Organizational Behavior: Curriculum
Coursework
Students in the OB program specialize in either psychology or sociology. In both tracks, students also take course work at HBS in Organizational Behavior.
Psychology Track
Contemporary Topics in Psychological Research (Psychology 2010)
Research Methodology (Psychology 2100)
Intermediate Quantitative Methods (Psychology 1951)
Multivariate Analysis in Psychology (Psychology 1952)
Advanced Social Psychology (Psychology 2500)
Two courses additional psychology core seminars including Themes and Controversies in Social Cognition (Psychology 2551), Social Behavior in Organizations: Seminar (Psychology 2630), and Decision Making and Perceived Control I (Psychology 2670a)
One graduate-level Sociology course
Sociology Track
Two term courses on sociological theory (Sociology 204 and 208)
Two term courses on research methods (Sociology 203a and 209)
Two graduate-level Sociology electives
One graduate-level Psychology course
Organizational Behavior (required of students on both tracks)
Two term-length doctoral courses in organizational behavior, plus at least one term-length course in field research methods
MBA requirement: students who do not have an MBA are required to complete either (a) a minimum of five elective curriculum MBA courses or (b) the first semester of the HBS MBA Program. Students entering with an MBA not obtained at Harvard also are required to complete one MBA course in general management.
Examinations
Psychology Track No major examination is required. Students must submit a progress report at the end of their second year, describing their research accomplishments and professional goals.
Sociology Track The student takes the written examination in Sociology no later than the fall of the second year.
Organizational Behavior Examination (for both tracks)
This examination comes after all other program requirements have been completed and just before dissertation research is begun. It therefore provides an excellent occasion for the student to draw on all of his or her training to demonstrate readiness for first-rate conceptual and empirical work on organizational phenomena.
Dissertation
Prospectus: Students must prepare a dissertation prospectus which will be reviewed by the prospectus committee typically consisting of three or four faculty members. There must be at least one member from the HBS faculty and one from the Psychology or Sociology faculty (depending on the student's track).
Dissertation: The dissertation committee will consist of at least one faculty from HBS and one from FAS. The defense will be public.