News

PhD program

The Kühne Logistics University (KLU) is a newly-founded research-oriented university. Its mission is to educate future leaders in logistics and management and to conduct research for the benefit of society. In particular, it seeks to advance scientific knowledge and to apply it in the interrelated fields of logistics, marketing, and leadership. As an integral part of this mission, KLU is committed to offering, in English, a unique and internationally-competitive PhD program in logistics and its interrelated fields (e.g., marketing and leadership).

Target group

The KLU is seeking highly talented candidates who want to pursue an academic career and are interested in doing research. The KLU will screen every applicant to identify suitable candidates’ unique talents. 

Duration and course structure 

In accordance with international standards and practices, the program is composed of four years:

The first part (two years)

•  is devoted to course work: during the first year students are required to take at least four courses in methodology, including Operations Research, Statistics and Econometrics, Simulation, and Experimentation. The courses are taught at the KLU by its own faculty, complemented by internationally distinguished scholars, and students may attend workshops or courses at cooperating universities. 
• In the second year, students take four advanced courses in their dissertation topic, which should be logistics, marketing and / or leadership. 
• At the end of the second year, every student must pass an examination that measures his/her depth of knowledge and comprehension of relevant methodologies, theoretical foundations and empirical evidence. Upon successful completion candidates are admitted to the second part of the Ph.D. program. 

The second part 

• The PhD candidate will be actively involved in research projects, with the faculty of the KLU. The goal is to publish the results in highly-ranked academic journals. 
• The PhD dissertation will consist of a collection of such research papers.  
• In addition the candidate can participate in joint research projects and will be involved in teaching. 
• The final requirement for the PhD is the oral defense of the dissertation, which takes places at the end of the fourth year. 

The KLU PhD program provides opportunities for students to work closely with faculty members, which enable them to develop the skills necessary to pursue their research and teaching careers.

Degree

During the start-up period the Kühne Logistics University cannot grant state accredited PhD degrees in its own right. Up and until receiving this right which will be supported by hiring professors with strong research capabilities, the KLU will admit students to its PhD program only if there is a cooperating partner (e.g., from our program faculty) accepting a joint supervision including the examination at his or her university. PhD students will receive a close supervision from a KLU professor and one non-KLU reviewer.

Admission Requirements

Applications for becoming doctoral students are very competitive. We therefore advise applicants to provide the KLU with the result of a GMAT or GRE test. Applications with a GMAT of less than 650 points or a score of less than 700 for the mathematical part of the GRE cannot be considered at all.

• Master’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university and an excellent academic record 
• GMAT with a score of  ≥ 650 or
• GRE with score of  ≥ 700* for the mathematical part
• Test results not older than 3 years
• Proof of proficiency in English (Copy of TOEFL or IELTS score)
  

 

* Prior score scale 700; current score scale 155

Selection of PhD candidates

Step 1:

To express their interest to become a PhD student at THE KLU, candidates have to fill in the PhD Inquiry Form and

·         indicate their research interest (logistics, marketing or leadership)

·         describe their special research interest

·         outline previous gained knowledge of subject related methodologies

The completed inquiry form, a curriculum vitae and the GMAT/GRE score report should be sent to duclinh.vantri(at)the-klu.org.

Step 2:

Only after a positive reviev by the KLU, candidates will be asked to hand in their complete application documents. If not asked to complete the application, the inquiry was rejected.

Remark: Due to the large number of inquiries KLU will not send out e-mails or letters of rejections to candidates who have not been invited to apply!

 

Application deadline

Each June 30

Start of the program

Each September

Tuition & Costs

Tuition fee 

• 8,000 euros annually (year 1 and 2)
• 4,000 euros annually (year 3 and 4) 

Applicants are strongly advised to seek financial support from external sources, which might be complemented by THE KLU to cover living expenses and tuition fees. 

PhD scholarships 

The KLU is offering 

•  4 scholarships of annually 24,000 euro 
•  outstanding candidates could receive additionally a tuition fee waiver 

Our support is very generous, because of our belief that investment in future scholars is an investment in our institution. PhD students who are awarded a scholarship will receive the stipend tax-free, but will not be allowed to earn additional income. They will be expected to work full-time on their dissertation.

Further financial assistance 

PhD students could also apply for the following financial assistance

• Brain Capital Financing Scheme
• Loans