Ph.D. Program Guidebook - The University of Chicago Booth School ...

Ph.D. Program Guidebook 2007-2008
“MANAGEMENT” AREAS
GSB Students wishing to pursue what is often known elsewhere as Management as their
dissertation area may choose either of two distinct but closely related areas in our Program:
Managerial and Organizational Behavior or Organizations and Markets. The course
requirements listed below for the two areas reflect this common practice, although alternative
choices are possible, as indicated.
MANAGERIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Managerial and Organizational Behavior (MOB) focuses on how people use information and
make decisions, and how they interact with one another in doing so in dyads, groups, and
organizations. Studies in this area draw on theory and research from cognitive and social
psychology, economics, neuroscience, and other related fields. MOB applies these
disciplines to the study of human behavior relevant to a range of different managerial
contexts. Examples include cognitive processes of judgment and decision making;
psychological aspects of economic behavior; learning, reasoning and problem solving by
individuals, groups, and organizations; processes of negotiations; power and influence;
teamwork and group processes; and organizational decision making. Students in MOB can
focus their studies on the subset of research topics that best fits their interests and career
intentions. Studies in MOB can be paired with studies in Marketing for a focus on consumer
behavior, with Organizations and Markets for a focus on organizational structures and
processes, with Economics or Finance for a focus on economic behavior, and with a variety
of other Ph.D. areas. In addition to courses offered in the Graduate School of Business, MOB
students take courses in psychology, sociology, public policy, economics, and other
university departments.
Students are expected to select a faculty member from the group as an advisor at the start of
their program. Though the advisor may change, it is essential that the student have a
designated advisor at all times during his or her studies.
When fulfilling general PhD degree requirements, please make sure to consult the relevant
section of the Guidebook that discusses those requirements (e.g., curriculum paper
requirements in Chapter 2, co-authorship rules in Chapter 5), in addition to area specific
requirements (if any).
Managerial and Organizational Behavior as a dissertation area.
For students writing a dissertation in managerial and organizational behavior, the General
Examination requirements are:
1) Successful completion of courses as itemized below. In order to assure
appropriate consultation, the choice of courses to satisfy requirement (B) must be
approved in advance of registration by the student’s faculty advisor. The minimum
grade allowed, for a course to count towards the Ph.D. degree in M.O.B. is a B (3.0)
in all courses taught by primary M.O.B. faculty members and a B- (2.7) for all other
courses.
A. B38901, B38902, and B38903 – Current Topics in Behavioral Science I, II, III:
at least one in each of the first 3 years in the Program.
B. Two courses in statistics. Usually B41901 and B41902, but others can be taken
with permission. It is acceptable for B41901 and B41902 also to count toward
fulfillment of the support area or coordinated sequence area requirements.
C. Two courses in research methods including:
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