Program Requirements: Management
Students in Management generally complete the program in four to five years. Below are the program requirements:
Coursework
A minimum of 13 semester courses at doctoral level are required. MBA course requirements are outlined below.
I. Two year-long course sequences (4 courses)
1. Management and Markets: This two semester sequence includes classic works in administrative theory, human motivation and interaction, corporate strategy and organizational design and modern capital markets.
- HBS 4001. Management and Markets: Administration, Human Behavior
- HBS 4003. Management and Markets: Organizational Economics, and Finance.
2.Organizational Analysis and Behavior: A comprehensive two semester series on organizational theory and behavior.
- HBS 4480: Macro Topics in Organizational Behavior
- HBS 4482: Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior
II. Research Methods Courses (4 courses)
Students must take four research methods courses.
- HBS 4070. Design of Field Research Methods
The other methods courses may come from either behavioral science research methods or econometric research methods. Research methods courses that meet this requirement include, but are not limited to:
- Behavioral Science Research Methods
- HBS 4805. Statistics for the Social Sciences
- HBS 4806. Probability and Statistics
- Psychology 1950. Intermediate Statistical Analysis in Psychology
- Psychology 1952. Multivariate Analysis in Psychology
- Sociology 202. Intermediate Quantitative Research Methods
- Sociology 203a. Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
- Sociology 203b. Analysis of Longitudinal Data
- Statistics 140. Design of Experiments
- Statistics 160. Design and Analysis of Sample Surveys
- Econometric Research Methods
- Economics 1123. Introduction to Econometrics
- Economics 2120. Introduction to Applied Econometrics (prerequisite Economics 2110)
- KSG API 210i. Advanced Quantitative Methods II
- Statistics 139. Statistical Sleuthing through Linear Models
- Statistics 149. Statistical Sleuthing through Generalized Linear Models
- Statistics 160. Design and Analysis of Sample Surveys
- Statistics 210. Probability Theory
- Statistics 232. Incomplete Multivariate Data
III. Doctoral Elective Courses (5 courses)
Management students are required to take five additional elective doctoral courses and are strongly encouraged to take one of the following series:
- Microeconomics
- HBS 4010/Economics 2020a. Microeconomic Theory I
- HBS 4011/Economics 2020b. Microeconomic Theory II
- Psychology
- Psychology 2630. Social Behavior in Organizations: Research Seminar
- Psychology 2500. Advanced Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Sociology 204. Sociological Theory: Seminar
- Sociology 243. Organizational Analysis: Seminar
IV. Seminars
Students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in seminars throughout their program. In the second year, students are required to attend
- HBS 4006 DBA Research Workshop
V. MBA Courses (if applicable, 5 courses)
Students who do not have an MBA are required to take either the first semester of the MBA program or five second-year MBA courses, including one course with a general management focus. Students who have a non-HBS MBA are required to take one approved second-year MBA course in general management.
Good Academic Standing
To remain in good academic standing, DBA students are expected to maintain a B+ grade point average.
Exams
Special Field Exam: Students are required to pass the Special Field Exam at the end of the second year or beginning of the third year. This exam has two parts: a written exam and an oral exam based on a research paper a student has written.
Dissertation
All students must write a dissertation. The defense is oral and open to the public.
Students in Management begin research in their first year typically by working with a faculty member. By their third and fourth years, most students are launched on a solid research and publication stream. The dissertation may take the form of three publishable papers or one longer dissertation.
Sample Programs of Study
I. Students without an MBA
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II. Students with a Non-HBS MBA
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