Message from the Coordinator
Our program provides students with strong grounding in organization and management studies, as well as in the current developments and controversies surrounding organizations and their management. Our goal is to develop outstanding researchers who make substantive contributions to scholarship and to place them in research institutions.
The doctoral program is successful because it offers:
- World-class faculty who are active researchers with visibility in the field’s top journals
- Cooperative and stimulating intellectual climate that supports individual scholarly development
- Individual attention from faculty that allows students to collaborate with faculty
- Rigorous coursework that equips students with the intellectual tools to investigate meaningful questions
- Exposure to eminent research faculty from around the world for research talks and campus visits
We welcome applications from intellectually curious, academically oriented individuals.
Giuseppe Labianca
Berthiaume Chaired Professor of Leadership
At a Glance
- Access to Berthiaume Behavioral Research Lab with eye-tracking, facial analysis, and GSR technology
- Quality, personalized mentorship with 1:1 student-to-faculty ratio
- Faculty are focused on understanding reasons for success and failure among organizations
Application Deadline: December 15
Reach out to PhD Coordinator Giuseppe Labianca at glabianca@umass.edu for more information.
Faculty work alongside doctoral students on a variety of projects, publishing in top-tier management journals. Recent projects include:
- Strategic human capital
- Social relationships in organizations
- Diversity and organization performance
- Social identity, sensemaking processes, and organizational change
- The influence of culture and values
- Human resource management
Students work closely with their advisor and the full faculty team, gaining a strong foundation through diverse perspectives. Gain opportunities to learn from top scholars, with research faculty bringing diverse experience.
Students generally complete a PhD in Organization Studies within 4-5 years. Students must take 45 credits of coursework, building foundational knowledge in Organization Studies and Research Methods before taking advanced courses. The program includes a summer paper and first year portfolio, a colloquium, a comprehensive examination, a 2-year teaching requirement and a dissertation.
Amherst, Mass., is a quintessential New England college town, with scenic surroundings that include mountains, trails, and four-season outdoor recreation. Learn more about the Western Massachusetts experience
Roadmap: Degree Timeline
Your roadmap to a PhD—designed to help you make a lasting impact through research and scholarship.
Years 1 & 2: Coursework
- Students complete 45 credits of coursework and milestone exams, building a foundation in organization theory and research methods
- Flexibility to customize much of the curriculum across the university
- Sample courses include organization theory, organization behavior, human resource management, experimental & casual inference methods, regression & advanced modeling, AI & innovation, predictive analytics & machine learning, sustainability & social entrepreneurship, and qualitative & mixed methods
Years 3 & 4 : Dissertation & Teaching
- Focus on dissertation proposal, research, and defense
- Teaching requirement up to three to four courses, gaining valuable classroom experience
Academic Careers & Alumni Insights
Our alumni have gone on to faculty careers at:
Organization Studies Doctoral Candidates
Learn More
Take the next step by contacting our admissions team!
To apply, you'll need:
- GRE or GMAT scores
- Official transcripts
- Personal statement and resume
- Short essay response
- Letters of recommendation
- English proficiency scores (if applicable)
For questions, contact doctoral_program@isenberg.umass.edu.