“As opposed to traditional North American programs where students first finish course work and then find a supervisor to start research, McGill Desautels matches its students with supervisors the moment we are admitted. I started working with my supervisor 3 months before the program even began! This early and persistent focus on research helped put my studies into perspective. When I took classes, all the ideas and tools I learned were immediately put to work to inspire and improve my research.
I developed a new course with my supervisor, and taught undergraduate, MBA, and finance master's students. This opportunity to experience how a course goes from conception to execution and to learn through teaching students at different levels was above and beyond what I expected from the program.
Students can apply for certain fellowships (e.g.: SSHRC, NSERC) the year before they start the PhD program. The extra round of applications would have been great practice for the following years.”
- Evan Jo, PhD 2021 (Finance)
Assistant Professor of Finance, Smith School of Business, Queen's University
“The PhD program at McGill offers a unique opportunity to engage with superior researchers in the field of Finance and Economics in Montreal. This opportunity, along with the flexible structure of the program enables me to develop, pursue and nurture my research ideas.”
- Amir Akbari, PhD 2016
Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Ontario Institute of Technology
“In addition to internal factors (e.g. persistence and passion), three contextual elements are critical for an innovative PhD dissertation and eventually landing a good academic position: (1) a resilient program structure that supports exploration in diverse knowledge domains; (2) top-notch faculty for supervision and collaboration; and (3) generous PhD funding package. In McGill’s PhD program, you can find them all tightly coupled! So no need to hesitate, just go for it!”
- Yasser Rahrovani, PhD 2016
Assistant Professor of Information Systems, Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario
"The Marketing PhD program at the Desautels Faculty of Management is exceptional for two key reasons. Firstly, Desautels is very strong in research. The program offered me everything that I needed to become a successful researcher, such as: comprehensive marketing knowledge from leaders in the field, research skills & tools (free English writing for research courses, advanced software programs, computer labs, and extensive academic journal and industry databases), the opportunity to make important connections with international journal editors and professors, and a vibrant research culture through year-round seminars and workshops. Secondly, Desautels is very generous and supportive. For example, it provided me with several fellowships that enabled me to focus on my dissertation and to present my papers at numerous conferences. Also, the people at Desautels, from its students to its faculty and staff, were a great source of support that helped me overcome any challenge. Overall, pursuing my PhD at Desautels was definitely a valuable experience that I’ll never forget."
- Sumitra Auschaitrakul, PhD 2016
University Lecturer, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thailand
"Working on the cutting-edge business research problems together with the teaching experience that I gained at the Desautels Faculty of Management made me a competitive candidate when I applied for academic positions after my graduation.“
- Mohammad Nikoofal, PhD 2015
Assistant Professor of Operations & Supply Chain Management, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University
"The PhD experience in the accounting area at McGill University is full of challenges and joy. Throughout my PhD life, I have received a very high-quality training on research and invaluable advice. All professors in the PhD program are extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and are willing to give maximum support to the PhD students."
- Jing Zhang, PhD 2015
Assistant Professor of Accounting, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
"The intellectual freedom and autonomy provided by the program allowed me to pursue my passion while challenging me to grow into an independent researcher. The stimulating interaction with renowned professors and amazing colleagues made me feel like I had finally found my place."
- Sung Soo Kim, PhD 2014
Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver
"The PHD program at Desautels prepared me for my academic career in the US. McGill University has an excellent reputation and Desautels faculty are renowned in the US and internationally. The PHD program offered me a solid training in both theory and methods. I had the opportunity of selecting courses offered by four universities in Montreal that are part of the joint PHD program in management. McGill’s extended network of the industry and the local communities facilitated access to my research site and informants. Finally, Montreal is an awesome city to live in that I don't think any town can beat."
- Hani Safadi, PhD 2014
Assistant Professor of MIS, Terry College of Business, The University of Georgia
"With its flexible curriculum, unequaled access to professors who are experts in their field, and generous financial support, the PhD program at McGill offered everything that I needed to succeed in my academic career. I feel privileged to have been taught by and to have collaborated with the faculty at McGill, and these continuous interactions have helped me become the researcher I am today."
- Hugues Langlois, PhD 2014
Assistant Professor of Finance, HEC Paris
“McGill is a place where innovative research is valued, and where doctoral students are challenged to think about the pressing issues in the world. McGill Ph.D program offers me the unique opportunity to learn from the excellent scholars in the field of finance and to collaborate with faculty members and follow students.”
- Yan Wang, PhD 2014
Assistant Professsor of Finance and Business Economics, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University
"The Finance PhD program at McGill offers a wide range of courses to train students for high quality research. I truly appreciate the close collaborations between PhD students and faculty members at McGill. I was able to learn the research process by working closely with my supervisors. I also had the opportunity to attend regular research seminars given by scholars around the world and top-notch conferences in Montreal.”
- Xuhui (Nick) Pan, PhD 2012
Assistant Professor of Finance, A. B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University, New Orleans
"McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management offered me an incredible PhD opportunity: enough structure so that I learned the essentials of doctoral work, but enough freedom to build on this knowledge to publish articles so as to be ready for an academic job. My professors were helpful and supportive. They are now both colleagues and lifelong friends.”
- Brian King, PhD 2011
Associate Professor, HEC Montréal
"The high academic reputation and world-class scholars attracted me to McGill and Desautels in the first place. The academic freedom and flexibility in the Strategy program really benefited me while I was receiving my training there. It gave me quite a lot of space to discover my true interests and to draw on my personal background in developing my research on capability development. Close interactions with multiple professors have equipped me with many valuable skills, which have, ultimately, led to my development as an independent scholar. My Desautels experience helped me to find my way during the early stages of my academic pursuit and, I believe, will continue to contribute to my future career.”
- Yuanyuan Wu, PhD 2011
Associate Professor, the Faculty of Business Administration, Lakehead University
“Reflecting back on my experience in the Desautels doctoral program, I think that what sets the program apart from other top-notch PhD programs is the greater focus on independent thinking and on relevance. McGill PhD students like to tackle big problems with societal implications rather than narrow and technical problems, and they are reminded that academic contribution means "novel thinking".
Doctoral students at McGill also tend to develop their own research programs rather than simply adopt their supervisor's, which requires self-motivation but ultimately helps them to become independent and productive researchers sooner.”
- Jean-Baptiste Litrico, PhD 2010
Associate Professor & Distinguished Faculty Fellow of Strategy, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Canada
“The PhD program at McGill fosters research collaboration between students and faculties. My most important learnings and research development came from direct discussions and co-authorship with the faculty members.”
- Chayawat Ornthanalai, PhD 2009
Associate Professor of Finance, Rotman School of Management,University of Toronto
“McGill and Desautels have played an important role in my education in Canada – first at the MBA level, then in the PhD program. My research interests and motivation to pursue an academic career came from my interactions with wonderful people and outstanding academics alike, such as Robert David and Steve Maguire. They have played a critical role in shaping and guiding my research, as well as my career in general. I am equally grateful for the support of Jan Jorgensen, who was my very first strategy professor during my MBA and my co-supervisor throughout the PhD program.”
- Alex Bitektine, PhD 2009
Canada Research Chair in Strategic Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Management, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University
“I remember the extremely supportive group of PhD students, who organized a cooking group in which one student would set a theme for the others to create dishes around. I also fondly remember Henry Mintzberg’s colloquium, as well as the kind and helpful professors I encountered along the way. In fact, the joint university programme afforded me the opportunity to make valuable connections with a network of professors from other universities. Last, but not least, I remember the late night dinners at Basha, hanging out at the Second Cup in Paragraphe, brunches on Laurier, cricket on the Reservoir, Schwartz Deli, Fairmont Bagels, and so much more!”
- Kamal Munir, PhD 2001
Reader in Strategy and Policy at University of Cambridge
“What was great about doing the PhD program at McGill was the extensive amount of personal contact I had with passionate, talented professors. I could not have asked for a richer kick-off to my research career.”
