phd in business administration mit

MIT Sloan is the leader in research and teaching in AI. Dive in to discover why.

Which program is right for you?

Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program develops leaders who make a difference in the world.

Earn your MBA and SM in engineering with this transformative two-year program.

A rigorous, hands-on program that prepares adaptive problem solvers for premier finance careers.

A 12-month program focused on applying the tools of modern data science, optimization and machine learning to solve real-world business problems.

Combine an international MBA with a deep dive into management science. A special opportunity for partner and affiliate schools only.

A doctoral program that produces outstanding scholars who are leading in their fields of research.

Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

Apply now and work for two to five years. We'll save you a seat in our MBA class when you're ready to come back to campus for your degree.

Executive Programs

The 20-month program teaches the science of management to mid-career leaders who want to move from success to significance.

A full-time MBA program for mid-career leaders eager to dedicate one year of discovery for a lifetime of impact.

A joint program for mid-career professionals that integrates engineering and systems thinking. Earn your master’s degree in engineering and management.

Non-degree programs for senior executives and high-potential managers.

A non-degree, customizable program for mid-career professionals.

PhD Program

MIT Sloan PhD Program graduates are leaders in their fields, conducting research with global impact on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous: MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

Behavioral & Policy Sciences

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the  Operations Research Center .

What We Seek

The MIT Sloan PhD Program looks for a small number of people who will successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

Read about our admissions process and requirements

Program Structure

Coursework PhD students fulfill their coursework and methodology requirements by taking advantage of the more than 150 subjects offered at MIT Sloan — in addition to hundreds more offered across MIT. Students may also avail themselves of courses at other local universities. Course selection is made under the guidance of faculty in the student's research group.

Master’s Thesis In addition to taking elective classes, students in the second or third year of the program are expected to complete their first major research paper which will be a master’s thesis, earning them an SM in Management Research.

General Examinations The single most important hurdle in the PhD experience at MIT Sloan is the General Examinations. The exact form of these exams can vary according to the faculty and students involved, but they always involve written and oral parts given by the area faculty covering all of the relevant material.

Dissertation After students complete the General Examinations, the stage is set for them to begin work on a dissertation or thesis, the most unstructured and difficult part of doctoral studies. Students must choose a topic, define it to the satisfaction of a faculty committee, investigate it thoroughly (including gathering data at field sites), and write the dissertation.

Dissertations typically take one of two forms, either book-style chapters or separate essays. They are usually completed within two to three years of passing the General Examinations. The final step before achieving the doctorate is a public defense seminar, which is open to the entire MIT Sloan community.

Doctoral Degrees

A doctoral degree requires the satisfactory completion of an approved program of advanced study and original research of high quality..

Please note that the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Science (ScD) degrees are awarded interchangeably by all departments in the School of Engineering and the School of Science, except in the fields of biology, cognitive science, neuroscience, medical engineering, and medical physics. This means that, excepting the departments outlined above, the coursework and expectations to earn a Doctor of Philosophy and for a Doctor of Science degree from these schools are generally the same. Doctoral students may choose which degree they wish to complete.

Applicants interested in graduate education should apply to the department or graduate program conducting research in the area of interest. Some departments require a doctoral candidate to take a “minor” program outside of the student’s principal field of study; if you wish to apply to one of these departments, please consider additional fields you may like to pursue.

Below is a list of programs and departments that offer doctoral-level degrees.

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The mission of the  MIT Sloan School of Management  is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice.

At the intersection of business and technology, MIT Sloan is exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to improve organizations, retooling systems to make health care work better, and engaging people around the world to solve the climate crisis.

Ideas Made to Matter

MIT Sloan is where smart, independent leaders become smarter together, confident that the world can and should be better. MIT Sloan transforms confidence into ability, leads with purpose, and strives for bold action and impact.

MIT Sloan offers a diverse program portfolio ranging from undergraduate degrees to programs for senior executives. From our Master of Finance and Master of Analytics programs for recent graduates, and our  flagship two-year MBA  to the intensive,  yearlong MIT Sloan Fellows MBA Program , our degree and non-degree programs empower leaders to solve complex business problems and improve the world.

From the Classroom to the Marketplace

Among MIT Sloan’s key strengths are its exceptionally close ties with MIT, especially in fields crucial to business, including economics, engineering, and science. Our interdisciplinary approach is a feature of the  Leaders for Global Operations program, a dual-degree program with the School of Engineering that is transforming supply chain management and manufacturing education, while collaborating with industry partners. Many MIT Sloan students routinely take classes in departments and schools outside of MIT Sloan to round out their knowledge and skills.

Action Learning & Focused Curriculum

MIT Sloan’s signature experiential learning model immerses students in locations all over the world to translate knowledge into useful solutions.  Action Learning  builds resilient, thoughtful leaders capable of solving unstructured problems across business functions. Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Sustainable Business Lab, and Healthcare Lab are just a few of the avenues through which students can apply classroom concepts and theory to real-world business scenarios.

MIT Sloan Students—no matter their degree program—may also choose to focus their study through one of seven certificate programs. With certificate programs in analytics, finance, sustainability, and more, students may tailor their education to meet their professional goals.

Entrepreneurship

At the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship , our mission is to advance knowledge and educate students in innovation-driven entrepreneurship in a manner that will best serve the world in the 21st century. The focus of our education is MIT students to whom we provide proven frameworks, courses, co-curricular programs, state-of-the-art facilities, advisory services, and processes to create a rigorous, practical, customized, and integrated educational experience.

Centers and Initiatives

MIT Sloan faculty actively participate in the following interdisciplinary research centers:

• Center for Information Systems Research
• Consumer Finance Initiative
• Climate Policy Center
• Cybersecurity at MIT Sloan
• Food Supply Chain Analytics and Sensing Initiative
• MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy
• MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering
• MIT Center for Development and Entrepreneurship
• MIT Applied Cooperation Initiative
• MIT Behavioral Research Lab
• MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research
• MIT Cryptoeconomics Lab
• MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy
• MIT Leadership Center
• MIT Operations Research Center
• MIT Sloan Health Systems Initiative
• MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative

Information about these centers is available in the Research and Study section or on the MIT Sloan website .  

Degrees Offered in the MIT Sloan School of Management

Design and management (system design and management & integrated design and management).

Many departments make it possible for a graduate student to pursue a simultaneous master’s degree.

The selection process at MIT is holistic and student-centered; each application is evaluated within its unique context. Selection is based on outstanding academic achievement as well as a strong match between the applicant and the Institute.

Undergraduate applicants do not apply to a particular school, department, or program. Although the application asks about a preferred field of study, admitted undergraduates are not required to choose a major until their sophomore year. Admissions information for regular and transfer applicants  is provided in the Undergraduate section , as well as on the undergraduate admissions website .

Applicants for graduate study apply directly to their particular department or program of interest. See the individual department and program descriptions for specific requirements.

Office of the Dean

Georgia Perakis, PhD Professor, Operations Management, Operations Research, and Statistics John C Head III Dean (Interim), MIT Sloan School of Management

Dimitris J. Bertsimas, PhD Boeing Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management Professor of Operations Research Associate Dean for Business Analytics, MIT Sloan School of Management

Jacob Cohen, MS, JD Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Ethics, and Law Senior Associate Dean, MIT Sloan School of Management

Michael Cusumano, PhD Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor of Management Professor of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management Deputy Dean, MIT Sloan School of Management

Bill Garrett Senior Associate Dean and Chief Administrative Officer

Kathryn Hawkes, MBA Senior Associate Dean, External Engagement

Peter Hirst, PhD Senior Associate Dean, Executive Education

Kristin LeClair, EdM Executive Director and Chief of Staff

Fiona E. Murray, PhD William Porter (1967) Professor of Entrepreneurship Associate Dean for Innovation and Inclusion, MIT Sloan School of Management Co-Director, MIT Innovation Initiative

Ray Reagans, PhD Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Management Professor of Work and Organization Studies Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, MIT Sloan School of Management

Rodrigo Verdi, PhD Nanyang Technological University Professor of Accounting Professor of Accounting Deputy Dean for Degree Programs, Teaching and Learning, MIT Sloan School of Management

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