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Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | 3:19 PM CDT

Management PhD Program Objectives

The PhD program in business administration with a major in management has two major objectives:

  1. To prepare students to conduct high-quality research relevant to private or public organizations, to direct research by others, and to communicate research findings through teaching and writing; and
  2. To prepare students for the varied responsibilities and opportunities of careers in research and teaching or for positions requiring similar research and analytical skills.

Throughout the program, an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the relevant theoretical and empirical literature are emphasized. Students are expected to gain the necessary conceptual, quantitative, and methodological skills to carry out high quality empirical research.

These objectives are accomplished in several ways — formal course work, independent study and reading, formal assignment as a research assistant, student-initiated research projects, and dissertation research. This research can lead to students authoring a paper or co-authoring a paper with one or more faculty members or other PhD students.

A variety of small group activities provide students with the opportunity to broaden their development. Although there is no formal credit for these activities, doctoral students are expected to participate. These activities include: seminars presented by prospective faculty members, current faculty, and/or visiting faculty and executives; "brown bag" luncheon seminars; meetings with business executives when appropriate; and participation in academic conferences.

Departmental recognition

The faculty has received numerous research and teaching awards as well as other recognition such as election to major offices in professional associations. We are actively engaged in a variety of research projects; the results of which are regularly disseminated through articles in major journals, teaching and consulting activities, books and participation in conferences and meetings.

The Department of Management has been nationally recognized in a variety of studies:

These and other achievements make the department an excellent choice for the PhD student who is seriously interested in an academic career oriented toward research and teaching at the university level. The department's national recognition and a well-designed doctoral program place us in a strong position to assist our doctoral graduates in developing attractive placement opportunities at quality schools upon completion of their studies.

Management department faculty members also currently serve in the following major editorial board roles:

The department faculty members also serve or have served in the following major editorial roles: editor of Academy of Management Journal, editor of the Journal of International Business Studies, editor of the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, and co-editor of the annual series Research in Organizational Change and Development. Current associate editors roles include the Journal of Management. Faculty members have also served in the following roles: editor of Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Management, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal; associate editors of Personnel Psychology, Journal of International Business Studies, and Academy of Management Journal; senior editor of Organizational Science and the Journal of Legal Studies Education; and USA co-editor of Transport Reviews.

Recent graduates hold faculty positions at universities such as: