Management, PhD

Wharton’s Management program prepares students to apply rigorous social science disciplinary theory and research methods to the demands of current management and leadership challenges in the public and private sectors. Our faculty has a broad range of interests ranging from the behavior of individuals, teams and groups to organizational strategy of multinational firms. Major areas of faculty research currently include:

  • new venture formation, growth, and corporate entrepreneurship;
  • human resources and competitiveness;
  • emotions, identity, creativity and motivation;
  • political and social influence strategies;
  • technology and practice adoption, diffusion, and transfer within and across organizations;
  • organizational learning and adaptation;
  • and the strategic management of complementary resources and capabilities within an organization, alliance, network or ecosystems.

Each student draws on the faculty’s diverse expertise and varied interests to develop a program uniquely suited to his or her interests frequently spanning the formal specializations noted above. The program encourages students to gain research experience by working closely with multiple faculty on a variety of projects beginning with a research assistantship assignment in the first year with the hope of entering the job market in year 4 or 5 with multiple research papers in the publication pipeline.

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs.

The total course units for graduation in this major is 16.

Core Requirements
Management
MGMT 9000Economic Foundations of Management0.5
MGMT 9330Psychological Foundations of Research in Management0.5
MGMT 9530Seminar in Research Design0.5
Subfield Specializations
Select at least 4.0 credit units from the following 0.5 credit unit subfield specializations:
MGMT 9180Personnel Economics A0.5
MGMT 9190Personnel Economics B0.5
MGMT 9200Seminar in Human Resources Research0.5
MGMT 9250Seminar in Corporate Strategy0.5
MGMT 9260Seminar in Strategy and Organization Design0.5
MGMT 9320Proseminar in Management in Qualitative Methods0.5
MGMT 9350Network Theory and Applications0.5
MGMT 9370Entrepreneurship Research Seminar0.5
MGMT 9380Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship0.5
MGMT 9390Seminar in Entrepreneural Innovation0.5
MGMT 9510Special Topics in OB: Theories and Methods0.5
MGMT 9520Seminar in Macro-Organizational Behavior0.5
MGMT 9550Foundations of Multinational Management0.5
MGMT 9570Applied Research Methods and Data Analysis in Organizational Behavior0.5
MGMT 9600Non-Market Strategy0.5
MGMT 9610Special Topics in OB: Making a Contribution0.5
MGMT 9620Multinational Firms Global Economy A0.5
MGMT 9630Multinational Firms Global Economy B0.5
MGMT 9700Research Methods in Management0.5
Statistics
Select a two-course statistics sequence
Methods
Select two additional research methods courses
Social Science
Select a two- course social science sequence
Electives
Select three free electives

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.


Sample Plan of Study

First Year
Fall
MGMT 9000Economic Foundations of Management0.5
MGMT Subfield Specialization course/ Social Science course/ or Free Elective2
STAT course1
Spring
MGMT 9330Psychological Foundations of Research in Management0.5
MGMT 9530Seminar in Research Design0.5
MGMT Subfield Specialization course/ Social Science course/ or Free Elective1
STAT course1
Second Year
Fall
MGMT Subfield Specialization course/ Social Science course/ or Free Elective3
Methods course1
Spring
MGMT Subfield Specialization course/ Social Science course/ or Free Elective3
Methods course1
Third Year
Research Presentations
Dissertation Proposal Development
Teaching Assistantship
Remaining Coursework
Fourth Year and Beyond
Dissertation Proposal Defense
Dissertation Development and Defense
Total Course Units14.5