Call for applications: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School

Are you considering doing your Ph.D. in the US at one of the world’s best business schools?

The Institute of Economic Studies is looking for a highly motivated Master student for a study abroad at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, Kenan-Flagler Business School (UNC Kenan-Flagler), in the Autumn or Spring semester 2025/2026.

This semester study abroad opportunity is designed as a unique opportunity to audit several courses in top-ranked doctoral programs at UNC, including doctoral seminars (e.g. Seminar in Accounting Research, Corporate Finance, Macroeconomics and Asset Pricing). Course participation will be awarded ECTS credits and count toward the elective course requirements.

UNC Kenan-Flagler consistently ranks as one of the world’s best business schools. It is ranked as the 20th best business school in the US by US News and World Report. To learn more about its doctoral program, please see this link: https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/phd/. Be sure to click on the link for Job Market Candidates and Placements for a list of business schools where recent graduates have accepted assistant professor positions.

Information: To learn more about the opportunity, we organized a virtual meeting with Professor Wayne Landsman from UNC Kenan-Flagler, where he shortly introduced UNC Kenan-Flagler and discussed all aspects of the study. His presentation from the meeting can be found here and the meeting's recording is here.

Please, find all the details of this call also in this downloadable .pdf.

Meanwhile, you can learn more about UNC Kenan-Flagler by clicking on this link for a video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLTuL7AKEY4

Eligibility: During the academic year 2025/2026, the student needs to be in the IES Master’s program. Thus, students eligible to apply are

• current first-year Master’s students
• current second-year Master’s students planning to defend their diploma thesis in their third year (i.e., in the academic year 2025/2026)
• current 3rd-year and 4th-year Bachelor’s students planning to defend this academic year and becoming Master’s students in the academic year 2025/2026 (these students would only be eligible for the Spring Term at UNC).

Applications: The application must contain all the following documents:

• CV (including applicant‘s email and phone number)
• Cover letter – applicants should explain why they are interested in the study exchange and how they expect to benefit from it; they are also encouraged to highlight their strengths and qualifications to become a perfect candidate for the study exchange
• Preliminary study plan at UNC
• Letter of recommendation from an academic at IES FSV UK
• Transcript of study results from the SIS and a total grade point average for both study cycles (Bachelor and Master)
• Master’s students attach their defended Bachelor thesis and its referee reports, and Bachelor’s students submit their Bachelor-thesis project.

The application may further contain the following if available:

• official language certificates
• GMAT or GRE test scores
• relevant certificates confirming further education and achievements

Applicants must send all the requested documents electronically in one zipped file to Lenka Šťastná, lenka.stastna@fsv.cuni.cz, no later than November 30, 2024, 23:59.

Selected applicants will be then invited for an online interview.

Conditions: Students do not pay any tuition at UNC, but they are expected to cover their living costs. Students must get a specific amount of ECTS credits given by the Dean’s provision No.15/2018. Immediately after the stay, students must deliver the requested documents to the International Office.

Funding: Students should apply for Rector’s Mobility Fund funding, which might provide approximately CZK 60,000. IES would support up to 2 students per academic year with a one-off stipend of CZK 25,000 each. The current funding minimum required for living expenses is $2,000/month for an exchange visitor, but it is far more than students usually spend. The Autumn semester runs from mid-August to December, and the Spring semester runs from January to April, making the minimum required length of stay four months.

To learn more about living in Chapel Hill, please see this video:

Testimonial: Mgr. Jan Bartůněk, a fresh IES graduate, shares his valuable insights regarding his study abroad experience at UNC Kenan-Flagler:

“Participating in PhD exchange program at UNC Kenan-Flagler is an amazing opportunity that allows to dive into both the academic and cultural sides of university life in the U.S. One of the biggest benefits for me was being able to explore the possibility of pursuing a PhD in Finance at such a respected institution.

The close interactions with professors in and outside of classes and the collaborative atmosphere among students, combined with small class sizes and the demanding weekly preparations for classes, provided an ideal environment for learning and academic growth.

Most of the classes were centered around reading, presenting, and discussing academic papers, which really improved my ability to analyze and understand research, which I believe really helped me when writing my master’s thesis and will help me also in the future. My presentation skills also got much better since I was regularly presenting papers and discussing them in classes. One of the most valuable aspects of the experience was getting to see how the PhD studies work beyond just attending classes. Attending job market paper presentations and networking with PhD students and faculty members gave me a good sense of what’s expected at that level and the kind of commitment a PhD involves.

Outside of academics, living in Chapel Hill gave me a taste of the American university lifestyle. Chapel Hill is a charming, beautiful small town, with a great atmosphere that revolves around the university. Also, North Carolina has a lot of natural beauty, including stunning mountains and scenic spots that were amazing to explore. I also made some incredible friends from all over the world who made my experience even more special.

Overall, the program was an academic challenge for me, but full of personal and professional growth. It helped me get a much better understanding of the PhD path and shaped my future goals. I would highly recommend this program to anyone thinking about pursuing a PhD program.”