25 Best PhDs in Management

Stanford University offers a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering. The interdisciplinary degree program combines studies of engineering, math and algorithms, social sciences, and statistical and data analysis. It is designed to prepare graduates for academic, research-based, and technical leadership roles in universities, industry, or government. Course offerings include Dynamic Entrepreneurial Strategy, Mining Massive Data Sets, and Relational Sociology. Beyond the coursework, students must successfully complete a qualifying exam and dissertation work. Major research areas include computational social science, energy and environment, and national security policy. Most students complete the degree program in four to five years. Founded in 1891, Stanford is a private research university that often ranks among the top universities in the world. Located in Stanford, California, the campus is positioned near the industrial and technological nucleus Silicon Valley. The university's research facilities include the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace; SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; and the Stanford Research Park. Stanford and its alumni are closely associated with companies including Cisco, Google, and Yahoo!. U.S. News & World Report ranks Stanford at No. 7 in National Universities and No. 5 in both Best Value Schools and Most Innovative Schools. The university also ranks second in both business and management studies at the graduate level.

Grad School Hub's number-one doctoral Management program is the Ph.D. in Management of Organizations offered by the University of California, Berkeley. Students can choose to follow a micro track or macro track toward the degree. The micro track focuses on psychological processes within organizations. Micro track students conduct research in areas such as diversity, decision making, and power dynamics. Micro research is generally conducted using creative and experimental methods. The macro track focus on the sociology of organizations and industries. Macro track students conduct research in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and social networks. Macro research has a strong quantitative focus, making use of data analysis and statistics. Of course, all students in the program can expect to spend much of their time examining original research questions for their doctoral dissertation. Founded in 1868, Berkeley is the flagship campus of the University of California system. The public research university is one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities. It is also counted among the nation's "Public Ivy" institutions. The university is home to research institutes including the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Space Sciences Laboratory. Berkeley researchers have discovered 16 chemical elements on the periodic table. The university was noted in the 1960s for its prominent student-led Free Speech and Anti-Vietnam War movements. U.S. News & World Report ranks Berkeley at No. 24 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 22 in National Universities, and No. 2 in Top Public Schools. The university also ranks at No. 6 in Business and No. 8 in Management at the graduate level.

The University of California, Irvine offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Paul Merage School of Business. The degree program is designed to prepare graduates for academic and research careers at universities. The program lays foundations in methodological and theoretical training in the management field, and also allows students to pursue their personal areas of interest. Students may choose to concentrate in an area such as finance, information systems, marketing, operations, or strategy. Each student must fulfill the program's teaching requirement, attend an ongoing seminar in pedagogy, and complete the doctoral dissertation. The degree program is designed to be completed on a full-time basis. The average time to completion is five years. UC Irvine was established in 1965 as a member of the University of California system. Located in Irvine, the public land-grant university is a Carnegie-classified top-tier research university. The university is home to such research facilities as the Beckman Laser Institute, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, and the Institute for Transportation Studies. U.S. News & World Report ranks UC Irvine at No. 45 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 33 in National Universities, and No. 7 in Top Public Schools. The Paul Merage School of Business also ranks at No. 43 in graduate Business studies.

The University of California, Los Angeles offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Anderson School of Management. The degree program has a student-to-faculty ratio of 1:1, allowing students to interact closely with management experts for research collaboration and guidance. Students can choose from eight areas of study, including but not limited to Behavioral Decision Making, Finance, Global Economic Management, and Marketing. The Anderson School frequently invites industry experts to campus to give seminars on a range of topics relating to management and its areas of study. Graduates of the program have gone on to work at some of the nation's premier universities, including Columbia, Harvard, and Yale. UCLA was established in 1919 as a teacher training school. Today, it is a public research university and a member of the University of California system. In recent years, UCLA has made headlines for being the nation's most applied-to university. It is considered to be one of the nation's "Public Ivies." A land-grant institution, it is also a member of the Association of American Universities. Alumni of the Anderson School of Management have gone on to serve as CEOs to companies such as Allstate Insurance, Chevron, Nestlé, and Virgin Atlantic. U.S. News & World Report ranks UCLA at No. 23 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 19 in National Universities, and No. 1 in Top Public Schools. The university also ranks at No. 16 in business studies at the graduate level.

The University of Central Florida offers a Management Track within its Ph.D. in Business Administration. The degree program prepares graduates for academic careers at research-intensive universities. It requires 84 credit hours of study beyond the bachelor's degree. Core courses include Directed Readings in Management, Organizational Behavior, and a Seminar in Management Research. Students must also take minor courses, electives, and 12 credits of Research Methods courses. The program also requires students to complete teaching experience and attend teaching development seminars and workshops. The curriculum culminates in a 15-credit doctoral research dissertation. UCF was founded in 1963 to prepare personnel for the region's growing space program. Today, the public state university has the largest on-campus enrollment of any university in the United States. Located in Orlando, Florida, the main campus mimics the circular layout of Epcot at nearby Disney World. The university operates 10 additional regional campuses throughout Central Florida. A space-grant institution, UCF leads the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium. The university has research partnerships with companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens. U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF at No. 87 in Top Public Schools and No. 10 in Most Innovative Schools.

The University of Chicago offers a Ph.D. in Management Science and Operations Management. Offered through the university's Booth School of Business, the curriculum integrates mathematics and computer methods in relation to management issues. Applicants should have at least two years of college-level math experience. Core course requirements for the degree include Convex Optimization, Dynamic Programming, and Linear and Integer Programming. Students must also choose at least one of the following support areas: Applied Probability; Econometrics & Statistics; Economics; Optimization; Computation and Algorithms; and Statistics and Machine Learning. The program is built around the doctoral dissertation, which requires a proposal, workshop, and defense. U of C was established in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society. Today, it is a nonsectarian private research university. The main campus is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of downtown Chicago, near Lake Michigan. The university operates additional learning locations in Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, London, and Paris. UChicago helped develop the world's first nuclear reactor and is home to the nation's largest university press. The university will also house the Barack Obama Presidential Center, including Obama's presidential library and the Obama Foundation offices. U.S. News & World Report ranks U of C at No. 18 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 16 in Best Value Schools, and No. 3 in National Universities. The Booth School of Business ranks third in the nation for its graduate programs.

The University of Connecticut offers a Ph.D. in Management through its School of Business. The full-time degree program is designed to prepare students for careers in scholarly research and research-intensive teaching roles. Students can choose to focus on organizational behavior or strategic management. Students may also choose to pursue additional specialization in entrepreneurship. Students must successfully complete a qualifying paper, general exam, and dissertation proposal and defense. Department research topics include creativity and innovation, cross-cultural behavior, mergers and acquisitions, and many more. UConn was founded in 1881 as an agricultural school. Today, it is a public research university and the flagship university of Connecticut. A land-, sea-, and space-grant institution, the school is categorized in the top tier of research universities by the Carnegie Foundation. Located in Storrs, UConn is one of the founding universities of New England's Knowledge Corridor, a regional economic and cultural alliance. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University at No. 89 in Best Value Schools, No. 63 in National Universities, and No. 22 in Top Public Schools. The UConn School of Business ranks at No. 79 at the graduate level.

The University of Maryland, College Park offers a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a major in Project Management. The degree program is designed for graduate students interested in a specific research subject of civil engineering and project management. The 36-credit curriculum includes core courses in Legal Aspects of Engineering Design & Construction and Project Risk Management. Elective course offerings include Evolving as a Project Leader, Sustainability Fundamentals for Project Management, and Web-Based Project Management. In addition to the advanced coursework, students must complete and defend a doctoral dissertation. Each student is assigned a professor mentor, who supervises the student's research and offers guidance throughout the program. The University of Maryland was founded in 1856 as an agricultural school. It has since grown into the largest university in the state of Maryland and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Located in College Park, the public research university is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland. A land-, sea-, and space-grant institution, UMD is a member of the Association of American Universities. The university receives research funding from such institutions as the Department of Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health, and NASA. It is counted among the nation's "Public Ivy" universities. U.S. News & World Report ranks UMD at No. 63 in National Universities and No. 22 in Top Public Schools. The university also ranks at No. 22 in Engineering and No. 40 in Business at the graduate level.

The University of Miami offers a Ph.D. in Business with a concentration in Management Science. Management Science deals with research methods in decision making and the design and control of complex systems. The interdisciplinary degree program is designed to prepare graduates for research-based careers. A minimum of 60 credit hours of study is required beyond the bachelor's degree. The core curriculum includes courses in Advanced Microeconomic Theory, Dynamic Optimization, and Linear Programming and Extensions. The key degree requirement is a supervised doctoral research thesis. UM was chartered in 1925 at the height of the financial boom of South Florida. The private research university has a main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, just south of Miami. The campus includes a student theater and an arboretum and botanical garden. The university operates additional medical and marine campuses in the Miami area. A Carnegie-classified top-tier research university, UM operates research facilities including the Center for Computational Science and the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University at No. 65 in Best Value Schools and No. 53 in National Universities.

The University of Michigan offers a Ph.D. in Management & Organizations through its Ross School of Business. The degree program prepares graduates for positions as researchers and teachers in scholarly settings. The curriculum is built on foundational courses, including a seminar sequence on organizations along with statistic and research methods courses. Student select additional courses in areas of interest and in related disciplines such as psychology or sociology. Students are mentored by faculty members throughout the program as they work on research projects and the doctoral dissertation. The program also includes a teaching requirement. Founded in 1817, U of M is the oldest university in, and the flagship institution of the state of Michigan. Though originally located in Detroit, the campus is now in Ann Arbor. The public research university also operates regional campuses in the Michigan towns of Dearborn and Flint. The sea and space grant institution is considered one of the nation's most prominent research universities. It is a founding member of the Association of American Universities. The university contributes to research in fields such as computer technology, medicine, and social research. Business alumni have gone onto found companies including Boeing, General Motors, and Google. U.S. News & World Report ranks U of M at No. 27 in National Universities, No. 12 in Most Innovative Schools, and No. 4 in Top Public Schools. The Ross School of Business ranks at No. 10 overall and No. 4 in Management at the graduate level.

The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities offers a Ph.D. in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship through its Carlson School of Management. In addition to entrepreneurship and strategic management, the degree program explores the areas of innovation, international business, and organization theory. Each student creates a personalized plan of study that combines coursework, research, and teaching practice. The 24-credit curriculum includes core seminars as well as elective offerings in behavioral, non-market, and technology strategy. Key coursework includes the first-year exam; a second-year paper; written and oral preliminary exams; and the proposal, completion, and defense of a doctoral research dissertation. Founded in 1851, UMN is the oldest institution in the University of Minnesota system. It is also the system's flagship institution and largest campus in terms of student enrollment. It has the sixth-largest main campus student enrollment in the United States. The main campus is situated in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The land and space grant institution is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified in the top-tier of research universities by the Carnegie Foundation. It is also counted among the nation's "Public Ivy" universities. The university's research developments include puffed rice, the first bone marrow transplant and open-heart surgery, and first supercomputer. U.S. News & World Report ranks UMN at No. 86 in Best Value Schools, No. 76 in National Universities, and No. 30 in Top Public Schools. The university is also ranked No. 14 in graduate Management and Leadership programs.

The University of Pennsylvania offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Wharton School. The flexible, interdisciplinary degree program applies research methods and social sciences to its study of management issues. Students can choose from four specializations: human resource management, international business, organizational behavior and theory, and strategy. The curriculum consists of 16 graduate-level course units, including management seminars, research methods courses, a statistics sequence, social science theory courses, and free electives. In addition, students must participate actively in department colloquia and, of course, complete the doctoral dissertation work. Major faculty research areas include corporate entrepreneurship, foreign strategic investments, and technology adoption. Penn is among the nation's nine "colonial colleges" founded prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was also the nation's first institution of higher learning to refer to itself as a university and the first to offer both undergraduate and graduate studies. The university's Wharton School was the first collegiate business school in the world. A private Ivy League university, Penn is classified in the top tier of research universities by the Carnegie Foundation. U.S. News & World Report ranks the institution at No. 32 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 12 in Best Value Schools, and No. 8 in National Universities. The Wharton School ranks first overall and sixth in Management at the graduate level.

The University of Southern California offers a Ph.D. in Management and Organization through its Marshall School of Business. The degree program studies human behavior in organizational settings; the design and structure of organizations; and relationships between organizations and their environments. The curriculum includes courses in organizational behavior, organizational theory, research design and methods, and strategic management. Students are assigned to a number of faculty mentors for research apprenticeships throughout the program. Each student must also successfully pass screening and qualifying exams in the first two years of the program. Students gain teaching experience in their third and fourth years. The program culminates in an independent research dissertation and defense. Founded in 1880, USC is the oldest private research university in the state of California. A sea- and space-grant institution, the university is a member of the Association of American Universities. USC research has led to such technological innovations as antivirus software, DNA computing, and the Domain Name System. The university's business alumni have gone on to work as CEOs for companies including Sony Pictures, Trader Joe's, United Airlines, and Warner Brothers Pictures. U.S. News & World Report ranks USC at No. 37 in Best Value Schools, No. 28 in Most Innovative Schools, and No. 22 in National Universities. The USC Marshall School of Business ranks at No. 17 for its graduate studies.

The University of Texas at Austin offers a Ph.D. in Management through its McCombs School of Business. The degree program trains students to conduct original research in the academic and practical areas of management. Students spend their first four semesters on coursework before taking a comprehensive exam at the end of the fourth semester. They then advance to candidacy and create and defend a dissertation proposal. The remainder of the program is spent on dissertation research and the culminating oral defense. Each student must also teach courses in their area of specialization with direction from a faculty member. The program builds both course development skills and in-class teaching skills. While students progress through the program at varying speeds depending on the scope of their research, the program is designed to be completed in 10 semesters of full-time study. Founded in 1883, UT Austin is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. The public research university has the eight-largest single-campus student enrollment in the United States. A space-grant institution, the university is a member of the Association of American Universities. It is also counted among the nation's "Public Ivy" universities. Its research facilities include the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, and the McDonald Observatory. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Austin at No. 49 in National Universities, No. 16 in Most Innovative Schools, and No. 15 in Top Public Schools. The university's McCombs School of Business is ranked at No. 19 in Best Business Schools at the graduate level.

The University of Washington offers a Ph.D. with a specialization in Management through its Foster School of Business. The interdisciplinary degree program combines organizational studies with areas such as economics, psychology, and sociology. It is designed to prepare graduates to publish research in academic journals and for careers at research universities. Students can pursue a track in either Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management or Strategic Management. Each student will also have two minors: research methods, and a relevant area such as economics, political science, or sociology. The core of the program is a sequence of five doctoral seminars: Contemporary Strategy; Economic Foundations; Sociological Foundations; Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship; and Theoretical Foundations of Entrepreneurship. The curriculum also incorporates teaching and fellowship experience and a doctoral dissertation. Founded in 1861 in downtown Seattle, UW is the flagship university of Washington. Now located in Seattle's University District, the school is a public research university. It operates additional campuses in the Washington towns of Bothell and Tacoma. The university is home to one of the largest library systems in the world. A sea and space grant institution, UW is a member of the Association of American Universities. Its Seattle location allows for partnerships and collaborations with local tech giants, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Nintendo. U.S. News & World Report ranks UW at No. 59 in National Universities, No. 37 in Most Innovative Schools, and No. 20 in Top Public Schools. The Foster School of Business ranks at No. 21 in the nation at the graduate level.