The doctoral program in Management is designed to allow advanced students to participate in an ongoing program of knowledge creation at the Drucker School. Admission is limited to a small number of select students who are prepared to master relevant research methodologies and have research interests that are complementary to those of our faculty. The program is intensive with high expectations for publication and scholarly contribution. Our objective is to create and disseminate knowledge relevant to critical issues affecting management practice worldwide.

University Policies

Policies detailed in the current Policies and General Information Bulletin apply.

Admissions Requirements

Admission requirements are detailed in the Admissions section of the current Policies and General Information Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

Coursework.  The program requires 72 semester units of coursework.

• Great Books of Drucker (2 units)
• Methods courses:
  • Foundations of Research (4 units)
  • Qualitative Methods (2 units)
  • Quantitative Methods (2 units)
  • An additional methods course (4 units)
• Doctoral MGT seminars (8 units)
• Doctoral in-person intensives (4 units)
• TNDY course(s) (4 units)
• Fourteen units of MGT electives 
• Twenty eight units of general electives

Major Paper/Oral Examination.  After completing at least 32 units, but not more than 48 units, a major paper of publishable quality, equivalent to a master’s thesis and demonstrating breadth in the student’s chosen research area, is required. The sponsor and two additional faculty members then administer an open oral examination, covering the research paper submitted and coursework completed to date.

Dissertation.  Upon successful completion of required coursework and the major paper, a second paper, which serves as the dissertation proposal, is required. The student’s doctoral committee, consisting of the faculty sponsor and two other eligible members of the faculty, administers a second, open oral examination. Successful students are then advanced to candidacy. For successful completion of the program, the student must submit and successfully defend a dissertation within a period of seven years from the date of admission to the program.  University guidelines regarding the dissertation process are detailed in the Doctoral Degree Regulations section of the section of the current Policies and General Information Bulletin.