Third-cycle (doctoral) programme in Business Administration

At the School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, we conduct business administration research and doctoral education in the following areas: management accounting, logistics, entrepreneurship, marketing, international business, organization, and leadership.

About the Doctoral Program in Business Administration

Doctoral education in Business Administration at the School of Business and Economics leads to two possible degrees. A Licentiate degree typically requires two years of full-time study and is achieved after completing at least 120 credits (ECTS), including 50 credits of coursework and one or more approved scientific papers totaling 70 credits.

A Doctoral degree requires four years of full-time study and is achieved after completing 240 credits. The dissertation part comprises 150 credits, where the student must write a scientific dissertation (doctoral thesis). The coursework part consists of 90 credits of mandatory and elective courses.

Application, Eligibility, and Admission

Applications for doctoral education must be submitted within the time and in the manner determined by the faculty. When the School of Business and Economics has the opportunity to admit a doctoral student, the position is advertised on Linnaeus University’s job vacancies page https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/work-at-the-university/. We do not accept applications via email or other means. 

The requirenments for admission to third-cycle courses and study programs are that the applicant 

• meets the general and specific entry requirements that the higher education institution may have laid down, and
• is considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study program.

General Eligibility

• A completed degree at the advanced level,
• Completed course requirements of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are at the advanced level, or
• Acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in some other way within or outside the country.

Specific Eligibility for the Subject of Business Administration

• At least 90 credits in Business Administration or subjects related to doctoral education in Business Administration or equivalent knowledge acquired in some other way within or outside the country,
• At least 15 credits at the bachelor’s or advanced level in Business Administration or subjects related to doctoral education in Business Administration, including having written an independent work at the bachelor’s or advanced level,
• Demonstrated good knowledge of English.

For more information about the doctoral program in Business Administration, please read the general study plan below.