Program Requirements:
Organizational Behavior
Below is a summary of the program requirements for the Organizational Behavior program. Detailed information can be found here.
Coursework
Students in the OB program specialize in micro-organizational behavior or sociology. Students receive core disciplinary training in either psychology or sociology, and gain knowledge of existing research and theory about organizations through advanced coursework in organizational behavior.
Micro-Organizational Behavior Track
- Two term-length doctoral courses in foundations of psychology
- Two graduate-level psychology electives
- One graduate-level course in the social sciences
Sociology Track
- Two term-length courses on sociological theory (Sociology 204 and 208)
- Two graduate-level sociology electives
- One graduate-level course in the social sciences
Organizational Behavior and Research Methods (both tracks)
- Two term-length doctoral courses in organizational behavior (HBS 4882 and 4880)
- Two term-length doctoral course in quantitative methods
- One term-length doctoral courses qualitative methods
- One term-length doctoral course in research design
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.
Research Requirements
Students in the OB program must complete a research apprenticeship and qualifying paper. The research work performed during the research apprenticeship should involve the student in the formulation, design, and conduct of a research project, in a substantial professional capacity. Students must also prepare a qualifying paper that makes a contribution to knowledge in social psychology, sociology, or organizational behavior.
Teaching Requirements
Students may fulfill this requirement by either serving as a course assistant in an HBS MBA course, or as a teaching fellow in a course offered to FAS undergraduates or graduate students.
Examinations
Students undergo a dossier review. The dossier consists of their qualifying paper, at least two other research papers, and a brief (4 pages maximum) statement indicating their plans for future research and dissertation work.
Sociology Track
The student takes the written examination in Sociology no later than the fall of the second year.
OB Examination (for both tracks)
This examination completes the student's preparation for work on the doctoral dissertation. It provides an excellent occasion for the student to draw on all of his or her academic preparation and 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. Please refer to the OB Policy and Procedure document for more information.
The dissertation is the culminating event in the Program, in which the student develops a substantial original contribution to knowledge in the field of Organizational Behavior. Dissertations may take the form of an extended study of one topic, or a set of three or more related research papers.
