Columbia Business School - Doctoral Program

Doctoral Program

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is offered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and is administered by the Business School. Admission is highly competitive with 894 applicants in 2010 for positions in an entering class of 18 students (2%). A PhD in Management or Business is a common precursor to an academic career in business schools.

Throughout the program, students become familiar with research methods and the literature of their major fields through research projects and directed reading. Doctoral candidates begin the program mastering basic research tools by studying subjects such as economics, behavioral science and quantitative methods, in addition to completing course work and examinations in the major field of study. The completion of course work and qualifying examinations normally requires two to three years.

The research phase begins as early as the first year, when students serve as research assistants, and continues throughout their time at the School. Students gradually become more involved in the design and execution of research and, by the end of the second year, have typically produced at least one paper suitable for publication, often as coauthor with a faculty member. The later years of the program are dedicated to original research and the creation of the dissertation.

Recent Columbia Ph.D. program graduates have placed in the following institutions: Harvard Business School, Wharton School, London Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Cornell University, University of Notre Dame, Stern School of Business, University of Minnesota, Fordham University, Polytechnic University, Baruch College, University of Washington, EWHA Womans University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of Toronto, IAE Business and Management School, Universidad Austral, and University of Texas at Austin.