What is the Management Program at UConn like, and what makes it unique?

The Management Program has several features that collectively make it unique:

• It is small. We typically admit two to four students per year with full assistantships. This means you don't need to scramble to get faculty attention as you might in a larger program. There is about a 1-1 ratio of faculty to current students.



• It is oriented toward training students to take academic jobs at research universities.



• It provides strong training in the management disciplines, especially organizational behavior and strategic management, to all students. There are no separate tracks, but students specialize in different areas according to their own interests.



• It emphasizes "learning by doing." That is, there is an emphasis on submitting your work generated in doctoral courses and assistantships to professional conferences for presentation and, when the work is strong enough, to scholarly journals for publication. Both faculty and students regularly present their research at annual conferences of the Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society, and other prestigious professional associations, and they frequently publish their research in top-tier scholarly management journals such as the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Management, Human Relations, and Personnel Psychology.

Does the Management Program have separate tracks for students interested in particular management disciplines (e.g., entrepreneurship, international business, organizational behavior, strategic management)?

Not formally. All students must take the same set of required courses in management and research methods. However, students then shape their program to fit their own interests, whatever their interests may be, in the selection of supporting courses and research methods electives.

What pre-requisites do I need?

Our primary concern is that you are ready to undertake doctoral-level studies in management. The Coordinator of the Management Ph.D. Program (Professor Gary Powell) will review each candidate's background to determine whether additional coursework is necessary or whether some pre-requisites can be waived.

What jobs are available to graduates?

Most program graduates obtain academic jobs prior to graduation. Our graduates are currently employed by universities around the nation and world such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Clark University, Colorado State University, George Mason University, Mississippi State University, Northeastern University, Oregon State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Syracuse University. See our Ph.D. Alumni website for a list of program graduates and their current jobs. Also, demand for management professors is on the upswing nationally with starting salaries rising dramatically in recent years. As a result, our program graduates are heavily recruited.

What do I do in my assistantship?

You may be assigned either teaching-related or research-related duties for your assistantship. Teaching-related duties may include assisting a faculty member in teaching their courses, or teaching a course on your own. Typically, students are not assigned courses to teach on their own until their second year in the program at the earliest. Research-related duties may include assisting a faculty member with their research or working on a collaborative research project with a faculty member. Many such collaborations have led to presentations at the annual meetings of the Academy of Management and to publications in premier journals; see the list of recent publications by program graduates.

So, why should I get a Ph.D. in Management from UConn?

Doctoral students at UConn get unique access to some of the most outstanding scholars in the field of management. We have internationally recognized experts in such areas as cross-cultural management, diversity, strategy, and teams.

In addition, most employers seek candidates who provide evidence of accomplishment in both research and teaching. Given the small size of our program and the excellent ratio of faculty to students, our students have the opportunity to develop strong initial track records as researchers and teachers before they graduate. While enrolled in the program, our students have published their work in top-tier management journals. Our students have also presented numerous papers at annual meetings of the Academy of Management and other profesisonal associations. In addition, the relatively small size of our program provides students ample opportunity to develop a strong teaching record.

What is the admissions process like?

First, you submit all of the necessary paperwork to the School of Business Ph.D. Program Office by January 10. The Management faculty then review all applications for admission. At that time, we develop a short list of applicants whom we wish to consider further. If applicants on the short list are able to visit campus, we invite them here for a day to meet with faculty and students. Otherwise, we interview them by telephone. Then we make decisions on whom to admit for the Fall semester, typically by March.

Where can I find additional information?

These are answers to only some of the questions you may have. We encourage you to review the School of Business Ph.D. Program website, the Ph.D. Program FAQs page, and the Graduate School site. Also, feel free to contact Professor Powell at gpowell@business.uconn.edu.


Thank you for your interest in our Program!