Executive PhD programme

The Executive PhD Programme in Business Administration involves a five-year journey to crafting a doctoral thesis alongside your ongoing professional commitments. Our programme not only delivers a Vlerick Certificate of Management Research but also an official joint PhD degree from KU Leuven and Ghent University, a recognition of your commitment to academic excellence and practical relevance.

The doctoral programme comprises two stages – a learning stage and a research stage. Participants have the flexibility to take an accelerated track and finish in less time or to extend their study beyond the standard timeframe. 

Learning stage: Mastering the research fundamentals

Your journey starts with five intensive courses that cover the entire research cycle. Each one is designed to sharpen your research skills, immerse you in the academic process and prepare you to tackle complex challenges with confidence.

These interactive sessions are supported by our online learning platform, where you can discuss content and ideas with your colleagues and submit your assignments.

You’ll need to attend all the courses – and dedicate time to prepare for each one, to study afterwards and to complete assignments, papers and exams.

At the end of the learning stage, we finalise your supervisory team and assess your progress. Based on the results, we admit you to the research stage.

Research stage: Deep dive into research

After mastering the fundamentals, you’ll move on to the research stage. This is where you’ll refine your research proposal, gather and analyse data and write your thesis. Your supervisory team will be on hand to support you throughout.

You’ll have the flexibility to complete most activities online. However, you’ll also be invited to on-campus acceleration weeks, where you’ll connect with your course colleagues and immerse yourself fully in the academic community.

At the end of this stage, you’ll take part in a PhD defence at either Ghent University or KU Leuven. You can present your thesis in different ways. It can either be made up of different papers or be presented in book format with content for three high-level papers. 

• Learn from highly experienced academics at three world-renowned institutions – and get support throughout from a dedicated supervisory team
• Be part of a close-knit group – small class sizes mean you get plenty of individual support from faculty and time to build deep connections with peers
• Tailor the programme to suit your needs – a flexible format means you can balance your studies with your professional life, choose electives that suit your goals and complete your PhD in four to seven years
• Gain an internationally-recognised qualification – a PhD (Level 8 Bologna classification) is recognised globally – and gives you the widely-respected title of Doctor

The Executive PhD Programme in Business Administration is for experienced professionals who want to:

• Deepen their business understanding from a theoretical perspective
• Engage in academically robust, practice-based research
• Create new knowledge – and make an even greater impact on their organisation, sector or even society
• Become part of a diverse community of academics and professionals from over the world
• Obtain a PhD degree from two top institutions 

The tuition fee for the Executive PhD is €66,000: 

• First year: €6,000 non-refundable commitment fee + €18,000 after the first course week
• Second year: €12,000
• Third to fifth year: €10,000 per year
• Additional years (if needed): €10,000 per year

Your fees include: 

• Tuition to and guidance at the three institutions throughout the programme
• All course materials  
• A voucher towards your personal growth package – so you can attend conferences at Vlerick and other institutions 
• Access to business and research databases and specialised collections 
• Use of campus facilities 
• Vlerick Alumni network membership for the duration of the programme
• Online subscription for the Financial Times  
• Food and drinks during on-campus course weeks and activities 

The fees do not include travel or accommodation. 

To apply for this programme, you need:

• A Master’s degree from an accredited and internationally recognised institution – where you graduated with distinction or equivalent
• At least 10 years’ professional experience 
• Clear evidence that you’re motivated and capable of doing academic research
• Clear evidence that you have enough time to commit to the programme

Start your journey 

The programme kicks off in September each year, but we accept applications on a rolling basis.

The Executive PhD Programme in Business Administration is a significant commitment – which is why you go through two stages before you begin the full programme. This gives you the opportunity to experience academic research before committing to the complete programme. 

1. Eligibility stage 

First we assess if you meet the admissions requirements – and learn more about your ambitions. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

• Fill in the eligibility form online, and upload your: 
  • CV 
  • Diplomas and transcripts 
  • English Language Proficiency Exam score (if applicable) 
  • Short essay with your motivation and your research question.

If you meet the criteria – and we think the programme is a good fit for you – we’ll set up an in-depth interview with the customer relations manager, the  academic director and some content experts. They’ll talk to you, suggest relevant academic papers for you to read – and help you to refine your research topic. Based upon these conversations, you submit your research idea with reference to the academic literature.

The Executive PhD team will then discuss your file – and if you’re eligible, you’ll be accepted onto the programme. 

2. Commitment stage 

Once you’ve been accepted and paid your commitment fee, you can access our online resources immediately and start working on your initial research topic with our content experts.  

After the first course in September, you’ll write a paper on your research idea – and get feedback from the course holder. At this point, we’ll ask you to confirm your commitment to the five-year programme – and to pay the remaining fee for the first year.