Discover a doctoral business program driven by academic excellence and defined by collaboration. The Penn State Smeal College of Business Ph.D. Program maintains a deliberately small community-ensuring close connections among Ph.D. candidates and their faculty mentors.
Leverage the resources of a major research university and the expertise of top academic minds in your field to expand your knowledge base and hone your research abilities in one of six specialty areas. Emerge with the skills and experience that top business schools around the world seek when adding to their faculties.
Specialize in one of the following fields
Don't just take our word for it.
Top 25
In Faculty ResearchUT Dallas Top 100 Business School
Research Rankings
62%
Placements at top-ranked U.S.and international institutions (5-year average)
94
Editorial positions fortop scholarly journals.
The Smeal Ph.D.:
How it Works
Year 1
Complete courses in primary field and research methods
Year 2
Pass Qualifying Exam, complete additional courses in primary field and research methods, and write 2nd-year summer research paper.
Year 3
Present summer research paper to faculty, complete additional courses in primary and secondary fields, and pass comprehensive examination.
Year 4
Enter dissertation phase.
Year 5
Complete dissertation, pass final exam, and defend dissertation.
* Requirements may vary based on the primary field of study.
Financial Support >Inspiring intellectual curiosity around the world
Penn State Smeal scholars are everywhere
Here are some recent placements >
Our Stories #DrivenCommunity
Smeal Scholars
Renowned Penn State Smeal real estate faculty inspire doctoral graduate
Xue Xiao was several years into her career with a private equity real estate fund management team when she discovered her true passion in the form of a doctorate degree.
Like father, like son: For Allreds, doctorates are familiar family achievement
Nathan Allred's graduate school letter of intent began with a line befitting the son of a tenured professor.
Smeal Research and Thought Leadership
Read: Of Phones, Copy Machines and Cargo Ships
Dan Guide, Smeal Chaired Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management and Ph.D. program coordinator, looks at improving the bottom line and the environment through reverse supply chain logistics.
Listen: When the Boss Brings Politics to Work
Don Hambrick, professor of management and Evan Pugh University Professor, and Halla Thomasdottir, chief executive officer of The B-Team, discuss the trend of CEO activism in the workplace and its implications.
Read: Disorder in Second-Hand Retail Spaces
Research from Lisa Bolton, professor of marketing and Anchel Professor of Business Administration suggests that disorder in second-hand retail spaces is not as damaging as secondhand sellers may think.
