Management Science
Management Sciences is an inter-disciplinary field within Business Administration. The unifying elements of the field are mathematical modeling and micro-economic reasoning. This is an ideal concentration for the student with strong mathematical and analytical skills who is interested in the modeling and solution of problems that arise in modern business. The Ph.D. program is designed to train students to be scholars who value rigorous research and teachers who are committed to educating the next generation of scholars.
Successful applicants must demonstrate strong promise in analytical problem solving. Common educational backgrounds include degrees in economics, mathematics, engineering, business, or science, as well as prior work experience.
The applied problems of the field run the gamut from incentives in cost-allocation, efficiency of natural resource rights auctions, market-share attraction models, to the design of data security systems. Formal modeling tools such as (but not limited to) principal-agent models, Markov decision models, game theory, and integer programming are brought to bear on these diverse research problems. All of the issues in the field require the student to develop sound economic intuition to conduct microeconomic analysis. The Ph.D. program is, therefore, designed to build on the student's mathematical and analytical skills, as well as to provide a strong foundation in optimization, microeconomics, game theory and modern industrial organization.
Course Work
The course-work for the Ph.D. program assists the student in the development of the essential skills for knowledge generation and dissemination:
- A breadth of knowledge about business related disciplines
- A good understanding of past research in decision economics and related areas.
- The methodological and analytical skills to conduct independent research relevant to the field of decision economics.
- The ability to synthesize past research and develop the frontiers of knowledge in the decision economics area.
The required course-work is designed to enable students to develop methodological skills in mathematical modeling, game theory and economics. Students are exposed to these ideas in courses within the Department of Business Administration, as well as in the Departments of Mathematics and Economics. Students also complete approved courses associated with a minor area of study in Economics (although some of these courses may be taken in the department of Business Administration). The course-work takes approximately two years to complete (depending upon the student's background). It is expected that students will defend their dissertation proposals at the end of the third year, and complete the degree at the end of the fourth year.
In addition to the required and elective courses, research seminars are also a part of the doctoral program. Students are required to present either their own work or a seminal paper from the literature at least once a year.
Faculty
For a complete list of Management Science faculty members please visit our faculty directory.
Current Students
For a complete list of current candidates in Management Science please visit our PhD student directory.
Recent Dissertation Topics
- "Equilibrium Marketing Channels with Unobservable Actions by Retailers," Vijay K. Vemuri
- "Long -Term Agency Relationships with Human Capital Investment," Sufeng Ma.
