Strategic Management Doctoral Program

Please note: The Strategic Management program only matriculates every other (odd) fall term, so we will NOT be accepting applications for this program for fall 2008. We hope you will consider us again for fall 2009.

General Description

The defining features of the Strategic Management Doctoral Program are its coordinated research structure across seminars, the vitality and flexibility of the Strategy faculty and a well-developed culture of supportive and collaborative research and learning. Unlike many Strategy programs, research requirements and expectations are built into the entire program and coordinated across seminars. For example, a study outlined and developed under the guidance of faculty in the first semester is intended to be executed in other coursework in the second semester under the guidance of another faculty member. Similar expectations and requirements are coordinated across most of the seminars. This permits a building of research skills and accomplishments well before the student reaches the dissertation stage. The intent is to make the dissertation research less daunting and more meaningful for the student.

The vitality and flexibility of the program can be seen in the faculty. The faculty regularly publish in quality journals like the Academy of Management Journal, the Strategic Management Journal and the Journal of Management, among others, and are very active in national and international professional organizations. Their research interests and expertise currently span a number of diverse topics like organizational design, effective knowledge management, global strategy, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, top management teams, and boards of directors. Thus, regardless of where a student's research interests evolve, it is likely that one or more faculty will be supportive and knowledgeable.

The supportive learning environment is partly reflected in our low attrition rate (near zero) among those few (typically two to four) students we admit each year. We, therefore, encourage qualified applicants to visit with our faculty and students to get a better feel for the collaborative environment we deliberately manage and maintain.

Tools for Analysis and Research (TAR) Coursework

All Strategic Management doctoral students take six Tools for Analysis and Research (TAR) courses. TAR course selection and substitution, where appropriate, is done in conjunction with, and must be approved by, the Primary Area advisor.

All students must take the following three courses:

  • STA 5206 - Analysis of Variance (or EDF 5402)
  • STA 5207 - Applied Regression Methods (or EDF 5401)
  • STA 5707 - Applied Multivariate Analysis (or EDF 5406 or SYA 5406)

Plus two additional courses. Below is a suggested list of possible elective TAR courses.

  • COM 5317 - Content analysis
  • EDF 5409 - Causal Modeling
  • EDF 5410 - Non-parametric Analysis
  • EDF 5411 - Factor Analysis Applications
  • EDF 5432 - Measurement Theory I
  • EDF 5434 - Measurement Theory II
  • EDF 5435 - Theory of Scaling (2 hours)
  • EDF 5476 - Quasi-Experimental Analysis Applications
  • EDF 6475 - Qualitative Methods
  • STA 5225 - Sample Surveys
  • STA 5507 - Applied Nonparametric Statistics
  • STA 5857 - Applied Time Series Analysis
  • SYA 5407 - Advanced Quantitative Methods

Primary Area

The Strategic Management program includes courses dealing with issues of concern to an organization's. top management in choosing and charting a path toward sustainable competitive advantage and superior performance. Topics include strategy formulation, implementation and the effective management of strategic change, organization design, competitive dynamics and managerial cognition and decision making. In addition to the general prerequisites for doctoral study, a Master's-level course in Strategic Management is a prerequisite for this program.

Doctoral students specializing in this program must complete the following Primary Area seminars:

  • MAN 6235 - Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Theory
  • MAN 6795r - Doctoral Seminar in Strategy I
  • MAN 6795r - Doctoral Seminar in Strategy II
  • MAN 6795r - Professional Development Seminar
  • MAN 6932 - Doctoral Seminar in Strategy Overview
  • MAN 6933 - Doctoral Seminar in Research Design
  • MAN 6934 - Doctoral Seminar in Data Analysis and Interpretation

Support Area

The Support Area for Strategic Management provides an opportunity to concentrate in a field of study complementary to the Primary Area and to the student's career objectives. The student's Primary Area advisor will approve the Support Area in consultation with the student and appropriate faculty from the chosen Support Area. Typically, the Support Area will consist of three or four courses or seminars in one of the following fields: Finance, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Public Administration, Sociology or Statistics. Interdisciplinary, e.g., international business, support areas are also common.

Suggested Course Sequence for Strategic Management Doctoral Students

  FALL SPRING SUMMER
1st YEAR TAR or Support
MAN 6932 Lit Overview
TAR or Support
MAN 6933: Research Design
MAN 6795: Strategy I
TAR or Support
MAN 6235: Org. Theory
EDF or Support
EDF or Support
2nd YEAR MAN 6795r: Strategy II
TAR or Support
MAN 6934: Data Analysis
MAN 6795r: Prof. Development
TAR or Support
TAR or Support
Exams
3rd YEAR Dissertation
4th YEAR Dissertation


For more information on the Strategic Management Ph.D Program, please contact Dr. Jim Combs.