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Marketing

Students in Isenberg’s PhD program in marketing uncover insights that can be used to improve marketing practice and/or improve customer experiences. From unearthing the tactics that drive consumer behavior to understanding the implications of a company’s social media presence to determining how a public policy influences various stakeholders, students gain knowledge that increases understanding of the marketplace.

Message from Coordinator About the Program Academic Overview Our Students

Message from Coordinator

Elizabeth G. Miller

PhD Coordinator & Associate Professor

Learn More

At Isenberg’s PhD program in marketing, we’re passionate about understanding consumer and corporate behavior. We believe our line of inquiry delivers a deeper knowledge about our psychology, and informs us about how we can evolve as a society.

Our goal is to generate distinguished scholars and revered professors, and to assist our students as they make advancements in the field. Our department has experts in consumer behavior, various areas of public policy (e.g., health, sustainability and privacy), social media, and sales management.

In particular, we support our students by offering:

Close interactions with faculty—students work with a variety of different faculty who have open door policies
Cross-disciplinary training—students have access to a wealth of strong faculty in departments outside of marketing, and take much of their coursework from experts in complementary fields
Dual focus on research and teaching—students receive training in how to conduct high-level, scholarly research, and also gain teaching experience through leading classes and engaging with faculty mentors

We welcome applicants who are motivated, personable and just as curious as we are to understand and analyze why people do what they do, why firms act or react, and why economies flounder or soar.

About the Program

Overview

Isenberg’s PhD in marketing is a full-time, residential program designed to generate productive research scholars and excellent teachers. Students receive broad training in research methods and marketing theory. The flexible program lets students cherry-pick their coursework to suit their research interests. Small class sizes allow students to collaborate one-on-one with faculty as they prepare research for publication. And valuable, real-world teaching opportunities ensure students excel in academic careers.

Areas of Study

Marketing PhD students can study any area of interest within marketing, such as taking courses in:

Advanced Social Psychology
Affect & Cognition
Applied Research
Panel Data Econometrics

Research

Isenberg has a strong focus on research. Faculty are working on a wide variety of projects, investigating such topics as:

Healthful eating
Aspects of social media and user-generated content
Value-based pricing
Generational cohorts
Mindfulness
Consumer decision-making

Academic Overview

Students generally complete a PhD in marketing within 4-5 years. Students must take 48 hours of coursework, including marketing theory, statistics and research methods. Students complete an independent research project during their first two summers, and must pass a comprehensive exam. Students teach for three years at Isenberg and research, write and defend a dissertation.