PhD in Business Management - Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Institutes, Scope

Mohit Dhulia
Updated on December 28, 2023

A doctorate-level business management course is called a “PhD in Business Management.” The Business Management PhD program offers full-time teaching and research training. A PhD in Business Administration takes three years to complete. Banking, accounting, global marketing, theory of finance, advanced accounting theory, seminar in banking, strategic information systems, and other subjects are covered in this course.

The program provides students with a strong methodological foundation, exposure to cutting-edge themes and methods, and the ability to design and implement research projects in a variety of business disciplines.

Candidates for various responsibilities and opportunities in research and teaching, as well as positions requiring similar research and analytical skills, can benefit from the program.

These graduates are typically employed in areas such as academic institutions, colleges and universities, finance, information technology, banking, management, operations, supply chain management, MNCs, product development, human resources, and so on, and can hold positions such as lecturer, professor, team leader, statistician, data analyst, business development manager, associate, manager, business analyst, team assistant, consultant, teacher, and so on.

PhD in Business Management: An Overview

The following are some of the highlights of the PhD business management course:

Course Name	PhD in Business Management
Duration of Course	3 years
Eligibility Criteria	Post Graduate degree in a relevant subject
Process of Admission	Entrance test and direct interviews of the short-listed candidates
Level of Course	Doctorate
Average Fee for Tuition	INR 2000 to INR 5LPA
Average Annual Salary	INR 4LPA to 8LPA per annum
Top Hiring Firms	Microsoft, KPMG, Deloitte, Accenture, Reliance, HCL, Wipro, Infosys, Adani Group, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Tata Group, Google, Facebook, Morgan Stanley,American Express, Capital IQ, Amazon, Infosys, Airtel, Idea, Reliance, BSNL, Tata Consultancy, Tata Motors, Bajaj, Hyundai etc.
Positions of Job	Senior Marketing Manager, Human Resource Manager, Managing Director,Marketing manager, Data Analyst, Business Development manager, Associate, manager, Business Analyst, Team Assistant, Consultant, Teacher etc.

PhD in Business Management Eligibility

Candidates interested in pursuing a PhD in business management should meet the following eligibility criteria. These eligibility criteria can vary between colleges, so it’s important to check the eligibility criteria of the specific college where you plan to enroll.

A postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification with at least 50% total marks in any appropriate subject is required for admission to a doctoral degree or PhD in Business Management.
On the date of the admission test, applicants should have a minimum of two years of experience following their MBA or Master’s degree.
The only way to get into various professional courses is to pass an entrance exam. Students must pass the entrance exam in order to be accepted into a good business management program.
Some colleges also require candidates to have completed an M.Phil before enrolling in a PhD program.
Some business schools may require a TOEFL or IELTS score for all applicants, while others may waive it if your primary language of study is English.

PhD in Business Management: Focus Areas

Here we have provided some information about the course, including what you will learn in this course and which skills you will develop, which is critical information for students planning to pursue a PhD business management course.

The goal of a business management specialization is to provide comprehensive information and perspective on the management skills needed to run a company or organization.
The goal of all efforts, from planning to organizing to executing to directing to implementing, is to improve students’ or candidates’ analytical and logical thinking skills.
Every industry requires professionals who can oversee all operations while also establishing synergy between various departments. As a result, this course will assist you in learning about the synergy between various departments.
Business managers gain the ability to work as a support mechanism in the smooth operation of the organization after completing the business management course.
Delegation and supervision are two of the most important aspects of business management. Some students find that managing people does not come as naturally to them as they would like.
Students will learn how to set realistic expectations, build strong relationships with those they supervise, earn their team’s respect, and generally boost morale and efficiency while taking business management courses.

Relevant Links
Ph.D. (management Studies)	Ph.D. (marketing)	Ph.D. (operation Management)
Ph.D. (medicinal Chemistry)	Ph.D. (finance)	Ph.D. (human Resource Management)

PhD in Business Management Admission Procedure

The entrance test and direct interviews of the short-listed candidates are used to determine admission to the PhD Business Management program. Admissions applications can be obtained either through the university’s website or by visiting the admissions office.

Interested candidates can apply online with the necessary information, and admission is based on graduation or post-graduation grades.
If the candidates meet all of the minimum entry requirements and have submitted all of the required documents, the application is forwarded to the appropriate academics within the school for review and selection of a suitable supervisory team.
Potential supervisors will conduct an interview with the applicant and make a decision based on the results.
The final decision on admission to the PhD program in Business Management will be made based on the results of the entrance exam and the interview. The importance of the interview and the entrance exam scores varies by college.

PhD in Business Management: Suitable Candidates

Students should be computer literate because today’s businesses rely heavily on technology for everything from sending emails to managing complex enterprise management systems.
They must also be able to translate their vision into an actionable plan and have good business planning skills.
They should also have financial skills, which are necessary for locating reliable sources of capital and obtaining loans or investors on favorable terms.
They should be able to pay bills and keep track of tax documents, among other things.

PhD in Business Management: Preparation Plan

Students should keep the following important points in mind while preparing for the PhD entrance examination so that they can properly prepare for the exam.

Before you begin studying, do some research by looking over the entire syllabus and previous papers. To begin with, determine how many chapters and topics are included in the syllabus.
Examine the previous year’s exam questions.
When preparing, prepare easy chapters first; many times, people get stuck in difficult chapters and waste too much time on them.
Make notes whenever you are studying. Making notes while studying makes it very easy to revise, especially when there are only a few hours until the exam begins.
Your post-graduation or graduation percentage should meet the university’s eligibility requirements.
Candidates should study according to the syllabus for the qualifying examination in order to achieve a high score.
To improve your time management skills during entrance exams, practice the previous year’s papers.
College essays are a crucial part of the application process because they give you the best chance to sell yourself and convey who you are outside of your grades and test scores. This is why you should devote a significant amount of time to creating a unique essay that stands out from the crowd.
Keep up to date with application deadlines by checking websites, newspapers, and magazines.

PhD in Business Management: Important Documents Required

Migration Certificate (No objection certificate from the University last attended)
Documentary proof of the date of birth
Gap certificate (if applicable)
A character certificate (from the head of the institute from which the student has obtained his qualifying degree)
Mark-list of the last qualifying degree examination
Research Proposal
passing/degree certificate of the last qualifying degree examination.
No objection certificate from the employer (if employed)

Students should be aware that if the aforementioned certificates are not attached to their application, their application will not be taken into account for admission.

PhD in Business Management: Important Entrance Exams

We’ll go over various exams, and if you pass them, you’ll be able to enroll in a variety of management programs. The following are some of the most important entrance exams for PhD business management admission:

XAT: The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is an entrance exam administered by XLRI, Jamshedpur on behalf of XAMI for PhD and MBA admissions at XLRI and other institutions that accept the XAT score for admission to various MBA and PhD programs. You will have 3 hours to complete this exam. The Verbal and Logical Ability (VA & LR) sections, Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), and General Knowledge sections make up this exam (GK).
XIMB-RAT: The CIMB Research Aptitude Test is a test that assesses your ability to conduct research (XIMB-RAT). The total time you’ll have to answer all of the questions is 2 hours. There will be no repercussions. You’ll primarily need to work on your writing, logical/mathematical reasoning, and data interpretation abilities.
Research management aptitude test R-MAT: – The Research Management Aptitude Test (RMAT) is a management entrance exam held jointly by the All India Management Association (AIMA) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for admission to their joint PhD program, which aims to provide formal training to aspiring faculty and working managers. It’s a 90-minute online exam with a total of 100 questions.
UGC NET:The National Eligibility Test (NET), also known as the UGC NET or the CSIR NET, is a test used to determine eligibility for lectureships at the college and university level. The paper will be split into two sections: the first and second papers. Candidates will have three hours to complete two papers (papers 1 and 2) with a total of 150 questions.
BITSAT (BITS Admission Test): The BITSAT examination serves as the sole criterion for admission. The fully residential institute is funded entirely by private donations. A total of 150 questions will be included in the paper.

PhD in Business Management: Top Institutes

In India, many universities and institutes offer PhD programs in business management. We’ve compiled a list of the top universities where you can pursue any business management course you want. These universities hold their own entrance examinations to admit students.

Ranking by NIRF	Institute	Average Annual Fees	Recruitment Areas	Average Salary in the Beginning
8	Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi	INR12,900	Larsen, Nomura, Fort, JP, Standard, TATA, CITI, KPMG, Wipro, DELL, Bank of America, HSBC,Cognizant, Infosys, Ericsson, Wipro, Deloitte, Hewlett Packard, etc.	INR 16.21LPA
10	Management Development Institute, Gurgaon	INR 2,03,000	DELL, Flipkart, SAMSUNG, Tata Steel, Lime road, OYO Rooms, Accenture, Phonepe, Airtel, Axis Bank, Nestle, Vodafone Idea, Make My Trip, etc.	INR 20.13LPA
24	NIT Trichy	INR 93,500	Rivigo, Sonata, Cognizant, Sensiple, Hexaware, Berger, TAFE, Mahindra, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Genpact, ICICI Bank, Exide etc.	INR 6.5 LPA
26	Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata	_	Levis, L&T Powers, HCL Tech, RPG Group, Microsoft, ABP Group, ABA, Genpact, Mahindra System etc.	INR 26.98 LPA
92	Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai	INR 57,000	American Express, Vodafone, Verizon, Bajaj, Cipla, Eureka, IBM, GE,Accenture, Viacom, JET, WNS, etc.	INR 3-12 LPA
101	National Institute of Engineering, Mumbai	INR 9,000	ITC, Reliance, Bristlewne, Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Sterlite, Capgemini, Nestle,Fidelity, Castrol, Dabur, PWC, Asian, Abbott, DR, Zomato, etc.	INR 20.88 LPA
151	Christ University, Bangalore	INR 75,000	KPMG, Ernst & Young, Accenture, ICICI Bank, Kantar, Bajaj, Renault, Deloitte, Genpact, IMRB, EY GDS, Airtel, etc.	INR 5.75LPA
_	Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, Mumbai	INR 24,000	Johnson, Goldman, Procter, UBS, CITI, Barclays, Deloitte, Sybase, Cummins,Croda, Whirlpool, Global, HCL, etc.	INR 20.8LPA
_	Department of Management (BITS), Pilani	INR 64,292	Idea, Infosys, JP, Futura, Cognizant, Credit, Citicorp, DELL, Genpact, Hero,Oracle, Smart, Wipro, Morgan, Reliance, Procter, etc.	INR 7.5 LPA
_	University of Delhi, Faculty of Management Studies, New Delhi	INR 10,480	Boston, Google, IBM, Indian,Amazon, Flipkart, ITC, HSBC, Microsoft, Wipro, Accenture, etc.	INR 25.6LPA

PhD in Business Management Syllabus

Here is the PhD in Business Management syllabus as prescribed by various universities and colleges, which you will be required to study in your PhD business management course, which may vary from college to college. The following are some of the major topics covered by the discipline:

FIRST YEAR	SECOND YEAR	THIRD YEAR
Banking	Theory of Finance	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
Independent Study Paper	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Information Systems	Seminar in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
Accounting Seminar	Global Marketing Seminar	Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
Advanced Accounting Theory	Marketing Theory	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Organizational
Seminar in Banking	Managing Human Resources	Seminar in Organizational Theory and Behavior
Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Banking	Information Systems Seminar	Organizational Theory and Behavior
Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Global Business Management	Strategic Information Systems	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Marketing
Global Business Seminar	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Human Resources Management	Advanced Operations Management Seminar
Global Business	Seminar in Human Resource Management	Advances in Strategic Management
Independent Study Paper in Finance	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Marketing	Strategic Management Seminar
Seminar in Finance	Advanced Operations Management	Independent Conceptual Study Paper in Strategic Management

PhD in Business Management: A Comparison among Institutes

In the table below, you’ll find a comparison of some of the top colleges that offer PhD in Business Management programs. The colleges were compared based on factors such as their NIRF ranking, admission process, annual fees, annual salary, and top recruiters.

Basis of Comparison	Shailesh J. Mehta School Of Management	Department Of Management Studies, IIT Delhi	Management Development Institute
Highlight	Indian Institute of Technology Bombay’s Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management is a public business school. In 2021, the National Institutional Ranking Framework Management ranked the school 11th in India. Avenues is IIT Bombay’s annual international business school festival.	The Indian Institute of Technology’s Department of Management Studies is a center for management education and research. Under the auspices of the Bharti School of Telecom Technology and Management, it currently offers a two-year full-time MBA program with a focus on Management Systems and a two-year full-time MBA program with a focus on Telecommunication Systems Management..	The Management Development Institute (MDI) is a prestigious Indian private business school.
Ranking by NIRF	11	9	10
Place	Mumbai	New Delhi	Gurgaon
Process of Admission	Entrance test followed by personal interview	Entrance test followed by personal interview	Entrance test followed by personal interview
Average Fees (Annually)	INR 24,000	INR 12,900	INR 2,03,000
Average Annual Salary	INR 20.8LPA	INR 6.21LPA	INR 20.13LPA
Top Employers	Johnson, Goldman, Procter, UBS, CITI, Barclays, Croda,Deloitte, Sybase, Cummins, Whirlpool, Global, HCL, etc.	Larsen, Nomura, Fort, JP, Standard, TATA, CITI, KPMG, Wipro, DELL, HSBC,Bank of America, Cognizant, Infosys, Ericsson, Wipro, Deloitte, Hawlett Packard, etc.	DELL, Flipkart, SAMSUNG, Tata Steel, Lime road, OYO Rooms, Airtel, Accenture, Phonepe, Axis Bank, Nestle, Vodafone Idea, Make My Trip, etc.

PhD in Business Management: Top Job Profiles

Future entrepreneurs and managers with a specialization in business management have a plethora of career options. This field necessitates professionals with dynamic and adaptable skills in order to implement innovative business management methods.

This may be the best career option for you if you are an expert at solving all types of problems and never give up. However, some popular job profiles for business management graduates are as follows:

Here are some of the job options available to PhD in Business Management graduates, along with a description of the job and the average annual salary offered for that specific job position:

Job Profile	Description of Job	Average Salary
Business Consultant	Consulting, advising, and developing programs to bridge the gap between current and desired situations, developing management and supervisory skills, assessing the current situation, improving work performance and organisational communication, increasing employee motivation and morale, defining the company’s mission, goals, and objectives, achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty, coaching, and many other tasks are among the responsibilities of a business consultant.	INR 9.77 LPA
Management Accountant	The management accountant analyses financial data to aid business profitability and growth, produces month-end and year-end journals, prepares statutory and management accounts, participates in the annual budgeting and planning process, manages capital expenditure, and produces financial statements such as P&L accounts, cash flows, variance analysis, and commentaries, among other things.	INR 7.74 LPA
Business Analyst	A business analyst’s responsibilities include determining user needs from requests and developing strategies to meet those needs, critically evaluating information from multiple sources and clearly indicating the quality of the final analysis, and communicating complex data in understandable ways.	INR 7 LPA
Human Resources Manager	Human resource managers’ responsibilities include enhancing the organization’s human resources by planning, implementing, and evaluating employee relations and human resources policies, programs, and practices, as well as assisting the company in organisation, communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution, and providing an ethical environment for employees to do their jobs with zeal.	INR 8.63 LPA
Deputy General Manager	Many tasks are typically performed by a Deputy Manager, including implementing business procedures, controlling cost or expenditure, maintaining quality standards, training employees, budgeting, preparing reports, attending meetings,assisting general managers, and presenting.	INR 28.83 LPA

Some other important areas of employment are

Mastercard-Mumbai
Team Assistant
Business Analyst
Associate
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd.-Jaipur
Manager
Superior Staffing Solutions, Inc.-Chennai
BNP Paribas-Mumbai
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited-Delhi
Pearson India-Chennai
HCL Technologies Bengaluru
Business Development Manager
Research & Educational Institutes
Associate
Team Leader

Key Differences between a PhD in Business Management and a PhD in Business Administration:

Both the PhD in Business Administration and the PhD in Business Management are excellent in their own right; it all depends on your future career goals.These two courses may appear to be very similar, which is why some students are confused when choosing a course, but there are some differences between them. They are as follows:

Basis of Comparison	PhD in Business Administration	PhD in Business Management
Highlight	A PhD in business administration entails the performance or management of business operations that leads to major decisions being made or implemented.	The activities associated with running a business, such as controlling, leading, monitoring, organizing, and planning, are covered in a PhD in Business Management course. We decided to bring in another team member to help grow the business even more because the business management was delivering unexpectedly outstanding results for the firm.
Areas of Specialization	Finance, Marketing Management Information System, Organizational Behavior, Strategy & Business economics, Accounting,Urban Land Economics, Transportation & Legist and so on.	Project Management or Leadership, Human Resource Management,Organizational Management and so on.
Eligibility Criteria	M.Phil. and Post-graduate degree in any discipline with aggregate 55% marks and above. Work experience as a teacher, professionals at a higher level for a minimum of 5 years.	Post Graduate degree in a relevant subject with minimum 50% marks scored from any recognized university.
Process of Admission	Merit List, Entrance Exam held by the college, GD/PI	Based on the Entrance test and direct interviews of the short-listed candidates.
Average fees (Annually)	INR 1.5-2.5 Lakhs	INR 2000 to 5Lakhs
Top Hiring Firms	SBI, Deloitte, Reckitt Benckiser, Reliance Industries, Nestle, Tata Administrative Services, Tech Mahindra, Boston Consulting Group, Capgemini, Aditya Birla Group, etc.	Adani Group, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Tata Group, Google, Facebook, American Express, Capital IQ, Amazon, Infosys, Airtel, Idea, Reliance, BSNL, Tata Consultancy, Tata Motors, Bajaj, Hyundai etc.
Positions of Job	Administration Manager, Events Executive, Business Administrative Executive, Business Consultant, Assistant Manager, Strategic Business Head, etc.	Human Resource Manager, Marketing manager, Data Analyst, Business Development manager,Senior Marketing Manager, Associate, manager, Business Analyst, Team Assistant, Consultant, Teacher etc.
Average Salary Per Annum	INR 7 – INR 17 LPA	INR 4 – 8 LPA

PhD in Business Management: Benefits and Scope

There are numerous reasons why someone should pursue a PhD in business management. Students should take this course because of the following advantages:

This course can help you get a good job or start your own business in a company.
Anywhere in the world, you can get a good package salary.
Candidates can choose Business Management as their career foundation because, first and foremost, it is a broad subject that aids in the development of a strong foundation for later years of employment.
Another benefit of pursuing a career in business management is that it pays well, and by completing this course, you can find work or start your own business in both the public and private sectors.
If you have admirable organizational skills, excellent soft skills, and the ability to handle all aspects of the organization’s work, you can have a successful and brilliant career in business management.
The course will help students learn how to conduct high-quality research for private or public organizations, how to direct others’ research, and how to communicate research findings thru teaching and writing.
It also prepares students for the wide range of responsibilities and opportunities that come with careers in research and teaching, as well as positions that require similar research and analytical skills.
Candidates will be prepared to advance in fields such as banking, finance, management, consulting, marketing, teaching, accounting, and human resources.