DSB follows a trimester system with each full-time course being 3 credits and one credit is equivalent to ten hours of classroom teaching. Students admitted to the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) must undergo one year of course work followed by the research in their respective areas from the second year. 

1^st Year Courses: The coursework is designed to provide a strong foundation in management areas and research techniques. Each candidate must complete a minimum of 36 credits as mentioned in Table 1.

Table 1

The minimum of CGPA of 6.5 on a 10-point scale is required for passing Coursework. A candidate getting less than that shall be given one more opportunity to repeat the Course. After completion of the coursework, FPM students are required to clear the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination (CQE), which assesses the knowledge and research preparedness in the chosen area of specialization.

Research and Thesis Phase (Years 2, 3 and 4): Upon successful completion of the CQE, candidates undertake thesis work under the guidance of a Thesis Advisory Committee. The thesis must represent an original and significant contribution to the field of management. The research culminates in an internal and external thesis evaluation and defence.

Comprehensive Qualifying Evaluation:

The Comprehensive Qualifying Evaluation (CQE) is designed to assess a scholar’s multidisciplinary understanding of management issues and their preparedness to undertake original research in their chosen area of specialization. The evaluation focuses on the scholar’s ability to integrate perspectives from diverse knowledge domains, critically engage with existing research, and develop appropriate research models, frameworks or solutions.

The CQE will be conducted by a committee constituted specifically for each scholar by the FPM Office after the successful completion of the coursework. The committee will comprise of three faculty members, with one faculty member serving as the Chairperson. The Chairperson should preferably be from the scholar’s area of specialization. The committee will assess the scholar’s depth of conceptual understanding, interdisciplinary perspective, analytical capabilities, and ability to connect management issues across different knowledge domains. The evaluation will also examine the scholar’s ability to critically synthesize the work of existing scholars and apply it to contemporary management problems.

The committee is expected to meet collectively to review the scholar’s academic and research progress and determine an appropriate topic or research problem for the CQE. The evaluation will be designed to test the scholar’s knowledge, integrative thinking, and ability to identify, analyse, and connect significant issues and challenges within the field of management.

The scope of the CQE is intended to strengthen the scholar’s research competencies and ensure readiness for undertaking independent and original doctoral-level research leading to the thesis.

Thesis Proposal and Research Progress

• Thesis Proposal

 After the completion of CQE, a guide will be assigned to each of the FPM candidates. Their research journey begins with the identification of a relevant and significant research topic, developed in consultation with their guide and aligned with the scholar’s chosen area of specialization. A Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) will then be constituted to guide and supervise the scholar throughout the research process.

The TAC will comprise of three members, including a chairperson (guide), two faculty members from the same or an allied area of specialization. One external member from a reputed institution/organization from the same or an allied area of specialization can be allowed as a part of the TAC. In consultation with the TAC, the scholar will develop a comprehensive research design and prepare the Thesis Proposal, outlining the research problem, objectives, theoretical foundations, methodology and proposed contribution of the study.

The scholar will present the thesis proposal in an open seminar before the academic community of Delhi School of Business. The feedback and recommendations received during the seminar and from the TAC will be incorporated within the stipulated timeframe. Where substantial modifications are required, the revised proposal will be resubmitted for evaluation and approval. Upon approval of the proposal, the scholar will proceed with the research work leading to the doctoral thesis.

• Research Progress Presentations

To ensure continuous academic engagement and systematic monitoring of research progress, scholars will be required to present their research work every six months. These presentations will provide an opportunity for faculty members and fellow scholars to critically review the progress, offer constructive feedback, and suggest directions for further development.

The scholar is expected to incorporate the relevant feedback and recommendations within the prescribed timeframe. A research progress report, along with supporting documents and evidence of the progress achieved, must be submitted to the members of the Thesis Advisory Committee, with a copy submitted to the FPM Office, Delhi School of Business.

• Thesis Writing

Thesis writing represents the culmination of the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). Under the guidance of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC), the scholar is expected to undertake a thorough and independent research that makes an original contribution to knowledge in the chosen area of study. The thesis should be based on a robust research design and appropriate methodology and demonstrate the scholar’s ability to generate new knowledge and meaningful insights for the field of management.

• Thesis Examination

Following the approval of the thesis by the Thesis Advisory Committee, a Thesis Examination Committee will be constituted by the FPM Office. The committee will comprise the TAC Chairperson and two external examiners, with at least one examiner preferably drawn from a reputed international institution.

The committee will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the thesis, followed by a comprehensive viva voce examination to assess the scholar’s understanding of the research problem, methodology, findings, and contribution to knowledge. Based on the examiners’ evaluations and the outcome of the viva voce, the thesis may be accepted, accepted subject to modifications, or rejected, in accordance with the academic requirements of the programme.

• Publication Requirement

Research undertaken during the FPM is expected to generate high-quality scholarly work suitable for publication in reputed peer-reviewed academic journals. A key objective of the programme is to prepare scholars for successful careers in academic research and teaching.

As part of the requirements for the award of the Fellowship, scholars are expected to publish at least two research papers in reputed international peer-reviewed journals indexed in recognised academic databases and journal classification systems, such Web of Science or Scopus. In addition, scholars are expected to develop and publish a high-quality teaching case, preferably with teaching notes, through recognised case publishing platforms such as Ivey Publishing, Harvard Business Publishing, ACRC, or other established case repositories. For meeting the publication requirement, the scholar should be the sole author or first author of at least one research publication(s).

All publications and research outputs must adhere to the institute’s academic integrity and anti-plagiarism policies. Scholars are encouraged to submit their teaching cases to recognised case repositories in accordance with the respective submission, review, and publication guidelines. The scholar is expected to produce research that is original and of high quality.

• Teaching Assistantship Requirement

The FPM Programme is designed to prepare scholars for successful careers in teaching and research, with a strong emphasis on developing academic, pedagogical and collaborative skills. As part of this development, each scholar is required to work with a faculty member as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and contribute to various academic and teaching-related activities.

The Teaching Assistantship may involve classroom teaching support, guest lectures, case and course material development, course design, curriculum development, assessment, grading, and other academic responsibilities assigned by the faculty member.

Each FPM scholar is expected to complete 30 hours or three months of Teaching Assistantship in a year after completion of their CQE at Delhi School of Business, as prescribed by the FPM Office.

• Award of the Title of Fellow

A scholar must successfully fulfil all academic and programme requirements to qualify for the award of the title of “Fellow in Management”. The requirements include:

• Successful completion of the FPM coursework
• Successful completion of the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination (CQE)
• Successful completion and approval of the doctoral thesis
• Fulfilment of the prescribed publication requirements
• Successful completion of the Teaching Assistantship requirement

In addition, the scholar must obtain the necessary clearances from the designated authorities and functional areas of Delhi School of Business, as prescribed by the Institute’s guidelines.

Upon fulfilling all requirements and receiving the requisite approvals, the scholar will be awarded the title of “Fellow in Management” at the Annual Convocation of Delhi School of Business.

• FPM scholars are expected to complete the coursework within one year. In case of course repetition, it must be completed within a maximum period of two years.
• The Programme must be completed within 4 years after the registration, which may be extended up to 7 years maximum, depending on the merit of the case and favourable review of work progress by the FPM Committee.

The institute will provide financial support to their FPM scholars throughout their FPM journey. On completing CQE after the successful completion of coursework, they will receive Rs 35000 per month. From third year, the scholars will receive Rs 40000 per month till the end of fourth year. Contingency grant of 60000 rupees will be provided across the four-year research journey of the scholar to support their scholarly requirements. Financial support to attend conferences will be provided as per the institute’s policy.

Each candidate shall be provided one Guide under whose supervision the research work in relation to the Programme shall be carried out. The Guide shall be nominated by the Director of the Institution. All Guides shall be internal. In exceptional cases, where external guidance shall be required, recognized Guides from reputed Institutions shall be allowed only as co-guides.

Research Guides shall be allotted to the selected candidates after completion of the necessary course work, CQE and related formalities. The research programme and areas of research shall be finalized by respective Guides after discussion with the candidates and should be forwarded to the Director for approval.

Faculty with Ph.D and with at least 2 publications in recent times (within 3 years) in high quality journals of repute are eligible to guide the Fellow Programme candidates. Each such faculty shall be assigned a maximum of 2 candidates in each academic year.

Delhi School of Business provides FPM scholars with a holistic research ecosystem supported by access to world-class academic resources, leading industry databases and extensive digital knowledge repositories. Scholars can access premier research platforms such as EBSCO Business Source, ProQuest (ABI/INFORM Collection & Business eBooks), Prowess IQ (CMIE), and Emerald Indian e Cases, enabling them to undertake data-driven, and evidence-based research across diverse domains of management. The digital library further provides access to thousands of peer-reviewed international e-journals and over 20,000 e-books through ProQuest, keeping scholars up to date with the emerging theories, empirical research, industry developments, and contemporary business practices. The institute provides scholars with dedicated research space and wi-fi access within the library

• The candidate shall pay all the prescribed fee as and when they are due.
• The Courses prescribed but not successfully completed by the candidate shall be repeated by the candidate after due permissions & payment of repeat exam fee as prescribed.
• Candidate must furnish a periodic Research Progress Report for review and evaluation by Thesis Advisory Committee and the Guide. Progress reports may be resubmitted, if the Thesis Advisory Committee and the Guide are not satisfied with the presentation.
• More than two repeated unsatisfactory progress report submissions shall render the candidate ineligible to continue the programme.
• In case of any dispute, the decision of the Director will be final. In all cases, AICTE guidelines will be followed.

An FPM from Delhi School of Business (DSB) opens diverse career opportunities across academia, research, industry, consulting and policy. Graduates can pursue careers as faculty members, academic researchers, research fellows, business researchers, consultants and policy analysts in leading universities, business schools, research institutions, think tanks and organisations. The programme equips scholars with strong research, analytical and domain expertise, preparing them for intellectually rigorous and research-driven careers.

Beyond academia, FPM scholars can build careers in corporate strategy, business analytics, consumer insights, innovation, management consulting and policy research. They may also pursue leadership roles in research-intensive organisations or explore entrepreneurship and independent consulting. With its emphasis on research and contemporary management challenges, the FPM provides a strong foundation for careers that create impact at the intersection of knowledge, business and society.