The intersection of people and enterprise
How does a dead fish handshake at an interview affect your chances of getting the job? How does experience working together improve a surgical team's performance? What makes top performers burn out, and how can managers head it off? Will extra perks like primo parking spots help you keep your rock star employees? How do astronauts on the International Space Station manage to stay engaged with all the tasks they have to complete in space? Do "bad bosses" ever make amends for their poor behavior?
Management is about answering questions. Specifically, questions about humans and their impact on the organizations they comprise, like the ones above.
The research topics tackled by our own management & entrepreneurship (M&E) faculty are as fascinating as they are varied. We have a reputation for one of the strongest M&E departments in the country, with a concentration of some of the best faculty in the field. As a Management PhD candidate here, you’ll be part of the excitement. You can turn your curiosity about how people and companies can work better into a successful career as a teacher and an influential thinker.
Preserving a faculty ratio of 1:1
We compete with the nation’s highest-ranked business schools for the brightest PhD students. But our selectivity keeps the program small. We admit about 3 students annually from 40–50 applicants.
We support 14–15 PhD candidates, allowing us to maintain a one-to-one student-faculty ratio. That means you can count on attention and engaged mentoring as you progress through the program.
“It was through this experience I realized, wow. This is how I can help—by applying research to complex, difficult, and delicate issues.”
Our faculty help shape the field
On our faculty roster, you’ll find some big-time M&E researchers. Like Stephen Courtright, an internationally recognized expert in organizational leadership, team effectiveness, employee engagement, and the work/nonwork interface. And Greg Stewart, who’s in the midst of cutting-edge research on medical care provider teams in the V.A. hospital system.
Our heavy-hitter lineup is long and growing. Faculty like Ken Brown, Amy Colbert, Eean Crawford, Rong Su, Michele Williams, Beth Livingston, Semin Park, Daniel Newton, and Bodi Vasi produce industry-leading research and guide our PhD students through their degree.
We’re also some of the most published authors in the leading management and applied psychology journals, like the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Journal of Management. Our faculty productivity is ranked 9th in the TAMUGA research rankings, and we are constantly engaged in interesting, applicable, and cutting-edge research.
# 9
Research Productivity Ranking
Texas A&M/University of Georgia/NUS Rankings of Management Department Research Productivity
Getting in
Admission is competitive and selective. We don't "weed out" after admitting—we'll only admit you if we're confident you'll succeed. We consider the entire applicant package to assess candidate competency and fit with our current faculty.
First, you need to meet the minimum PhD admission requirements. Other criteria for admission include:
Academic record
The minimum GPA is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. We also consider the rigor of your undergrad or master's institution(s).
GMAT or GRE score
We accept both tests for the purposes of admission. The average GMAT of our admitted students is approximately 700, but we do not employ a minimum GRE or GMAT cut score. We consider the relative strength of applicants' quantitative and verbal ability scores, in conjunction with other application materials.
Letters of recommendation
We're interested in their assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, motivation, and ability to succeed. Please arrange for three letters of recommendation that can speak to your academic and research abilities.
English proficiency
This requirement applies only to international applicants whose native language is not English. We follow the Graduate College's English proficiency requirements.
Statement of purpose
Content and overall seriousness are considered. Please tell us why you want to complete a PhD in Management and why you think the Tippie College of Business is the best place for you.
Curriculum and sample plan of study
The PhD in management requires 72 semester hours of credit, in addition to a dissertation. The typical time to complete the degree is five years.
Every year, students submit a progress report for faculty review. Elective coursework can be taken at any point in the program.
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Teaching plan
It's important that you get many opportunities to develop and demonstrate your teaching capabilities before diving into the job market. We'll work with you to develop a teaching plan that generally includes a progression over your time here:
- Leading discussion sections as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses in M&E
- Serving as a teaching assistant for MBA-level courses (whenever possible)
- Teaching standalone undergraduate or MBA-level courses
Our goal: You'll lead two standalone courses during your time in the program and will be well-prepared for your first academic appointment.