A doctorate in business management provides business knowledge ideal for aspiring business leaders or scholars. Boasting the terminal degree in their discipline,doctoral graduates have demonstrated advanced expertise in at least one business area.
Individuals seeking research careers or higher education teaching positions often opt for a Ph.D. in business management, while students seeking management positions may pursue a doctor of business management (DBM or DM) or business administration (DBA) degree. All three degrees exceed educational requirements for upper-level management positions in most industries. Because these positions typically garner high salaries, a DM, DBA, or Ph.D. in business management can increase graduates’ financial security and prosperity.
Updated yearly to remain abreast of changes in this rapidly changing discipline, the online business management program rankings below introduce readers to the best business doctoral programs so they can compare and evaluate prospective schools more efficiently.
Strong management is key to the success of structures, organizations, even entire industries. Doctoral degrees in Management give individuals an opportunity to explore significant questions and conduct original research relating to the management field. The study of management draws from disciplines such as economics, psychology, and sociology. These disciplines enrich the process of researching key aspects of management, including organizational behavior, organizational theory, and strategy.
Management research is conducted on the micro and macro levels, examining both the internal processes of organizations and the external relationships between organizations and their environments. As with all doctoral programs, the following Management programs are research-intensive and largely based around asking and examining original research questions leading to a doctoral dissertation.
The following programs prepare graduates for academic and research positions, typically in university settings. Graduates may go on to work as professors, researchers, consultants, or analysts. In other words, these doctoral degree programs allow individuals to work on the kind of research they will likely go on to conduct throughout their careers.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, management analysts made a median salary of $83,610 in 2018. An advanced degree is likely to enhance career prospects, thereby increasing potential earnings. The field of management analysis is experiencing a 16 percent growth rate, which is faster than the average rate across all industries. This is likely to an increasing number of organizations and the expansion of industries with new technological developments. Organizations are expected to continue to seek ways to improve social and economic efficiency and harmony.
THE TOP 10 DOCTORATE IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | Cambridge, MA |
| 2 | Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA |
| 4 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
| 5 | Rice University | Houston, TX |
| 6 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH |
| 7 | University of California – Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA |
| 8 | George Washington University | Washington, DC |
| 9 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY |
| 10 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA |
#10 – Duke University
Ph.D. in Management and Organizations
Durham, NC
Website
Duke University offers a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations through its Fuqua School of Business. The degree program studies organization through research in decision-making, psychology, sociology, and teams. The curriculum covers organizational behavior and organizational theory as well as statistics and research methods. Key coursework includes a first-year paper, preliminary and qualifying exams, annual research presentations, continuous teaching assistantship, and the doctoral dissertation work. Faculty and students engage in research in a variety of major-related topics, including diversity, group dynamics, justice, leadership, and stereotyping.
Duke is a private research university occupies three sub-campuses in Durham, North Carolina. It anchors the region’s Research Triangle, along with North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Duke research has led to breakthroughs in fields including biomedical engineering, medicine, and physics. Duke alumni have gone on to work as CEOs for companies including Apple, Cisco, PepsiCo, and Volkswagen. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University at No. 16 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 13 in Best Value Schools, and No. 8 in National Universities. The Fuqua School of Business ranks at No. 10 in Best Business Schools and No. 9 in Management at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $53,500
#9 – The University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. in Management
Austin, TX
Website
The University of Texas at Austin offers a Ph.D. in Management through its McCombs School of Business. The degree program trains students to conduct original research in the academic and practical areas of management. Students spend their first four semesters on coursework before taking a comprehensive exam at the end of the fourth semester. They then advance to candidacy and create and defend a dissertation proposal. The remainder of the program is spent on dissertation research and the culminating oral defense. Each student must also teach courses in their area of specialization with direction from a faculty member. The program builds both course development skills and in-class teaching skills. While students progress through the program at varying speeds depending on the scope of their research, the program is designed to be completed in 10 semesters of full-time study.
Founded in 1883, UT Austin is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. The public research university has the eight-largest single-campus student enrollment in the United States. A space-grant institution, the university is a member of the Association of American Universities. It is also counted among the nation’s “Public Ivy” universities. Its research facilities include the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, and the McDonald Observatory. U.S. News & World Report ranks UT Austin at No. 49 in National Universities, No. 16 in Most Innovative Schools, and No. 15 in Top Public Schools. The university’s McCombs School of Business is ranked at No. 19 in Best Business Schools at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $10,398 in-state; $36,744 out-of-state
#8 – Georgia Institute of Technology
Ph.D. in Management
Atlanta, GA
Website
Georgia Institute of Technology offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Scheller College of Business. The degree program is designed to be completed on campus on a full-time basis. The program incorporates the university’s emphasis on technology in its study of the management field. It also places emphasis on learning outside of the classroom as well as close interaction with faculty. Course offerings include Finance & Investments, Information Technology, and Legal Aspects of Business. Students can expect to spend portions of the program on internships, various independent studies, research assistantships, and professional development workshops. Key coursework includes a comprehensive exam, the dissertation proposal and completion, and a final oral exam.
Georgia Tech was founded in 1885 in support of the mission to build a post-Civil War industrial economy in the South. Originally offering only a degree in mechanical engineering, it has since expanded into a broader technical institute and public research university. It is also a space-grant institution. Located near downtown Atlanta, the campus is situated among the headquarters of companies including AT&T, Bank of America, and The Coca-Cola Company. The university encourages entrepreneurship through research conducted at its Advanced Technology Development Center and VentureLab, which has enabled the creation of numerous startup companies. U.S. News & World Report ranks Georgia Tech at No. 35 in National Universities, No. 8 in Top Public Schools, and No. 4 in Most Innovative Schools. The Scheller College of Business ranks at No. 29 for its graduate programs.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $12,418 in-state; $33,014 out-of-state
#7 – University of California, Irvine
Ph.D. in Management
Irvine, CA
Website
The University of California, Irvine offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Paul Merage School of Business. The degree program is designed to prepare graduates for academic and research careers at universities. The program lays foundations in methodological and theoretical training in the management field, and also allows students to pursue their personal areas of interest. Students may choose to concentrate in an area such as finance, information systems, marketing, operations, or strategy. Each student must fulfill the program’s teaching requirement, attend an ongoing seminar in pedagogy, and complete the doctoral dissertation. The degree program is designed to be completed on a full-time basis. The average time to completion is five years.
UC Irvine was established in 1965 as a member of the University of California system. Located in Irvine, the public land-grant university is a Carnegie-classified top-tier research university. The university is home to such research facilities as the Beckman Laser Institute, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, and the Institute for Transportation Studies. U.S. News & World Report ranks UC Irvine at No. 45 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 33 in National Universities, and No. 7 in Top Public Schools. The Paul Merage School of Business also ranks at No. 43 in graduate Business studies.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $13,738 in-state; $41,752 out-of-state
#6 – Cornell University
Ph.D. in Management
Ithaca, NY
Website
Cornell University offers a Ph.D. in Management through its SC Johnson College of Business. The program is designed to prepare graduates for scholarly careers at research-intensive institutions. Students must choose between six concentration areas: accounting; finance; marketing; management and organizations; operations, technology, and information management; and strategy and business economics. The program consists of approximately 60 students, which allows students to work closely with faculty. Students can expect to move through all aspects of the research process, from brainstorming and inquiry to publication and impact. Students also have opportunities to work directly with faculty members on research projects. The interdisciplinary program encourages students to attend workshops and seminars across various Cornell departments.
Cornell was founded in 1865 by senators Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Located on Cornell’s farm in Ithaca, it was established as the land-grant institution of New York. Today, Cornell is a private Ivy League research university. In addition to its main Ithaca campus, it occupies campuses in New York City and Qatar. The university has conducted significant research in areas including space exploration, crash testing, computing, and Southeast Asia. U.S. News & World Report ranks Cornell at No. 21 in both Best Value Schools and Most Innovative Schools and No. 16 in National Universities. The university’s Johnson School of Business ranks at No. 15 in graduate Business studies.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $52,853
#5 – Harvard University
Ph.D. in Health Policy, concentration in Management
Cambridge, MA
Website
Harvard University offers a Ph.D. in Health Policy with a concentration in Management. The degree program focuses on research on operations and strategy in a wide variety of health care organizations. Courses are required in areas including microeconomic theory, research methods, and MBA classes in either healthcare or general management. Students can expect to spend two years on graduate-level coursework. Starting in their third year of the program, students will present research progress in weekly seminars. Major research topics include information technology, organizational structure, and team management. The doctoral dissertation requires a prospectus and oral exam and a dissertation defense. The dissertation itself may be presented in the form of three publishable papers or one major monograph.
Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The university’s long history, abundant wealth, and global academic impact have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world. It has the largest financial endowment of any academic institution, and the Harvard Library is the largest private library system in the world. The private Ivy League research university was a founding member of the Association of American Universities. Its main campus is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, about three miles from downtown Boston. U.S. News & World Report ranks Harvard at No. 14 in Most Innovative Schools and No. 2 in both Best Value Schools and National Universities. The university also ranks third in the nation for business and first for management programs at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $48,949
#4 – University of California, Los Angeles
Ph.D. in Management
Los Angeles, CA
Website
The University of California, Los Angeles offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Anderson School of Management. The degree program has a student-to-faculty ratio of 1:1, allowing students to interact closely with management experts for research collaboration and guidance. Students can choose from eight areas of study, including but not limited to Behavioral Decision Making, Finance, Global Economic Management, and Marketing. The Anderson School frequently invites industry experts to campus to give seminars on a range of topics relating to management and its areas of study. Graduates of the program have gone on to work at some of the nation’s premier universities, including Columbia, Harvard, and Yale.
UCLA was established in 1919 as a teacher training school. Today, it is a public research university and a member of the University of California system. In recent years, UCLA has made headlines for being the nation’s most applied-to university. It is considered to be one of the nation’s “Public Ivies.” A land-grant institution, it is also a member of the Association of American Universities. Alumni of the Anderson School of Management have gone on to serve as CEOs to companies such as Allstate Insurance, Chevron, Nestlé, and Virgin Atlantic. U.S. News & World Report ranks UCLA at No. 23 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 19 in National Universities, and No. 1 in Top Public Schools. The university also ranks at No. 16 in business studies at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $13,261 in-state; $41,275 out-of-state
#3 – Stanford University
Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering
Stanford, CA
Website
Stanford University offers a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering. The interdisciplinary degree program combines studies of engineering, math and algorithms, social sciences, and statistical and data analysis. It is designed to prepare graduates for academic, research-based, and technical leadership roles in universities, industry, or government. Course offerings include Dynamic Entrepreneurial Strategy, Mining Massive Data Sets, and Relational Sociology. Beyond the coursework, students must successfully complete a qualifying exam and dissertation work. Major research areas include computational social science, energy and environment, and national security policy. Most students complete the degree program in four to five years.
Founded in 1891, Stanford is a private research university that often ranks among the top universities in the world. Located in Stanford, California, the campus is positioned near the industrial and technological nucleus Silicon Valley. The university’s research facilities include the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace; SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; and the Stanford Research Park. Stanford and its alumni are closely associated with companies including Cisco, Google, and Yahoo!. U.S. News & World Report ranks Stanford at No. 7 in National Universities and No. 5 in both Best Value Schools and Most Innovative Schools. The university also ranks second in both business and management studies at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $49,617
#2 – The University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. in Management
Philadelphia, PA
Website
The University of Pennsylvania offers a Ph.D. in Management through its Wharton School. The flexible, interdisciplinary degree program applies research methods and social sciences to its study of management issues. Students can choose from four specializations: human resource management, international business, organizational behavior and theory, and strategy. The curriculum consists of 16 graduate-level course units, including management seminars, research methods courses, a statistics sequence, social science theory courses, and free electives. In addition, students must participate actively in department colloquia and, of course, complete the doctoral dissertation work. Major faculty research areas include corporate entrepreneurship, foreign strategic investments, and technology adoption.
Penn is among the nation’s nine “colonial colleges” founded prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was also the nation’s first institution of higher learning to refer to itself as a university and the first to offer both undergraduate and graduate studies. The university’s Wharton School was the first collegiate business school in the world. A private Ivy League university, Penn is classified in the top tier of research universities by the Carnegie Foundation. U.S. News & World Report ranks the institution at No. 32 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 12 in Best Value Schools, and No. 8 in National Universities. The Wharton School ranks first overall and sixth in Management at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $53,534
#1 – University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. in Management of Organizations
Berkeley, CA
Website
Grad School Hub‘s number-one doctoral Management program is the Ph.D. in Management of Organizations offered by the University of California, Berkeley. Students can choose to follow a micro track or macro track toward the degree. The micro track focuses on psychological processes within organizations. Micro track students conduct research in areas such as diversity, decision making, and power dynamics. Micro research is generally conducted using creative and experimental methods. The macro track focus on the sociology of organizations and industries. Macro track students conduct research in areas such as entrepreneurship, innovation, and social networks. Macro research has a strong quantitative focus, making use of data analysis and statistics. Of course, all students in the program can expect to spend much of their time examining original research questions for their doctoral dissertation.
Founded in 1868, Berkeley is the flagship campus of the University of California system. The public research university is one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities. It is also counted among the nation’s “Public Ivy” institutions. The university is home to research institutes including the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Space Sciences Laboratory. Berkeley researchers have discovered 16 chemical elements on the periodic table. The university was noted in the 1960s for its prominent student-led Free Speech and Anti-Vietnam War movements. U.S. News & World Report ranks Berkeley at No. 24 in Most Innovative Schools, No. 22 in National Universities, and No. 2 in Top Public Schools. The university also ranks at No. 6 in Business and No. 8 in Management at the graduate level.
Graduate Tuition/Fees: $14,170 in-state; $42,184 out-of-state
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