known visiting scholars through the
You are now considering joining the PhD program in
school’s various seminar meetings, and through your visits
Management at Nova SBE, one of the top 30 business schools in
to other institutions.
Europe (Financial Times) and the only Portuguese school to be
awarded with 5 Palmes by Eduniversal, thus receiving the title of
‘Universal Business School’.
By becoming a part of our school you will have the opportunity INTENSIVE COURSE TRAINING AT
to be a part of a research center that has always been evaluated THE FRONTIERS OF THE FIELD
as “excellent” by external review committees. You will be able to
share your ideas and insights with scholars of 25 nationalities
Our program is strongly oriented toward preparing you as an
that have published in the past years more than 82 papers
independent researcher. With this in mind the first year of the
in international journals, of which 37 were published in top
program comprises core courses and electives that include
journals, and whose research has captured the attention of
the specializations where you can choose your particular field
several media outlets, such as Harvard Business Review or The
of interest.
Wall Street Journal.
The goal of our PhD program is not only to give you a solid
theoretical and methodological basis to develop your own
research, but also to provide opportunities to participate in other
activities and develop your own professional network. Beyond RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
the classes and the three seminar streams (international guests,
Nova SBE’s professors, and Nova SBE’s PhD students) that our
Nova SBE’s research seeks to produce knowledge in
program offers, we also invite you to spend a semester abroad
Economics, Finance and Management that can foster positive
and to present your research at the main conferences in the
change. We focus on developing research into some of the
different fields of management research. It is expected that by
most challenging economic and social issues, informing on
the end of the PhD students have already published a part of
public policies and management practices.
their research.
Research is in line with the school’s mission which aims at
The quality of our research environment and our commitment to
being the international school for the Portuguese-speaking
shaping powerful minds is only surpassed by the beauty, history
world and one of the top business schools in Europe. This
and hospitality you will find in Lisbon, making it the perfect place
positioning benefits from the unique cultural ties with
to do your research with a smile.
Portuguese-speaking countries and communities across the
world.
We look forward to welcoming you at Nova SBE!
 HIGH QUALITY EXCHANGE TERMS
The Exchange Term is one of the most valuable requirements
in our program. We expect our students to spend the
equivalent of a semester abroad in a prestigious international
institution. This period is very important since it enables the
students to establish contact with other PhD candidates and
academics in their specific field but also in other areas of
specialization so that they can improve not only their research
but also their network.
CLOSE SUPERVISION
From the very first day you will have a supervisor to guide you
through the program. Our faculty is genuinely interested in
your progress throughout the program and will demand your
best efforts to make sure that you will achieve excellence
in research and work towards influencing the future of
management research.
EFFECTIVE PLACEMENT
Our courses and supervision are designed to guide and
develop your writing, publication and teaching skills in order
to prepare you for an academic career at the top of your field.
Our faculty commits actively to ensure you have the skills
and mindset to compete in the international job market. Our
recent graduates have secured positions not only in national
institutions but also in international companies.
The doctoral program offers the unique opportunity
to be immersed in a distinctive research culture,
where we benefit from a close collaboration with
faculty members and encouragement to pursue our
own research agenda. Notwithstanding, being a PhD
student at Nova SBE is demanding. However, we realize
that we are acquiring the skills to conduct high-quality
research when our academic papers are accepted for
publication in top journals. Then, we feel that all the
hard work paid off and that we are well prepared for
starting an academic career!
MARIA JOÃO VELEZ,
PHD IN MANAGEMENT
Studying at NOVA SBE has been a unique opportunity
to cultivate a comprehensive and contemporary vision
on Management. Through close mentoring we are
guided to be original and to use innovative scientific
tools. We also have the possibility to share and discuss
our scientific work within our research center thereby
improving our overall results.
ALEXANDRE LOURENÇO,
PHD IN MANAGEMENT CANDIDATE
PhD
program
overview
This program is our investment
in your future in management
The curriculum is designed to equip students with the tools
to pursue the most challenging careers. While disciplined and
rigorous in training, the program is also flexible for students
to pursue their unique research interests. Students customize
their program within their chosen discipline to their own
goals and research interests. Upon acceptance into the PhD
program, students are assigned to a thesis supervisor who
accompanies the research process and development.
The PhD program runs on a full-time basis and students are
expected to live in Lisbon throughout its duration. Typically,
a student completes the PhD program within four years. In
the first year, students complete core and elective courses
and also a comprehensive specialization exam that ensures
that students have acquired the necessary foundations of
knowledge to advance in their studies. After a successful
pass, the research and dissertation phase begins. Throughout
their PhD program, students attend Research Seminars (with
invited guests, faculty members, and PhD students), present
their work in conferences and complete one semester abroad.
At Nova SBE you will be specifically encouraged to attend job
market conferences during your last year in the program.
Experience
the excellence
Our PhD faculty has graduated from ranked doctoral schools.
They are required to publish their research in the leading
academic journals in the world, but they also produce books
and Nova SBE working papers. They present their findings at
world renowned academic conferences.
Nova SBE is proud to have faculty members with a world-class
thinking capacity, integrity and leadership that, together with
a unique learning environment in Lisbon, engage students in
advancing with their research.
All PhD students of Nova SBE are integrated into our
Research Unit awarded as EXCELLENT by international
experts.
“The overwhelming majority of the PhD researchers have
a publication in an international journal. This publication
record parallels an international reputation of many of its
members in their domain of specialization.”
Source: Evaluation panel comments

The future of health systems also depends on the ability to have new forms of management
and organization. Advanced knowledge in management, as provided by a PhD, applied to
health care organizations will certainly provide a valuable contribution to improve health
systems, and population health

PEDRO PITA BARROS,

PROFESSOR AT NOVA SBE
The PhD curriculum
THE ACADEMIC YEAR BEGINS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER AND IS DIVIDED INTO TWO
SEMESTERS

1ST ACADEMIC YEAR 2nd, 3rd and 4th YEARS

COURSE PERIOD ECTS OBS COURSE ECTS OBS

Organizational Theory S1 7 Free Option (Soft Skills) 2

Microeconomics S1 7 Research Seminars 6

Statistics I T1 3,5 Dissertation 172

Statistics II T2 3,5

Full-Course (S1) 7

OR

Free Option Half-Course (T1) 3,5

+
Half-Course (T2) 3,5

Design of the PhD S1 7

project

Exemplary Research T3 3,5

Hot Topics in Exemplary

T4 3,5
Research

Qualitative Methods T3 3,5

Hot Topics in
T4 3,5
Qualitative Methods

Social Behavior T3 3,5

Hot Topics in
T4 3,5
Quantitative Methods

Full-Course (S2) 3,5

OR

Free Option Half-Course (T3) 3,5

+
Half-Course (T4) 7

Discussion of the PhD

S2 2
Project

COMPULSORY
Seven
Areas of Research
DEVELOPING EXCEPTIONAL RESEARCHERS IN
MANAGEMENT
1 2
Management
Control
This area concentrates on the study of
the economic, organizational, social
and political aspects of management
accounting and control practices. Particular
emphasis is given to the investigation of the
impact of the adoption of practices such
as the Balanced Scorecard, Activity-Based
Costing, Time-Driven ABC, Target Costing
and Kaizen Costing in private and public
organizations.
MAIN COURSES
• Management Control Systems
• Applied Corporate Finance
• Managerial Accounting
3 4
Marketing
Marketing deals with choosing target
markets and getting, keeping and
growing customers through the
creation, delivery and communication
of superior “customer value”. It is a
dynamic field that combines creative
ability and analytical skills.
• Brand Management
• Integrated Marketing Communication
• Consumer Behaviour
• International Marketing Strategy
• New-Product Development
Innovation and
Entrepreneurship
This area aims at preparing students
to pursue an entrepreneurial career.
Courses focus on the general
understanding of how to test whether
an innovative idea, product or process
will be demanded by costumers,
how to finance start-up ventures and
innovation projects, and how to sell and
market new products
• Innovation Management
• Venture Simulation
• Entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial Finance & Venture
Capital
Operations
Management
This area is about getting things
done effectively and efficiently in
organizations. This area will therefore
cover such issues as business process
re-engineering, quality management,
better customer service, inventory
systems, managing manufacturing,
supply chain management and project
management. This demands a strong
analytical skills from our students.
MAIN COURSES
• Operations Management
• Global Supply Chain Managment
• Operations Stratey
Doing a PhD in Management at
Nova is a passport for a different
professional world. It develops
independence and accountability
as a PhD is about managing
oneself. The research focus will
test your resilience as you will be
competing for space in the best
journals. As a journey it will be
demanding but you will be sharing
the path with other equally and
talented driven people. If you have
the confidence, the humility and
the curiosity to explore the world of
business knowledge, this can be the
right challenge.
MIGUEL PINA E CUNHA,
PROFESSOR AT NOVA SBE
5
Social
Enterprise
This area is focused on building
leadership skills and awareness to
socially responsible global leaders
in both for-profit corporations and
non-profit organizations, in different
types of positions including consulting,
financial services and consumer
products, educational and health
institutions, social services and
governmental institutions.
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Management
 of Non-Profit
Organizations
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Economics Health & Health Care
• Sustainable International Business
• Economics of Education
 6 7
Strategy and
International Business
Business leaders need to provide
direction to their companies, and to
organize it in order to put strategy
in place. To build a sustainable
competitive advantage, companies
need to understand their customers
and competitors, their strengths and
weaknesses, the complex business
and institutional environments, and the
existing resource constraints.
Organization
Studies
Individuals and group behavior can
impact an organizational context. On the
other hand, institutional and social forces
affect organizations and the people in
them. As the pace of the market changes
one thing remains - people are at the
core of the success of companies.This is
the starting point for this area of study
that includes organizational behavior and
human resources management.

MAIN COURSES

• International Business • Global Human Resource

• Business Strategy and Practice Management
• Competition Policy • Positive Organizations
• Global Business Challenges • Leadership & Change Management
Fees and funding
Fees: 3 000€ per academic year (1 500€ for each semester)

Funding:
• Candidates can apply to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology Doctoral Fellowships
(http://www.fct.pt/apoios/bolsas/concursos/index.phtml.en)
• There are possibilities of participating in Nova SBE research projects as Research Assistants

• You may also have the possibility of joining the teaching staff of Nova SBE as a Teaching Assistant or Grader

Living costs and accommodation: there is limited accommodation at Nova residences, but you can tell us if you would
like to apply in the general application platform.

Accommodation Groceries Transport Cinema Ticket Cofee Newspaper

250-400€ per month 150€ per month 30€ per month 5.20€ 0.60 € 1.60€

Metro ticket Bus ticket Cell Phone Nightclub entry Full-course meal Football Ticket
1.40€ 1.80€ from 10€ per month from 10€ in a average
restaurante 15€
15€

Exchange terms
IN RECENT YEARS, NOVA SBE PHD STUDENTS VISITED THE FOLLOWING INSTITUTIONS FOR ACADEMIC
EXCHANGES, RANGING FROM 3 TO 12 MONTHS:

An exciting part of the PhD program at Nova SBE
is the exchange term. I had the opportunity to visit
MIT. I expanded my academic network, discussed
my research with experts in my field and received
feedback, developed new research projects,
published two papers and my research was featured
in The Wall Street Journal. Nova SBE opens the doors
for us to explore new horizons. It is up to us to make
the best out of this opportunity.
SARA JAHANMIR,
PHD IN MANAGEMENT (EXCHANGE TERM AT
MASSACHUSSETS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY)
• Graduate School of Management (Moscow, Russia)
• Berkeley, University of California, (Berkeley, USA)
• HEC (Paris, France)
• University of Virginia (Charlottesville, USA)
• Erasmus School of Economics (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
• MIT Sloan School of Management
• London School of Economics (London, UK)
• Fundação Gertúlio Vargas (São Paulo, Brazil)
• University of Durham
• University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign (Urbana, USA)
• Brown University (Providence, USA)
 Applications ARE YOU READY TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE?

Apply to the Doctoral Program

1 Applicants should hold a Masters.

Your degree can be in any field (e.g., the sciences, arts, and humanities), but if you have no previous coursework in business
2
studies, your supervisor may require additional coursework (at Nova SBE or elsewhere).

If you do not have a Masters, you can still be admitted to the PhD program contingent on finishing a Masters (or equivalent)
3
en route.

Mandatory Documents Optional Documents

1 Curriculum Vitae (in English) 1 1 GRE or GMAT scores

2 Transcript of records of undergraduate and graduate
degrees with full list of courses and grades
3 Letter of intent including the following topics:
- why you wish to do a PhD at Nova SBE
- what you would like to study
- who you would like to work as supervisor(s)
2 Other Research Sample. This is in addition to the sample research
proposal above. It can be any technical/professional report that
you have written by yourself or are the lead contributor (ex. Master
Thesis)
3 English Language Certificate

- your career goals after the PhD

- your financial circumstances and how you hope to support
yourself financially
- any funding requirements you may have

4 Sample Research Proposal (up to 6000 words)

5 Recommendation letters (minimum 2)
In order to apply
please go to:

1 2 3
www.novasbe.unl.pt PhD in Management Applications

AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION ONLINE!

Contact us
Your future career waits at Nova SBE. Let us help you pursue
your dreams.
If you have any additional questions regarding the program or the
applications please contact the Research Office:

Henry Ford once said that “Most people spend more

1 By Email to flo_phd@novasbe.pt
time and energy going around problems than trying
to solve them”. As Nova SBE doctoral student, it is
2 By phone:+351 213 801 640
expected from you to spend your time and energy
in acquiring and sharing knowledge in order to find
3 In person: Room 318 3rd floor Nova SBE
solutions for problems in research, business and
society and so have a positive impact.

LUIS LAGES,
PROFESSOR AT NOVA SBE
Study in a top business school
in the global city of Lisbon and
enjoy a life-changing learning
experience

Best European Destination

for a holiday or city-trip

Most people speak English as a 2nd language

70+ student residences

in the city center

240 days
of sunshine a year

Surf destination
2 of the best coastal sites in Europe

60+ public gardens

75+ museums and galleries
20+ viewpoints

Strategic location:
transatlantic bridge to America
entry point into Europe
platform to Africa

7th most welcoming country in the world

16th most peaceful country in the world