The PhD in Organization Studies
The PhD in Organization Studies is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct high-quality research and teaching in the field of organization studies.
Internationally-known faculty members work with a cohort of Ph.D. candidates each year. The faculty uses a diverse set of theoretical lenses that pay attention to the influences of organizational structures and networks; systems of identity, meaning, rhetoric, and symbols; career, labor, and human capital issues; and leadership and ethical values. Research occurs at the individual, group, and organizational levels and uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Although students regularly collaborate with faculty in conducting research, students are also encouraged to define their own research interests and pursue them through writing their third-year paper, dissertation, and other presentations and papers.
In addition, students have the opportunity to work with four Boston College centers. The Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, The Center for Work and Family, The Center for Corporate Citizenship, and The Sloan Center for Aging & Work can provide opportunities for student research and connections with managers working in these areas. An array of guest speakers, works-in-progress, and brown bags are held regularly to introduce students to top scholars in the field of Organization Studies.
The program provides students with the intellectual and analytical foundation needed to conduct high-quality research and teaching. It emphasizes a strong grounding in research methods, statistics, and organizational theory. In addition, students take four special topics course on subjects selected by the faculty; such as organizational change, organizational ethics and politics, leadership, social cognition, and advanced research methods, as well as three electives. In their first and second years, PhD students take a rigorous set of complementary courses in statistics, quantitative and qualitative research methods, micro- and macro-organizational theory, and teaching skills. At the end of the second year, students must pass a comprehensive qualifying examination. In the third year, students may take additional courses, complete a major empirical research project that typically sets the stage for their dissertation research, and teach their own course. During the fourth and fifth years, students have the option to teach additional courses and focus on their dissertation research.
The program complements the research focus with required and elective coursework, as well as teaching preparation and practice, to offer a solid basis for a successful academic career. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to engage in research activities by collaborating with the faculty and by developing their own independent research. All students are encouraged to deliver papers at regional, national, and international professional conferences, as well as to submit articles for publication in top-tier research journals. The program develops creative, independent scholars who can craft and pursue their own research agendas. It also builds a strong intellectual community that stimulates learning and professional development.
Program Requirements
The PhD program requires students to acquire:
1) knowledge of the core areas of management, organizational behavior and research methods;
2) significant research skills and demonstrated research capability; and
3) teaching skills
Toward these ends, the department has established the following requirements:
Course Work
All students are required to complete 6 theory courses, 7 research methods courses, and 3 application courses. In addition, students with prior management education must take 3 additional graduate-level electives, for a total of 19 courses. Students without prior management education are required to take 2 additional MBA courses, including a Strategy course at the masters or doctoral level, plus 3 graduate-level electives, for a total of 21 courses. Electives may be taken from other departments and universities, subject to the approval of the PhD Director. Prior graduate-level coursework in research methods may be submitted to the PhD Director for consideration toward fulfillment of some research methods requirements.
Qualifying Examination
The examination requires the student to demonstrate a substantial knowledge of theory and methods involved in the study of organizational behavior. The examination is given at the end of the second year.
Second-Year Research Project
A research paper demonstrating the ability to conduct innovative research in organizational behavior will be completed by the end of the third year. By the end of the second year, the student will be responsible for forming a committee of two faculty members from the Organization Studies Department who will advise the student on this paper. Students will present their research proposals for comments by their peers during a research seminar at the start of their third year. It is expected that the third-year research project will lead into the student’s dissertation project.
Dissertation
The dissertation is a substantial, significant, original contribution to the body of knowledge of organizational behavior. It is prepared under the guidance of a thesis committee of three faculty members. At least two of these members will be faculty in the Organization Studies Department.
Student Support and Research/Teaching Requirement
All entering students receive full tuition remission (100%) plus a stipend per year for four years, provided they maintain their status as students in good standing and meet the residency requirement of the program. Students serve as research assistants during each of the first four years of the program. Students also serve as teaching assistants and teaching fellows during part of their time in the program.