The PhD program in Organization Studies is designed for individuals who are interested in understanding and researching the changing dynamics of organizations in contemporary society. From studying the meanings and conditions of work and employment relations to exploring leadership, gender and diversity, students seek to understand the processes of organizational change.
The Organization Studies PhD fosters innovative thinking and takes an integrative approach to issues commonly addressed across the fields of organizational behavior, human resource management, and organization theory.
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:
We welcome applications from intellectually curious, academically oriented individuals.
Isenberg’s PhD in Organization Studies is a multidisciplinary residential program that prepares students for careers in academia. Students will broaden their understanding of the areas of study within organization studies, and they will conduct independent research based on their interests. The small class size allows for individual attention from faculty and the program size provides many opportunities to work with faculty on research projects. Students also have the opportunity to develop effective teaching skills.
Organization studies draws from a number of fields including psychology, sociology, economics and labor studies. Topics of study include, but are not limited to:
Our program offers access to a unique group of world-class faculty specializing in the following research topics:
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.
Here’s a sample of our required organization studies courses:
Prior electives have included seminars on leadership and empowerment and international organizational behavior; other electives or independent studies are offered depending on faculty availability and student interest.
YEAR 1: Coursework, including foundational courses; Summer paper; Colloquium; First Year Portfolio
YEAR 2: Coursework, including core courses, research electives and minor area courses; Colloquium; Comprehensive exam
YEAR 3: Additional coursework as needed; Development of dissertation proposal; Teaching
YEAR 4: Dissertation; Teaching
