phd business administration syllabus

• Harvard Business School →
• Doctoral Programs →

PhD Programs

• Accounting & Management
• Business Economics
• Health Policy (Management)
• Organizational Behavior
• Technology & Operations Management

Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has four areas of study: Accounting and Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

Business Administration

Harvard Business School offers a two-year, full-time, STEM-designated MBA program with a general management curriculum focused on real-world practice. Becoming a student at HBS means joining a global community that propels lifelong learning and career support alongside peers, faculty, and staff who will both challenge you and cheer you on as you find and accelerate your path. Learn about joint degree programs.

Jointly administered by HBS and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in business administration grounds students in disciplinary theories and methods and trains them to apply these theories and methods in academic research on important business problems. The program has four areas of study: accounting and management, marketing, strategy, and technology and operations management. The program prepares students for a career in academia at top business schools and research institutions around the world.

Business Administration: PhD

About the Program

The Berkeley Haas PhD Program offers six fields of academic study, for a curriculum of unusual richness and breadth. Since the program enrolls only 14 to 16 new PhD students each year, you will work very closely with the faculty members in their chosen specialties. This close partnership, coupled with the diverse academic and cultural backgrounds of our PhD students, fosters an atmosphere of close collaboration and intellectual curiosity.

The Berkeley Haas PhD Program is strongly oriented toward discipline and research. Emphasis is placed on preparing you to evaluate the state of knowledge in your particular field and to advance it through the application of theory from the social sciences, mathematics, or statistics.

Upon applying to the program, you are required to choose a field of study, which will not only determine your course work but also focus your future employment opportunities. You may choose from the following six fields:

• Business and Public Policy
• Management of Organizations
• Real Estate

Visit School Website

Admission to the University

Applying for graduate admission.

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. The Graduate Division hosts a complete list of graduate academic programs, departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website.

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application and steps to take to apply can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page . It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here .

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .

Admission to the Program

Review the Program Criteria and Application Instructions before applying. Some of the factors that are taken into account during our admissions process are:

• A high level of scholarly ability, involving both quantitative and qualitative skills
• The motivation to complete a challenging and strenuous academic program
• Career objectives consistent with the PhD degree
• Unique experience, perspective, or research interests

Applicants are not required to have:

• Previous graduate work or completion of an MBA degree
• A minimum score on the GMAT/GRE exam
• A specific academic or professional background

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Accounting field.

See current requirements.

Business and Public Policy Field 

Finance field, management of organizations field , marketing field, real estate field, phdba 219s research seminar in economic analysis and policy 1 - 3 units.

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The research seminar presents new research on economics applied to business management issues. Research Seminar in Economic Analysis and Policy: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 8 weeks - 1.5 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hours of Seminar per week for 8 weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Ph.D. in Business Administration/Graduate

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Research Seminar in Economic Analysis and Policy: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 229A Doctoral Seminar in Accounting I 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 A critical evaluation of accounting literature with emphasis on seminar contributions. Topics covered include research methodology in accounting, the private and social value of information. Doctoral Seminar in Accounting I: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Business Administration 202A or equivalent, and Economics 201A-201B

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for 229A after taking 239A.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Grading: Letter grade.

Formerly known as: Business Administration 223A

Doctoral Seminar in Accounting I: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 229B Doctoral Seminar in Accounting II 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2019, Spring 2018 A critical evaluation of recent accounting literature involving empirical research. Doctoral Seminar in Accounting II: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Business Admimistration 202A or equivalent, and Economics 201A-201B

Formerly known as: Business Administration 223B

Doctoral Seminar in Accounting II: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 229C Doctoral Seminar in Accounting III 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 A critical evaluation of recent accounting literature with emphasis on financial accounting. Doctoral Seminar in Accounting III: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Business Administration 223C

Doctoral Seminar in Accounting III: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 229D Doctoral Seminar in Accounting IV 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Fall 2013, Spring 2011 Exploration of issues related to the internal accounting systems of large firms. The first part of the course focuses on the theory of mechanism design, while the second part applies this theory to a variety of managerial accounting questions. Doctoral Seminar in Accounting IV: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Formerly known as: Business Administration 223D

Doctoral Seminar in Accounting IV: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 229S Research Seminar in Accounting 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Accounting. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Accounting: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - .5-3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: to Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Research Seminar in Accounting: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 239E Dynamic Game Theory and Applications 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014 This course focuses on repeated games and optimal mechanism design, with an emphasis on dynamics. The course presents a mix of pure theory and applications from many economics-related fields, particularly finance, macroeconomics and bargaining. Dynamic Game Theory and Applications: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Fuchs

Dynamic Game Theory and Applications: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 239FA Asset Pricing Theory 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Asset pricing and portfolio choice in partial equilbrium and asset pricing in General Equilibrium. Specifically, static and intertemporal theories of choice under risk and uncertainity and portfolio choice. Includes two-fund separation, Capital Asset Pricing Model, and the Arbitrage Pricing Theory. In a General Equilibrium framework, it covers the notion of complete markets and welfare theorems. Also, some macro-asset pricing models are developed in addition to an analysis of incomplete markets. Asset Pricing Theory: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Ph.D. in Business Administration 239A

Asset Pricing Theory: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 239FB Corporate Finance Theory 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Study of the financial decisions made by firms and the effect of such decisions on observables. These can include debt/equity ratios, dividend policies, or the cross section of returns. In addition, corporate finance considers conflicts of interest between shareholders and managers and between different financial claimants. Corporate Finance Theory: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate course in contract or game theory recommended

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Formerly known as: Ph.D. in Business Administration 239DB

Corporate Finance Theory: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 239FC Empirical Asset Pricing 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Introduction and guide to issues in empirical asset pricing. Students learn key features of asset-price behavior and study how researchers test various theoretical models from finance and economics, focusing on advantages and disadvantages of research designs. Intuition behind practical econometric tools is developed and applied to asset pricing questions. By critically evaluating research, students determine which characteristics of an empirical paper influence the finance profession. Empirical Asset Pricing: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate level econometrics recommended

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar per week.

Formerly known as: Ph.D. in Business Administration 239C

Empirical Asset Pricing: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 239FD Empirical Corporate Finance 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2020, Spring 2020 This course provides a theoretical and empirical treatment of the core topics in corporate finance including internal corporate investment; external corporate investment (mergers and acquisitions); capital structure and financial contracting; bankruptcy; corporate governance. Empirical Corporate Finance: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ECON 240A -240B or equivalent

Credit Restrictions: Students who have passed ECON 234C are not eligible to also receive credit for passing ECON C234C .

Instructor: Malmendier

Also listed as: ECON C234C

Empirical Corporate Finance: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 239S Research Seminar in Finance 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Finance. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Finance: Read More [+]

Research Seminar in Finance: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 249A Doctoral Seminar in Operations Management I 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Fall 2011 Advanced study in the field of Operations Management with an emphasis on the interface between Operations Management and Marketing. Specific topics will vary from year to year. Doctoral Seminar in Operations Management I: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Economics 201A; Industrical Engineering and Operations Research 262A; 263A; 250, 253 or 254

Doctoral Seminar in Operations Management I: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 249B Doctoral Seminar in Operations Management II 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2011 Advanced study in the field of Operations Management with an emphasis on the interface between Operations Management and Marketing. Specific topics will vary from year to year. Doctoral Seminar in Operations Management II: Read More [+]

Doctoral Seminar in Operations Management II: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 249C Doctoral Seminar in Management III 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014 Advanced study in the field of operations management with an emphasis on the role of rational consumer behavior. Specific topics will vary year to year. Doctoral Seminar in Management III: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Indrustial Engineering and Operations Research 262A, 263A, 250 or 253 or 254, and Economics 201A

Doctoral Seminar in Management III: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 259A Research in Micro-Organizational Behavior 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Review of the research literature of micro-organizational behavior, including its social psychological and psychological foundations. Topics include: job design, work attitudes, organizational commitment, organizational culture, control and participation in organizations, creativity, personality, socialization leadership, industrial organization psychology. Research in Micro-Organizational Behavior: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Ph.D. student or consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Business Administration 254A

Research in Micro-Organizational Behavior: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 259B Research Seminar in Macro-Organizational Behavior 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020 Review of the research literature of macro-organizational behavior, including its sociological and economic foundations. Topics include: social networks, organizational culture, status hierarchies, social influence, innovation and organizational diversity. Research Seminar in Macro-Organizational Behavior: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Business Administration 254B

Research Seminar in Macro-Organizational Behavior: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 259C Research Workshop on Macro Organizational Behavior 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Spring 2005 Review of the research literature of macro-organizational behavior, including its sociological and economic foundations. Topics include: social networks, organizational culture, status hierarchies, social influence, innovation and organizational diversity. Research Workshop on Macro Organizational Behavior: Read More [+]

Research Workshop on Macro Organizational Behavior: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 259E Research Seminar in Behavioral Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020 Advanced study in the field of behavioral science. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Behavioral Science: Read More [+]

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction. Students may enroll in multiple sections of this course within the same semester.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5 hours of colloquium per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hours of colloquium per week.

Research Seminar in Behavioral Science: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 259S Research Seminar in Management of Organizations 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Management of Organizations. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Management of Organizations: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0.5-3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: One-half to three hours of seminar per week.

Research Seminar in Management of Organizations: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 269A Seminar in Marketing: Buyer Behavior 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2022, Fall 2018 Advanced topics seminar intended principally for Ph.D. students but open to advanced MBA students. Seminar in Marketing: Buyer Behavior: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Formerly known as: Business Administration 269A

Seminar in Marketing: Buyer Behavior: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 269B Seminar in Marketing: Choice Modeling 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2019 Advanced topics seminar intended principally for Ph.D. students but open to advanced MBA students. Seminar in Marketing: Choice Modeling: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Business Administration 269B

Seminar in Marketing: Choice Modeling: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 269C Seminar in Marketing: Marketing Strategy 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020 Advanced topics seminar intended principally for Ph.D. students but open to advanced MBA students. This section will focus on marketing theory and the development of marketing thought. (Course offered alternate years.) Seminar in Marketing: Marketing Strategy: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Business Administration 269C

Seminar in Marketing: Marketing Strategy: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 269D Special Research Topics in Marketing 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Review of special research topics in marketing not ordinarily covered in BA 269A, 269B, 269C. Content varies from year to year. (Course offered alternate years.) Special Research Topics in Marketing: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Business Administration 269D

Special Research Topics in Marketing: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 269E Seminar in Marketing: Behavioral Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020 Advanced study in the field of behavioral science. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Seminar in Marketing: Behavioral Science: Read More [+]

Seminar in Marketing: Behavioral Science: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 269S Research Seminar in Marketing 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Marketing. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Marketing: Read More [+]

Research Seminar in Marketing: Read Less [-]

PHDBA C270 Workshop in Institutional Analysis 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013 This seminar features current research of faculty, from UC Berkeley and elsewhere, and of advanced doctoral students who are investigating the efficacy of economic and non-economic forms of organization. An interdisciplinary perspective--combining aspects of law, economics, and organization--is maintained. Markets, hierarchies, hybrids, bureaus, and the supporting institutions of law and politics all come under scrutiny. The aspiration is to progressively build toward a new science of organization. Workshop in Institutional Analysis: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Economics 100 or 101; Business Administration 110 or equivalent; or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Also listed as: ECON C225

Workshop in Institutional Analysis: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 279PA Political Economy: Frameworks 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024 The course focuses on collective action phenomena, their connections to material conditions, their consequences for public policy, and their impact on economic performance and welfare. The focus is broad, covering mainly theory while tracing testable implications and occasionally delving into empirical evidence. Topics include conflict, state formation, state capacity, collective decision-making, voting, lobbying, theories of influence and corruption, the efficiency of democracy, political selection, electoral discipline and political accountability. Political Economy: Frameworks: Read More [+]

Political Economy: Frameworks: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 279PB Theories of the Firm and Market Failures 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024 This course is designed to help students understand the role of the government in addressing market failures and improving social welfare. The course has two broad objectives. The first is to develop an in depth understanding of empirical methods and research designs that are commonly used in applied microeconomics. The second is to familiarize students with important empirical findings and lines of inquiry at the frontier (and intersection) of public economics and industrial organization. Theories of the Firm and Market Failures: Read More [+]

Theories of the Firm and Market Failures: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 279PC Political Economy: Empirics 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023 This graduate course in political economy addresses the interactions among citizens, profit-maximizing firms and a vast class of non-market agents, such as governments, public administration and regulatory institutions. The class emphasizes the operative implications of non-market institutions in affecting and constraining firm strategy and individual behavior. Topics and cases cover economic and political institutions, economic policy, lobbying, clientelism, bureaucracy , regulation, antitrust, activism and the media. We corroborate the analytical framework with real-world applications, ranging from the US historical experience to cross-country comparisons, to develop insight in interpreting fundamental politico-economic constraints. Political Economy: Empirics: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture per week.

Political Economy: Empirics: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 279PD The Economic Institutions of Capitalism in Historical Perspective 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023 The main focus of this course is on the economic institutions of capitalism. These institutions are studied in relation to the development of the state and the interplay of political and economic elites in the process that led to the Industrial Revolution. To properly conceptualize that process and get a long-run perspective, we use a comparative approach across regions of the world and over different historical periods. The Economic Institutions of Capitalism in Historical Perspective: Read More [+]

Formerly known as: Ph.D. in Business Administration 279D

The Economic Institutions of Capitalism in Historical Perspective: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 279S Research Seminar in Business and Public Policy 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Business and Public Policy. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Business and Public Policy: Read More [+]

Research Seminar in Business and Public Policy: Read Less [-]

PHDBA C279I Economics of Innovation 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2018, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015 Study of innovation, technical change, and intellectual property, including the industrial organization and performance of high-technology industries and firms; the use of economic, patent, and other bibliometric data for the analysis of technical change; legal and economic issues of intellectual property rights; science and technology policy; and the contributions of innovation and diffusion to economic growth. Methods of analysis are both theoretical and empirical, econometric and case study. Economics of Innovation: Read More [+]

Also listed as: ECON C222

Economics of Innovation: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 289A Doctoral Seminar in Real Estate 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Doctoral real estate seminar, covering topics related to real estate investment, finance, and market analysis. The course is rigorous and technical, applying financial and economic analysis to the subject areas of real estate finance, urban real estate economics, and real estate evaluation. Doctoral Seminar in Real Estate: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Ph.D. equivalents of micro and macro economics, finance/or accounting, statistics and econometrics

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.

Formerly known as: Business Administration 289A

Doctoral Seminar in Real Estate: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 289S Research Seminar in Real Estate 2 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Real Estate. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Research Seminar in Real Estate: Read More [+]

Research Seminar in Real Estate: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 297A Research and Theory in Business: Economics and Management Science 3 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 The course begins with individual decision making under uncertainty, and goes on to cover game theory, including both static and dynamic games with perfect, imperfect, and incomplete information. The course also covers market equilibrium with uncertainty and imperfect information, including topics such as signalling, screening, adverse selection, and moral hazard. Research and Theory in Business: Economics and Management Science: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Course is required for first year students in accounting, finance, and management science.

Formerly known as: Business Administration 292A

Research and Theory in Business: Economics and Management Science: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 297B Research and Theory in Business: Behavioral Science 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2021, Spring 2021 The focus is upon defining a research problem, designing and employing specialized techniques to solve the problem. Topics will include concepts of causality, analysis of variance; experimental design; survey research; observation and multivariate analytical techniques. Research and Theory in Business: Behavioral Science: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Ph.D. student or consent of instructor; previous work in statistics and probability theory

Formerly known as: Business Administration 292B

Research and Theory in Business: Behavioral Science: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 297T Doctoral Topics in Business Administration 0.5 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Advanced study in the field of Business Administration. Topics will vary from year to year and will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Doctoral Topics in Business Administration: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - .5-3 hours of lecture per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 1.5-7.5 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: to Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks. One and one-half to Seven and one-half hours of Lecture per week for 6 weeks.

Doctoral Topics in Business Administration: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 299A Individual Research in Business Problems 0 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2015 10 Week Session, Summer 2012 10 Week Session, Spring 2011 Individual Research in Business Problems: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: PhD student standing and consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Forty-five hours of work per unit per term.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0-12 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 0-20 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 0-24 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Zero to twelve hours of independent study per week. Zero to twenty four hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. Zero to twenty hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks.

Individual Research in Business Problems: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 375 Teaching Business 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course will cover the broad range of knowledge and skills necessary to teach in top business schools. Teaching business effectively requires a myriad of pedagogical styles and techniques, as well as the confidence and preparation necessary to convey the course material. This course seeks to prepare doctoral students for careers as faculty in business schools, giving them the insight and experience that will make their first courses successful ones. Students will learn effective teaching strategies by observing faculty mentors, reading pedagogical texts, and openly discussing the challenges and rewards of business instruction with experienced faculty and graduate student instructors. Teaching Business: Read More [+]

Subject/Course Level: Ph.D. in Business Administration/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers

Teaching Business: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2010, Spring 2009, Spring 2008 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. degree. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing

Credit Restrictions: Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for doctoral degree.

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit up to a total of 16 units.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-8 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 5.5-45 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to Eight hour of Independent study per week for 15 weeks. Five and one-half to hours of Independent study per week for 8 weeks.

Subject/Course Level: Ph.D. in Business Administration/Graduate examination preparation

Formerly known as: Business Administration 602

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read Less [-]

PHDBA 602C Curricular Practical Training Internship 0.0 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This is an independent study course for international students doing internships under the Curricular Practical Training program. Requires a paper exploring how the theoretical constructs learned in academic courses were applied during the internship. Curricular Practical Training Internship: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 10 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Zero hour of independent study per week. Zero hour of independent study per week for 10 weeks.

Curricular Practical Training Internship: Read Less [-]

Contact Information

Haas school of business.

545 Student Services Building

Phone: 510-642-1409 or 510-642-3944

Executive Director

Melissa Hacker

[email protected]

Associate Director, Student Affairs

Lisa Sanders Villalba

[email protected]

Faculty Director, PhD Program

Francesco Trebbi

[email protected]

Tyrell Williams

[email protected]

Print Options

When you print this page, you are actually printing everything within the tabs on the page you are on: this may include all the Related Courses and Faculty, in addition to the Requirements or Overview. If you just want to print information on specific tabs, you're better off downloading a PDF of the page, opening it, and then selecting the pages you really want to print.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Doctor of Philosophy in the Field of Business Administration, Management Concentration

The PhD in the field of business administration with a concentration in management prepares students to contribute as scholars to their chosen field of research. The curriculum is designed to help students develop an advanced understanding of research methodologies, competence in the fields of management and strategy, as well as a deep foundation of knowledge in the student’s chosen field of study.

The program is a coordinated effort between the GWSB departments of Management and Strategic Management and Public Policy , therefore, the coursework consists of core courses as well as courses that are specific to either of those two fields.

The PhD in business administration involves two years of formal courses established by each Department and approved by the doctoral committee. Students take a minimum of 45 credits during their program, including 27 credits in core courses, a 3-credit summer paper, and 15 credits in elective courses. Students should consult their faculty advisory group about the required courses and electives for which they should register.

Students should complete at least 39 credits within the first two years from matriculation. The remaining 6 credits should be completed during the third year.

Requirements for the  management concentration

*Policies for core courses

In general, all core courses should be doctoral courses, i.e., those at the 8000 level. All courses must be taken for letter grades. Required courses cannot be waived without substitution except in unusual circumstances as determined on a case-by-case basis. Examples of unusual circumstances include students holding a specialized master's or doctoral degree where equivalent core courses were taken in a particular area (such as statistics or mathematics). Students may petition the associate dean of research and doctoral programs to substitute up to 12 credits of required courses with alternative courses approved by the faculty advisory group.

Print Options

Send Page to Printer

Print this page.

Download Page (PDF)

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Download PDF of the 2023-2024 Bulletin

All pages in the 2023-2024 Bulletin.

PhD in Business Administration Curriculum

A curriculum that guides your growth in research and academia

The PhD program in Business Administration at Gies prepares students to excel at two primary academic roles: knowledge creation and knowledge dissemination. Business Administration faculty and administration strive to continuously improve our training of the next generation of academics and practitioners.

Our curriculum ensures the right approach for our students by accounting for their needs and delivering an impactful experience. On average, students finish the program in five years. Below is an outline of a five-year case of study:

Fall Semester

• Scholarship in Business Administration I - Substantive and Theoretical Perspectives
• Scholarship in Business Administration II – Methodological and Philosophical Perspectives
• Courses in Area of Concentration/Minor/Research Methodology
• Proseminar in Business Administration – Teaching & Enrichment (TES) Section
• Proseminar in Area of Concentration

Spring Semester

• Proseminar in Business Administration - Teaching & Enrichment (TES) Section

Second Year

General course outline for the third and fourth semesters of the program (i.e., fall and spring semesters of the second year):

Pass second year exam or paper depending on area of concentration

General course outline for the fifth and sixth semesters of the program (i.e., fall and spring semesters of the third year):

• Dissertation Credit (BADM 599 with approval)

Fourth and Fifth Years

Registration is required for at least 12 hours per semester of full-time for dissertation credits; at least 32 hours required for graduation.

Proposal Defended/Preliminary Examination Passed by June 1 of Year 4. Final Dissertation Defense during Year 5.