The PhD program in strategic management allows students to make scholarly contributions to the field through research, and to prepare for a career in academia. From exploring strategic decision processes to resource allocation, students seek to understand the factors that make up a successful organization.
The PhD program in Strategic Management is designed for individuals who are committed to scholarly research that contributes to literature on strategic management theory and practice.
The fundamental question that drives strategic management is: Why do some firms outperform others? Students in our PhD program uncover the reasons for success and failure among organizations. Their research helps guide the field, and sets students on a path toward an academic research career.
To ensure the success of the student, the doctoral program offers:
The structure of our program engages students in the research process early and often—encouraging students to collaborate with faculty in the creation of articles for publication. Each year, we host eminent research faculty from around the world for research talks and campus visits. We invite academically motivated, creative and open-minded candidates to apply.
Isenberg’s PhD in Strategic Management is a rigorous, stimulating and highly collaborative full-time, residential program that prepares students for careers in academia and industry. Students will deepen their understanding of management theory and will conduct independent research based on their interests. Working closely with faculty in intimate classroom settings, students will develop research for publication. Students also teach graduate-level classes.
Our program is designed to be an integrative discipline that draws extensively from such fields as organizational theory, organizational behavior, and industrial organization economics. Major topics within the field include:
Our program offers access to a unique group of world-class faculty specializing in the following research topics:
Students generally complete a PhD in Strategic Management within four years. Students must take 45 credits of coursework, which seminars in organizational theory and organizational behavior, as well as statistics, methods and elective courses. Students must pass both a qualifying and comprehensive examination, take a professional colloquium course, write and defend a dissertation, and teach at Isenberg.
Here’s a sample of our required strategic management courses:
YEAR 1: Coursework, including statistics, research methods and theory courses, and research electives; Qualifying exam; Colloquium
YEAR 2: Coursework, including core courses, research electives and minor area courses; Comprehensive exam; Colloquium
YEAR 3: Additional coursework as needed; Development of dissertation proposal; Teaching
YEAR 4: Dissertation
