Doctoral Programme in Management - Decision Aiding Science

General Objectives of the Course

The main objective of this PhD program is to provide students with the ability to undertake independent research in management science. In pursuit of this primary objective, the program aims:
- To familiarize students with the principles, practices and methodologies of scientific research;
- To foster a scientific culture that encourages the generation and development of independent research ideas and the production of scientifically rigorous results;
- To provide students with a cognitive framework that allows them to tackle real management problems with a scientific approach, emphasizing an interdisciplinary perspective;
- To provide students with analytical skills for applying various quantitative methods to management problems;
- To provide students with the ability to use information technologies as tools for problem solving and decision support.

Admission Requirements

As defined in Article 64 of the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra and in the Act creating this doctoral programme:

a) holders of a bachelor's degree in Management, Economics, Engineering and other related areas, with a particularly relevant academic or scientific curriculum acknowledged by FEUC's Scientific Council as providing the skills for attending the current study cycle;

b) holders of a master's degree or legal equivalent, in Management, Economics, Engineering and other related areas;

c) lecturers which have been approved in educational aptitude and scientific capacity tests in Management, Economics, Engineering and other related areas;

d) holders of a school, scientific or professional curriculum recognized by FEUC's Scientific Council as providing the skills for attending the current study cycle.

The recognition mentioned in points a) and d) only allows access to a study cycle conducting to a doctoral degree, and does not entitle its holder any equivalence to a bachelor's or master's degree or an acknowledgement thereof.

Candidates should check the admission requirements available on this site, in addition to the information provided here.

Professional Goals

Doctoral graduates in Decision Aiding Science have qualifications to exercise functions in several business fields, such as auditing and consulting, banking and insurance, finance, production and supply, human resources, marketing, teaching and research, namely in public bodies, companies and organizations, both at national and international level.

Mode of Study

Full-time attendance, presence required in daytime schedule. Teaching sessions will take place on Friday (morning and afternoon) and Saturday (morning).

Teaching / Evaluation language(s)

Portuguese

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

As assessment is a pedagogical activity inseparable from the teaching process, its aim is to establish the students' competencies and knowledge, their critical sense, ability to recognize and resolve problems, as well as their written and oral presentation skills. Students may only register for exams for classes they are currently registered for under the terms of number 6 of article 4 of the University of Coimbra Pedagogical Policy. The following are examples of assessment items: Oral or written exams, written or practical work, individual and group projects that may require an oral defense, as well as class participation. Assessment for each class may include one or more of the above mentioned items. Grading is based on a scale of 0 to 20 and a grade of 10 is required to pass. Whenever assessment includes more than one item, the final grade is calculated by taking into account the relative weight of each item according to a formula published in the course outline under the terms of number 2 of article 7 of the UC Pedagogical Policy.

Learning Objectives and Intended Skills

Pursuing the general objectives presented at Section 1.1 the PhD program includes:
- A component based on lectures, which presents an advanced and interdisciplinary vision of the area of management science, and exposes students to the principles and practices of scientific research and to the
main methodologies used in management science;
- A component based on tutorials that aims to support students in performing kind of advanced research that will lead to a PhD thesis.
The core competency that students are supposed to acquire is to be able to develop advanced research in management science. For this purpose, the program tries to provide the students a set of basic skills and a set of skills related to the production of scientific research.
The main basic skills are:
- Capacity for analysis and synthesis;
- Ability for critical thinking and argumentation;
- Ability to interpret and manage information;
- Capacity for planning and organization;
- Ability to use information technologies as tools for problem solving and decision support;
- Ability to acquire knowledge in different sub-fields of management science and related fields;
- Capacity for applying the acquired knowledge to new situations;
- Ability to participate in decision-making processes.
The skills related to the production of scientific research are:
- Ability to recognize research opportunities;
- Ability to design a research project;
- Ability to search for and acquire new knowledge independently;
- Ability to synthesize researched information according to the standards of a literature review of a scientific work;
- Ability to generate and develop ideas and to get results with scientific rigor;
- Ability to present ideas and results according to the standards of scientific communication.
The basic skills are acquired and measured in the component of the PhD program based on lectures. These courses also try to develop some skills for the production of scientific research. There are some mandatory courses where the emphasis on developing these competencies is particularly emphasized (Introduction to Research Methodology and Methodologies in Management Science). The PhD Thesis Project allows an important preliminary assessment of the students’ skills for scientific research production. Seminars, at the second year, complement the acquisition of knowledge relevant to the research work that is being developed. The acquisition of scientific research skills is demonstrated by the independent, albeit oriented, development of a PhD thesis. The thesis defense constitutes the most important assessment of the acquisition of research skills.

Course Coordinator(s)

João Paulo Faria Oliveira Costa
jpaulo@fe.uc.pt

Rui Pedro Santos Lourenço
ruiloure@fe.uc.pt

ECTS Departmental Coordinator(s)

António Manuel Portugal Duarte
portugal@fe.uc.pt

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of prior learning is carried out in accordance with the Academic Regulation of the University of Coimbra.

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

The qualification is framed by the Decree-Law No. 74/2006, of 24 March, as amended by the Decree-Law No. 107/2008, of 25 June, and by the Decree-Law No. 230/2009, of 14 September. Order 9158/2007 (Official Gazette, 2nd series, no. 96, 18 May 2007).

Graduation Requirements

The doctoral programme lasts for 3 years (6 semesters) and includes a taught component in the first two years. Attendance and approval in seminars are required for presenting a dissertation project, whose successful defence is required for subsequent dissertation development. The dissertation will then be defended in a public examination. This programme leads to a doctoral degree in Management by the University of Coimbra.

Access to Further Studies

Doctoral graduates will be able to access post-doctoral programmes, namely in the field of Management

Study Programme

Doctoral Programme in Management – Decision Aiding Science

Academic year
2024-2025

Course Type
3rd Cycle Studies

DGES Code: 5169

Qualification Awarded: Doutor

Duration: 3 Year(s)

ECTS Credits: 180.0

Annual Fee: 2000.0

Applications

Call for Applications

3rd Cycle Course

Calendar

1st Semester: Start date: 09-09-2024
End date: 14-12-2024
2nd Semester: Start date: 03-02-2025
End date: 22-05-2025
1st Quarterial: Start date: 09-09-2024
End date: 23-11-2024
2nd Quarterial: Start date: 03-01-2025
End date: 15-03-2025
3rd Quarterial: Start date: 11-04-2025
End date: 26-06-2025

Accreditations

Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior: 2019-07-31 a 2025-07-30
Direcção Geral de Ensino Superior: Nº Registo: R/A-Ef 1598/2011; 2011-03-18