Strategic Management Doctoral Program

Ph.D. Curriculum

Tools for Analysis and Research (TAR) Coursework

All Strategic Management doctoral students take six Tools for Analysis and Research (TAR) courses. TAR course selection and substitution, where appropriate, is done in conjunction with, and must be approved by, the Primary Area advisor.

All students must take the following three courses:

  • STA 5206 - Analysis of Variance (or EDF 5402)
  • STA 5207 - Applied Regression Methods (or EDF 5401)
  • STA 5707 - Applied Multivariate Analysis (or EDF 5406 or SYA 5406)

Plus two additional courses. Below is a suggested list of possible elective TAR courses.

  • COM 5317 - Content analysis
  • EDF 5409 - Causal Modeling
  • EDF 5410 - Non-parametric Analysis
  • EDF 5411 - Factor Analysis Applications
  • EDF 5432 - Measurement Theory I
  • EDF 5434 - Measurement Theory II
  • EDF 5435 - Theory of Scaling (2 hours)
  • EDF 5476 - Quasi-Experimental Analysis Applications
  • EDF 6475 - Qualitative Methods
  • STA 5225 - Sample Surveys
  • STA 5507 - Applied Nonparametric Statistics
  • STA 5857 - Applied Time Series Analysis
  • SYA 5407 - Advanced Quantitative Methods

Primary Area

The Strategic Management program includes courses dealing with issues of concern to an organization's. top management in choosing and charting a path toward sustainable competitive advantage and superior performance. Topics include strategy formulation, implementation and the effective management of strategic change, organization design, competitive dynamics and managerial cognition and decision making. In addition to the general prerequisites for doctoral study, a Master's-level course in Strategic Management is a prerequisite for this program.

Doctoral students specializing in this program must complete the following Primary Area seminars:

  • MAN 6235 - Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Theory
  • MAN 6795r - Doctoral Seminar in Strategy I
  • MAN 6795r - Doctoral Seminar in Strategy II
  • MAN 6795r - Professional Development Seminar
  • MAN 6932 - Doctoral Seminar in Strategy Overview
  • MAN 6933 - Doctoral Seminar in Research Design
  • MAN 6934 - Doctoral Seminar in Data Analysis and Interpretation

Additional Primary Area courses may be selected in consultation with the student's Primary Area advisor.

Support Area

The Support Area for Strategic Management provides an opportunity to concentrate in a field of study complementary to the Primary Area and to the student's career objectives. The student's Primary Area advisor will approve the Support Area in consultation with the student and appropriate faculty from the chosen Support Area. Typically, the Support Area will consist of three or four courses or seminars in one of the following fields: Finance, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Public Administration, Sociology or Statistics. Interdisciplinary, e.g., international business, support areas are also common.

Suggested Course Sequence for Strategic Management Doctoral Students

  FALL SPRING SUMMER
1st YEAR TAR or Support
MAN 6932:Lit Overview
TAR or Support 		MAN 6933: Research Design
MAN 6795: Strategy I
TAR or Support 		MAN 6235: Org. Theory
EDF or Support
EDF or Support
2nd YEAR MAN 6795r: Strategy II
TAR or Support
MAN 6934: Data Analysis 		MAN 6795r: Prof. Development
TAR or Support
TAR or Support 		Exams
3rd YEAR Dissertation


For more information on the Strategic Management Ph.D Program, please contact Dr. Jim Combs.