Program Requirements

Coursework

Each semester, students will consult with the Technology and Operations Management faculty coordinators to receive approval of their course selections. In addition to Harvard Business School (HBS) courses, students may take courses at other Harvard schools and MIT. Full course descriptions are available in the course catalog.

Good Academic Standing

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

Special Field Exam

Students are required to pass the Special Field Exam at the end of the second year. For Operations Management-track students, the field exam will focus on empirical and modeling methods. For Innovation-track students, the field exam will focus on empirical methods and classical and special-field literatures.

Qualifying Paper

Students are required to complete and present a publishable-quality paper by the fall semester of their third year.

Teaching Requirement

Students must teach or assist with teaching in a formally offered course for one full academic term. This engagement should include, at least, 8 hours of front-of-class teaching and 16 hours of teaching preparation time. The requirement may be fulfilled by completing a teaching fellow or instructor assignment at a Harvard University school, including, but not limited to, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Kennedy School, or the Extension School. Students can also serve as a teaching fellow in a Harvard Business School MBA course. The 8 hours of front-of-class teaching does not apply when fulfilling the requirement in the MBA program. Co-teaching a course with others, including other doctoral students, will meet this requirement.

Field Research Requirement

Students are required to complete the field research requirement by the end of their fourth year.

Dissertation Proposal

Students are required to obtain approval of their dissertation proposal by their Dissertation Chair by the end of their third year.

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.