Registrar

Program Requirements: Marketing

Below please find the 2012-2013 program requirements.

Students in Marketing 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. Each semester students will consult with the Marketing DBA faculty coordinators to receive approval of their course selections.

I. Foundational Courses (4 courses)

1.Perspectives on Management Research: This one semester course exposes students to cutting edge research across a spectrum of management functions and demonstrates how various types of research contribute to important management questions. Students are introduced to a range of vibrant scholars and are encouraged to foster a research community across the first year cohort.

  • HBS 4008. Perspectives on Management Research

2. Students in the Marketing program choose one of the following sequences.

  • 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 224. Organizational Analysis: Seminar

3. DBA Research Workshop: This year long course provides a structured research experience in which students can work on both the substance of a project and learn about the process of research. The course also provides a continual stimulus to completing a required second-year paper.

  • HBS 4006. DBA Research Workshop

II. Research Methods Courses (4 courses)

Students must take four research methods courses, including at least one course in research design. Research methods courses that meet this requirement include, but are not limited to:

Consumer Behavior

  • Research Methods Courses
    • 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
  • Research Design Courses
    • HBS 4070. Design of Field Research Methods
    • HBS 4435. Experimental Methods
    • HBS 4430. Field Experiments

Quantitative Research Methods

  • Research Methods Courses
    • Economics 1123. Introduction to Econometrics
    • Economics 2120. Introduction to Applied Econometrics (prerequisite Economics 2110; the pre-req will count towards 4 course requirement)
    • Economics 2140. Econometric Methods
    • Economics 2144. Advanced Applied Econometrics
    • KSG API 210i. Advanced Quantitative Methods II
    • Statistics 210. Probability Theory
    • Statistics 211. Statistical Inference
    • Statistics 220. Bayesian Data Analysis
    • Statistics 232. Incomplete Multivariate Data
    • Quantitative Research Design Courses
      • Gov 2001. Advanced Quantitative Research Methodology
      • HKS API-208. Program Evaluation: Estimating Program Effectiveness with Empirical Analysis
      • Econ 1127. Statistical Methods for Evaluating Causal Effects

    III. Additional Doctoral Courses (5 courses)

    Marketing students are required to take five additional doctoral courses.

    Consumer Behavior-track students are required to complete:

    • HBS 4630. Consumer Behavior
    • HBS 4660. Marketing Models
    • HBS 4882. Micro Topics in Organizational Behavior
    • HBS 4420. Behavioral Approaches to Decision Making and Negotiation
    • One elective doctoral course

    Quantitative-track students are required to complete:

    • HBS 4630. Consumer Behavior
    • HBS 4660. Marketing Models
    • Three elective doctoral courses

    IV. Business Education for Scholars and Teachers (3 courses offered in January term)

    • January term Year 1: Business Education for Scholars and Teachers - Foundations (BEST/Foundations): This three-week, full day immersion course introduces students to basic functions of management and markets, including accounting, marketing, management, finance, and operations.
    • January term Year 2: Business Education for Scholars and Teachers - Integration (BEST/Integration): This three-week course introduces students to strategy, capital markets, and international economics, through case-based classes at HBS and field work.
    • January term Year 3: Business Education for Scholars and Teachers - Teach (BEST/Teach): This one-week course introduces students to curriculum development, module development, presentation skills, and teaching methods.

    V. MBA Course (recommended 1 course)

    It is recommended that all students complete one case-based HBS MBA course.

    IV. Seminars

    Students are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in seminars throughout their program. Students are expected to attend the:

    Good Academic Standing

    To remain in good academic standing, DBA students are expected to maintain a B+ grade point average.

    Teaching

    Students are required to complete a teaching engagement of one full academic term that includes at least 8 hours, or 3 class sessions, of front-of-class teaching experience and at least 16 hours of teaching preparation time.

    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 reading list that encompasses the relevant literature in the field. Students are also required to submit a research paper and to present the paper to the Exam Committee.

    Dissertation Proposal

    By the end of their third year, all students are required to obtain approval of their dissertation proposal by their Dissertation Chair.

    Oral Examination

    Students are required to complete a dissertation proposal oral examination. In evaluating the student's performance at the orals, the Dissertation Committee will take into account the quality of the student's oral presentation, the quality of the student's responses to questions from the Dissertation Committee, and the written material prepared prior to the oral date.

    Dissertation

    Students are required to write a dissertation, which typically takes the form of three publishable papers, to the satisfaction of their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation defense is oral and open to the public.