PhD

The mission of the PhD programme is to enable participants to develop the necessary research and analytical skills to bring a valuable contribution to their area of academic expertise. Over the three years of the programme, participants are prepared for international, research-driven academic careers or research positions in multinational companies, organisations or institutions.

5 reasons to join the programme:

• Join an animated and varied research community of PhD, post-doctoral students and academic researchers who regularly publish in top peer-reviewed academic journals.
• Join our international research networks with partner universities around the world.
• Become a specialist in your domain and achieve excellence in one of our 5 research areas:

– Artificial Intelligent-Driven Business
– Agribusiness
– Green, Digital and Demand-driven Supply Chain Management
– Rethinking Tomorrow’s Organisation
– Financial & Corporate Outcomes

• Benefit from seminars and workshops delivered by world-class academics.
• Join a triple-accredited business school (EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA) ranked among the Top 10 in France for international attractiveness and the quality of its Faculty.

The PhD programme has a standard duration of 36 months for full-time students. It is structured around methods and specialised courses as well as various formats to acquire the best academic skills.

Foundation and two methods courses

• Preparing for a Successful PhD Experience and Beyond
• Advanced quantitative methods
• Advanced qualitative methods

“Rennes SB Expertise” sessions

• Bi-monthly 1h30 sessions delivered by Rennes SB Faculty and CUT fellows in three areas
• Rennes SB Topics: Theory, results, hot topics
• Rennes SB Methods: Specific research techniques and approaches
• Rennes SB Soft Skills: Preparation to succeed in academia

Annual PhD workshop
Students present their work (March/April) for discussion and feedback with a panel of other students and academics from Rennes SB or external. Students can use the discussion and feedback to inform their Annual Progress Review (APR) documents. Participation in the annual workshop and APR is mandatory for continued registration.

Seminars
The Research Lab and the research centres run a regular series of seminars during term time. Attendance at seminars relevant to the student’s research and/or organised by the relevant research center is strongly encouraged.

Conferences, Conferences Funding and Training Course Funding
Students are encouraged to present their work at national and international conferences. Funds are made available to enable students to attend conferences and courses.

Postgraduate Teaching or Research Assistant
The opportunity is available for PhD students to be employed as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PGTA) to assist in the running of undergraduate student lectures and tutorials from Year 2 onwards. In addition to enabling students to develop their skill-set, this experience is a valuable addition to their CV as future academics.

2023 timeline for a start in September 2023

• Applications: 2 January – 30 April 2023
• Application review: May 2023
• Review Results: May – June 2023

Eligibility

• To be eligible you must have obtained merit or distinction in your Master’s level degree in Business, Management or a related discipline (e.g. economics, law) from a reputed university or higher education institution. Applicants from other academic backgrounds must provide written justification for how their previous work or experience has prepared them to join one of the research centres’ specialised research orientations.
• English proficiency required (native speaker, previous degrees taught entirely in English (min. 3 years), or TOEFL >80/IELTS>6.5/TOEIC>60)
• Evidence of ability to support yourself financially for 3 years for self-funded applicants.

Candidates should complete the application form provided below (“Apply Here” button) and return it with all the required documents listed at the end of the application form to phd@rennes-sb.com before 30 April 2023. The subject line of the e-mail should be “Name Surname – PhD application”.

Please note that incomplete application files will not be processed. Make sure to send ALL documents requested.

Before starting we remind you that you will need to provide a short research proposal linked to one of the Research Centre orientations, preferably with a proposed Rennes SB supervisor.
Please explore our Research Centres sites below and the Faculty profiles to ensure that your research area fits with Rennes SB’s orientations.

• Artificial Intelligent-driven Business
• Agribusiness
• Green, Digital and Demand-driven Supply Chain Management
• Rethinking Tomorrow’s Organisation
• Financial Market & Corporate Outcomes

Application Checklist

• Letter of motivation
• CV
• Copy of diploma(s),
• 5-6 page research proposal, (based on the call for applications if applicable) presenting your proposed research question, the societal/business background, proposed methods of investigation/research design, a brief overview of current research in this field, how this project will impact business, management and/or society. Include a reference list.
• Any other administrative documents, identity card, residence permit, visa or other, to for potential registration process.
• Transcript of grades for MSc and Bachelor degrees.
• Evidence of ability to complete PhD in English (written justification, TOEIC, TOEFL, examples of publications in English, etc.)
• Two recommendations from professors who have followed you during your studies other than the potential thesis director.
• If any: A letter of agreement from a thesis supervisor at Rennes School of Business and a co-supervisor, working in a partner organisation.

The Rennes SB PhD programme waives all tuition fees to attract the best candidates
Registration and Administrative fees: €1500 per year.
€500 a year for students with a Rennes SB scholarship.

Funding

Rennes SB Scholarships
Rennes SB offers two scholarships of €20,400 net per year to exceptional students for specific projects.
To apply for these scholarships you should consult the current calls section, or contact a professor from Rennes SB to discuss potential projects with them before applying. Students may also apply for an external 3-year scholarship from a company, governmental or academic institution. Examples of information on national or international PhD funding bodies can be found below:

National and international scholarships

• Mexico: conacyt.mx/becas_posgrados/
• China: cscscholarship.org/ 
• Find your country on France Campus: campusfrance.org/fr/espaces 
• Find funding on the following page: https://campusbourses.campusfrance.org/#/catalog 
• The French Embassy in your country may also provide grants.
  France: enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/fr/les-cifre-46510

Rennes School of Business PhD students