phd in organizational culture

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Organizational Behavior

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Scholars in the doctoral program in Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School are prepared to pursue an interdisciplinary inquiry into issues that are broadly related to the functioning of individuals within groups, at either the micro or macro level. Graduates of our program go on to become the leading researchers and thinkers in organizational behavior, shaping the field and advancing theoretical understanding in posts at schools of management or in disciplinary departments.

The Organizational Behavior program is jointly administered by the faculty of Harvard Business School and the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and students have the opportunity to work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Business School.

Curriculum & Coursework

Our program offers two distinct tracks, with research focused either on the micro or macro level. Students who choose to focus on micro organizational behavior take a psychological approach to the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and groups, and the effects that groups have on individuals. In macro organizational behavior, scholars use sociological methods to examine the organizations, groups, and markets themselves, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives.

Your core disciplinary training will take place in either the psychology or sociology departments, depending on the track that you choose. You will also conduct advanced coursework in organizational behavior at HBS, and complete two MBA elective curriculum courses. Students are required to teach for one full academic term in order to gain valuable teaching experience, and to work as an apprentice to a faculty member to develop research skills. Upon completion of coursework, students prepare and present a dossier that includes a qualifying paper, at least two other research papers, and a statement outlining a plan for their dissertation. Before beginning work on the dissertation, students must pass the Organizational Behavior Exam, which presents an opportunity to synthesize academic coursework and prepare for an in-depth research project.

Research & Dissertation

Examples of doctoral thesis research.

• Cross-group relations, stress, and the subsequent effect on performance
• Internal group dynamics of corporate boards of directors
• Organizational mission and its effect on commitment and effort
• Psychological tendencies and collaboration with dissimilar others

Aurora Turek

Justine Murray

Jaylon Sherrell

“ In HBS’s Organizational Behavior program I receive outstanding, rigorous training in disciplinary methods and also benefit from the myriad resources that HBS has to offer. HBS scholars are looking to apply their research to real-world problems, come up with interventions, and make a real difference. ”

Current Harvard Sociology & Psychology Faculty

• George A. Alvarez
• Mahzarin R. Banaji
• Jason Beckfield
• Lawrence D. Bobo
• Mary C. Brinton
• Joshua W. Buckholtz
• Randy L. Buckner
• Alfonso Caramazza
• Susan E. Carey
• Paul Y. Chang
• Mina Cikara
• Christina Ciocca Eller
• Christina Cross
• Fiery Cushman
• Frank Dobbin
• Samuel J. Gershman
• Daniel Gilbert
• Joshua D. Greene
• Jill M. Hooley
• Rakesh Khurana
• Alexandra Killewald
• Talia Konkle
• Max Krasnow
• Michèle Lamont
• Ellen Langer
• Joscha Legewie
• Ya-Wen Lei
• Patrick Mair
• Peter V. Marsden
• Katie A. McLaughlin
• Richard J. McNally
• Jason P. Mitchell
• Ellis Monk
• Matthew K. Nock
• Orlando Patterson
• Elizabeth A. Phelps
• Steven Pinker
• Robert J. Sampson
• Daniel L. Schacter
• Theda Skocpol
• Mario L. Small
• Jesse Snedeker
• Leah H. Somerville
• Elizabeth S. Spelke
• Tomer D. Ullman
• Adaner Usmani
• Jocelyn Viterna
• Mary C. Waters
• John R. Weisz
• Christopher Winship
• Xiang Zhou

Current HBS Faculty

• Teresa M. Amabile
• Julie Battilana
• Max H. Bazerman
• David E. Bell
• Ethan S. Bernstein
• Alison Wood Brooks
• Edward H. Chang
• Julian De Freitas
• Amy C. Edmondson
• Robin J. Ely
• Alexandra C. Feldberg
• Carolyn J. Fu
• Amit Goldenberg
• Boris Groysberg
• Ranjay Gulati
• Linda A. Hill
• Nien-he Hsieh
• Jon M. Jachimowicz
• Summer R. Jackson
• Leslie K. John
• Jillian J. Jordan
• Rakesh Khurana
• Joshua D. Margolis
• Edward McFowland III
• Kathleen L. McGinn
• Tsedal Neeley
• Michael I. Norton
• Leslie A. Perlow
• Jeffrey T. Polzer
• Ryan L. Raffaelli
• Lakshmi Ramarajan
• James W. Riley
• Clayton S. Rose
• Arthur I Segel
• Emily Truelove
• Michael L. Tushman
• Ashley V. Whillans
• Letian Zhang
• Julian J. Zlatev

Current Organizational Behavior Students

• Jennifer Abel
• Yajun Cao
• Grace Cormier
• Megan Gorges
• Bushra Guenoun
• Elizabeth Johnson
• Caleb Kealoha
• Kai Krautter
• Justine Murray
• C. Ryann Noe
• Elizabeth Sheprow
• Jaylon Sherrell
• Yoon Jae Shin
• Erin Shirtz
• Samantha N. Smith
• Tiffany Smith
• Channing Spencer
• Yuval Spiegler
• Emily Tedards
• Aurora Turek

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, hanne collins, 2024, evan defilippis, 2023, hayley blunden, 2022, lumumba seegars, 2021, karen huang, 2020, stefan dimitriadis, 2019, elizabeth hansen, 2019, julie yen, 2024, jeff steiner, 2023, ahmmad brown, 2022, yanhua bird, 2020, jeffrey lees, 2020, alexandra feldberg, 2019, martha jeong, 2019, nicole abi-esber, 2023, elliot stoller, 2023, ariella kristal, 2022, leroy gonsalves, 2020, alicia desantola, 2019, catarina fernandes, 2019.

Tepper School of Business

Ph.D. Program in Organizational Behavior and Theory

Interdisciplinary approach & methodological rigor.

Understanding human behavior in organizations and solving problems requires the integration of a variety of social science and related disciplines. A distinguishing feature of the Tepper School's OBT Ph.D. program is the broad interdisciplinary training it provides across an array of areas (e.g., psychology, sociology, economics, strategy, and computer and data science). Not only do OBT doctoral students interact with other students and faculty within the Tepper School of Business, through cross-registration in courses and participation in colloquia, OBT doctoral students also have opportunities to interact with students and faculty in departments such as Engineering and Public Policy, Human-Computer Interaction, Social and Decision Sciences, Psychology and a variety of departments at the University of Pittsburgh. A cornerstone of the OBT Ph.D. program is its methodological training and rigor. From computer science courses in machine learning and AI to courses in advanced statistical methods, students develop a deep understanding of analytical methods and tools.

Collaborative Culture

A small number of students are accepted into the group each year, with a total of about 10 OBT doctoral students in residence. Student-faculty relationships are close, which permits the tailoring of the program of study to fit the background and career goals of the individual.

Course of Study

Our program emphasizes preparation for careers in scholarly research, and graduates of the program usually pursue careers in academic or research institutions. During their course of study, students have the opportunity to engage with faculty in doctoral seminars and joint research, meet with visiting scholars, and interact with other faculty and students across campus. We prepare our graduates to be competitive on the academic job market by getting them involved in research from Day 1.  Program requirements include the successful completion of two research-based papers in the first and second years of the program, qualifying exams, a “minor” area requirement and a doctoral dissertation.  

Research Specializations

Diversity, inclusion, and human capital.

Diversity is at the core of many important organizational problems and many of our OBT faculty make important contributions to the growing knowledge base on diversity and its impact on individual, group, and organizational outcomes.

FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Rosalind Chow: gender and promotion processes
• Oliver Hahl: gender, race, and cultural capital effects on supply and demand for human capital in markets (i.e., hiring and career outcomes)
• Denise Rousseau: the employment relationship, evidence-based management
• Catherine Shea: gender issues in management, advice seeking, interpersonal dynamics
• Laurie Weingart: gender and non-promotable tasks in the workplace, gender and negotiation, interdisciplinary teams
• Anita Williams Woolley: gender diversity, cognitive diversity and team collective intelligence

Ethics and Justice

Unethical and unjust behaviors are costly to organizations and society. The OBT group in the Tepper School has three members with expertise in the areas of business ethics and social justice (Aven, Chow, and Cohen). The Tepper School is also home to ethics scholar Tae Wan Kim, whose research takes philosophical perspectives on business ethics.

• Brandy Aven: relational attributes of fraud and corruption
• Rosalind Chow: perceptions of and responses to social inequality
• Taya Cohen: interpersonal misconduct, workplace deviance, moral character, guilt, shame, trust and trustworthiness
• Tae Wan Kim: artificial Intelligence ethics, future of work, business ethics

Groups and Teams

The OBT group in the Tepper School houses three scholars who are leaders in the areas of groups and teams (Argote, Weingart, and Woolley) and others whose work is directly relevant (Aven, Chow, Cohen, and Hahl). The Tepper School and Carnegie Mellon more broadly host several other faculty who work in this area (Carley, Kiesler, and Krackhardt). We regularly graduate students who conduct research on groups and teams.

• Linda Argote: learning, transactive memory and knowledge transfer within and between groups
• Brandy Aven: networked teams
• Rosalind Chow: power and status within/between groups, impacts of diversity on group functioning and performance
• Taya Cohen: cooperation and conflict within and between groups, pathways to status and leadership in groups
• Oliver Hahl: perceptions of status, authenticity and identity within/between groups
• Laurie Weingart: conflict in teams, multiparty negotiation, negotiation and group dynamics
• Anita Woolley: collective intelligence, team strategic orientation, team performance

Knowledge Transfer and Learning in a Technologically-Driven World

The OBT group in the Tepper School includes scholars whose work has been foundational to the field of organizational learning (Argote) and includes four other scholars who are substantially engaged in the growing body of work on knowledge transfer and learning (Aven, Hahl, Lee, and Woolley). Reflecting the Tepper School's focus on the intersection of business and technology, faculty research involves responses to rapid change, coordination of work distributed across time and place, organizational learning. Our work also connects to scholars working in related areas in Information Systems (Mukhopadhyay and Singh) and Economics (Epple) at the Tepper School, as well as researchers at Heinz (Krishnan), Engineering (Fuchs), and Computer Science (Carley, Dabbish, and Rose) at Carnegie Mellon, also conduct research relevant to learning.

• Linda Argote: transactive memory systems, knowledge transfer, organizational learning, the effects of technology on learning and knowledge transfer
• Brandy Aven: transactive memory systems, the effects of technology on networked systems for learning and knowledge transfer
• Oliver Hahl: learning and knowledge transfer, effect on firm performance
• Sunkee Lee: organizational learning, effect of the spatial design of workplaces and incentive systems on organizational learning, knowledge transfer, exploration vs. exploitation, learning from own and others’ experiences
• Anita Woolley: learning and collective intelligence in groups and organizations, increasing collective intelligence in human-computer systems

Networks and Organizations

Research on the formation and consequences of social networks in organizations and markets have become central to our understanding of how organizations and markets work. The OBT group in the Tepper School hosts four scholars who work on important areas related to the role of social networks in organizations (Argote, Aven, Hahl, and Shea). Researchers at Heinz (Krackhardt) and Computer Science (Carley) at Carnegie Mellon, also conduct research in areas that inform our knowledge of social networks as well as the methodologies employed to distinguish their antecedents and effects.

• Linda Argote: learning and knowledge transfer through social networks
• Brandy Aven: formation of social networks, persistence (or not) of social networks, learning and deviance within social networks, knowledge sharing in social networks
• Oliver Hahl: identity in social networks, perceptions of brokers in networks, organizational networks and individual performance
• David Krackhardt: social network analysis theories and methods, informal organizations
• Catherine Shea: social network cognition, network formation, experimental methods in social networks

Entrepreneurial and Organizational Strategy

The “Carnegie School” has long influenced research on strategy, particularly by looking at the microfoundations of strategic selection, implementation, and performance. The OBT group in the Tepper School hosts four scholars who work on important areas in firm strategy (Argote, Aven, Hahl, and Lee) that all tie back to the Carnegie School’s foundations in the Behavioral Theory of the Firm . Additionally, scholars in Economics and Marketing (Miller, Epple and Derdenger) at the Tepper School and in the Engineering and Public Policy school at Carnegie Mellon (Fuchs and Armanios) also collaborate in research with Tepper faculty and students research in areas that inform organizational theory, entrepreneurial strategy, firm strategy selection and implementation, and firm performance.

• Linda Argote: organizational learning and capability development, micro foundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy
• Brandy Aven: entrepreneurial strategies, entrepreneurial teams, behavioral theories of entrepreneurship and strategy
• Oliver Hahl: identity-based strategies, categories, diversification, status and authenticity in markets, human capital management and firm performance, microfoundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy
• Sunkee Lee: organization design, exploration/exploitation, incentives, spatial design, response to performance feedback, firm acquisition behavior and performance, microfoundations of strategy and firm performance, behavioral theories of strategy

P lease visit our Ph.D. Student Profiles page t o view the profiles of our current doctoral candidates.

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Management & Organizations

What we are looking for in applicants.

Our doctoral students come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have substantial work and professional experiences, or are recent MBA graduates, and others enter directly from undergraduate programs in the social sciences, business, engineering, and allied fields. Though not required, successful applicants often possess one or several of the following characteristics:

• Experience in the social sciences, e.g. through undergraduate or graduate coursework in anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, sociology or related fields
• Research experience, e.g. in the form of an honors or master’s thesis, or research assistant work
• Post baccalaureate work experience
• Evidence of quantitative or statistical skills, e.g., high quantitative test scores or advanced courses in mathematics, statistics, engineering or econometrics
• Relevant master’s degree

Program Requirements

• JOB MARKET CANDIDATES
• JOB PLACEMENT

Our Current PhD Students

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PhD in Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior.

Our Organizational Behavior (OB) PhD Program prepares you to conduct high-impact research on a broad range of topics critical to businesses and managers. Since 2018, our students have secured job placements at many top research schools.

Our faculty have expertise in a wide range of research areas such as leadership (including ethical leadership), emotions, team dynamics, decision-making, motivation, power and influence, negotiations, employee well-being, creativity, voice, and cross-cultural issues. They use cutting-edge methodological approaches including lab experiments, experience sampling, meta-analyses and qualitative interviews.

Through your coursework and research alongside innovative, supportive and passionate faculty, you will learn the necessary skills to become a high-quality researcher and faculty member at a top research university.

While direct research experience is not required, familiarity with academic research in organizational behavior or psychology is a plus to ensure you are prepared for the rigors of conducting research.

We do not narrow our search to students who graduated from a “top” university or have achieved a specific score on a standardized test. We take a holistic approach. We aim to admit students who demonstrate passion for exploring organizational questions and the motivation to put in the work to learn the complex skills and methodological approaches needed to become a high-quality scholar.

We have found the most successful students are self-directed, enjoy problem-solving and are unafraid – if not excited – about digging into some of the most complex challenges facing organizations.

We look for students who are friendly, collaborative and seek a welcoming and intellectually stimulating academic environment.

We welcome potential applicants from all experiences and backgrounds. The UNC Kenan-Flagler OB PhD Program prides itself on a diverse and inclusive student body. Our thriving and collaborative culture (both with faculty and between students) is a focal point to our department. Join us!

Typical course schedule by year

During the first two years of the PhD Program, you will focus on coursework that develops the tools you need to produce high-quality research. Sample classes include:

• Introduction to Organizational Behavior
• Introduction to Social Psychology
• Research Methods
• Dependent Variables
• Groups and Teams
• Interpersonal Processes
• Negotiation, Conflict and Diversity

After the second year, you are required to successfully complete comprehensive exams which covers all of the OB and leadership courses you take in the first two years of the PhD Program.

• Complete a third-year paper
• Full-time research
• Dissertation and oral defense are expected prior to the end of your fifth year.
• Prepare for the job market

We encourage you to attend bi-weekly brown bag lunches organized by PhD students as well as our field’s annual conference – The Academy of Management.

We believe the best scholars are crafted through impactful mentoring relationships. When you begin the program, you will be assigned to one (or two) faculty members with overlapping research interests. These advising relationships are aimed at being both professionally and personally productive for you. From day one you will begin working on research projects (whether self-directed or ongoing faculty projects) alongside these faculty members as they seek to teach you the skills you need to conduct high-quality work and develop your own research identity.

If you ask a UNC Kenan-Flagler OB student the classic question “Who do you work with?” be prepared for a long answer involving multiple faculty. We encourage our students to work with several faculty members to take advantage of the diverse skill sets, theoretical perspectives and research approaches they offer. These collaborations happen informally as you progress and grow within the program and give you flexibility and breadth of resources as you pursue your research passions.

As part of our larger mission to make academia an inclusive place where people of all identities and life experiences can thrive, we view it as a moral imperative to foster a diverse PhD student body that represents the next generation of scholars.

Ensuring that all feel welcome to pursue a doctoral degree is not only the right thing to do – it also is important for producing better science. Identities and life experiences shape the questions that we ask about the world and the knowledge that we produce.

We believe that our understanding of organizational behavior is incomplete if our scholarly community does not reflect the rich diversity of identities, experiences and perspectives that are found in the broader population. Inviting people of all walks of life to enter into our intellectual community can therefore result in better scholarship because it opens the door for new questions to be asked and new truths to be uncovered.

We strive to be a community where every student feels supported in their scholarly journey. We encourage all interested individuals to apply to the program, especially those who belong to historically underrepresented populations. We look forward to learning from you and welcoming you!

View our current Organizational Behavior PhD students .

Related Research

Ashamed to take a break.

UNC Kenan-Flagler researchers show that employees feeling bad that they took breaks can lead to unethical, costly behavior.

You can be too careful

Researchers show what happens when leaders focus too much on preventing errors.

What’s race got to do with it?

Research shows that Black women negotiators receive more favorable offers and outcomes compared with white women and Black men.

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Organizational culture Organizational culture is embedded in the everyday working lives of all cultural members. Manifestations of cultures in organizations include formal practices (such as pay levels, structure of the HIERARCHY,JOB DESCRIPTIONS, and other written policies); informal practices (such as behavioral norms); the organizational stories employees tell to explain “how things are done around here;” RITUALS (such as Christmas parties and retirement dinners); humor (jokes about work and fellow employees); jargon (the special language of organizational initiates); and physical arrangements (including interior decor, dress norms, and architecture). Cultural manifestations also include values, sometimes referred to more abstractly as content themes. It is essential to distinguish values/content themes that are espoused by employees from values/content themes that are seen to be enacted in behavior. All of these cultural manifestations are interpreted, evaluated, and enacted in varying ways because cultural members have differing interests, experiences, responsibilities and values.

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Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior

Program information.

The doctoral program in organizational behavior (OB) prepares students for success in research universities as faculty members specializing in organizational behavior. The field of OB seeks to develop knowledge of how individuals and groups think, feel and behave in organizational settings and to apply that knowledge to foster effective management of individuals in work settings. Its origins include psychology, sociology, and anthropology. 

Key research areas within the discipline include employee well-being, work design, teams, decision-making, ethics, emotions, leadership, careers, individual differences, motivation, creativity and innovation, organizational change, culture, and cross-cultural differences. 

Application deadlines

Priority: December 15

Final: January 10

• Application requirements

Key research areas within the discipline include employee well-being, work design, teams, decision-making, ethics, emotions, leadership, careers, individual differences, motivation, creativity and innovation, organizational change, culture, and cross-cultural differences.

Part of our mission is to develop effective teachers. To that end, all doctoral students are required to teach at least two sections as independent instructors. The school and university prepare and reward doctoral students for excellence in teaching through various programs and awards.

Program details

Organizational behavior core courses.

A graduate course in economics: BE 701: Business Economics OR BE 917: Advanced Managerial Economics OR ECON 700: Survey of Microeconomics Note: BE 917: Business Economics, is preferred. Students coming into the program directly from an undergraduate degree may consider substituting BE 701: Business Economics, or ECON 700: Survey of Microeconomics. In the event a student has taken a graduate economics course prior to enrolling as a KU doctoral student, she/he may waive the requirement and substitute either an elective doctoral content course or a statistics/research methods course for this requirement.

MGMT 905: Management Research Methods

MGMT 916: Major Management Theories

MGMT 953: Seminar in Organizational Behavior I

MGMT 954: Seminar in Organizational Behavior II

MGMT 956: Seminar in Strategic Management I OR MGMT 957: Seminar in Strategic Management II

MGMT 950: Seminar in Human Resource Management I OR MGMT 951: Seminar in Human Resource Management II

MGMT 998: Independent Study

MGMT 955: Special Topics in Organizational Behavior (offered when 3 or more students in years 1 & 2 of the program)

Statistics/Research Methods Courses

At least four courses with advisor approval

At least two or more courses with advisor approval

More information:

View a detailed list of courses in the Academic Catalog .

• Comprehensive exams
• Dissertation proposal
• Dissertation defense

Some students can complete the program in four years.

Program faculty

• Assistant Professor
• Management and Entrepreneurship academic area

• Associate Professor

Organizational behavior doctoral students

Organizational Behavior

PhD in Psychology

Doctoral research in Organizational Behavior prepares graduates to implement organizational theory and research in order to achieve organizational effectiveness and improve individual work life.

Program Highlights

• All Organizational Behavior research graduate students are encouraged to gain practical experience through projects, internships, or jobs, often at CGU’s research centers and affiliates, such as the Claremont Evaluation Center or the Health Psychology and Prevention Science Institute.
• All Organizational Behavior research students who request financial aid receive fellowships. DBOS also regularly hires students for paid teaching assistantships.
• DBOS offers a certificate program and professional development workshops in Evaluation & Applied Methods for those seeking continuing education.

Program At-a-glance

required units

degree awarded

Spring, Fall

program start

5-7 years | full time*

estimated completion time

Regina Burch

Assistant Director of Admissions

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

Centre For Addiction & Mental Health

Vanderbilt University

Graduate Fellow

Lanterman Development Center

Chair of Psychology

The Advocacy and Learning Associates

CEO and Owner

University of Georgia

Executive Director and Professor

Davidson Consulting Ltd.

Evaluation and Organizational Consultant

Delaware Division of Alcohol and Drug Services

Deputy Director

Loma Linda University

Associate Professor of Nursing and Psychology

U.S. Department of State

Foreign Affairs Officer

Michelle Bligh

Executive Vice President & Provost Professor of Organizational Behavior

Research Interests

Leadership, Organizational Culture, Charismatic Leadership

William Crano

Stuart Oskamp Chair of Psychology

Social Influence, Effects of persuasive information on drug addiction and HIV/AIDS, Minority and majority relationships to health information

Stewart I. Donaldson

Distinguished University Professor Executive Director, Claremont Evaluation Center Executive Director, The Evaluators' Institute (TEI)

Positive Organizational Psychology, Health/Well-Being & Positive Functioning Across Cultures, Program Design & Re-Design, Culturally Responsive Theory-Driven Measurement & Evaluation

Cindi Gilliland

Professor of Practice in Organizational Psychology

Social Innovation, Resilience & Well-Being, Diversity and Inclusion

Stephen Gilliland

University Professor

Organizational Justice, Employee Attitudes and Motivation, Leadership

M. Gloria González-Morales

Associate Professor of Psychology Director, Center for Academic & Faculty Excellence

Work stress; work-life issues; workplace victimization and incivility; relational practices and cultures; diversity; positive organizational interventions to enhance well-being and performance.

Michael Hogg

Professor of Social Psychology

Self and Social Identity; Intergroup Relations and Group Processes; Influence and Leadership; Uncertainty, Radicalization and Extremism

Jean Lipman-Blumen

Professor of Organizational Behavior Former Thornton F. Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy

Achieving styles, Crisis management, Gender roles, Leadership, Organizational behavior

Jeanne Nakamura

Associate Professor Director, Quality of Life Research Center

Engagement, Mentoring, Positive Aging

Becky Reichard

Full Professor

Development of those not typically represented in leadership roles (e.g., women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+), Psychological mechanisms underlying the process of leader development (e.g., feedback, goal striving, self-views, implicit theories, leader development readiness), Development of leadership through experiences outside of the work context (e.g., global, sports, volunteering, crisis)

Paul J. Zak

Professor of Economic Sciences, Psychology & Management Director, Center for Neuroeconomics Studies

Neuroeconomics, Neuroscience of Narratives, Neuromanagement

Extended Faculty

Claremont McKenna College

Jennifer Feitosa

Culture, Diversity, Organizational Psychology, Statistics, Teams, Teamwork, Workplace Issues and Trends

Allen Omoto

Pitzer College

Social psychology; volunteerism and prosocial action; environmental concerns; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues; sense of community; civic engagement and civil society

Ronald Riggio

Human resources management, innovation, leadership, Non-verbal communication, organizational psychology

Organizational Behavior Core Courses (16 units) Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Behavior (4 units) Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Theory (4 units) Doctoral Seminar in Organizational Development & Change (4 units) Advanced Topics in Organizational Behavior (4 units)

Organizational Behavior & Related Electives (32 units) Students are often encouraged to take elective courses in the School of Educational Studies, the Drucker School of Management, the Division of Politics & Economics, the Center for Information Systems & Technology, the School of Arts & Humanities, and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

Statistics & Methodology (20 units) Research Methods (4 units) Directed Research Seminar: Organizational Behavior (two 2-unit courses) Intermediate Statistics (2 units) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) (2 units) Applied Multiple Regression (2 units) Categorical Data Analysis (2 units) PSYCH 315 Sequence: 4 additional units of Advanced Methodology

Field/Teaching Experience (4 units) Supervised Teaching Seminar (4 units) or Field Placement (4 units)

Transdisciplinary Core Course (4 units) All PhD students are required to enroll in a transdisciplinary core course from the “TNDY” course sequence during their first three semesters at Claremont Graduate University.

Portfolio In addition to 72 units of coursework, all students must complete a portfolio that represents a cohesive set of experiences balancing training in their area of specialization.

PhD Completion

• PhD qualifying exam
• Dissertation proposal
• Dissertation and oral defense

In the Field Opportunities Under the supervision of professionals with expertise in your particular areas of interest, you can participate in fieldwork, research, and paid internships at a range of corporations and organizations, including:

• Southern California Edison Company
• Kaiser Permanente
• Orange County Rapid Transit District
• Riverside County Department of Mental Health
• Claremont Evaluation Center
• Institute for Research on Social Issues

Application Guidelines

CGU operates on a priority deadline cycle. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit complete applications by the priority dates in order to assure maximum consideration for both admission and fellowships.

Spring 2024 Priority Deadline – November 1, 2023 Final Deadline (International) – November 15, 2023 Final Deadline (Domestic) – December 1, 2023 Classes begin – January 16, 2024

Fall 2024 Priority Deadline – February 1, 2024 Final Deadline (International) – July 5, 2024 Final Deadline (Domestic) – August 1, 2024 Classes begin – August 26, 2024

Application Checklist

The Claremont Graduate University online application is hosted online by Slate Technolutions via a secure web server. You will create a username and password so that you can return to continue your application over several sessions and check your status after submission. After you submit your application, it is made available for review by our faculty and staff.

Begin your application

The application fee is non-refundable.

Applicants must submit a sealed, official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate institution that has granted the applicant a degree. Electronic transcripts sent to [email protected] are also accepted. For undergraduate coursework, applicants are required to submit proof of a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for review purposes, but official copies will be required upon admission.

Applicants currently earning a degree that will be completed prior to attending CGU are required to submit a transcript showing work in progress for evaluation purposes. Once the degree has been granted, a final official transcript documenting the degree conferred must be submitted to CGU.

International applicants are advised to review the International Transcript Guidelines for additional information on submitting international transcripts.

Applicants must submit an up-to-date copy of their resume.

A valid score on one of the following examinations TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson PTE scores is required of all non-native English-speaking applicants. The examination is not required for the following applicants:

• Citizens or permanent residents of countries where English is the sole official language of instruction, e.g., Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, Uganda, and Wales (see the CGU Bulletin for a complete list of accepted countries).
• Applicants who hold an undergraduate or advanced degree, or will have earned such a degree prior to enrolling at CGU, from an institution in the US or in countries where English is the sole official language of instruction (see above).
• Applicants who have successfully completed an academic English pre-master’s or intensive graduate bridge program from a nationally recognized, regionally accredited four-year college or university in the United States in the last two years, with submitted evidence of successful completion, and subject to curriculum approval.

CGU’s school code for the TOEFL exam is 4053 .

International applicants are encouraged to visit our International Applicants page for more information, including score requirements.

When filling out the online application, please enter references acquainted with your potential for success who will submit a written recommendation on your behalf. In most academic departments, references from faculty members who can speak to your academic ability are preferred; applicants with substantial work experience may request professional references. Please do not enter family members as references.

You will be required to input information for your recommenders (whether they are submitting online or not) in the “Recommendations” section of the online application. Please follow the directions in this section carefully before clicking on “Recommendation Provider List” to input the names and contact information for each recommender. You will have an opportunity to indicate if the reference writer will be submitting online. These reference writers will receive an email from CGU with instructions on submitting an online recommendation.

Recommenders who are indicated as offline will not receive an email from CGU with instructions to submit. These reference writers can submit via traditional mail and should use the supplemental New Student Recommendation Form. Recommenders can also email their letter of recommendation to the Office of Admissions at [email protected] .

Download the Recommendation Form

Please submit a 2-3 page statement of purpose that details your academic and/or professional achievements, your specific areas of research interest within your desired field of study, why you are a strong candidate for graduate studies at CGU, and your career goals.

Tuition and Fees

Estimated tuition (california residents, non-residents, international).

*Based on 2023-2024 tuition rates.

STUDENT FEES (PER SEMESTER)

For estimates of room & board, books, etc., please download CGU’s  Cost of Attendance 2022-2023  .

Review General Costs

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• Organizational Leadership

Ph.D. Organizational Leadership

Clearly define and communicate organizational objectives and strategy in both for-profit and nonprofit settings.

Field experience offers critical points of research and reference for coursework

Can be completed in three years

Develops extensive leadership competencies through theory and real-world application

Become a trusted leader who can help dynamic organizations adapt and grow.

Businesses large and small increasingly recognize the critical distinction between a manager and a leader; between someone who merely assigns tasks, and someone who paints a vision and then inspires employees to work effectively toward achieving it. Organizational leadership professionals work in both for-profit and nonprofit settings, helping to clearly define and communicate organizational objectives and strategy. They ensure that business processes are as effective and efficient as possible, build trust, bolster morale, and help each employee grow professionally and contribute meaningfully to advancing an organization’s mission.

This organizational leadership Ph.D. program teaches you how to communicate organizational objectives and strategy to make business processes as effective and efficient as possible. Graduates will critically evaluate and synthesize relevant research and theory in their exploration of organizational leadership. To examine psychological and leadership principles in a broad range of settings, the curriculum will cover a range of topics:

• Research strategies
• Strategic change management
• Team building
• Organizational interventions
• Interpersonal dynamics
• Leadership methodologies

Angela Joyner, Ph.D.

• Application -  Apply Online
• Application fee: $50
• The general guideline for admission is a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale.
• Resume/curriculum vitae or work history
• Official college/university transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statement of research interests
• Preferred 3 or more years of work experience prior to admission
• A master’s degree in psychology, the behavioral sciences, an organizational discipline or other related field, from an accredited institution
• Relevant work or volunteer experience
• Undergraduate level statistics course
• Upper level undergraduate or master’s level organizational behavior or psychology

Accreditation & Licensure

To learn more about The Chicago School's institutional and programmatic accreditations, visit our  Accreditation  page.

For information on where The Chicago School meets, does not meet, or has not determined if a program meets licensure eligibility requirements for the state in which you wish to be licensed, click here .

Fieldwork Opportunities

Students must have access to an organizational environment that will be available for use in research and reference for course work.

Additional Program Components

Residency Requirement (Online Students Only)

Online students are engaged in two brief residencies (roughly three and a half days each) at one of our campuses, providing an opportunity for face-to-face interaction and networking with fellow students from around the globe who bring a wealth of diverse leadership experiences and perspectives. At the first residency, students meet with their cohort and faculty members and engage in focused seminars. At the second residency, students participate in their competency exam.

Competency Examination

Every student is required to pass a Competency Examination. The aim of this assessment exercise is to evaluate the student’s knowledge of theory, research, and practice. This is also an opportunity to assess the student’s ability to demonstrate this knowledge and skill in simulations in order to judge his or her abilities as a future organizational leader. The Comprehensive Examination is taken at the end of the student’s second year in the doctoral program.

Dissertation

Completion of the dissertation is an essential aspect of a students’ academic experience and professional education. It provides the school the opportunity to evaluate the student’s ability to apply Organizational Leadership theory and research and to think critically and creatively about an issue in the field.

The dissertation should clearly and concisely demonstrate the student’s command of the research in a specific area of Organizational Leadership. In the dissertation, the student will critically evaluate and synthesize relevant research and theory in the topic chosen for study.

Sample Courses

Personality and Life Span in the Workplace

This course explores developmental issues from early adulthood through advanced age, focusing specifically on the working adult. Topics include the process of consolidation of the middle years and the psychological, social and biological issues surround late life adjustment. Current workplace approaches are examined from diverse theoretical viewpoints and in views of research findings. Cultural diversity and individual differences are integral to this course.

Systems Theory

This course focuses on the exploration of General Systems Theory and major modes of organizational systems in order to facilitate understanding of change and its impact on organizational life.

Group and Team Leadership

This course examines the basic strategies of group and team leadership. Topics will include and investigation of team process dynamics and group and team systems theory. A strong emphasis on functional versus dysfunctional team dynamics will be examined.

Career Pathways

The Ph.D. Organizational Leadership supports each student’s unique career goals: it prepares graduates to apply the principles of psychology and leadership theory in a broad range of for-profit and nonprofit settings to more effectively lead individuals and organizations to success.

Financing Your Education

The Chicago School is dedicated to keeping our professional degree programs accessible to anyone regardless of financial status. In addition to the scholarships that may be available, our Financial Aid Department will provide you with information to determine what financial arrangements are right for you.

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PhD Degree Completion Program

• PhD in Human Development

PhD in Organizational Development and Change

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Organizational Development and Change

Advance your leadership and make a difference.

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for the Working Professional

$9,890/ term

3 – 5 Years

ACCREDITATION

NEXT START DATE

Sept. 4, 2024

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Fielding Community let us know your latest success!

The  PhD in Organizational Development and Change  (OD & Change) is a multidisciplinary degree for scholar-practitioners who want to expand their capacities to bring about positive change in today’s organizations and communities.

Excel as a Scholar-Practitioner

OD & Change doctoral students develop the knowledge to help organizations and communities thrive in today’s complex world. Emphasizing a multidisciplinary integration of human and organizational systems, this degree creates new approaches to inclusive leadership and sustainability. Students gain knowledge, practice, and research skills to empower themselves and others and meet today’s organizational and social challenges.

APPLY NOW for FALL 2024

Engage in a flexible learning community, application requirements.

As a doctoral program in a distance-learning environment, students have the freedom to live and work wherever they choose, taking part in a learning community that crosses national and disciplinary boundaries. Students can customize their curriculum by selecting electives and  concentrations  from other Fielding doctoral degrees.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Online Application Form
• Statement of Purpose
• Reflective Essay
• Writing Sample
• Official Transcript
• No GRE Required

Start your application NOW!  

If you have completed doctoral credits within the last 8 years, you may be a candidate for the Fielding degree completion program. In this program, students can transfer up to 40 credits towards their PhD.

Learn More >

Advance your Unique Goals

Our graduates are uniquely qualified to become leaders in their chosen professions. They are consultants, educators, entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders in human resources, health care, and at nonprofits.

Apply Now >

School of Leadership Studies News

The latest news, announcements, and special events from Fielding’s School of Leadership Studies.

Fielding Recognizes Melissa Garcia for Academic Excellence and Community Leadership

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By Fielding News | 2024-05-29T04:52:30-07:00 May 28th, 2024 |

Qualitative Research from Start to Finish In-Person Seminar in Santa Barbara, California

By Fielding News | 2024-04-23T11:58:40-07:00 April 23rd, 2024 |

School of Leadership Studies

Professional Coaching that applies grounded knowledge and theory to skilled practice.

SLS Program Overview

Join Jean-Pierre Isbouts, PhD, Doctoral Faculty at Fielding as he takes us on a journey of the distributed learning environment at Fielding, where customizing your PhD or EdD with concentrations can personalize your experience.

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Organization & Management

One degree many paths, organization & management curriculum timeline.

Faculty Research and Published Work

The Organization & Management faculty study a wide range of topics, from micro-level individual perceptions and capabilities to more macro-level phenomena such as the strategies and performance of organizations, industries, and institutions. To do so, they utilize a wide array of research techniques, including experiments, longitudinal event history analysis, computer simulations, surveys, and more.

The Organization & Management group seeks to train future scholars who wish to make an impact on research in the science of organizations through an academic appointment. Applicants to our program should articulate their research interests and should specify whether they wish to work primarily with the macro-oriented or micro-oriented research faculty. On the macro side, faculty who are currently active in advising students include Kocak , Longhofer , Negro , and Swaminathan . On the micro side, faculty who are currently active in advising students include Bianchi , Dittmann , Fernandes , Hall , Perry-Smith , and Williams .

The Organization & Management faculty publish in leading journals in management as well as the reference disciplines of sociology, psychology, and economics. Our scholars have a history of visible roles in professional associations and on the editorial boards of leading journals, including: American Journal of Sociology , Academy of Management Journal , Academy of Management Review , American Sociological Review , Administrative Science Quarterly , Journal of Applied Psychology , J ournal of Experimental Social Psychology , Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Organization Science , Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes , Psychological Science , Social Forces , and Strategic Management Journal .

Organization & Management Faculty

Emily Bianchi

Andrea Dittmann

Catarina Fernandes

Erika V. Hall

Robert Kazanjian

Özgecan Koçak

Wesley Longhofer

Giacomo Negro

Jill Perry-Smith

Peter Roberts

Anand Swaminathan

L.G. Thomas

Melissa Williams

Organization & management phd students.

Ashlyee Freeman

Sharvika Kherde

Arielle Lewis

Joseph Nixon

Raigan Priest

Tamera Shaw

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Pursuing a phd in o&m.

PhD Program

Management of Organizations

Students in the Management of Organizations (MORS) PhD program are trained in one of two tracks: a macro track and a micro track.

Macro students are trained to become academics active in areas including social networks, innovation, economic sociology, organizational culture, and entrepreneurship. Research by faculty and students in the macro track has a strong quantitative focus and uses computational social science to make inferences based on large-scale data.

Macro Curriculum Current Macro students Selected Dissertations & Placements Faculty

Micro students are trained to become academics active in areas including judgment and decision-making, status and power, organizational culture, gender, ethics, diversity, negotiations, and nonverbal interaction. Research by faculty and students in the micro track is primarily empirical, often using field and laboratory studies and experiments to collect and analyze data.

Micro Curriculum Faculty Current Micro students Selected Dissertations & Placements

Next: Macro

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Organizational Behavior

• Technology & Operations Management
• Program Requirements

Scholars in the doctoral program in Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School are prepared to pursue an interdisciplinary inquiry into issues that are broadly related to the functioning of individuals within groups, at either the micro or macro level. Graduates of our program go on to become the leading researchers and thinkers in organizational behavior, shaping the field and advancing theoretical understanding in posts at schools of management or in disciplinary departments.

The Organizational Behavior program is jointly administered by the faculty of Harvard Business School and the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and students have the opportunity to work with faculty from both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Business School.

Curriculum & Coursework

Our program offers two distinct tracks, with research focused either on the micro or macro level. Students who choose to focus on micro organizational behavior take a psychological approach to the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and groups, and the effects that groups have on individuals. In macro organizational behavior, scholars use sociological methods to examine the organizations, groups, and markets themselves, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives.

Your core disciplinary training will take place in either the psychology or sociology departments, depending on the track that you choose. You will also conduct advanced coursework in organizational behavior at HBS, and complete two MBA elective curriculum courses. Students are required to teach for one full academic term in order to gain valuable teaching experience, and to work as an apprentice to a faculty member to develop research skills. Upon completion of coursework, students prepare and present a dossier that includes a qualifying paper, at least two other research papers, and a statement outlining a plan for their dissertation. Before beginning work on the dissertation, students must pass the Organizational Behavior Exam, which presents an opportunity to synthesize academic coursework and prepare for an in-depth research project.

Research & Dissertation

Examples of doctoral thesis research.

• Cross-group relations, stress, and the subsequent effect on performance
• Internal group dynamics of corporate boards of directors
• Organizational mission and its effect on commitment and effort
• Psychological tendencies and collaboration with dissimilar others

Aurora Turek

Justine Murray

Jaylon Sherrell

“ In HBS’s Organizational Behavior program I receive outstanding, rigorous training in disciplinary methods and also benefit from the myriad resources that HBS has to offer. HBS scholars are looking to apply their research to real-world problems, come up with interventions, and make a real difference. ”

Current Harvard Sociology & Psychology Faculty

• George A. Alvarez
• Mahzarin R. Banaji
• Jason Beckfield
• Lawrence D. Bobo
• Mary C. Brinton
• Joshua W. Buckholtz
• Randy L. Buckner
• Alfonso Caramazza
• Susan E. Carey
• Paul Y. Chang
• Mina Cikara
• Christina Ciocca Eller
• Christina Cross
• Fiery Cushman
• Frank Dobbin
• Samuel J. Gershman
• Daniel Gilbert
• Joshua D. Greene
• Jill M. Hooley
• Rakesh Khurana
• Alexandra Killewald
• Talia Konkle
• Max Krasnow
• Michèle Lamont
• Ellen Langer
• Joscha Legewie
• Ya-Wen Lei
• Patrick Mair
• Peter V. Marsden
• Katie A. McLaughlin
• Richard J. McNally
• Jason P. Mitchell
• Ellis Monk
• Matthew K. Nock
• Orlando Patterson
• Elizabeth A. Phelps
• Steven Pinker
• Robert J. Sampson
• Daniel L. Schacter
• Theda Skocpol
• Mario L. Small
• Jesse Snedeker
• Leah H. Somerville
• Elizabeth S. Spelke
• Tomer D. Ullman
• Adaner Usmani
• Jocelyn Viterna
• Mary C. Waters
• John R. Weisz
• Christopher Winship
• Xiang Zhou

Current HBS Faculty

• Teresa M. Amabile
• Julie Battilana
• Max H. Bazerman
• David E. Bell
• Ethan S. Bernstein
• Alison Wood Brooks
• Edward H. Chang
• Julian De Freitas
• Amy C. Edmondson
• Robin J. Ely
• Alexandra C. Feldberg
• Carolyn J. Fu
• Amit Goldenberg
• Boris Groysberg
• Ranjay Gulati
• Linda A. Hill
• Nien-he Hsieh
• Jon M. Jachimowicz
• Summer R. Jackson
• Leslie K. John
• Jillian J. Jordan
• Rakesh Khurana
• Joshua D. Margolis
• Edward McFowland III
• Kathleen L. McGinn
• Tsedal Neeley
• Michael I. Norton
• Leslie A. Perlow
• Jeffrey T. Polzer
• Ryan L. Raffaelli
• Lakshmi Ramarajan
• James W. Riley
• Clayton S. Rose
• Arthur I Segel
• Emily Truelove
• Michael L. Tushman
• Ashley V. Whillans
• Letian Zhang
• Julian J. Zlatev

Current Organizational Behavior Students

• Jennifer Abel
• Yajun Cao
• Grace Cormier
• Megan Gorges
• Bushra Guenoun
• Elizabeth Johnson
• Caleb Kealoha
• Kai Krautter
• Justine Murray
• C. Ryann Noe
• Elizabeth Sheprow
• Jaylon Sherrell
• Yoon Jae Shin
• Erin Shirtz
• Samantha N. Smith
• Tiffany Smith
• Channing Spencer
• Yuval Spiegler
• Emily Tedards
• Aurora Turek

Current HBS Faculty & Students by Interest

Recent placement, hanne collins, 2024, evan defilippis, 2023, hayley blunden, 2022, lumumba seegars, 2021, karen huang, 2020, stefan dimitriadis, 2019, elizabeth hansen, 2019, julie yen, 2024, jeff steiner, 2023, ahmmad brown, 2022, yanhua bird, 2020, jeffrey lees, 2020, alexandra feldberg, 2019, martha jeong, 2019, nicole abi-esber, 2023, elliot stoller, 2023, ariella kristal, 2022, leroy gonsalves, 2020, alicia desantola, 2019, catarina fernandes, 2019.

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Department of Management and Human Resources PhD Specialization in Organizational Behavior

The primary goal of the Management and Human Resources PhD program is to develop top-class researchers in the field of management, with specializations in the areas of entrepreneurship, human resource management, international business, organizational behavior and strategic management. The specialization in Organizational Behavior (OB) is devoted to understanding individuals and groups within an organizational context. OB focuses on attributes, processes, behaviors, and outcomes within and between individual, interpersonal, group, and organizational levels of analysis. Major topics include: Individual characteristics and processes (e.g., personality, motivation, emotions); Interpersonal processes (e.g., trust, social exchange, networks); Group/team characteristics and processes (e.g., diversity, cohesion, conflict); organizational processes and practices (e.g., leadership, work design, socialization); Contextual influences (e.g., culture, climate); and the influence of all of the above on individual, interpersonal, group, and organizational outcomes (e.g., performance, creativity, stress, turnover).

10 Reasons to Choose to Study at OSU

• High Productivity: Our program was ranked #4 in the 2021 TAMUGA management research productivity ranking ( http://www.tamugarankings.com/rankings/2021-2/ ).
• Strong Student-Faculty Ratio: Our PhD program, with 13 faculty members specializing in Organizational Behavior/Human Resources (OB/HR) and a selective cohort of 5-7 doctoral students, ensures personalized attention and mentorship. This structure offers students abundant opportunities to collaborate with a diverse faculty, each contributing unique expertise and skills.
• Benjamin Campbell, Associate Editor at Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal
• Tracy Dumas, Senior Editor at Organization Science
• Jia (Jasmine) Hu, Associate Editor at Journal of Applied Psychology
• Kaifeng Jiang, Associate Editor at Personnel Psychology
• Howard Klein, Editor-in-chief at Human Resource Management
• Tanya Menon, Associate Editor at Management Science
• Raymond Noe, Former Associate Editor at Journal of Organizational Behavior
• Bennett Tepper, Former Associate Editor at Academy of Management Journal
• Steffanie Wilk, Former Senior Editor at Organization Science
• Editorial Board Representation: Our OB/HR faculty members serve on the editorial boards of numerous top-tier outlets, including Academy of Management Journal (2 faculty), Journal of Applied Psychology (3 faculty), Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (4 faculty), Personnel Psychology (2 faculty), and Journal of Management (4 faculty).
• Five of our esteemed faculty members - Jasmine Hu, Timothy Judge, Howard Klein, Raymond Noe, and Bennett Tepper - have been honored as Fellows of the Academy of Management and/or the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Each of these distinguished scholars has amassed nearly or over 10,000 citations on Google Scholar.
• Three of our faculty members - Timothy Judge, Howard Klein, and Raymond Noe - hold high rankings on the list of "Most-cited Authors in Popular Industrial-Organizational (I-O) Psychology Textbooks," as per the study by Aguinis et al., 2017.
• Jasmine Hu, Kaifeng Jiang, Timothy Judge, Raymond Noe, Bennet Tepper were recognized as “ World’s Top 2% of the most-cited scholars and scientists ” (2022) 
• Timothy Judge holds the distinction of being the most highly cited academic in the field of business and management among those whose first publication appeared between 1990 and 1999 according to a recent study by Dr. Harzing.
• Jasmine Hu, Timothy Judge, and Bennett Tepper have been recognized as among the most productive and most-cited leadership scholars, as noted in studies by Arici et al., 2021, and Zhao and Li, 2019.
• Our faculty have frequently earned prestigious recognitions such as the 'Best Paper' award (most recently won by Kathleen Keeler in Academy of Management Review in 2021), and the 'Best Reviewer' award (most recently bestowed upon Hun Lee in Journal of Applied Psychology in 2022).
• Our faculty have utilized their expertise to author textbooks in the OB/HR field (e.g., Timothy Judge and Raymond Noe).
• Two of our faculty members, Jasmine Hu and Robert Lount, have been recognized as "Best 40 Under 40 Business School Professors" by Poets and Quants.
• Successful Alumni: Our recent OB/HR alumni hold tenure-track positions at research-intensive institutions, including Sarah Doyle (University of Arizona), Hee Man Park (Penn State University), Seunghoo Chung (Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Carrie Zhang (Wayne State University), and Yuhan Zhan (Florida International University).
• The Fisher Leadership Initiative ( FLI ): With Tim Judge as the executive director, FLI provides additional resources and opportunities for conducting research.
• Networking Opportunities: Our faculty, highly esteemed and well-connected within the field, can assist students in expanding their professional networks. We organize social and professional gatherings on a regular basis.
• Vibrant Location: Columbus is frequently acclaimed as one of the most livable cities in the United States, particularly favored by Millennials and Young Professionals. It is celebrated for its diverse business landscape, dynamic neighborhoods, and an exciting fusion of arts, culture, and culinary delights  (Sources:  Far & Wide , Forbes , NYTimes ,  CommercialCafe ,  ExperienceColumbus ).
• Affordable Living and Strong Financial Support: Residing in Columbus is relatively cost-effective, with the cost of living being lower than the national average. OSU offers a competitive financial support package for PhD students. Furthermore, we have increased the PhD student stipend in 2023, further enhancing the financial benefits of our program.

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UNC Online / Online Doctoral Programs / The Online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership | Online University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership | Online University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership | Online

Step up as a leader of tomorrow with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to empower those around you and guide organizations to achieve transformational goals. Step up as a leader of tomorrow with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to empower those around you and guide organizations to achieve transformational goals. Step up as a leader of tomorrow with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to empower those around you and guide organizations to achieve transformational goals.

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Answer a few quick questions to determine if the Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program is a good fit for you.

No GRE/GMAT scores required

• Top-ranked school — Join the #25 best school of education in the U.S. 1
• No master’s degree required — Apply with your bachelor’s degree and three years of leadership experience.
• Flexible schedule — Study part time to pursue your educational goals while you advance your career. 

Achieve Organizational Goals Through Human-centered Leadership

The online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program from the UNC School of Education empowers working professionals with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to achieve organizational goals through a human-centered approach to leadership. 

Through flexible and collaborative online classes, aspiring leaders learn to implement and foster high-quality practices and cultures to achieve organizational goals and exceed expectations for professional growth.

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The online unc ed.d. at a glance.

No master’s or GRE required

54 credit hours

36 months to complete

Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to equip students with the tools they need to empower the people around them to deliver on their organization’s goals and mission.

The 54-credit hour program consists of 17 courses, including a capstone project that asks students to explore a relevant organizational challenge based on their experiences.

An optional in-person immersion experience is available each spring semester to enrich the academic journey for students.

Learning Outcomes

The online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership prepares students to create organizational cultures that welcome diverse perspectives, lead organizations toward equitable practice, and empower people within their organization to succeed. Students will learn to:

• Apply a wide array of styles, strategies, and theories to effectively lead organizations to learn, improve, and change.
• Create an organizational culture where diverse voices and perspectives are invited, considered, and empowered to contribute to learning and improvement. 
• Recognize and attend to organizational context through its stakeholder groups and organizational networks to effectively manage organizations within complex systems and improve those systems for the better.
• Assess organizational structure and context including key organizational resources, internal and external stakeholders and the relationships among them, and the sources of organizational power to change systems for the better.
• Collect, analyze, and use data and evidence to evaluate and reflect on the process of organizational learning and make ethical and effective choices for organizational advancement.

Admissions — Online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership

The online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program offers three start dates per year: January, May, and August. The UNC School of Education seeks applicants with a genuine interest in leadership and who are passionate about empowering people in their organization. A master’s degree and GRE/GMAT scores are not required.

Admissions Requirements: 

• Minimum of three years of management or leadership experience in a professional work setting
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0; less than 3.0 will require an explanation to accompany your application

See admissions criteria and application requirements.

The Online Experience

A complex world calls for flexible learning designed to meet the needs of a global workplace. In the online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program, students will find an intuitive platform, comprehensive support, and top-notch education designed for real people with real lives.

• Attend weekly face-to-face classes , held on Zoom, that allow for rich discussion and debate with peers and faculty.
• Complete interactive assignments , using a customizable platform that follows best practices for online learning. 
• Meet faculty and peers at optional in-person immersions , where you’ll network and apply what you’ve learned. 
• Access full-spectrum career services , including interview prep, one-on-one coaching, self-assessments, and salary resources.
• Connect with a student success advisor , who will serve as your dedicated partner throughout the program.

UNC School of Education Faculty

UNC School of Education faculty members in the Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program are committed to empowering the next generation of responsible and passionate organizational leaders. Our exceptional faculty members have expertise in organizational change and implementation science, evaluation, and leadership, making the Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership a unique program where faculty provide students with the tools needed to be successful in the pursuit of a doctorate degree and in accessing professional opportunities. This program was designed and launched to help students acquire the skills needed in leadership within organizations and directly apply them in the field, making a difference across multiple industries in organizations.

Sample Course Descriptions

The 54-credit lockstep curriculum is composed of 17 courses which include a culminating series of capstone seminars. Each term is 13 weeks long. Courses and/or descriptions subject to change.

Foundations of Leadership 

This course engages in a systematic examination of leadership in practice and how these examples result in successful leadership practices relative to theories of leadership, ethical frameworks, and a student’s personal strengths and abilities. From these reflections, each student will develop an intellectually rigorous, personal statement of leadership.

Foundations of Inquiry — Quantitative

Quantitative data is a resource for problems and identifying solutions. In order to make informed decisions in organizational leadership, it is crucial to be able to understand quantitative information about organizations and interpret data. In their career as an organizational leader, students will likely participate in quantitative analysis of data as well as be expected to review and understand a variety of quantitative studies which may influence decision-making in their workplace. Individuals who are able to discern and understand patterns and trends in quantitative data are valuable employees; they should also be able to formulate research questions and identify problems of practice for organizational improvement. This course will prepare students for all of these tasks.

Foundations of Inquiry — Qualitative

Foundations of Inquiry – Qualitative Methods is a graduate-level course designed to support students in developing an understanding of qualitative research methods and designs. The focus of this course is on the creation of research questions, the development of qualitative designs, employment of data collection approaches, and analysis procedures to address those problems. Given the allocation of time, the course will not include the full breadth of data collection methods or in-depth analysis techniques.

Leading Organizations Toward Equitable Practice 

This course will provide the foundational knowledge for creating, sustaining, and leading an inclusive culture within organizations. Students will learn to incorporate multiple stakeholders’ voices within and outside the organization through an equity-minded leadership lens. The course will place a strong emphasis on collaboration and coalition building within organizations to create an effective organizational culture in which all stakeholders can thrive.

Applied Quantitative Methods

This course will focus on quantitative/qualitative forms of inquiry, highlighting the types of questions quantitative/qualitative data are best positioned to answer and common forms of data collection and analysis. To foster each student’s development as a scholar-practitioner, the courses will provide them with the foundational knowledge to be a discerning consumer of qualitative and quantitative research and help them find the tools to answer their own well-formed practice-based research questions.

Organizational Theory

This course is designed to acquaint the student with theories of organization so that the student can begin to see principles which lie behind system architecture in which people, structures, duties, skills and role relationships can be juxtaposed and configured and re-configured as a matter of matching organizational functioning to the tasks facing a variety of educational organizations. It is also a course which will consider the structure and use of power in organizational life to force bureaucratic change, internally or externally. An expected outcome will be that the student begins to understand how structure, culture, context, and power interact within and without educational and other organizations.

Applied Qualitative Methods

Change leadership and systems improvement.

In this course, students are introduced to and apply knowledge, skills, tools, and dispositions drawn from improvement science, organizational theory, change agency/psychology of change, strategic doing, relational leadership, team science, cycled learning, and collective impact that support the development of learning systems (in government, health care, education, social services, and industry) capable of bringing about their own continuous transformation. Students will engage with faculty from across campus in interprofessional learning opportunities, including panel discussions, interviews, case study, project-based learning, tool application, and team-based activities.

Program Evaluation

This course introduces the concepts, principles, and methods underlying the evaluation of interventions, practices, and programs in organizational contexts. Students will study different approaches to evaluation design, data collection and analysis, and the reporting of results. The course will also consider the ethics and use of evaluation in organizations. Students will apply this learning to the design and implementation of a practice-based evaluation.

Prerequisites: Foundations of Inquiry (Quant and Qual)

Design Thinking for the Public Good 

In this course, students learn to apply the mindsets, methods, and processes associated with design thinking (i.e., human-centered design) to solve real-world problems. Design thinking is a creative problem-solving process that prioritizes co-design, convergent and divergent thinking, as well as rapid prototyping. Students will also practice equity-advancing design and liberatory co-design and will collaborate with community members to design solutions (e.g., programs, products) that are desirable, feasible, viable, and promote equity and justice.

Human Resource Management 

In this course, students will be introduced to the basic principles and techniques of human resource management. Students will learn about effective human resource management practices, including leadership skills, employment planning, recruiting, selecting, and rewarding employees, employee compensation plans, and employee training and evaluation. By applying the principles, elements, and techniques learned in this course, students will be better positioned to contribute to the success of the organization.

Learning Analytics

This course is an introduction to learning analytics. Learning analytics are data produced when individuals use an educational technology designed to inform and to influence future learning. Through assignments involving learning by teaching, product evaluations, research reporting, and proposal/design projects, students will learn about various theoretical frameworks, digital learning platforms, and research and evaluation approaches relevant to the study and production of learning analytic solutions. Readings will include scholarly and popular media that span education, psychology, computer science, information science, business, policy, and other domains.

Implementation and Equity

Applying lessons from implementation practice and research, students in this course learn the skills and competencies to tailor implementation frameworks and strategies to different settings to meet the unique needs of communities and to improve outcomes reliably and at scale. Equitable implementation occurs when strong equity components (including explicit attention to culture, history, values, and needs) are integrated into principles, tools, and cultures of work to facilitate the implementation of co-designed solutions for scale and sustainability.

Advanced and Applied Leadership Practices 

This course is centered on the development of theory in leadership from both a modernist and postmodernist perspective. It is designed to provide the student with the basis for understanding the range of theories that have and continue to influence conceptual thought and practice in educational and organizational leadership. Since the practice of leadership in schools and organizations is both an applied science and an art, the course is far-ranging in its scope. At issue is not only the content of what is considered educational and organizational leadership, but the boundaries of the “field” itself.

Capstone Seminars I, II & III

The Ed.D. capstone projects are a series of doctoral seminars rooted in a problem of contemporary organizational practice. Through each capstone project, students will demonstrate the ability to: (a) identify a problem of practice in a field setting; (b) apply a theory or conceptual model to the problem of practice; (c) study the problem using inquiry skills developed in coursework, be it quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods in nature; (d) make meaningful recommendations for addressing the problem derived from their study of a problem; and (e) compose and present arguments and evidence in a logical, systemic, and coherent fashion.

Optional In-Person Immersion 

Each spring, an optional in-person immersion in the Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program provides a dynamic learning opportunity that fosters community building, connects students with program faculty, and offers a platform for exploration, exposure to real-world leadership practices, and networking with peers from other programs within the UNC School of Education. 

Key aspects of the immersion experience include:

Community building

Development of a strong and supportive community among students through team-building exercises, group discussions, and campus events — enhancing academic and professional networks for lifelong benefit.

Familiarity with program faculty

Build rapport with program faculty in an informal setting, gaining insights into teaching philosophies and research expertise, fostering a supportive learning environment and encouraging open communication.

Exploration of opportunities

Explore various academic and professional opportunities within the program, UNC School of Education, and the University, aiding in the alignment of the academic journey with professional goals.

Mentoring connections with leaders in practice

Connect with industry leaders in organizational learning and leadership through guest speakers, interactive discussions, and insights-sharing sessions, enriching understanding and networking in the field.

Capstone Project

The capstone experience in the Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership program is the culmination of the academic rigor and practical learning acquired throughout the program. The capstone is designed to showcase the student’s ability to apply theoretical knowledge, empirical research, and innovative thinking to address complex challenges within organizational learning and leadership. While the capstone project comes later in the program, the curriculum has been designed carefully to scaffold student work toward the capstone throughout the program. It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their expertise to make lasting improvements and impact in an organization. The capstone includes a three-semester course sequence in which students identify a problem of practice — a complex and/or pervasive problem within the organization in which they work or within another organization’s practice — and, using lessons from past coursework, explore ways to solve it. Their research results in a written capstone report that details the organizational challenge, their process and findings, and their decision-making — all of which their capstone committee will review. During capstone seminars, students explore best practices for working on large analytic projects, receive personalized guidance and feedback on their efforts from instructors, and learn from their peers as they both give and receive feedback on projects.

Key aspects of the capstone experience include:

Problem identification

The journey begins with the identification of a significant problem or challenge within an organizational context. This problem should be real and impactful, reflecting the complexities and nuances that leaders often face.

Literature review

Students will conduct an in-depth review of relevant literature and theoretical frameworks. This phase helps them establish a solid theoretical foundation for addressing the identified problem and provides insight into existing research and best practices.

Research methodology

Choosing appropriate research methods and data collection techniques is a crucial component of the program and is offered through a series of research methods courses. Whether the capstone involves qualitative or quantitative research, surveys, interviews, case studies, or a combination of methods, the methodology should align with the challenge being studied.

Data collection and analysis

Students will gather and analyze data to gain insights into the problem. This phase involves rigorously analyzing data to draw meaningful conclusions and patterns that will inform potential solutions.

Human-centered approach

One of the distinguishing features of this capstone is the emphasis on a human-centered approach. Students will focus on understanding the needs, perspectives, and experiences of individuals within the organization, recognizing that the success of any intervention or solution depends on the engagement and well-being of its members.

Solution generation

Based on research findings, students will generate innovative solutions and strategies that address the identified problem. These solutions are designed to be practical, actionable, and tailored to the specific organizational context.

Implementation Plan

A well-thought-out implementation plan is crucial for translating ideas into action. Students will develop a detailed roadmap for executing their proposed solutions, considering factors such as change management, resource allocation, and timelines.

Evaluation and impact

After implementing the solutions, students will evaluate the effectiveness and measure the impact on the organization. This stage often involves revisiting the research data to assess whether the problem has been successfully mitigated and whether new challenges have arisen.

As a final step, students will reflect on their journey, lessons learned, and the combination of their academic and practical experiences. The reflection process contributes to the development of critical self-awareness and a deeper understanding of their role as organizational leaders.

Organizational Leadership Careers

This program prepares graduates to pursue a variety of organizational roles across multiple industries. Whether working alongside HR to develop talent and support employees in healthcare settings, working directly with members of leadership in higher education to drive positive change, or implementing new systems and practices to achieve greater efficiency in a nonprofit, graduates will be expert leaders, ready to achieve goals to fulfill their organization’s mission and make a difference. Examples of roles this program prepares graduates for include, but are not limited to, high-level leadership as a: 

• Business and management consultant
• Human resources manager
• Project manager or coordinator
• Medical and health service manager
• Sales and marketing manager
• Leadership coaching or development
• Business or organization executive
• Nonprofit administrator

Become a Human-Centered Leader in Your Organization

Gain the skills to positively change lives with the online Ed.D. in Organizational Learning and Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Let’s get started.

• 2024 Best Education Schools (2024) . U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved April 10, 2024. ↩︎