Ph.D. in Business Administration with a Major in Management

Our doctoral program in Management offers many advantages to the student. Many of these are a result of having a small program with only 6-10 students at any given time. This allows students to get extensive individual attention from faculty in seminars and on research projects. There is little divisive competition for faculty time like that occurring in programs with higher student/faculty ratios. As a result, students have the opportunity to learn from faculty who have themselves been trained at a wide array of fine institutions. Indeed, our faculty come from institutions such as Purdue University, Auburn University, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M.

Most doctoral students are interested in developing good teaching skills. At MSU, we take special care and pride in preparing students to teach, as well as to perform research. For instance, our program requires each student to receive formal instruction on how to prepare and deliver classes at the college level. We also offer doctoral students the opportunity to teach a variety of classes that can aid in their development and marketability.

When it comes to research, we have faculty members in Management who have all published papers in top management journals such as Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, Academy of Management Journal, and Personnel Psychology, among others. They know how to do it themselves as well as how to teach others. But unlike some Ph.D. programs at big "research mills", the faculty have time and room in their research agendas to work closely with doctoral students. Unlike some programs at small schools, though, there are ample faculty financial support, and resources in general for students conducting research. In short, we provide a good balance of what matters most in the development of doctoral students as researchers.

Students can expect a warm atmosphere of camaraderie among students in the management program and all doctoral programs throughout the College of Business and Industry. As mentioned before, this is an atmosphere of help and not one of competition for attention and resources. We also have a very active doctoral student association that organizes regular developmental and social events. If socializing with fellow students to unwind from the rigors of doctoral education sounds good, our program will deliver. Many of our doctoral students and graduates say that they have made very close friendships in the College that will last a lifetime.

Finally, because we have relatively few students seeking jobs in any given year, we can provide extensive help and support for each student in his or her job search. Indeed, you can find MSU doctoral graduates in Management at such fine institutions as Auburn University, Louisiana State University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of Mississippi, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Alabama at Mobile.

College of Business and Industry

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