Business Administration
Questions about these requirements? See the contact information at the bottom of the page.
Program of Study
The PhD degree in Business Administration is jointly administered by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS) and Harvard Business School (HBS). The program consists of four areas of study:
- Accounting and Management
- Marketing (quantitative or consumer behavior)
- Strategy
- Technology and Operations Management (innovation or operations).
Students work closely with faculty at both HBS and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and may take courses offered across Harvard University and MIT.
Each student’s program of study is developed in consultation with the faculty coordinator(s) and the Doctoral Programs Office at HBS.
Advising
Regular interaction with faculty advisors is an essential component of doctoral education. Students in the Business Administration program often pursue interdisciplinary research that spans multiple fields within and beyond business. To support this work, students will collaborate with tenure-track faculty in their primary unit (Accounting and Management; Marketing; Strategy; and Technology and Operations Management), as well as faculty across HBS; other Harvard schools (e.g., Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Harvard Chan School of Public Health), and departments within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (such as Economics, Government, Psychology, and Sociology). Reviewing recent dissertation committees can offer insight into how students assemble interdisciplinary advising teams.
Students are matched with initial advisors based on their research interests. As students familiarize themselves with program faculty during coursework, research, seminars, and other activities, they may change their advisor(s) as their academic and research interests develop. During the early years of study, students should become acquainted with many program faculty members to identify advisors who share their research interests.
Coursework
Each term, students will consult with their advisor to receive course selection approval. In addition to Harvard Business School (HBS) courses, students often take courses at other Harvard schools and MIT. Full course descriptions are available in the course catalog. Areas of study may require specific courses in each of the five categories listed below:
- foundational courses (two courses): Microeconomic Theory I (HBS 4010/ECON 2020a) and Microeconomic Theory II (HBS 4011/ECON 2020b)
- research methods courses (four courses): for example, Econometrics I & II (ECON 2110 &2115); Econometric Methods (ECON 2140); Experimental Methods in Behavioral Research (HBS 4435); Design of Field Research Methods (HBS 4070), and many more
- field courses (five courses): selected based on the student’s area of study
- breadth courses (two courses): HBS courses outside the student’s area of study
- MBA courses (two courses): Two elective curriculum (EC) courses or one EC course and acting as a teaching fellow in another MBA course.
Research Seminar and Presentation
Beginning in the second year, students are required to present at least annually in a research seminar. Students are expected to attend a weekly research seminar, typically offered by their unit.
Field Exam and Paper
Students must pass a field exam in their area of study by the end of their second year and submit a publishable-quality research paper before November of their third year. Both the exam and paper are evaluated by a committee of three or more faculty members.
Field Research Requirement
The field research requirement is specific to students at Harvard Business School. Its purpose is to give students the opportunity to engage directly with practitioners—in business, public policy, or nonprofit organizations—as part of their research. Asking students to consider their research interests and to learn how to study those interests in the real world, through organizations and markets grappling with real challenges aligned with a student's individual research agenda, is a valuable skill and a comparative advantage of doctoral education at Harvard Business School.
Students may satisfy the requirement in one of three ways:
- as a qualitative research component of a dissertation chapter
- as a separate research project, such as a case or field research paper
- a product as agreed upon between the student and the chair/coordinator of the program.
Where travel is needed to carry out the research, the Doctoral Office offers support of up to $3,500.
By the end of the fourth year, students must submit a Field Research Proposal describing the scope of the project, including the practitioners or field site they intend to engage and their planned activities. Experiences may range from a two- to three-day site visit to a longer-term internship or embedded research experience, depending on what is most beneficial to the student's research (see the Outside Activities Policy). International students should also consult with the Harvard International Office (HIO), as applicable.
Faculty advisors are responsible for approving the proposed plan to ensure it aligns with the student's research agenda and represents a meaningful scholarly experience. Students should obtain faculty advisor approval before submitting the proposal to the Doctoral Office. The Doctoral Office will review and approve the plan and, where travel is involved, confirm budget parameters and travel guidelines based on the proposed project.
Students are responsible for carrying out the approved plan, providing their advisor and the Doctoral Office with a summary of the outcomes of the engagement and submitting any required travel reimbursement materials to the Doctoral Office after completion of engagement.
Teaching
Students must teach or assist with teaching in a formally offered course for one full academic term. This engagement should include, at least, 8 hours of front-of-class teaching and 16 hours of teaching preparation time. The requirement may be fulfilled by acting as a teaching fellow or instructor assignment at a Harvard University school, including but not limited to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Kennedy School, or the Extension School. Students may also serve as a teaching fellow in a Harvard Business School MBA course. The 8 hours of front-of-class teaching do not apply when fulfilling the requirement in the MBA program. Co-teaching a course with others, including other doctoral students, will meet this requirement.
Dissertation Proposal
By the end of the third year, all students are required to obtain approval of their dissertation proposal by a three-member committee and confirm a dissertation chair.
Dissertation
Students are required to write a dissertation, typically consisting of three publishable papers, under the supervision of a dissertation committee. The dissertation defense is oral.