Financing
All HEC PhD students receive a cost-of-living scholarship and full tuition waiver
We are committed to providing the conditions that enable our students to pursue research at the highest academic level. This includes a five-year cost-of-living scholarship, full tuition waiver, and additional financial support for conference presentations, research visits, job market activities, and ad hoc research needs.
Every PhD student benefits from the below funding opportunities for up to 5 years.
All students entering the program in 2025 will receive a cost-of-living scholarship of €26,000 per year for five years, funded by the HEC Foundation.
This scholarship is not tied to a research assistantship. Optional teaching assistant, research assistant, and other teaching opportunities are available and provide additional income.
Pregnancy during PhD: Completing a PhD is a long journey and should not come in the way of starting a family. At HEC Paris, female students benefit from a paid maternity leave and may receive up to six months of additional scholarship funding to complete their dissertation serenely
HEC Paris invites applications for special PhD fellowships in selected research areas:
Purposeful Leadership Fellowship: Offered within the Strategy and Business Policy specialization, this fellowship supports ground-breaking academic research on organizational purpose. Fellows will collaborate with the Sustainability and Organizations Institute, alongside with the team of researchers of the Joly Family Chair in Purposeful Leadership, held by Professor Rodolphe Durand.
Economics of Mentorship Fellowship: Offered within the Economics and Decision specialization, this fellowship supports innovative research on the impact of mentorship on startups, firms, universities, and NGOs. You will collaborate with the research team of the ION Management Science Lab at HEC Paris, led by Professors Thomas Åstebro and Carlos Serrano.
HEC provides a full tuition waiver to all PhD students.
Tuition Fees (2025-2026)
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| € 30,000 | € 30,000 | € 12,000 | € 12,000 | € 12,000 |
Doctoral School registration fees
PhD students are required to pay registration fees to the Doctoral School (joint between HEC Paris and Institut Polytechnique de Paris) from the third year on.
In 2025/26 (subject to annual changes):
- Registration fee : €391
- CVEC (Contribution à la Vie Etudiante et de Campus) : €103
HEC Paris Faculty have a strong network of co-authors who work at top business schools and leading research universities around the world. They call on this network to help PhD students receive invitations for research visits ranging from a few weeks to a full academic year. These visits present a great opportunity for students to get feedback on their dissertation papers, collaborate with renowned faculty, grow their academic network, and prepare the job market.
The PhD office supports students financially by offering an additional cost of living scholarship, return ticket, visa fees, and mandatory health insurance.
The HEC Paris PhD Program offers generous support to students to present their research output at academic conferences. Conference funding includes transportation, food and lodging, visa costs, and conference fees. On average, our students participate in two academic conferences annually.
HEC Paris provides ample funding opportunities to support PhD students’ research. These include a dedicated quarterly call for PhD research grants, as well as regular funding opportunities offered through our interdisciplinary research centers: Hi! Paris Center on Artificial Intelligence, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute, and Sustainability & Organizations Institute.
PhD students have ample opportunities (with no obligation) to work as teaching assistants or research assistants. These roles support your professional development by allowing you to work closely with faculty on course design, delivery, and administration, as well as on key stages of the research process such as literature reviews, coding, and data analysis.
TA and RA positions help you deepen your knowledge of topics and methods that will benefit your growth as a teacher and researcher. They also offer the opportunity to earn additional income.