We prepare students for faculty jobs in research-focused universities where they are expected to combine a strong scholarly focus with impactful teaching.

Yes, you must choose at the time you apply to the Ph.D. program. Some of our students have interests in both areas, all students take classes in both areas, and some students develop research questions that cross these two disciplines. However, students are admitted to either the strategy area or to the organizational behavior & human resources area.

Students take classes for the first two years and work as graduate research assistants during the semester and summer. We strongly encourage students to begin research, guided by faculty, immediately upon entry in the program. After two years of coursework, students take comprehensive exams and begin preparing their dissertation proposal. The remainder of the program is spent on dissertation research, research with faculty including graduate research assistantships, and as a graduate teaching assistant. Defending the dissertation is the final step in the program and typically occurs in the fourth or fifth year.

Unlike some disciplines, and some programs, we do not admit students to a specific faculty member. Through research assistantships and classes, we anticipate that students will have the opportunity to work and study with many faculty during their first two years in the program. These diverse experiences can help students develop creative ideas. By the end of two years, most students develop an affinity for a given research area. We encourage a “mutual matching” process whereby both student and faculty member agree to work together, and that faculty member typically serves as the dissertation chair. To facilitate this, we generally rotate faculty assignments annually or semi-annually; the average student has worked with four different faculty members by the time they finish their coursework.

No. Some students enter the program with specific research interests, but we do not encourage applicants to develop research questions in their application materials. If you have research interests, we would like to know about them—specifically why you are attracted to these interests—because that will help us learn how you think. However, we expect that the classroom and research experiences you have in the first two years at Robinson will inform, shape and change your interests. You are encouraged to examine the profiles of the faculty in our department who are associated with our Ph.D. programs.

Students typically take three courses per semester. These usually consist of a research methods course, a seminar in their discipline, and another seminar or independent study. Doctoral coursework is very different from undergraduate and master’s level courses. The emphasis is on identifying research questions and the research designs and tools for testing those questions that will contribute to the body of knowledge in our disciplines. Seminars usually require a paper that represents an original contribution and promises to be the beginning of a submission to a journal for publication. Students may also take courses at Emory University and Georgia Tech with approval from the doctoral coordinator.

Our successful students come from very diverse backgrounds. A master’s degree, work experience and research experience are helpful but not required. Some students have MBA degrees, but others have master’s degrees in other subjects. A few students come straight from undergraduate programs while others have spent many years in business and industry. Some students have experience on research teams, but other students do not.

Because we admit small numbers of applicants each year, we are unable to admit all qualified applicants. However, we take a holistic look at each applicant and his or her background, experiences and qualifications.

All applicants admitted to our programs are offered a tuition waiver and a stipend for living expenses. You will earn your stipend by serving as a graduate research assistant to faculty and as a graduate teaching assistant. University fees must be paid from your stipend. Contingent on good progress throughout the program, tuition waivers and stipends will be available for each year of your program. No additional application for scholarships is necessary.

We have accepted applicants from all over the world, and all applicants are treated equally. International applicants should send results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as a part of their application. Applicants who have a degree from an English speaking university need not submit results from the TOEFL. The school code for TOEFL is 5251.

The application deadline is in early January (check the current deadline on the main Ph.D. web page), and review of applications begins shortly after. Interviews by Skype or telephone will be conducted with some applicants usually in February and March. Offers of admission may be extended anytime between February and late April. We typically accept one to three applicants each year.

No. All newly admitted students will begin in the fall semester.

Because we only admit a few students each year, we do not release test scores or other information that may be used to identify them.

As a general rule of thumb, we do not admit applicants whose scores are below the 50th percentile for either the verbal or quantitative sections. However, test scores are only one piece of information considered by the admissions committee, and higher scores do not imply acceptance into the program. We consider all information about applicants in our decisions.