phd operations management usa

• Operations Management

• Concentrations
• Information Technology Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Strategy and Innovation

A doctoral degree in Operations Management from the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business provides the unique experience and expertise needed to excel in an academic career. We are a top-ranked program with an exceptional record of research publications and an excellent history of Ph.D. student placement.

Our sizable and prominent faculty are dedicated to educating the next generation of researchers and educators on a broad set of topics. We conduct pioneering research in various areas such as empirical analysis of supply chain performance, innovation and technology management, sustainable operations, healthcare, and cultural operations. Beyond holding key editorial positions in leading operations management journals, our faculty work closely with industry, applying their research to impact practice.

Program Highlights

Our Ph.D. curriculum distinguishes us from other doctoral programs in operations management in several ways.

• First, we leverage the substantial size of our faculty to offer unparalleled breadth and depth in operations management Ph.D. seminars (two to four topics are covered each year).
• Second, we strongly endorse diverse research methods including modeling, empirical analysis, and behavioral experiments to address different managerial challenges in operations management. Rigorous training on a variety of operations research methods is obtained from ISyE (ranked No.1 industrial engineering program in the world).
• Additionally, we leverage the expertise of other Georgia Tech faculty offering courses on a wide spectrum of empirical, behavioral, and computational methods..

Facilitating Ph.D. Student Academic Growth

Ph.D. students are immersed in research starting in the first year of the doctoral program, accelerating their growth as scholars. Students are encouraged to develop their own research “voice”, leveraging their background, academic training, and past experiences.

Our culture embodies freedom and flexibility for students to select their research topics and advisors. To ensure focus and forward momentum, faculty engage with Ph.D. students on goal setting and provide clear direction for students to attain those goals.

In addition to one-to-one mentoring, we offer teaching effectiveness seminars. Ph.D. students are provided funding to attend conferences and workshops and funding is guaranteed for five years (subject to a student remaining in good standing).

Our Vibrant Community

The operations management Ph.D. program is a close-knit group that invests in community building and professional development. Ph.D. students thrive in the vibrant social and cultural communities at Georgia Tech and the Atlanta metropolitan area. Additionally, Georgia Tech has a large and diverse graduate student community. Atlanta has a very favorable cost of living compared to many other large metropolitan areas.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion    Tech Square and Atlanta

Ph.d. placements.

We welcome Ph.D. students from diverse backgrounds and career stages. Recent Ph.D. students have benefited from their work experience in consulting, manufacturing, engineering, product development, and the military. Additionally, Ph.D. students who enter the program without prior work experience have leveraged the industry experience and connections provided by our faculty. Some of our Ph.D. graduates, their current academic positions, and interests include the following.

• Vishal Agrawal, Ph.D. '10, Associate Professor at Georgetown University, where his areas of expertise include managerial challenges at the interface of business and the environment, as well as the effect of consumer behavior on operations and new product development
• Jennifer Bailey, Ph.D. '13, Assistant Professor at Babson College, where her areas of expertise include how innovative and entrepreneurial firms manage risk and uncertainty
• Marcus Bellamy , Ph.D. '15, Assistant Professor at Boston University, where his areas of expertise include empirical examination of supply chain management and innovation as well as supply network risk, network analytics, and visualization
• Ioannis Bellos , Ph.D. '12, Assistant Professor at George Mason University, where his areas of expertise are sustainable operations, service design, and innovation in business models
• Janice Carrillo , Ph.D. '97, PricewaterhouseCoopers Professor at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida, where her areas of expertise include new product and process development, innovation, sustainability, and technology management.
• Raul Chao,  Ph.D. '07, Associate Professor at the Darden School, University of Virginia, where his areas of expertise include organization design and incentives in innovation, NPD and R&D.
• Sanjeev Erat , Ph.D. '06, Associate Professor at University of California - San Diego, where his areas of expertise are co-development and licensing in new product development and technology management.
• Wayne Fu , Ph.D. '17, Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan - Dearborn, where his areas of expertise include supply chain management and sustainable operations.
• Jeremy Hutchison-Krupat , Ph.D. '11, Assistant Professor at the Darden School, University of Virginia, where his areas of expertise include the effective implementation of a firm's innovation strategy .
• Ximin (Natalie) Huang , Ph.D. '16, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, where her areas of expertise include supply chain management and sustainable operations.
• Brian Jacobs , Ph.D. '09, Associate Professor at Michigan State University, where his areas of expertise include sustainability and environmental operations, financial/market value of operations strategies, and process improvement strategies.
• JJ Kovach , Ph.D. '14, Assistant Professor at Texas Christian University, where his areas of expertise include innovation, environmental operations, and operations strategy.
• Jaeseok Lee , Ph.D. under completion, Assistant Professor at University of Auckland (New Zealand), where his area of expertise is knowledge outsourcing and knowledge competition.
• Nektarios Oraiopoulos , Ph.D. '09, University Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at Judge Business School, Cambridge University, where his areas of expertise include group decision-making and collaboration in technology, and R&D management.
• Gulru Ozkan-Seely , Ph.D. '08, Assistant Professor at University of Washington-Bothell, where her area of expertise includes knowledge management, competition, and new product development.
• Carrie Queenan , Ph.D. '07, Assistant Professor at University of South Carolina, where her area of expertise is health care operations and the use of technical systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Narendra Singh , Ph.D. '15, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Indian School of Business, where his areas of expertise include new product development and sustainability.
• Wenli Xiao , Ph.D. '12, Assistant Professor at University of San Diego, where her areas of expertise include knowledge management, new product development, sustainability, and manufacturing outsourcing.

Research Areas of Excellence

Empirical Analysis of Supply Chain Performance

Specific topics include contracts and global outsourcing; managing risk and failure; alliances; revenue management. Faculty who most contribute to this area include Soumen Ghosh, Manpreet Hora, and Vinod Singhal.

Innovation and Technology Management

Specific topics include new product development; collaboration and teamwork; entrepreneurship. Faculty who most contribute to this area include Cheryl Gaimon, Karthik Ramachandran, and Morvarid Rahmani.

Sustainable Operations

Specific topics include closed-loop supply chain management, corporate sustainability, and environmental legislation. Faculty who most contribute to this area of research include Ravi Subramanian, Basak Kalkanci, and Beril Toktay.

Faculty Editorial Positions

Current department editorships.

• Beril Toktay (Environment, Energy and Sustainability Department)
• Cheryl Gaimon (Management of Technology Department)
• Vinod Singhal (Supply Chain Management Department)
• Ravi Subramanian (Sustainable Operations Department)

Current Associate (Senior) Editorships

Manpreet Hora

• Cheryl Gaimon (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department)
• Vinod Singhal (Operations Management Department)

Vinod Singhal

Beril Toktay

• Soumen Ghosh (Empirical Research Department)
• Manpreet Hora (Management of Technology Department; Supply Chain Management Department)
• Karthik Ramachandran (Management of Technology Department)

Honors, Awards, and Professional Society Positions

• Scheller College of Business’ Ashford Watson Stalnaker Memorial Award for Ph.D. Student Excellence
• Best Paper Award, Product Development and Management Association Annual Conference
• Best Dissertation Award Finalist: “Synchronizing Exploration and Exploitation: Knowledge Creation Challenges in Innovation,” Technology, Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship Section, Institute of Operations Research and Management Science
• Best Student Paper Award, Academy of Management Conference, Orlando, Florida
• Best Student Paper Award at International Decision Sciences Institute Annual Conference, Bali, Indonesia
• Young Researcher Prize, Runner Up (Second Place) for the "The Potential of Servicizing as a Green Business Model,'' Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment Section, Institute of Operations Research and Management Science

Janice Carrillo (Ph.D.)

• Intel Ph.D. Student Fellowship
• Best Student Paper Award, Portland International Conference on Management and Engineering Technology
• Brady Family Award for Faculty Research Excellence
• University Faculty Research Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor, Georgia Tech
• Distinguished Fellow, Production and Operations Management Society
• President, Production and Operations Management Society
• Distinguished Fellow, Decision Sciences Institute
• Brady Family Award for Faculty Teaching Effectiveness
• Class of 1940 W. Roane Beard Outstanding Teaching Award
• Undergraduate Elective Professor of the Year Award and Class of 1934 Course Survey Teaching Effectiveness Award
• Division Chair Elect, Academy of Management Operations and Supply Chain Management Division
• Ashford Watson Stalkner Memorial Prize, Georgia Tech
• Runner-up, Sustainable Operations Student Paper Competition, Production and Operations Management Society
• Georgia Power Professor of Excellence
• Treasurer, Behavioral Operations Section, Institute of Operations Research and Management Science
• Chan Hahn Best Paper Award, Operations Management Division, Academy of Management Conference, Orlando, Florida
• Finalist Best Student Paper Competition, “Sales Force Compensation for Remanufactured Products,” Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment Section, Institute of Operations Research and Management Science

Carrie Queenan (Ph.D.)

• POMS College of Service Operations Most Influential Paper Award
• Paul Kleindorfer Award in Sustainability
• Brady Family Award for Faculty Teaching Excellence
• James F. Frazier, Jr. Award for Teaching Excellence
• Outstanding MBA Core Professor of the Year Award
• Best Paper Competition Winner, Public Sector Operations Research Section, Institute of Operations Research and Management Science
• Ernest Scheller Jr. Award for Service Excellence
• Women of Distinction Award, Georgia Tech
• Management Science Best Paper in Operations Management
• Distinguished Fellow, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Institute of Operations Research and Management Science
• President, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Society
• Treasurer, Production and Operations Management Society

Murat Unal   (Ph.D.)

• One of the two finalists, POMS College of Product Innovation and Technology Management 2017 Student Paper Competition, "Help or hindrance? The role of familiarity in collaborative product development"

Faculty Academic, Industry, and Media Recognition

Cheryl Gaimon

• Keynote Plenary, 4th International Conference of Operations and Supply Chain Management, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China
• “ Brand Recovering Consumer Confidence "
• “ Shortening the Time Line for a Recall ” 
• “ Customer Service Gets the B-School Treatment ”

Basak Kalkanci

• " The Greening of the Supply Chain "
• "Supply Chain News: CSCMP 2012 Full Review and Comment " Dan Gilmore (10-5-12)
• Keynote Plenary, 30th National Congress on Operational Research and Industrial Engineering, Sabanci University, Turkey
• Keynote Plenary, Electronic News, Seoul, Korea
• Keynote Plenary, 3rd International Conference in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Wuhan, China
• Keynote Plenary, Symposium on Innovations and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
• Based on the Supply Chain Management Journal List ranking of journals that are primarily analytically-focused, Georgia Institute of Technology is ranked No. 6 worldwide.
• Based on the U.S. News & World Report MBA rankings , the Scheller College of Business has been ranked No. 6 in production/operations. 

Operations Management Newsletters

• Issue May 2023
• Issue May 2022
• Issue May 2021
• Issuue May 2020
• Issue April 2019
• Issue March 2018
• Issue April 2017
• Issue April 2016

How Do I Finance the Program?

If admitted to the program, your tuition will be waived and you will receive a monthly stipend.

Tuition and Financing

Application Process

The application deadline is jan. 6 for admission the following fall semester (starting mid-august)., operations management news.

This website uses cookies. For more information review our Cookie Policy

• Areas of Research
• Students & Placements
• [email protected]
• (517) 355-2241
• Program Overview Program Overview
• Dive Deeper Dive Deeper
• Tuition & Financial Aid Tuition & Financial Aid
• Contact Information Contact Information

Ph.D. in Operations and Sourcing Management

Thrive in one of the most elite programs in the world..

Broad’s internationally renowned Ph.D. in Operations and Sourcing Management (OSM) prepares students for careers in supply chain and operations management as well as faculty positions at top-tier research universities around the world.

Our faculty, who are widely recognized for their research and reputation, expose students to a variety of empirical and analytical research methods. Students are able to specialize in either operations management or sourcing management, while pursuing research in their unique interests.

OSM Doctoral Student Manual

An Introduction to the MSU OSM Doctoral Program

Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Operations and Sourcing Management program focuses on training students for faculty positions at top-tier research universities around the world. Students can specialize in either operations management or sourcing management with research focusing on theory development and model building in areas such as operations strategy, technology management, new product development, outsourcing, supply management and broader supply chain issues ranging from strategic supply chain design to tactical and operational level planning and coordination.

Our OSM program is considered to be one of the elite Operations and Supply Chain Management Ph.D. programs in the world, with faculty widely recognized for their research and teaching reputation. Students are exposed to a variety of empirical and analytical research methods that provide them with the right set of skills to undertake rigorous research work in their areas of interest.

Adrian Choo

• OSM Doctoral Program Director

From the Director

Supply chains permeate every aspect of society. With new technologies like the internet of things, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence, and the application of advanced analytical techniques to big data, there are numerous research opportunities emerging in supply chains. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores operational and strategic importance of supply chain management. Furthermore, Supply Chain Management plays an essential role in improving the quality of life within a society and engendering equity, health, and the preservation of natural resources.

The Operations and Sourcing Management (OSM) Ph.D. program at Michigan State University, Eli Broad College of Business offers doctoral students a way of participating in these exciting opportunities through research and teaching. The program is broad in its competence. It prides itself in training future thought leaders who will inform managerial practice and build new theories to drive knowledge creation. The program has a rich history of graduating alumni who are placed in reputable universities in United States and globally. Several of our alumni hold editorial positions in respected supply chain management journals and their research has had an impact on both theory and practice of Supply Chain Management.

Admissions to our program are competitive. Students who join our program have a chance to work with outstanding faculty members who are leaders in their disciplines. Our faculty are well published and are recognized internationally for their ability to create and disseminate impactful research. The faculty hold editorial positions in the leading journals in the field. Collectively our faculty focus on research areas spanning new product development, product innovation, sustainability, healthcare, supply chain risk management, procurement, cybersecurity, and many others. Our commitment is to develop our students into leading scholars and to help them achieve sustained research success and to become excellent educators in top-tier research institutions.

These objectives are accomplished through rigorous training that involves both empirical and analytical methods, in addition to domain training on specific Supply Chain Management disciplines. Further, students are encouraged and mentored to come up with their own research projects in addition to having opportunities to participate in existing research projects with faculty within the department. Students are also trained to deliver superior classroom content with the aim of making them holistic academics.

In addition to being a part of a top-ranked Supply Chain Management department, our students also can experience the available resources of the one of the world’s top 100 global universities with a rich set of infrastructures. As THE pioneer land-grant university, Michigan State University occupies a special place in historical context among all the American Universities. It is also among the top 20 Green Campuses in addition to having an unrivaled support infrastructure to facilitate students’ professional and personal growth.

As you consider applying to the OSM Ph.D. program, we encourage you to explore the program information on the Supply Chain Management department website and to become familiar with all the faculty and their varied areas of interest. Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] . Several of your questions on the program can be clarified by referring to the doctoral student handbook that is uploaded on our website. We also encourage you to browse informational material about the university and its rich culture of rigorous academics supported by an unparalleled research and teaching infrastructure that is designed to help graduate students succeed in their chosen fields.

This is an exciting time to be a doctoral student in the OSM Ph.D. program in the Supply Chain Management Department at Michigan State University. Michigan State University is one of the best places to do your doctorate and we are looking forward to receiving your application to our program.

Dive Deeper

• How to Apply

Students are admitted to the supply chain and operations management doctoral program only for a fall semester start and on a full-time basis. Find out more about admission criteria and the application process.

Faculty-student collaboration is a significant part of the Broad experience. Doctoral students have the opportunity to work with some of the top researchers across multiple disciplines. Find out more about the research opportunities for OSM doctoral students at MSU.

The supply chain management faculty at the Michigan State University Broad College of Business are among the best in the world. Find out more about our faculty currently working with supply chain management Ph.D. students.

See a roster of current doctoral students in the program as well as a listing of our graduates’ placements at research institutions across the globe.

Tuition and Financial Aid

At the present time, all doctoral students receive financial support from the supply chain management department, the college and/or various external organizations.

Our goal is to provide every student admitted to the supply chain management Ph.D. program with a graduate assistantship and/or a fellowship. The assistantship is usually at a half-time level, although some students may be appointed quarter time. A half-time appointment requires that the student be a teaching assistant and/or research assistant for 20 hours a week.

Renewal of financial assistance is contingent on the student making satisfactory progress in the program. Assistantships include a nine-credit-hour tuition waiver for each of the fall and spring semesters, a waiver for the out-of-state portion of tuition for non-Michigan residents, and health insurance. The waiver does not include registration fees or other fees.

Financial support is assured for the first four years of the program. Further support is provided subject to the availability of financial resources and the candidate making satisfactory, significant progress in the doctoral program.

Fellowship aid is available from the university, the Supply Chain Management department and external sources.

For more information about funding sources, visit the MSU Graduate School .

Contact Information

• Department of Supply Chain Management
• Business College Complex
• 632 Bogue St Rm N370
• East Lansing, MI 48824
• Phone: (517) 355-2241

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The Supply Chain Management program is strictly a full-time program, and we are not able to accommodate part-time students. Aside from coursework, research and independent study require students to be on campus on a full-time basis.

No. A degree from a U.S. school should exempt you from the TOEFL requirements.

The Operations and Sourcing Management Ph.D. program is designed for students to complete in four years.

The deadline for applications is February 1st.

Please note that all applications are reviewed centrally. We encourage you to reach out to faculty specifically. However, that in itself does not ensure you get admitted to the program. At the end of the deadline, the faculty will collectively gather and review all applicants for that year. Typical factors that are considered are GRE/GMAT scores – both verbal and quantitative sores. Given the nature of Supply Chain Management research, there is a greater emphasis on quantitative talent. Please contact the doctoral Program coordinator for the Operations and Sourcing Management Program for further questions.

GRE and GMAT scores are mandatory. Unfortunately, we cannot grant any waiver or exceptions to these.

We do not have minimum cut-off scores on the GMAT or GRE. The GRE and GMAT scores are also seen along with program specific accomplishments of the students. However, admission to the Operations and Sourcing Management Ph.D. program is extremely competitive, and our current students have averaged in the 90th percentile on the verbal and 80th percentile on the quantitative portions of the GMAT and/or GRE. This can vary by year. We certainly expect a minimum of 85th percentile in quantitative; and 75th percentile in Verbal. An applicant with any score below the 70th percentile in quantitative scores or a cumulative score below the 75th percentile overall is unlikely to be admitted. However, regardless of test scores, each applicant is fully reviewed by the admissions committee.

International students are required to take the TOEFL. The Broad Graduate School of Management specifies a minimum total score of 600 for the paper version or 250 total for the computer version. Scores at or above this minimum will not guarantee admission.

Logistics: 1331.

Operations and Sourcing Management: 1350.

Use the following school codes for test givers to route your test scores online to Michigan State University:

GMAT Scores: QH0-5P-02. GRE and TOEFL: 1465.

Financial Aid

All admitted students are supported by teaching assistantships or research assistantships. Entering students are generally awarded a teaching assistantship, provided they meet basic language qualifications. There is no separate application for teaching assistantships. Research assistantships are generally awarded to advanced graduate students.

Get Connected with Broad:

• 632 Bogue St

The Experience

• Inclusion and Belonging
• Global Opportunities
• Career Impact
• History & Legacy
• Kellogg Convocation

Degree Programs

• Full-Time MBA
• Evening & Weekend MBA
• Executive MBA
• Master in Management
• Certificate Program for Undergraduates
• Which Program is Right for Me?
• Academic Calendars

Executive Education

• Online Programs
• Programs for Individuals
• Nonprofit Programs
• Programs for Groups
• The Kellogg Advantage
• Contact Executive Education
• Request a Brochure
• Find a Program

News + Stories

• Alumni Network
• Applying to Kellogg
• Career Journeys
• Global Impact
• Inclusion & Belonging
• Student Stories
• Kellogg Magazine
• Kellogg Insight
• See All News + Stories

Academics + Research

• Faculty Directory
• Academic Departments
• Research Centers
• Research + Books
• Case Studies
• Faculty Recruiting
• Faculty Teaching Awards
• Data Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Family Business
• Leadership & Organizations
• Social Impact
• Full-Time MBA Admissions
• Evening & Weekend MBA Admissions
• Executive MBA Admissions
• Master in Management Admissions
• PhD / Doctoral Admissions
• Undergraduate Certificate Admissions
• Admissions Events
• Financial Aid Office
• Log into my account portal
• Companies + Recruiters
• keep in contact
• Attend an Event

Take Action

Operations management.

Kellogg Opens Its Global Hub

• Accounting Information & Management
• Financial Economics
• Management & Organizations
• Management & Organizations & Sociology
• Managerial Economics & Strategy
• Academic Experience
• Student Life
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

All our faculty are research-active and work with PhD students. Our joint expertise spans modeling, optimization, data analysis, prediction and prescription, and empirical research methods. We have published scholarly articles in, and serve on the editorial boards of, leading journals, such as Management Science , Manufacturing & Service Operations Management , Mathematics of Operations Research , and Operations Research . Our work has also appeared in practitioner-oriented articles, such as Harvard Business Review and Supply Chain Management. Individual faculty have also taken on leadership roles in professional organizations, such as the Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Society and the Applied Probability Society. Our faculty have also written three textbooks on operations management, supply chain management, and operations strategy that are used in universities around the world.

What We Are Looking for in Applicants

Our current PhD students come from the fields of engineering, computer science, mathematics, operations research and statistics. A master’s degree is not required, but about half of our matriculating students do have a graduate degree. Strong quantitative skills are needed for the type of research our students do. Recommended coursework includes calculus, linear algebra, optimization, probability and statistics. Our training and coursework are grounded in operations research and economics; therefore, an interest in economics is expected. Prior research experience is not required.

Program Requirements

In years one and two, students take 3 to 4 courses each quarter (fall, winter, spring). The first-year curriculum allows students to build a solid base in operations research as well as microeconomics, econometrics, stochastic modeling and optimization.

In their second year, course registration is more flexible as students transition from coursework to independent research. These courses include operations management doctoral courses offered that year and courses in other fields, such as economics, engineering, and quantitative marketing, or even an MBA course if relevant.

Preliminary Exam

Students will take a comprehensive preliminary exam at the end of their first year. This oral exam tests students ability to understand material from their first year of study and measures the student’s knowledge of the field as a whole.

Qualifying Exam and Candidacy

At the end of year two, students are required to write a research paper that demonstrates competency in operations research. Upon successfully passing this qualifying exam and maintaining a 3.0 (B) grade point average in coursework, the student is admitted to candidacy.

Research, Proposal & Dissertation

The main activity in the third year and afterward is research toward a thesis, under the direction of one or more faculty advisors. A thesis proposal must be presented to the department by the end of year three, prior to the beginning of fall classes. In their final year in the program, each candidate must complete a dissertation demonstrating original and significant research and pass a final oral examination on the dissertation.

Teaching Requirement

To promote engagement with faculty and integration with the intellectual life of the department, students serve as research and teaching assistants during years two, three, and four, including summers. Research assistantships (RAs) are an excellent lead-in to research; teaching assistantships (TAs) prepare students for teaching after obtaining the PhD.

• JOB MARKET CANDIDATES
• JOB PLACEMENT

Our Current PhD Students

Learn more about our faculty, faculty journal publications & books.

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →
• PhD Programs
• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior

Technology & Operations Management

• Program Requirements

Technology & Operations Management

Curriculum & coursework.

Our programs are full-time degree programs which officially begin in August. Students are expected to complete their program in five years. Students typically spend their first two years on course work, at the end of which they take a field exam, and then another three years on dissertation research and writing.

The program requires a minimum of 13 semester long doctoral courses. Students in the Technology & Operations Management program complete courses in the areas of business management theory, economic theory, quantitative research methods, academic field seminars, and two MBA elective curriculum courses. In addition to HBS courses, students may take courses at other Harvard Schools and MIT.

Research & Dissertation

Students in TOM often begin research in the summer preceding their first year by working with a TOM faculty member. Over the first two years in the program, students are encouraged to explore their research interests as they complete relevant coursework. During their third year, students begin working on their dissertation research, typically developing three publishable papers by the end of the program.

Examples of doctoral thesis topics include: Examining how employee non-compete agreements affect entrepreneurship and job mobility; Improving retailers' sales forecasting using cost-of-sales, inventory levels, and gross margins; How familiarity among team members fosters organizational capabilities among teams; The implications of operations management for investors; and How firms influence service quality, and how service quality affects performance.

Omar Olivarez

“ My professors are incredibly generous with their time, and the other members of my cohort are consistently engaged and curious. ”

Current HBS Faculty

• Elizabeth J. Altman
• Omar I. Asensio
• Iavor I. Bojinov
• Ryan W. Buell
• Prithwiraj Choudhury
• Thomas R. Eisenmann
• Chiara Farronato
• Kris Johnson Ferreira
• Frances X. Frei
• Carolyn J. Fu
• Shane M. Greenstein
• Janice H. Hammond
• Robert S. Huckman
• Marco Iansiti
• Rebecca A. Karp
• Michelle A. Kinch
• Karim R. Lakhani
• Himabindu Lakkaraju
• Jacqueline Ng Lane
• Josh Lerner
• Michael Lingzhi Li
• Alan D. MacCormack
• Rory M. McDonald
• Edward McFowland III
• Antonio Moreno
• Kyle R. Myers
• Frank Nagle
• Elisabeth C. Paulson
• Gary P. Pisano
• Ananth Raman
• Maria P. Roche
• William A. Sahlman
• Willy C. Shih
• Ariel D. Stern
• Stefan H. Thomke
• Michael W. Toffel
• Sara M. Torti
• Peter Tufano

Current Technology & Operations Management Students

• Maya Balakrishnan
• Justine Boudou
• Bonnie Cao
• Matthew DosSantos DiSorbo
• Natalie Epstein
• Jeffrey Fossett
• Paul Hamilton
• 'Leke Jegede
• Caleb Kwon
• Omar Olivarez
• Paige Tsai
• Daniel Yue
• Miaomiao Zhang

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, ryan allen, 2023, raha imanirad, 2020, karthik balasubramanian, 2018, tommy pan fang, 2022, michelle shell, 2020, maria ibanez, 2018, grace gu, 2020, ohchan kwon, 2019.

Department of Technology, Operations, and Statistics | Doctoral Program in Operations Management

Doctoral program in operations management.

Overview of the OM Doctoral Program

• Program Requirements
• S ample 5-year Schedule
• Recent Doctoral Courses Offered

Mission To educate and train scholars capable of producing high quality operations management research and to place our graduates as faculty members in top-tier universities. Admissions and performance We enroll an average of two students per year out of many highly qualified applicants. Students admitted typically have GRE scores over 310 with scores in the quantitative section of the GRE exam in the 90th percentile or higher. International students typically have TOEFL scores of 600 or higher. Our students are highly competitive with their peers globally and give talks and invited presentations at national and international conferences. Advising and evaluation The operations management doctoral program coordinator advises all first-year doctoral students. During their first year, students have many opportunities to learn the research interests of departmental faculty by taking classes, attending seminars and enrolling in research practica.  By the beginning of their second year, students will typically have selected an advisor who begins to introduce them to potential research topics. By the middle of their third year, students will have selected a thesis advisor. Each year, every student’s academic progress is reviewed and plans for the following year are considered.  This review includes a formal letter to the student assessing the previous year's work and offering guidance for the following year's work.  All students take a comprehensive written and oral exam during their second year in the program.  Students are expected to defend their thesis proposal by March of their fourth year and students typically defend their completed dissertation at the end of their fourth year or during their fifth year. Research and interaction with faculty Stern's operations management group has historically included faculty with strong operations management and operations research backgrounds. These two disciplines, along with statistics, data science, economics and computer science, continue to have a significant influence on the teaching and research directions of the operations management faculty. In today's business environment, there is a strong interest in using operations to provide a competitive advantage to organizations. Doctoral students in operations management take core courses in optimization theory, stochastic processes, and data science. A wide range of electives based on faculty expertise are offered including inventory theory, game theory, service operations, assortment optimization, supply chain finance and more. Students are also encouraged either to assist faculty members who are actively working with firms or to develop first-hand expertise through individual contacts with industrial organizations. The faculty members focus their research on current and emerging themes in managing operations in today's fast changing economy. They use a combination of analytical, empirical and theory building methodologies to understand: how to design operating systems, contracts and quality systems for the management of decentralized supply chains; best practices in retailing; vehicle routing; call center management; task and workforce scheduling; internet business models and strategies; and how to forecast new product sales. Faculty members hold editorial positions on numerous journals and are active in the major societies such as the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science. As a result of Stern's New York City location, the school and its operations management faculty have strong ties with the world's technology and financial organizations as well as chemical, computer, consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies in the tri-state area. Click on the links on the right to learn how to apply, to attend an information session, and to contact the Stern School Doctoral Office. Wenqiang Xiao Coordinator, Operations Management Doctoral Program TOPS Department

Back-to-Top

Program Requirements Doctoral students in operations management are expected to achieve expertise in the areas of operations management and operations research. All students in the NYU Stern doctoral program must demonstrate competence in probability, statistics and microeconomics either through courses taken in a prior degree program or by taking a similar course offered at NYU. As part of the operations management doctoral curriculum, students must also take 3 methodological core courses in the areas of optimization, stochastic processes and data science.  After completing their course requirements, students may enroll in elective courses relevant to their chosen field of research. Recent PhD electives offered by the operations management group include

• Pricing in the Sharing Economy
• Stochastic Inventory Theory
• Supply Chain Finance
• Service Operations Management
• Game Theory
• Choice Models in Operations
• Applied Game Theory

In addition to required coursework, doctoral students must complete 5 research practica prior to graduation. Each research practicum is a 1 credit course graded Pass or Fail in which students work closely with a faculty member to conduct joint research. By working closely with faculty members, students are expected to develop their own independent research skills. After their core coursework is complete, students are required to take written and oral comprehensive exams before October 1st of their third year. Students must also complete a teaching practicum in their third year of studies during which they assist a faculty member in their class preparation. Students are expected to complete their thesis proposal by March of their 4th year and the doctoral program concludes with the proposal, writing and defense of a dissertation. All students are required to complete the doctoral program within six years, however most students graduate within 5 years. A sample 5-year schedule is given below.

Sample 5-year Schedule

Recent Doctoral Courses Offered OPMG-GB.3321.P1 Stochastic Processes OPMG-GB.3392.P1 Pricing in the Sharing Economy OPMG-GB.4317.01 Stochastic Inventory Theory OPMG-GB.4334.01 Convex Optimization OPMG-GB.4313.20 Supply Chain Finance OPMG-GB.4331.20 Service Operations Management OPMG-GB.4306.01 Dynamic Programming OPMG-GB.4321.20 Choice Models in Operations OPMG-GB.4330.01 Linear Programming OPMG-GB.4340.02 Applied Game Theory

Questions about the PhD Program in Operations Management?

Explore stern phd.

• Meet with Us

• Youth Program
• Wharton Online

PhD Program Overview

Wharton’s program in Operations, Information and Decisions emphasizes research on real management problems and maintains a balance between theory and practice. The faculty trains scholars in decision making, information systems, and operations management.

Our faculty leads in the development and application of an innovative blend of analytical and empirical approaches to important problems facing the private and public sectors, including the design, development, and evaluation of:

• behavioral approaches to individual and managerial decision making;
• information systems as a means of commerce and of decision making; and
• operations for the fulfillment of demand and broader economic and social needs.

Our PhD program provides a unique mix of behavioral, economic, statistical and analytical training to its students, and its strength is reflected in our students’ record of placement and achievement.

Three Areas of Specialization

Decision processes (dp).

What factors influence human judgment and decision-making? Why and when are people prone to judgement errors and biases? What kinds of interventions will help people make better decisions or improve human welfare? Our interdisciplinary Decision-Making PhD program focuses on training students to conduct and publish academic research that helps to answer these important questions. Along the way, students receive rigorous quantitative/statistical training and acquire a deep understanding of the literature on judgment and decision-making, significant exposure to the fields of psychology, economics, organizational behavior, and marketing.

Information Systems (IS)

The Information Systems PhD Program covers a broad range of research interests, from the development of detailed analytical and information-technology-based methods for managing complex organizations to the broader economic evaluation of the impact of organizational and market-based use of information systems and information-based strategies.

Operations Management (OM)

The Operations Management PhD Program focuses on the processes that define an organization’s outputs, as well as the methods commonly used to analyze these processes. Students specializing in OM are interested in a wide range of functions, including operations strategy, product and process design, technology management, capacity planning, and supply chain management.  Their work similarly covers a wide range of organizations and industries, including education, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, distribution, and retailing.

PhD Program

• Program of Study
• Course Requirements
• Details on Program Milestones
• Learning, Research, and Working at Wharton
• Financial Aid and Stipends
• Living in Philadelphia
• Post-Wharton

Course Information

• Course Descriptions
• Course Schedule

• Undergraduate
• Master of Accounting
• Full Time MBA
• Evening Executive MBA
• Weekend Executive MBA
• Charlotte Executive MBA

PhD in Operations Management

Operations, supply chain and data analytics.

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Operations Area studies a complex range of business activities associated with the coordination of resources and effective delivery of value-added products and services to global customers. Our faculty is well known for conducting research in a variety of applied clusters, including supply chain management, inventory management, retail operations, health care, energy, information technology, e-business/e-commerce, sustainable enterprise, learning and knowledge-based innovation, outsourcing/offshoring, revenue management, global health, product safety in the supply chain and technology management.

Students in our Operations and Data Management program develop into top research scholars well-prepared to investigate critical problems in operations management.

You will work closely with faculty members on cutting-edge projects. The scope of their research interests and expertise is quite broad, addressing problems in supply chains and operations management in global manufacturing and service firms. The context for this research is broad and includes various industries — banking, information services, retail, healthcare, airline and automotive — and humanitarian, nonprofit organizations.

The Operations curriculum provides a background in the literature and techniques used in research. It is quantitative in nature and as such, incoming PhD students often have a background in economics, engineering, mathematics, or statistics.

Although some students have completed graduate work prior to entry into the PhD program, it is not required.

Typical Course Schedule by Year

During the first two years of the PhD program, you focus on courses to develop the tools necessary to produce high-quality research. A faculty member, who acts as your advisor, is assigned upon program entry.

• Introduction to Operations Management
• Economic Models in Operations Management
• Empirical Operations
• Linear Programming
• Stochastic Processes I
• Stochastic Processes II
• Introduction to Econometric Theory
• Econometrics
• Advanced Microeconomics I
• Advanced Microeconomics II
• A qualifier written examination covers all of the courses taken in the first year of the program
• An oral presentation of the summer paper proposal
• Research Models in Operations Management
• Special Topics in Operations Management
• Applied Research Methods
• Advanced Econometrics
• Advanced Machine Learning
• Microeconometrics
• Other elective courses based on a student’s research interest
• An open-ended research based PhD comprehensive written exam
• An original Research Paper written under the supervision of a faculty member
• Full-time research
• Students may take additional elective courses based on their research interest
• With consent of your advisor, you may attend/participate or present at external national or international conferences after your second year
• Dissertation and Oral Defense is expected prior to the end of your fifth year
• Preparing for the job market
• PhD students may take any elective course offered by UNC Kenan-Flagler or other UNC or Duke departments with guidance from your advisor.
• Your are invited to participate in all operations-related research seminars and guest speakers offered at UNC Kenan-Flagler.

View our current Operations PhD students .

Related Research

Combining analytical horsepower with willpower to improve th....

PhD student RJ Niewoehner talks about his research, including how its findings might provide valuable knowledge related to COVID-19.

Black Friday: Behind the scenes

On Black Friday, there’s a lot more going on than great sales. Here’s what happens behind the scenes as retailers prepare for one of the busiest shopping d...

How do you motivate busy physicians to give more flu shots?

Money isnt’ the answer, write RJ Niewoehner and Brad Staats.

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to understand visitor experiences. By using this website, you consent to UNC-Chapel Hill's cookie usage in accordance with their Privacy Notice .

Operations Management

Effective solutions for complex business problems..

The operations of a firm involve acquiring productive resources and the configuration of a productive system, then utilizing them to produce goods and services. The decisions at every level are complex. Operations Management helps to deliver solutions for even the most challenging business decision.

Making tough business decisions demands both realistic modeling of these decision problems and knowledge of the development of new theory and techniques. Our program stresses a balanced approach to the subject while familiarizing you with the latest methodologies. Students are expected to understand the real context within which operational decisions are made, and to develop skills in modeling these problems. The emphasis is on the study of complex, large- scale systems needing integrated solutions.

• Meet Ops Mgmt Faculty

Prepare with Math Camp.

Program outline: operations management, the first year.

The first year is designed to provide you with solid training in mathematical programming and probabilistic modeling. You’ll also build your analytic and research skills while exploring basic issues faced by operations mangers. Students are expected to achieve an A- or better in five required courses, and achieve a B+ in all other courses; this serves as the Preliminary Requirement. Students will begin pursuing research during the summer of their first year, choosing two research questions by the end of the spring term. By August 31, students should deliver initial drafts of the papers addressing these questions. The initial drafts will be evaluated and successful completion of the initial drafts requirement will constitute passing the First-Year Paper.

The Second Year

The second year is novel for doctoral programs in operations management. Students work on two individual research topics in conjunction with the faculty. These papers provide the bridge from class work to research. These papers are due by May 31 of the second year, successful completion of this paper constitutes passing the Second Year Papers in Operations Management. In addition, students will gain depth in the Operations Management courses and seminars. Students are also required to write a Qualifying Exam paper, due by November 30 of the third year. This paper is usually a more in-depth version of one of the papers used for the second-year papers.

The Third Year and Beyond

Students continue to take PhD seminars in OMG and should complete all the minor requirements. The students must work with faculty advisors to determine additional courses that might be beneficial to their training.

Required Courses.

The Course Catalog contains degree requirements and course descriptions. Please refer the Simon Registrar's website for the current Course Catalog. Classes occur in the Simon Business School and also in closely related areas including the University of Rochester Economics Department and the Computer Science Department.

Simon Registrar

Course Catalog

PhD Operations Management Courses

The course provides an introduction to stochastic processes. Topics include the Poisson process, renewal theory, Markov chains, semi-Markov and Markov renewal processes, and regenerative processes.

This course will study advanced topics in stochastic processes, with emphasis on problem modeling and computation. The following topics will be covered: models using discrete time Markov chains, optimal stopping and discrete time Markov chains, models using continuous time Markov chains, Markov decision processes for discrete time Markov chains, and if time permits, diffusion processes/martingales.

This course introduces students to research areas in Computers and Information Systems (CIS) and Operations Management (OM). Multiple lectures will be dedicated to each topic, covering the necessary mathematical background, primary analysis techniques, and important, seminal, or recent papers within each area. The course aims to attain the following objectives: learn about what constitutes research in CIS and OM, develop critical thinking about academic papers, familiarize students with new research areas, provide opportunity to think about new research problems, and practice constructing and delivering academic talks.

This course introduces unconstrained and constrained optimization in finite dimensional spaces. Topics include convex sets and functions, Kuhn-Tucker theory, Lagrangian duality, parametric continuity, dynamic programming, and parametric monotonicity.

Prerequisite: Some knowledge of linear algebra and functions of a real variable

Prerequisite: Linear Algebra and functions of a real variable

PhD in Operations Management Program

• Find and Compare Programs
• PhD in Business – Operations Management

Our area of research focuses on the global economy concerning manufacturing, logistics, retailing, and the service industries. More specifically, we study the entire supply chains of global organizations, dealing with strategic procurement, outsourcing, inventory theory, distribution and logistics, forecasting, dynamic pricing, and bargaining.

Our research brings together relevant concepts, skills, and techniques from many disciplines to blend theory and research into the development of effective strategies for managers. The goal in each of these areas is to better manage business processes and organizations to achieve the greatest competitive advantage.

Who's It For?

Program Type Doctoral

Location On Campus

Time Commitment Full Time

Start Date August

Request for Information

We’ll send you a program overview and get you connected to one of our advisors. Request Information

Miami Herbert Business School will not share or sell your personal information. Privacy Policy

A Focus on Research

Blending Theory and Research

A typical student in the Operations Management subarea would take the following core courses in Year 1: Micro Economics, Optimization Models, Dynamic Optimization, Statistical Methods I and II. In addition, students would be expected to take classes in Game Theory, Stochastic Processes, and other Operations Management courses in Supply Chain Management and Inventory Management. 

All students in the PhD in Business also complete a core curriculum. Follow the link below for details.

Top Researchers

Harihara P. Natarajan

Sammi Yu Tang

Meet your program coordinator.

Related Programs

PhD in Management Science Program

PhD, Organizational Behavior Program

Start Your Miami Journey

Operations Management PhD Specialization

General information.

The Department of Information Systems & Operations Management (ISOM) supports two areas for doctoral study: Information Systems (IS) and Operations Management (OM). Both areas are designed for persons seeking academic and research careers.

The Operations Management area deals with the functional parts of an organization that produce goods and services. The curriculum in Operations Management focuses on the many changes that have occurred in recent years in the way that managers think, plan, and operate supply chains involving manufacturing and service activities. These changes have been driven by dramatic improvements in information technology, the growth and increasing accessibility of global markets, and the necessity to adapt to more sophisticated and quality conscious consumers.

Department Web Site Operations Management Faculty

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree at an accredited university and should have a reasonable training in mathematics and economics. An admission committee of faculty members in the Information Systems and Operations Management Department reviews all completed applications. While the committee considers all relevant factors in its recommendations, important factors include past academic performance, GMAT scores (which are usually above 650 for successful applicants), and previous work experience. The GRE exam can be substituted for the GMAT but the GMAT is strongly preferred. In some cases we may request a personal interview.

Recommended Preparation Prior to Entry

It is assumed that students entering the operations management area are knowledgeable in advanced calculus, linear algebra, basic statistics, and a high level programming language. Any student who is deficient in these areas should consider taking appropriate courses prior to entering the program.

Operations Management Area Faculty Coordinator

Prof. Apurva Jain, Operations Management Area Faculty Coordinator, would be glad to answer your questions. Contact him by phone at 206-685-4970 or by email at [email protected] .

Student Advising

The Department’s Doctoral Review Committee will guide new students until they establish a supervisory committee. Students are required to establish a supervisory committee by the end of their first year. The supervisory committee assists the student in choosing appropriate courses, approves course of studies, and monitors the student’s progress.

Course Requirements for Operations Management Major

The following courses are required of all OM majors. The number of credits for each course is indicated in parentheses after the course number.

All OM students must enroll in the doctoral seminar (OPMGT 599) until all coursework is completed and the OM area examination is successfully completed; after completing this milestone, we strongly encourage all students to continue participating in the doctoral seminar.

Before the area exam, all students are also required to take at least two of the courses in the OM research course sequence, listed below. After the area exam, we strongly encourage all students to continue taking the rest of the courses in the sequence.

Research Methods Minor Area Requirements

All students majoring in Operations Management must select Research Methods as one of their minor areas. The Research Methods area is designed to insure that all students are knowledgeable with research tools needed to conduct high-level research in Operations Management. All students must obtain a minimum of 12 credits in a specialization field to satisfy for the minor requirement.

The requirements listed below are viewed as minimal preparation for conducting doctoral level research; we strongly recommend that students expand their research methods area beyond the courses listed below. Certain substitutions of courses, upon approval from the chair of the supervisory committee may be allowed.

Microeconomics

Optimization / Mathematical Programming

Probability Theory / Stochastic Processes / Queuing / Simulation

Statistical Analysis / Inference

Other Suggested Courses

Other Minor Area Requirements

In addition to Research Methods, OM students must select one additional minor area depending on his or her interest. Possible minor areas include:

Administrative Behavior and Organizational Theory Business Policy Economics Health Services Industrial Engineering Information Systems Statistics

Typical Course Schedule

Second Year

Course Requirements for Operations Management Minor

Doctoral students who select Operations Management as a minor area are required to take a minimum of three courses from the following list.

Other Operations Management Requirements

Written Area Examination In the summer of the second year, after completing all coursework in his or her major area, each student will take a written area examination consisting of questions contributed by a number of appropriate area faculty and administered by the chair of the student’s Supervisory Committee. The grade for the exam will be one of the following: pass for doctoral degree, fail for doctoral degree but pass for master’s degree, fail. If appropriate, the departmental faculty members in the Supervisory Committee may require additional work and/or classes as a condition of passing the examination. If the student fails the examination, he or she can take the examination one additional time after satisfying deficiencies.

Summer Research Paper In order to demonstrate competency and ability to conduct research in OM, each student is required to write a research paper in the summer of the first year or the second year. The work is to be supervised and graded by the chair of the student’s Supervisory Committee (if one has not been formed, then an appropriate departmental faculty member) in the student’s Supervisory Committee on a pass or fail basis. The departmental faculty members in the Supervisory Committee may require additional work as a condition for passing the paper.

General Examination After successfully completing the written area exam, each student takes a general (oral) examination. Members of the Supervisory Committee administer this examination. Typically, this examination involves a defense of the student’s dissertation proposal; however, the chair of the Supervisory Committee determines the precise format of the general examination.

Dissertation After successfully completing the general examination, the student is admitted to candidacy and continues work on his/her dissertation research. A Reading Committee guides the student in working with the dissertation. It is also expected that the student will present their research to the Information Systems and Operations Management Department at the doctoral seminar.

Final Examination When the dissertation is completed, the Supervisory Committee administers a final defense or final examination.

Ohio State nav bar

• BuckeyeLink
• Find People
• Search Ohio State
• Operations & Business Analytics

Doctoral Program in Operations Management

Graduate and Professional Admissions   |   PhD Application Requirements

The Operations and Business Analytics Department at the Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business prides itself on the development of leading scholars in the field of operations management. The PhD program offered through this department is one of the oldest programs in the world and has produced several eminent scholars in the discipline. A major strength of this program is the consistency of placement of the graduating students in top research schools and high research productivity.

Like our faculty , many alumni have had very productive research careers, publishing regularly in top-tier journals, holding editorial and leadership positions at top journals, and earning fellowships at the most prestigious societies in our field. Several of them have gone to serve as administrators and deans in their institutions.

PhD Candidates

Alumni at Institutions across the United States

A key component of our success is our long-standing reputation as producers of rigorous problem-driven empirical research aimed at generating insights, often by working directly with industries and organizations.

Our Ph.D. program is designed to provide our students with the capabilities and motivation to publish in leading academic and practitioner journals for years to come, not just earning jobs at top research schools but earning tenure at them as well. As such, we place a strong emphasis not only on research methods but also on learning directly from our productive faculty regarding the art and science of research.

The department also works closely with industry-academic centers, such as our own department’s Center for Operational Excellence , the Risk Institute and the National Center for the Middle Market , to form strong collaborations with well-known organizations within and outside Ohio. Our faculty also partner with several leading organizations both within and outside Ohio to conduct grounded research.

While our focus is on empirical research, we do believe that all faculty performing research in OM need to have some understanding of operations research methods. As such, our program includes some exposure to analytical methods. Students wishing to pursue mathematical modeling approaches to their research may receive training not only from our faculty that do perform such research, but also from other departments across campus.

PhD Brochure 

Current Academic Year PhD Course Offerings

For inquiries about the content of the program, contact the departmental Ph.D. program chair: Nathan Craig , at [email protected] .

To begin the application process to the operations management Ph.D. program, please visit the PhD Programs page (apply at the “application requirements” link). Applications open in August 3, and close January 1. Please see Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs ) for additional details.

View the Curriculum and Program Requirements

View the Informational Brochure for Operations Management

©2024 Fisher College of Business

2100 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210

If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this site, please contact us for assistance .

Next MBA application deadline, May 31. You belong here.

Enter a Search Term

Operations management ph.d., earn a ph.d. in business and a major concentration in operations management.

Operations management research involves the systematic and scientific study and potential improvement of how business, government and non-profit organizations manufacture products and provide services that contribute to the well-being of society. The field encompasses a varied set of contexts, such as manufacturing, supply chains, energy, healthcare, and technology management and related processes, including strategic design, tactical planning and operational execution. The major concentration in operations management of the Ph.D. in Business at Rice University prepares students to investigate fundamental questions about these contexts and processes. The distinguishing features of this concentration are its rigorous theoretical and methodological training, and the interplay between the development of innovative theory and methodology and their application to a broad set of relevant contexts.

The main goal of the operations management major concentration of the Ph.D. at Rice Business is to train students to do excellent research and to become operations management scholars in top research-focused academic institutions. We do not aim to train practitioners or send our graduates into industry. Accordingly, the operations management major concentration will enhance the reputation of Rice Business and Rice University by placing graduates in top research-oriented universities, in particular business schools at such institutions.

Interested in Rice Business?

To achieve this goal, Ph.D. students are required to take courses in operations management, operations research, economics, and related disciplines such as mathematics and statistics. They will also conduct original research and write research papers examining important and relevant issues in operations management. Students are expected to become active in research at the inception of the program and learn through both formal coursework and informal mentorship, including but not limited to, the interaction with operations management faculty as research assistants. 

The Operations management major concentration of the Ph.D. degree in the field of business emphasizes research productivity, collaboration with faculty and collegiality. The operations management faculty members are committed to the success of their students during the program, as well as after graduation. In addition to the requirement to take on teaching assistant roles for operations management faculty, students are strongly encouraged to engage in teaching a section of the operations management core course in the Rice Business undergraduate program, if such a section is available at the right juncture during their studies. These activities prepare students for the teaching responsibilities typical at a top research university.

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AREA ADVISOR

Nicola Secomandi

Recruiting for fall 2024.

The Ph.D. in Business and a Major Concentration in Operations Management will begin accepting applications August 1st for Fall 2024 matriculation. The application deadline is December 15, 2023.  

Keep Exploring

Have a question.

Melinda Peña

Tepper School of Business

Ph.D. Program in Operations Research

The ph.d. program in operations research stresses optimization techniques leading to decision-making algorithms and the development of new models for management science applications..

The Tepper School's doctoral program in operations research (OR) is designed to encourage students to make contributions toward basic scientific knowledge in the area. This knowledge can take several forms including:

• The derivations of fundamental results of an analytical or mathematical nature that lead to the development of algorithms for aiding decision-making
• The development of new analytical models appropriate for management science applications in areas such as Marketing, Operations, and Finance
• Controlled experimentation that leads to empirical results that make efficiency comparisons possible among algorithms

A major goal of the program is to train students to recognize operations research problems in real-world situations, and to give them the opportunity to learn about the deployment of operations research models in one or more of these substantive areas. Towards this goal, the program provides the opportunity to develop knowledge of functional areas of business to which optimization can be applied such as Marketing, Operations and Finance. There is a rich tradition of graduates from the program going on to successful careers in these areas both in academia (in business schools, engineering schools in IE and OR departments as well as in Math and Computer Science departments) and industry. 

Course of Study

The basic operations research courses offered include: linear, nonlinear, integer and dynamic programming; graph theory and network optimization; convex optimization and convex analysis; and stochastic models. Each course is taught by a faculty member who is actively pursuing research in the subject area. Since classes are usually small, students frequently meet informally with their instructors. The third semester competence examination is based on the areas covered in these courses.

The research papers assigned for the first and second summers of graduate study are designed to give students an early introduction to research work. The paper may be done individually or jointly with other students or faculty members. Easy interaction in the Tepper School with researchers in the other areas of business and economics and in such related areas as computer science, machine learning, and statistics encourages the application of operations research in imaginative new directions.

In many cases, work on these papers leads to the work on the Ph.D. dissertation, which can begin as soon as the student has passed the third-semester qualifying examination.

Almost invariably, by the end of their second year, if not earlier, students have already worked on professional problems with some of the faculty. For this reason, student working papers written in collaboration with a faculty member are common.

Our History

Carnegie Mellon has pioneered several important developments in both theoretical and applied operations research. Geometric programming, chance constrained programming, and the applications of linear programming to capital budgeting and cost management were among the accomplishments of the '50s and early '60s. Since 1968, when the doctoral program in operations research was started, the Tepper School has initiated several new developments in integer and nonconvex programming, enumerative methods, cutting plane theory, disjunctive programming, constraint programming, network design, algorithm design, machine learning, data mining, and scheduling models.  

Recently, the group has pioneered advances in Approximation Algorithms for Network Design, as well as theory and applications of Modern Convex Optimization. Examples on the Selected Research Topics page illustrate the basic research currently in progress, and examples of new operations research applications can be found elsewhere on the Doctoral Program website.

Research Topics

• Mixed-Integer Programming
• Convex Optimization
• Benders Decomposition
• Branch and Price
• Approximation and Online Algorithms
• Network Design
• Analytical Models in Marketing and Operations
• Connections with Artificial Intelligence
• Interplay between Estimation and Optimization
• Bayesian Optimization
• Massively Distributed and Parallel Algorithm Design
• Machine Learning
• Cultural Factors
• Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Many of our students are very active in the Carnegie Mellon INFORMS Student Chapter . To learn about the joint PhD program in Algorithms, Combinatorics and Optimization, please visit the webpage http://aco.math.cmu.edu/

P lease visit our Ph.D. Student Profiles page t o view the profiles of our current doctoral candidates.

Program Details

• Requirements

New Research Interest – Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Ethics and AI is an emerging research interest among faculty members in Operations Research and Ethics. Research topics include algorithmic bias, models of equity and efficiency, machine ethics, and OR/AI for the common good. Given the importance and timeliness of this topic, Tepper faculty members have submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to support research in this domain.

• Tepper 2023
• Course List
• Academic Calendar
• Privacy Policy
• Statement of Assurance
• Tepper Information Center
• Journalists & Media
• Tepper Gear Store

• UB Directory
• School of Management >
• Degrees >
• PhD in Management >
• Your Program >

Operations Management and Strategy

Pursue innovative research and education to address important issues in global supply chain management and operations strategy.

Take advantage of the unique opportunity for innovation and distinctiveness in a multidisciplinary department that brings together the areas of supply chains, operations strategy and data analytics.

Explore issues of coordination, resilience and sustainability, and learn empirical and analytical research methodologies. Working closely with our faculty members, you will receive individual training in contemporary research and teaching methods. 

World-Class Research

Work with faculty who are ranked among the most productive researchers by the Academy of Management Journal, as well as by top scholarly journals within their discipline. Our faculty:

• Are globally connected and have active research programs throughout Europe, Asia and North America
• Are regularly cited in such international media outlets as the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Washington Post, NPR, Bloomberg Business, Al Jazeera and Nasdaq
• Collaborate with regional, national and international business leaders
• Help you connect across disciplines throughout UB and with visiting scholars to gain exposure to a wide range of research paradigms
• Guide you in the exploration of high-impact research, positioning you for publication in leading academic journals
• Publish in and serve on editorial boards for  leading academic journals
• Hold leadership roles and conduct research through the  Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics  and the  Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Research Focus Areas

Join an intellectual community that focuses on a wide range of research interests aimed at theory building, empirical validation and influencing business practices. Major research focus areas include:

• Supply chain coordination and behavioral operations management
• Supply chain analytics, pricing and revenue management
• Design of sustainable manufacturing and logistics systems
• Enabling technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and blockchain
• Supply chain resilience, complex network analysis and network evolution
• Creative and emergency operations

Take an In-Depth Look at our Program

• 8/11/23 Curriculum
• 11/24/20 Faculty
• 12/8/21 Alumni

Jasmina Tacheva, PhD ’19

• Jasmina Tacheva, PhD ’19 (left), with teammates Ramla Qureshi (civil engineering) and Manjusha Choorakuzil (computer science and engineering).

Operations Management and Strategy Department School of Management University at Buffalo 326 Jacobs Management Center Buffalo, NY 14260-4000

Tel:  716-645-3500 Fax: 716-645-5078

To speak to a faculty member, contact Nallan Suresh, PhD , professor and chair, operations management and strategy.

• Main Menu -->

engage-menu

Main-jindal-menu, phd in management science, operations management concentration.

• Table of Contents

Program Contact

Research ranking, student placements, student publications.

• Admissions Procedures

Program Overview

The PhD program in Operations Management emphasizes the development of models, methods, applications and algorithms as they apply to problems in industrial manufacturing, complex logistics and supply chains, and services. Students are exposed to deterministic and stochastic modeling and may apply and develop these and new methods to solve problems in their selected topics. Students may combine a major in finance, information systems or marketing with one in operations management/supply chain management.

The goal of the PhD program in Operations Management is to educate future practitioners and researchers in the concepts and analytical techniques needed to develop scientific solutions to the problems currently faced by operations managers.

Ganesh Janakiraman

Phd area coordinator, operations management.

[email protected] | (972) 883-5846 | JSOM 3.403

The Operations Management Ph.D. program is designed to train students for successful academic careers in research universities. The Operations Management group is top-ranked among public universities in North America and #3 in the world in research productivity, with large faculty specializing in such diverse areas as inventory, revenue and supply chain management, control theory, behavioral operations and empirical operations management. Our world-class faculty is committed to training and mentoring students to become productive independent researchers and excellent teachers.

The Operations Management faculty are highly visible, active researchers currently ranked #1 in research based on publications in four operations management journals.

Faculty research pursuits range from quantitative modeling to empirical studies, mathematical programming, applied stochastic processes, statistics, econometrics, and economics.

Possessing latitude and depth in technical strength, their research renders a big impact both on academia and industry.

The UTD Top 100 Worldwide Rankings of Business Schools Based on Research Contribution in Management Science, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Operations Research, Production and Operations Management 2017-2021:

With a strong emphasis on rigorous coursework and student research, the Operations Management degree program immerses students in a challenging and dynamic learning environment.

Our faculty are committed to student success and innovation, and extensively collaborate with students on research papers. Students are also given the flexibility to determine their research interests and are provided access to both academic and industry resources and connections.

The goal of the Operations Management program is to educate future practitioners and researchers in the concepts and analytical techniques needed to understand and advance scientific solutions to the problems currently faced by operations managers. Students graduate from the Operations Management degree program with the knowledge and skill set to produce quality research, effectively teach, and lead in industry.

*The placements reported here are typically the first placements. For graduates who moved out of their first placement relatively quickly, their second placement might be reported.

With degree backgrounds ranging from Purdue, Tsinghua University, Penn State, and the Indian Institute of Technology, our Operations Management students are diligent, explorative, resourceful, and progressive.

Our intensive program attracts quality students that both challenge and support one another. They share a unified collegiality in our diverse and interdisciplinary Operations Management degree program.

Below are examples of publications of current/recently graduated students in 24 leading business journals from 2016 onwards.

Kucukgul, Can , S. Wang and O. Ozer. Engineering Social Learning: Information Design of Time-Locked Sales Campaigns for Online Platforms. Management Science, Forthcoming.

Zhang, Minmin , G. Wang, J. Li, W.J. Hopp, D. Lee. Pausing Transplants in the Face of a Global Pandemic: Patient Survival Implications, Production and Operations Management. Forthcoming.

H. Farahani, Mehdi , M. Dawande, G. Janakiraman. Order Now, Pickup in 30 Minutes: Managing Queues with Static Delivery Guarantees. Operations Research, Forthcoming.

Feng, Zhichao , M. Dawande, G. Janakiraman, A. Qi. An Asymptotically Tight Learning Algorithm for Mobile-Promotion Platforms. Management Science, accepted.

Manchiraju, Chandrasekhar , M Dawande, G Janakiraman, Multiproduct Pricing with Discrete Price Sets. Operations Research, Forthcoming.

Qu, Zihao , M. Dawande and G. Janakiraman. A Near-Optimal Algorithm for Real-Time Order Acceptance: An Application in Post-Acute Healthcare Services. Operations Research. Forthcoming.

Dawande, M., Feng, Zhichao , and Janakiraman, G., 2021. On the Structure of Bottlenecks in Processes. Management Science , 67(6): 3853–3870.

Gupta, Shivam , Bansal, S. 2021. Optimal Market Integration Decisions by Policy Makers: Modeling and Analysis of Agriculture Market Data. Forthcoming in Operations Research .

H. Farahani, Mehdi , Dawande, Milind, Gurnani, Haresh, Janakiraman, Ganesh. 2021. Better to Bend than to Break: Sharing Supply Risk Using the Supply-Flexibility Contract. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management . 23(5):1257-1274.

Gupta, Shivam , Wang, S., Dawande, M., Janakiraman, G., 2020. Procurement with Cost and Non-Cost Attributes: Cost-Sharing Mechanisms. Operations Research . Vol. 69, No. 5, September–October 2021, pp. 1349–1367

Shan, Xi , Li, T., and Sethi, S. A responsive-pricing retailer sourcing from competing suppliers facing disruptions. Forthcoming. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management .

Zhang, Wen , Pavlov, V., Katok, E. Optimal Contract Under Asymmetric Information About Fairness. Forthcoming. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management .

Zhang, Wen , Chen, Q, Katok, E. Now or Later?: When to Deploy Qualification Screening in Open-Bid Auction for Re-Sourcing. Forthcoming, Operations Research .

Chen, Jiayu , Qi, A., Dawande, M., 2020. Supplier centrality and auditing priority in socially responsible supply chains. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management , Vol. 22, No. 6, November–December 2020, pp. 1199–1214

Ozer, O., Bensoussan, A., Kadiyala, Bharadwaj , 2020. A mechanism design approach to vendor managed inventory. Management Science , Vol. 66, No. 6, June 2020, pp. 2628–2652

Gao, L., Shi, Jim, J., Gorman, M.F., Luo, Ting , 2020. Business analytics for intermodal capacity management. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management , Vol. 22, No. 2, March–April 2020, pp. 310–329

Guda, Harish , and Subramanian, U., 2019. Your uber is arriving: managing on-demand workers through surge pricing, forecast communication, and worker incentives. Management Science , Vol. 65, No. 5, May 2019, pp. 1995–2014

Bo, Yang , Dawande, M., Huh, W.T., Janakiraman, G., Nagarajan, M., 2019. Determining process capacity: intractability and efficient special cases. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management , Vol. 21, No. 1, Winter 2019, pp. 139–153

Dawande, M., Janakiraman, G., Bo, Yang , 2018. Technical note—Analysis of scrip systems: on an open question in johnson et. al (2014). Operations Research , Vol. 66, No. 3, May–June 2018, pp. 611–619

Dawande, M., Bo, Yang , Janakiraman, G., McCormick, S.T. On integral policies in deterministic and stochastic distribution systems. Operations Research , Vol. 65, No. 3, May–June 2017, pp. 703–711

Gao, L., Yang, N., Luo, Ting , Zhang, R. Dynamic supply risk management with signal-based forecast, multi-sourcing, and discretionary selling. Production and Operations Management , Vol. 26, No. 7, July 2017, pp. 1399–1415

Petruzzi, N., Zhang, J., Li, Meng . Overconfident competing newsvendors. Management Science , Vol. 63, No. 8, August 2017, pp. 2637–2646

Admission Procedures

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree. Admission is based on grade point average, graduate examination test score (GMAT* or GRE), letters of reference (at least three, with two from academic references), business and professional experience (if applicable), a written statement of personal objectives and compatibility with faculty research activities. Since the School of Management starts making first-round admission decisions on December 9, it is best to complete the entire application process no later than December 8. While applications will be accepted after that date, applying after December 8 may significantly lower your chance of acceptance. Applications for admission can be made using the UT Dallas Graduate Application website .

* UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management prefers the GMAT admission test, however, we gladly accept the GRE test as well.

Degree Requirements

Calculus, matrix algebra, computer programming and statistics are prerequisites for the doctoral program – every admitted student is responsible for ensuring he/she has satisfied these prerequisite requirements before joining the program.

Doctoral students in Management Science benefit from an exposure to multiple functional areas in management. To ensure this benefit, students who enter the program without an MBA (or equivalent degree) are required to complete a combined minimum of four courses (at the master’s or doctoral level) in at least three functional areas. This cross-functional exposure is particularly useful for students engaging in cross-functional research, in positioning their research for wider appeal, and for effectively teaching business school students with diverse specializations.

The Management Science PhD core curriculum consists of a minimum of 9 courses.

Please visit the Management Science Degree Plan page for core and secondary core course requirements.

Nine hours in any approved field

Students are required to take a sequence of specific Operations Management courses. Students should consult with faculty members in their respective areas to decide on the sequence of courses.

Twelve hours of special topics and seminars in the operations management area.

Students are required to write original research papers in both their first and second summers. The second year paper is presented in a seminar attended by faculty and other students, and must be judged to be passing by the faculty before the student can advance to candidacy.

Operations Management PhD students take a written preliminary exam at the end of their first year in the program over a set of core methodology courses ( OPRE 7310 Probability & Stochastic Processes, OPRE 7311 Stochastic Models in Operations Research, OPRE 7320 Optimal Control Theory, OPRE 7353 Optimization). Students will take a qualifying exam (consisting of a completed research paper) at the end of their second year in the program (effective for students entering the program in Fall 2020 and beyond).

PhD students must successfully complete the preliminary and qualifying examinations, respectively, to enter PhD candidacy. The area faculty will determine whether a student has successfully completed the exam requirements based on the student’s performance. Criteria to evaluate students may include results from the in-class written portion of the exams, quality of research papers and/or presentations, performance in special courses (e.g. seminar courses), satisfactory GPA as determined by area faculty, and other forms of assessment as required by the student’s area. An unsatisfactory performance in any one criteria for either the preliminary examination or the qualifying examination may result in dismissal from the program.

Once the student has passed qualifying exam and paper requirements, work on the dissertation can commence. The dissertation is written under the direction of the dissertation committee. Twelve to 24 semester hours may be granted for the dissertation toward the minimum 75-hour requirement for the degree. At a time mutually agreeable to the candidate and the dissertation committee, the candidate must orally defend the dissertation to the committee.

The Dissertation Proposal must be successfully defended at least one semester prior to the term of graduation. The requirements for the proposal defense should be discussed with the dissertation committee prior to scheduling the defense. Dissertation Proposal Defenses will be open to all faculty and PhD students of the Jindal School of Management.

ready-application-phd

Ready to start your PhD application?

Before you apply, get familiar with the admission requirements and application process for Jindal School PhD programs at UT Dallas.

Back to Top

• Open Search box
• Ph.D. Program Home
• Admissions Overview
• Admissions FAQ
• Areas of Study Home
• Accounting Overview
• Meet the Students
• Courses and Seminars
• Behavioral Decision Making Overview
• Decisions, Operations and Technology Management Overview
• Finance Overview
• Global Economics and Management Overview
• Management and Organizations Overview
• Marketing Overview
• Strategy Overview
• Current Job Market Candidates

UCLA Anderson Ph.D. program

Where Brilliant Minds Break Through

Professor Chris Tang, prolific researcher in Management and Operations, with Rob Richmond, researcher in foreign currency investment.

Welcome to UCLA Anderson’s Doctoral Program — the first step in pursuing an academic career in management.

From the dean of our program.

"On behalf of our faculty, thank you for visiting the UCLA Anderson Ph.D. program! If you're serious about advancing our understanding of business disciplines through rigorous research, I invite you to explore everything our Ph.D. program has to offer. You'll have the opportunity to train with world-renowned scholars and alongside the next generation of researchers. In that pursuit, you will have UCLA's resources and strengths as a world-class research institution available to you."

Join us as we expand the boundaries of business knowledge. Apply to become one of tomorrow's leading scholars today.

Professor Stephen Spiller Associate Dean and Director Ph.D. Program UCLA Anderson School of Management

World-Class Faculty

Meet The Students

Graduate success stories.

Kevin Huang ('22) Assistant Professor, CUHK-Shenzhen

Noncompliance with SEC Regulations: Evidence from Timely Loan Disclosures

Jon Bogard ('22) Assistant Professor, Washington University in St. Louis

Target, distance, and valence: Unpacking the effects of normative feedback

Nur Kaynar Keles ('22) Assistant Professor, Cornell

Discovering Causal Models with Optimization: Confounders, Cycles, and Feature Selection

Geoff Zheng ('20) Assistant Professor NYU Shanghai

Growth Options, Incentives, and Pay for Performance: Theory and Evidence

Sebastian Ottinger ('21) Assistant Professor CERGE-EI

The Political Economy of Propaganda: Evidence from US Newspapers

Daniel Walters  ('17) Assistant Professor INSEAD

Investor memory of past performance is positively biased and predicts overconfidence

Marissa Sharif (’17) Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School

The Effect of Categorization on Goal Progress Perceptions and Motivation

Marco Testoni  ('19) Assistant Professor Tilburg University

The market value spillovers of technological acquisitions: Evidence from patent-text analysis

Alumni success

• About UCLA Anderson
• Our Character
• Our Strategic Plan
• Our Leadership
• Our History
• Office of Development Home
• Impact Stories
• The Anderson Fund
• Student Fellowships
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Centers@Anderson
• Faculty Research
• Dean’s Society Leadership Giving
• Reunion Giving
• Anderson Affiliates
• Ways to Give
• Contact Development
• Our Centers Home
• Center for Global Management Home
• For Students Overview
• Specialize In Global Management
• On-Campus and/or Hybrid Global Management Courses
• Global Immersion Courses
• Global Nonprofit Capstone Projects
• MBA Research Assistants
• Career and Personal Development
• UCLA-NUS Executive MBA
• F/EMBA International Exchange
• EMBA International Business Residency
• Global Management Seminars
• International Exchange
• Events and Discussions Overview
• Global Conferences
• Greater China and LatAm Series
• Global Management Speaker Series
• Global Management Lecture Series
• Global Business & Policy Forums
• World Today Discussion Series
• Robertson Lecture Series on Global Business Leadership
• Lunch and Dinner Series
• External Collaborative Partnerships
• Upcoming Events
• Past Center Sponsored Events
• Other UCLA Events
• Faculty & Global Research
• Video Gallery
• Support The Center
• Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports Home
• Events Overview
• Pulse Conference Home
• Entertainment Case Competition
• Game Day Sports Case Competition
• Global Sports Business Forum
• INSIGHTS - Big Data Conference
• Real Madrid Global Sports Leadership
• Research & Insights
• Corporate Partnership
• Student Experience Overview
• Industry Network
• Undergraduate Summer Institute Overview
• Howard University Initiative
• High School Summer Discovery
• About The Center for Media, Entertainment & Sports
• Board of Directors
• Easton Technology Management Center
• Innovation Challenge Home
• Sustainability Track
• Healthcare Track
• Generative AI Track
• Mentors & Advisors
• Competition Details
• Past Events
• Easton Courses
• Specialization
• Innovate Conference
• Tech + Society Conference
• The Embracing AI Summit
• Easton Instructors
• Get Involved
• About The Easton Technology Management Center
• Board of Advisors
• Faculty Advisory Board
• Fink Center for Finance & Investments Home
• Career Impact
• Student Fellowships Overview
• Investment Banking Fellowship
• Kayne Investment Management Fellowship
• Brown Private Equity and Alternatives Fellowship
• Quantitative Finance Fellowship
• News and Events Overview
• Conference on Financial Markets
• Fink Investing Conference Home
• Private Equity Roundtable
• Fink Credit Pitch Competition
• Faculty & Research
• Meet Our Board
• Meet Our Team
• Center for Impact Home
• Academics Overview
• Specializations and Certificates
• Impact Investing
• Social Impact Consulting
• Open For Good Transparency Index
• Environmental Metrics
• Social Metrics
• Governance Metrics
• Our Methodology
• State of Corporate Sustainability Disclosure
• 2023 Report
• 2022 Report
• Sustainability Workshops
• Corporate Partnership Program
• Faculty and Research
• Research and Seminars
• Research in Energy
• Research in Sustainability
• Research in Social Responsibility
• Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability ARCS
• Impact Week
• Morrison Center for Marketing & Data Analytics Home
• Gilbert Symposium
• Research Overview
• Funded Research
• Student Programs Overview
• Affiliated Student Organizations
• Case Competitions
• Ph.D. Students
• Morrison Center Advisory Board
• Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Home
• Fellowships
• Undergraduate Minor in Entrepreneurship
• Student Investment Fund
• For Professionals Overview
• Health Care Executive Program
• Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans
• UCLA Head Start Management Fellows Program
• Steinbeck Family Business Seminar
• Management Development for Entrepreneurs
• UCLA Health Care Institute
• Anderson Venture Accelerator Home
• Our Programs
• Our Companies
• Mentors and Advisors
• Showcase 2023
• Showcase 2022
• Showcase 2021
• Showcase 2020
• Knapp Venture Competition
• Entrepreneur Association (EA)
• Past Winners
• Hire an Anderson Intern
• UCLA Anderson Forecast Home
• Research and Reports Overview
• Forecast Direct Podcast
• Projects and Partnerships Overview
• Forecast Fellows Program
• Allen Matkins
• Cathay Bank
• City Human Capital Index
• Los Angeles City Employment
• Engage with Us Overview
• Become A Member
• Become A Sponsor
• Speaking Engagements
• Member Login
• Renew Membership
• Join Email List
• UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate
• Howard and Irene Levine Fellows
• Peter Bren Fellows in Entrepreneurial Real Estate
• Corporate Concierge Recruiting
• Howard and Irene Levine Affordable Housing Development Program
• Alumni (UCLA REAG)
• UCLA Ziman Center Symposium
• Howard J. Levine Distinguished Lecture on Business Ethics & Social Responsibility
• UCLA Distinguished Speaker Series in Affordable Housing
• Faculty & Research Overview
• UCLA Gilbert Program in Real Estate, Finance and Urban Economics
• UCLA Economic Letter
• UCLA Affordable Housing Policy Brief
• Working Papers
• Eviction Moratoria and Other Rental Market COVID-19 Policy Interventions
• Mortgage Default Risk Index (MDRI)
• CRSP/Ziman REIT Data Series
• Conference on Low-Income Housing Supply and Housing Affordability
• Impact on Our Community Overview
• Housing as Health Care Initiative
• Howard and Irene Levine Program in Housing and Social Responsibility
• Board Leadership
• Ziman Campaign
• Clubs & Associations Home
• Anderson Student Association (ASA)
• Think in the Next Innovation Challenge
• Innovation & Design Case Competition
• Strategy and Operations Case Competition
• Health Care Business Case Competition
• Challenges in Energy Case Competition
• Professional Clubs
• Association of Veterans at Anderson (AVA)
• Association for Real Estate at Anderson (AREA)
• Energy and Cleantech Association (ECA) Home
• Energy Innovation Conference
• Entertainment Management Association (EMA) Home
• International Film Festival
• Food & Beverage Association (FABA)
• Healthcare Business Association (HBA) Home
• HBA VITALS Conference
• Innovation & Design at Anderson (IDeA) Home
• Innovation and Design Case Competition
• Investment Finance Association (IFA)
• Management Consulting Association (MCA)
• Marketing Association (MA)
• Net Impact (NI) Home
• High Impact Tea
• Retail Business Association (RBA) Home
• Evolve Conference
• Sports Business Association (SBA)
• Strategy & Operations Management Association (SOMA) Home
• Tech Business Association at Anderson (AnderTech) Home
• Unchained: Blockchain Business Forum
• Women’s Business Connection (WBC)
• Identity Clubs
• The Alliance for Latinx Management at Anderson (ALMA)
• Asian Management Student Association (AMSA)
• Black Business Students Association (BBSA) Home
• BHM Events - Better Together
• Christian Student Fellowship (CSF)
• European Business Association (EBA)
• Greater China Business Association (GCBA)
• Japan America Business Association (JABA)
• Jewish Business Students Association (JBSA)
• Joint Ventures (JV)
• Korean Business Student Association (KBSA)
• Latin American Business Association (LABA)
• Middle East & Africa Club
• Muslim Business Student Association (MBSA)
• Out@Anderson (O@A) Home
• LGBTQ Awareness Week
• South Asian Business Association (SABA)
• Southeast Asian Business Association (SEABA)
• Taiwanese Student Business Association (TSBA)
• Institutions Clubs
• Anderson Onboarding Committee (AOC)
• Admissions Ambassador Corps (AAC)
• Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
• Challenge for Charity
• Interest Overview
• A Comedy Club (ACC)
• Adam Smith Society (SmithSoc)
• Craft Beer Club
• Creatives at Anderson (AnderCreative)
• Eats (AnderEats)
• Public Speaking Club at Anderson (PSC)
• Spirits @ Anderson
• Travel and Hospitality Association (THA)
• Wine Club at Anderson (WCA)
• Athletics Overview
• Basketball Club at Anderson (Anderball)
• John Anderson Golf Club
• Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC)
• Soccer Club (SC)
• Tennis Club at Anderson (TCA)
• Wellness Club
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Events and Spotlights
• Embracing Diversity Series
• Hear to Include
• Student EDI Council
• Key EDI Activities
• What You Can Do
• Pathway Guidance Program Overview
• Inclusive Ethics Initiative
• Asian@Anderson
• Black@Anderson
• Latinx@Anderson
• LGBTQ@Anderson
• Veterans@Anderson
• Women@Anderson
• Information & Technology Home
• New Faculty Information
• New PhD Information
• New Student Information
• Anderson Computing & Information Services (Intranet Portal)
• Rosenfeld Library Home
• Databases Overview
• Business Databases by Name
• Business Databases by Category Overview
• Analyst Reports
• Company Information
• Industry Information
• International Information
• Market Research
• Taxation & Accounting
• Books & Other Sources
• Anderson Proxy Server / Off-Campus Access
• Database Alerts (Under Revision)
• Discipline eSources Overview
• Decisions, Operations and Technology Management
• Global Economics and Management
• Information Systems
• Management and Organizations
• Working Papers, Cases
• Business Topics
• Government Information
• Search & Find
• Electronic Journals at UCLA
• New "Management" Titles at Rosenfeld and Other UCLA Libraries
• Citation Linker for Articles in (or Not in) UCLA-Licensed Online Content
• Career Management
• Company Ratios
• Industry Ratios
• Internet Search
• Special Collections
• UCLA Library Catalog
• Melvyl (UC Libraries)
• Citing Business Sources
• Assessing Global Issues
• Career Research in the Rosenfeld Library
• Competitive Intelligence
• Research Toolkit
• Services Overview
• Faculty Course Support
• Media & Technology Industry Information
• Ph.D. Research Support
• Consult a Business Research Librarian
• Borrowing Privileges
• Document Delivery
• Field Study Research Support: AMR/BCO/GAP/SMR/UCLA-NUS EMBA
• Course Reserves Overview
• Find Reserve Items
• Info for Faculty
• Hours of Operation
• Conduct in the UCLA Libraries
• External (Non-Anderson) Users of Rosenfeld Library
• New "Management" Titles RSS Feed
• UCLA Library
• User Rights and Responsibilities
• Degrees Home
• Full-Time MBA Home
• Admissions Home
• Request Information
• Requirements
• Admissions Events
• Class Profile
• International Applicants
• Concurrent Degrees
• Admission Policies
• Consortium Candidates
• Academics Home
• Customizable Schedule
• Flexibility & Specializations
• Capstone Project
• Business Creation Program
• Anderson Student Asset Management (ASAM) Home
• Annual Report
• Fund Strategies and Resources
• Academic Centers
• Global Options
• Academic Calendar
• Consulting Career Path
• Marketing Career Path
• Entertainment Career Path
• Technology Career Path
• Finance Career Path
• Social Impact Career Path
• Health Care Career Path
• Entrepreneurship Career Path
• Real Estate Career Path
• Operations Career Path
• Energy Career Path
• Retail Career Path
• Sports Career Path
• Living in L.A.
• Family Life
• Clubs & Associations
• Embracing Diversity
• Financing Overview
• Financing Opportunities
• Financing Requirements
• Connect With Our Students
• Getting Here
• Admit Central
• Why UCLA Anderson
• Timeline & Email Archive
• Student Life Home
• Clubs & Extracurriculars
• Getting Settled Home
• Housing and Utilities
• Transportation and Parking
• Campus Resources
• Student Health
• International Students Home
• Student Visas
• Your Academic Experience
• Your Career Considerations
• International Students Onboarding Sessions
• Tips for International Students
• Anderson Onboarding Home
• Anderson Onboarding FAQ
• Curriculum & Academics Home
• Course Schedule
• Academic Preparation
• Career Services Home
• Career Preparation
• Industry Camps
• Paying for School
• Financing Your MBA Home
• Meet the Team Home
• Fully Employed MBA Home
• Assistant Dean's Advice
• Connect with a Student
• UC Transfers
• Exam Waiver
• Military and Veterans
• Admissions Policies
• Specializations
• Global Experience
• Flexible Options
• Drive Time Podcast
• Student Perspectives
• Costs & Financing
• Financing FAQ
• Meet our Team
• Admit Central Home
• Why UCLA Anderson?
• Accepting Admission
• Important Items & Official Onboarding
• Build Your Network
• Executive MBA Home
• Requirements and Deadlines
• Connect with an EMBAssador
• U.S. Military, Reservist, & Veterans
• Flexible Schedules
• Electives & Specializations
• Capstone Overview
• For Companies
• Culture Overview
• Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
• Conferences and Special Events
• Clubs and Associations
• Meet the Team Overview
• EMBA Admit Central Home
• Finalizing Admission
• Pre-EMBA Academic Preparation
• Important Dates and Events
• Cost and Financing
• Career Services
• Directions and Accommodations
• Curriculum & Schedule
• Admissions Requirements
• UCLA NUS Alumni Connect
• Fees and Financing
• Meet the Team
• Visit UCLA-NUS Full Site
• Master of Financial Engineering
• Admissions Ambassadors
• Career Impact Overview
• Career Paths Overview
• Quant Trading and Sales Trading
• Data Science
• Quantitative Research and Analysis
• Strats and Modeling
• Portfolio Management
• Risk Management
• Consulting and Valuation
• Employment Report
• Alumni Coaches
• Advisory Board
• Student Life
• For Companies Overview
• Recruit An MFE
• Meet our Team Overview
• MFE Admit Central Home
• Admit Checklist
• Career Support
• Curriculum and Academics
• For International Students
• Prep Before You Start
• Program Calendar and Fees
• Master of Science in Business Analytics
• Prerequisites
• Holistic Career Services
• Constant Industry Infusion
• Student Outcomes & Placement
• Career Services FAQ
• Student Life Overview
• Meet Our Students
• Recruit MSBAs
• Capstone: Applied Analytics Project
• Class of 2018
• Class of 2019
• Class of 2020
• Class of 2021
• Class of 2022
• Class of 2023
• Class of 2024
• Meet Our Team Overview
• Executive Education Home
• Open Enrollment Overview
• Executive Program
• Corporate Governance
• Women's Leadership Institute
• Women In Governance Overview
• Board Ready Candidates
• Inclusive Leadership Program
• Strategic HR Program
• Leading High Performing Teams
• Customized Solutions
• Partner Programs Overview
• Accounting Minor Program Home
• Accounting Minor Admissions Requirements
• Enrolling In Classes
• Courses Overview
• Course Syllabus
• Useful Links
• Graduating Seniors
• Leaders in Sustainability Certificate Program
• Riordan Programs Home
• Riordan Scholars Program Overview
• Saturday Business Institute
• Riordan MBA Fellows Program Overview
• Riordan College to Career Program Overview
• Alumni Association
• Our Purpose
• Get Involved Overview
• Donor Honor Roll
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Spark Campaign
• Who We Are Overview
• Volunteers and Mentors
• Riordan Podcast
• Media Entertainment & Sports Summer Institute
• Venture Accelerator at UCLA Anderson Home
• HealthCare@Anderson
• Health Care and Behavioral Economics
• Women and Healthcare
• Research and Development
• Health Care Operations
• Healthcare Pricing and Financing
• Other Research
• Sector-Focused Programs for Professionals
• Faculty and Research Home
• Accounting Home
• Seminars and Events
• Ph.D. Program
• Behavioral Decision Making Home
• Decisions, Operations & Technology Management Home
• Meet The Ph.D. Students
• DOTM Supply Chain Blog
• Finance Home
• Global Economics and Management Home
• Meet the Ph.D. Students
• University of California GEM-BPP Research Workshop
• Management And Organizations Home
• Anderson Behavioral Lab
• HARRT at UCLA
• Marketing Home
• Strategy Home
• Information Systems Research Program Home
• Connections
• IS History Home
• Faculty Directory
• Faculty Awards
• Faculty Expertise Guide
• Open Positions
• Emeriti Faculty
• For Companies Home
• Hire an MBA
• Hire an MFE
• Hire an MSBA
• Engage a Student Consulting Team
• Applied Management Research Program Home
• Requirements & Schedule
• Benefits To Companies
• Application
• Student Experience
• Faculty Advisors
• Global Access Program Home
• Global Partner Network
• Meet the Advisors
• Past GAP Companies
• Executive Portal Home
• Key Dates and Schedules
• Event Registration
• Hotels and Directions
• Visa Information
• Explore Los Angeles
• Post-GAP Consulting Providers
• Strategic Management Research Program
• Applied Finance Project
• Applied Analytics Project
• Early-Stage Investment Fund
• Field Experiments in Strategy
• Management Practicum
• News and Events Home
• News Archive
• News Archive 2022-2023
• News Archive 2018-2021
• Virtual Events Archive
• Signature Events Overview
• Gerald Loeb Awards Home
• 2024 Loeb Awards Open Call For Entries
• Banquet and Ceremony
• Submit Entry
• Competition Categories
• Historical Winners
• Career Achievement Categories
• Eligibility and Rules Home
• Administration of Awards
• Final Judges
• Embracing Diversity Week
• Commencement Overview
• MBA, EMBA, FEMBA, Ph.D. Commencement Overview
• Commencement Speaker
• FAQ Students
• UCLA-NUS Commencement
• MFE Commencement Overview
• Parking & Directions
• MSBA Commencement Overview
• Hotel Information
• Video Archives
• John Wooden Global Leadership Awards Overview
• Fellowship Application
• John Wooden
• Anderson Speaker Series
• Dean's Distinguished Speaker Series
• Velocity Women's Summit
• 'Palooza
• Anderson Student Kickoff
• Alumni Home
• Alumni Directory
• All Chapters and Groups
• International
• Worldwide Welcome Weeks 2023
• Alumni Weekend 2024
• Friday Faculty Chats
• Alumni Weekend
• Alumni Weekend 2022
• Alumni Weekend 2021
• Alumni Weekend 2019
• Alumni Weekend 2018
• Worldwide Welcome Weeks 2022
• Worldwide Welcome Weeks 2021
• Worldwide Welcome Weeks 2018
• Worldwide Welcome Weeks 2017
• Career Re-LAUNCH
• UCLA Campus
• Career Services Overview
• Career Resources
• Stay Connected Overview
• Alumni Community
• Email Lists
• Class Notes
• News@Anderson
• Alumni Awards
• Board of Directors Overview
• Letter from the President

PhD in Management Program

A phd in management: where business research and education intersect.

Become an industry thought leader while preparing tomorrow’s business leaders.

Our fully funded PhD in Management is designed for ambitious students and professionals interested in a career in university teaching and research.

This residential program, based at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management in Ithaca, NY, combines Ivy League rigor and real-world relevance to prepare you for successful careers in academia.

Why Get a PhD in Management?

With a strong focus on management science and applied research, this doctoral degree is ideal for someone looking to teach at the university level and contribute to the greater body of industry knowledge. Pursuing a PhD in Management is also an ideal next step for executives and senior managers who want to make a transition to academia or enhance their research skills for a successful consulting career.

Fully Funded, Highly Flexible: What Makes Cornell’s Management PhD Different?

As you explore PhD programs’ degree requirements, faculty engagement, and campus experience, Cornell stands alone.

In Cornell’s highly flexible program, you’ll choose a specific area of study and build your own dissertation committee. Our program faculty are genuinely interested and invested in your intellectual development. In this small and highly selective program, you will get to know the faculty and your peers well. 

The SC Johnson Graduate School of Management is home to leading research centers and a high-impact academic journal; these open you up to unique learning and mentorship opportunities.

Business Simulation Lab

The Debra Paget and Jeffrey Berg Business Simulation Lab facilitates in-person and online behavioral research related to decision-making and problem-solving.

Discover More About BSL

Our Three-Pronged Approach to a PhD in Management

The Johnson School’s doctoral degree in management combines the best of theory and practice, building on a three-pronged foundation:

Hands-on Experience

Develop your research and analytical skills. You’ll work with classmates to examine existing literature and theories for class deliverables, which will often include your own original research.

Customizable Curriculum

Design your own academic pathway. You’ll choose one of six primary areas of study and create your own dissertation committee.

University-Wide Coursework

Draw on the expertise from across Cornell. You’ll get to select graduate-level courses from schools and colleges devoted to law , hospitality , engineering , labor relations , and other fields.

At a Glance: Cornell’s Fully Funded PhD in Management

The fully residential, fully funded PhD in Management program includes a tuition waiver and a stipend for living expenses. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

Degree Awarded

PhD in Management

Program Location

Ithaca, NY, with options in New York City

Program Format

Foundational coursework, original research, and six potential areas of study

Hear from Our Community

“PhD is a marathon, not a sprint, and collaborating with great people is paramount. At Cornell, I’ve found a place where amazing people come together, supporting my research and personal growth. Choosing Cornell means joining a community that knows how important it is to work with exceptional people to excel in the program.” – Elina Hur PhD ’23

Customize Your Path: Our Areas of Study

When you apply to the Johnson School’s PhD in Management, you will select a primary area of study. Choosing a concentration allows you to gain specialized skills and knowledge while growing a portfolio of original research.

Examine the role of accounting information in firms and financial markets. PhD-level research at Cornell explores topics such as how firms report information to investors, how accounting information is used to manage firms, and the nature of auditing.

Strategy & Business Economics

Use modern tools and methodologies to gain a better understanding of the world. PhD students in this area explore many aspects of economics including industrial, behavioral, labor, and organizational.

Dive deep into the financial structure and issues of organizations. Your research might look at how conflicts of interest affect corporate policy, how investor psychology affects asset pricing, or how to detect price bubbles.

Learn how theories from operations research, economics, psychology, and sociology intersect to inform corporate and consumer decisions. Your PhD studies will explore both quantitative and behavioral perspectives of marketing.

Management & Organizations

Prepare for a research-focused career in academia or industry. This versatile concentration develops skilled, innovative, analytical researchers through a broad curriculum and close faculty collaboration.

Operations, Technology, & Information Management

Develop the technical skills and behavioral analysis knowledge you need to address high-impact managerial decisions. This focus area also offers an option to complete coursework at Cornell Tech in New York City.

Idea Generation to Publication: A Career in Teaching and Research

The majority of our PhD in Management students pursue careers in academia. After graduation, many land tenure-track teaching positions at top-tier business schools and continue to advance knowledge through original research. Johnson School PhD students often field multiple offers and see starting salaries range from $150,000 to $250,000.

Finding Your Place at Cornell: Meet Our Current PhDs

Students from around the United States and across the globe arrive at the Johnson School to earn their PhD in Management —and their diverse research interests, educational backgrounds, and professional experiences make for a vibrant, enriching learning environment. MEET CURRENT PHD STUDENTS

Research and Placements: Making an Impact in the Management Field

After earning the PhD in Management, our alumni go on to teach and inspire future leaders at top-tier institutions. Not only do they teach and conduct research alongside some of the most brilliant minds in business, but they also advance the field through publishing in leading journals and presenting their work at industry conferences.

Recent PhD in Management Placements

• Piyush Anand, PhD ’21, assistant professor of marketing, Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University
• Guarav Kankanhalli, PhD ’20, assistant professor, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
• Eunjee Kim, PhD ’21, assistant professor, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University
• Sarah Lim, PhD ’21, assistant professor, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Xuege Lu, PhD ’22, assistant professor, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
• Subrina Shen, PhD ’21, assistant professor, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin

Recent Research Publications

• “ Do Real Estate Values Boost Corporate Borrowing? Evidence from Contract-Level Data ” in the Journal of Financial Economics (2022) — Gaurav Kankanhalli, PhD ’20, with Murillo Campello, Robert A. Connolly, and Eva Steiner
• “ Converging Tides Lift All Boats: Consensus in Evaluation Criteria Boosts Investments in Firms in Nascent Technology Sectors ” in Organization Science (2021) — Xirong (Subrina) Shen, PhD ’21, with Huisi (Jessica) Li, PhD ’20, and Pamela S. Tolbert 
• “ Initial and Longer-Term Change in Unit-Level Turnover Following Leader Succession: Contingent Effects of Outgoing and Incoming Leader Characteristics ” in Organization Science (2020)— Huisi (Jessica) Li, PhD ’20, with John Hausknecht and Lisa Dragoni

“ Does Regulatory Jurisdiction Affect the Quality of Investment-Adviser Regulation? ” in American Economic Review (2019) — Alan Kwan, PhD ’17, with Ben Charoenwong and Tarik Umar

Our Faculty: Accomplished Researchers, Dedicated Teachers

When you join the PhD in Management program at the Johnson School, you’ll be part of a learning community comprising more than 100 accomplished academics and thought leaders. 

Not only will you take courses with renowned professors from across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, but you also will have the opportunity to build your own faculty committee—a group that will become instrumental as you select your dissertation topic and embark on your original research.

Faculty Spotlight: Learn from Leading Thought Leaders

Throughout the PhD program—from foundational coursework to your dissertation—you’ll work closely with dedicated teacher-scholars like these:

Kristina Rennekamp

Dr. Rennekamp’s research focuses on financial accounting from a behavioral perspective. She’s widely published, with work appearing in leading academic journals such as The Accounting Review , Contemporary Accounting Research , and The Journal of Financial Reporting .

Karan Girotra

Dr. Girotra studies the digital transformation of companies, whether it’s looking at emerging tools and practices or exploring new business models. He’s frequently interviewed in an array of mainstream business media outlets, including Bloomberg BusinessWeek , Fortune , and Forbes .

Kaitlin Woolley

Dr. Woolley studies the psychological processes behind consumer motivation. She’s an award-winning educator and researcher with work published in academic journals and national media outlets including the Journal of Consumer Research , Journal of Marketing Research , and The Wall Street Journal .

EXPLORE JOHNSON SCHOOL FACULTY

What You’ll Learn: Curriculum Overview

As you pursue your PhD in business management , you’ll begin with a set of foundation courses and progress into advanced coursework in your area of interest. Through it all, your faculty committee will help make sure you’re on the right track.

Foundational Management Coursework

Early in your doctoral program, you will complete foundational coursework in management and other fields. Many of these will focus on the research process and prepare you for your dissertation.

Advanced Coursework in Your Concentration Area

As you progress in the PhD in Management program, you’ll take electives and advanced courses that align with your research area of interest; these classes can be in the Johnson School and across Cornell.

Your Dissertation: Creating Original Research

During the final part of the program, you begin work on your dissertation—the culmination of your original research. You choose the topic of research in conjunction with your committee.

VIEW PROGRAM SPECIFICS

Beyond Business: Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Dialogue

Tap into the experience and expertise of faculty members from across Cornell University.  

Management is a broad science. Business leaders serve in a variety of roles in industries of all kinds: healthcare, consumer goods, agriculture, biotechnology, media, and consulting to name just a few. At Cornell, you can enrich your education and expand your research opportunities by taking courses and finding mentors beyond the college of business.

Explore fields like computer science, psychology, sociology, communication, engineering, and data science—and then connect the dots back to your management research.

Interact with peers and professors from other disciplines by participating in student organizations and special interest groups or by attending public lectures, workshops, and networking events.

Admissions Overview: How to Apply to the Management PhD Program

The ideal candidate for the Johnson School’s doctorate degree in management will have a strong record of academic excellence, a solid understanding of the research process, and an entrepreneurial approach to problem-solving. An MBA or master’s degree is not a requirement for admission. 

Our admissions page offers more details about program prerequisites, selection criteria, requirements, deadline information, and a checklist of materials you need to submit with your application.

Connect With Cornell Admissions

The Johnson School admissions team is available to answer your questions about the program and the application process. Stop in or reach out by phone or email today.

253-D Sage Hall Johnson Graduate School of Management Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-6201

Phone: 607-255-5340 Email: Graduate Research Programs Office

The Cornell Campus: Where You Will Learn, Grow, and Thrive

Learn, grow, and thrive on one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States. As a PhD student, you’ll spend a lot of time in Sage Hall, a Gothic-style building dating back to 1875. You’ll find more high-tech learning spaces just off campus at the Breazzano Family Center for Business Education. You’ll also have access to the innovative campus of Cornell Tech in New York City—particularly relevant to students focused on technology and information management. 

Attending Cornell also means you’ll call Ithaca, NY, home for about five years. Our eclectic downtown is full of eateries, shops, activities, and all of the amenities you’d need for everyday life. When you’re not in class or studying, you can explore all that the Finger Lakes region has to offer.

PhD in Management FAQ: What You Need to Know

Before you apply to a research-focused graduate program, you’re likely to want to do some deep research of your own. For instance, how does a fully funded PhD in Management work? What’s the typical completion time?

We have a robust Frequently Asked Questions section to help you learn more about our program, the admissions process, and dissertation requirements. For our international applicants, you’ll also find specific details about earning your PhD in Management.

May I speak to someone about my interest in the program and visit?

You are welcome to reach out to any professor with whom you see a good research fit. Our website also has a wealth of information about the program.

Is an interview part of the process?

We offer interviews only to a few applicants after their first screening.

May I talk to a professor or advisor?

You are welcome to contact any professor with whom you see a research match. Faculty are more likely to respond to specific research queries.

I have questions; may I write to this program email address?

Yes. Our response time will vary. We are not able to answer detailed questions that are better assessed by faculty during the application process.

May I schedule a campus tour?

Admissions does not offer campus tours for PhD program applicants. However, you may arrange an appointment with a faculty member.

Fraud alert – beware of third-party post-doc scams.

Cornell University recently has been made aware of fraudulent activity targeting overseas students and researchers, including at least one third party website falsely stating that it is offering a postdoctoral or visiting scholar program in association with Cornell. These scams, which may seek to obtain money and/or personal details from interested applicants, are fraudulent. 

Cornell wishes to warn the public about these fraudulent activities being perpetrated purportedly in the name of Cornell, and/or its officials. Please be advised that: 

• Cornell does not, nor has it, worked in collaboration with third-party companies or organizations to offer postdoctoral or research certificate programs.
• Third parties do not collect tuition or fees on behalf of Cornell.
• Cornell does not work with or endorse such organizations including, but not limited to, Shanghai Lufei Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Chinese name: 上海璐斐教育科技有限公司) and Shenzhen Guoyan Era Education Technology Co., Ltd. (Chinese name: 深圳市国研时代教育科技有限公司).

Cornell’s postdoctoral positions are listed on the Academic Career Opportunities website and postdoctoral fellowship programs are available for viewing. If you suspect a third party of falsely advertising a Cornell program, please notify [email protected]. Victims of such scams may also report them to their local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

Start the Application Process Today

Ready to apply to our highly selective, fully funded PhD in Management? We look forward to learning more about you and your research goals. Start the application process today at the Cornell Graduate Admissions website. [You’ll first need to register for an account or log in to an existing one.]

Ph.D.: Operations & Management Science Concentration

This program will prepare you for a career in business, industry, or government using expertise gained in applied problem solving and data analysis. You will receive rigorous fundamental training in statistics, research methods, mathematics, and operations research, followed by theoretical study within your field of interest. All students are expected to produce publishable research for peer-reviewed journals prior to graduation.

Admission requirements

We prefer the GMAT, but we do accept the GRE test as a substitute.

Desired prerequisites

Most successful applicants to the program have attained, at minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited university

As an entering Ph.D. student, you should be competent in math and business (accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, operations management), and have adequate computer skills and a good command of the English language. If you are deficient in any of these areas, additional coursework and preparation (beyond the major course of study) may be required. Your advisory committee will determine those requirements.

Ph.D. Professional Development Seminar

Students will take the one-credit college-wide professional development colloquium (BA 598) during their first year or as soon as possible when approved by the area coordinator.

Ph.D. Teaching Course

Students will take the 3-credit BA 596 teaching course, ideally in the fall of their second year.

Ph.D. Research Tool Requirements

• Math 464—Linear Optimization
• Math 516—Numerical Simulations for Probabilistic Models
• Stat 443—Applied Probability
• Stat 556—Introduction to Statistical Theory
• Also Recommended: MgtOp 470—Business Modeling with Spreadsheets

Ph.D. Major Field Requirements

• MgtOp 596—Doctoral Topics I
• MgtOp 596—Doctoral Topics II
• MgtOp596—Doctoral Topics III
• MgtOp516—Time Series
• MgtOp519—Applied Multivariate Analysis
• Math 548—Numerical Analysis
• Math 553—Graph Theory
• Math 555—Topics in Combinatorics
• Math 564—Convex and Nonlinear Optimization
• Math 565—Nonsmooth Analysis and Optimization with Applications
• Math 566—Optimization in Networks
• Math 567—Integer and Combinatorial Optimization
• Math 574—Topics in Optimization
• Stat 511—Statistical Methods for Graduate Researchers
• Stat 512—Analysis of Variance of Designed Experiments
• Stat 520—Statistical Analysis of Qualitative Data
• Stat 530—Applied Linear Models
• Stat 533—Theory of Linear Models
• Stat 536—Statistical Computing
• Stat 544—Applied Stochastic Processes
• Stat 548—Statistical Theory I
• Stat 549—Statistical Theory II
• Stat 572—Quality Control
• Stat 573—Reliability
• Mktg 593—Seminar in Research Design
• EconS 501—Microeconomic Theory I
• EconS 510—Statistics for Economists
• EconS 511—Econometrics I
• EconS 512—Econometrics II

Additional Ph.D. Coursework

A minimum of 9 credit hours of coursework approved for graduate credit must be designated and approved by the student’s Ph.D. committee.

Ph.D. Research Credit Requirements

Minimum of 32 credits.

In addition to the research tool and field requirements, the Ph.D. in Business requires an additional body of research credits in preparation and development of the final dissertation. A minimum of 32 (800-level) research credits hours is required.

Qualifying Exam

In addition to the CCB progress requirements, students are required to pass a qualifying exam. The exam is typically taken in June after the first year of study. Only one retake is allowed, typically in the subsequent August. Students may be able to earn a waiver from certain portions of the exam, depending on their performance in Stat 443, Stat 556, Math 464, and MgtOp 470.

Dr. Yixuan Xiao Assistant Professor Department of Finance and Management Science Todd Hall 469 [email protected] 509-335-8727

Program at a glance

Degree offered: Doctor of Philosophy Number of faculty working with students: 5 Number of students enrolled in program: 10 Students with assistantships/scholarships: 100%

Universities and colleges employing recent graduates:

• Northeastern University
• University of Michigan-Flint
• Grand Valley State University
• University of South Dakota
• Wilfred Laurier University (Canada), and more