Executive PhD
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Key Information
Campus location
Worcester, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 - 10 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
USD 1,610 / per credit *
Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* additional fees may apply
Scholarships
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Introduction
Use Your Experience to Create Next-Level Impact
Elevate your impact by combining your extensive professional experience with WPI’s Executive Ph.D. program. In our flexible, course-based program, you’ll work closely with a cohort of fellow students whose interests and initiative match your own.
Additionally, you choose from one of three concentrations in the Executive Ph.D. program: Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, and Operations Management. Faculty will support and guide you as you produce publishable research that employs varied qualitative and quantitative research methods with your work in the applied research context. You’ll master well-defined, research-based approaches that are grounded in academic methods to increase your influence in your industry or professional path.
Research methods for a business Ph.D. require a different but equally rigorous set of skills than other doctoral programs. As an Executive Ph.D. candidate, you will learn and apply rigorous research methods, gain experience in analyzing data and understanding human factors, and apply qualitative and quantitative skills for the most effective outcomes.
Ideal Students
The Executive PhD is designed for seasoned business professionals who are ready to apply their expertise in new and fulfilling ways. Whether you’re looking to elevate what you can do in your current role or you want to branch out into consulting, teaching, or conducting research, the Executive PhD program will give you added credibility to become a more impactful thought leader.
Curriculum
Required Executive Ph.D. Courses
- BUS 631 Research Methods and the Research Process
- BUS 632 Qualitative Research Methods
- BUS 633 Quantitative Research Methods
- BUS 651 Seminar on Designing and Conducting Research Studies
Available Executive Ph.D. Concentrations
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship encompasses opportunity seeking and identification, financing new enterprises, corporate venturing, and other related topics. Research subjects address the conceptualization of new venture business models through formulating exit strategies. Special areas of emphasis include technology entrepreneurship, intellectual property commercialization, international and cross-cultural studies, social entrepreneurship, and issues associated with trans-generational entrepreneurship in the family business.
Information Technology
Students will learn to use qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and apply theories regarding the design, implementation, and use of advanced information systems and technologies with the goal of developing and publishing new information technology knowledge. Students will study information technology and how it affects individuals, organizations, and society. By working closely with WPI’s Information Technology scholars, students will learn to conduct theoretically sound information technology research that addresses real business problems, apply for research grants, and teach information technology courses. WPI’s Information Technology scholars will involve Ph.D. candidates in their research activities in various organizations in the region, including those in the technology, healthcare, financial, and public sectors.
Operations Management
Students will pursue research in the areas of management sciences, operations research, business analytics, health care management, supply chain management, and decision analysis. The operations area undertakes research on decision-making through quantitative modeling of operations functions in businesses. Research topics cover all levels of business decision-making, from operation systems design and technology choices to day-to-day scheduling and performance measurement. The program emphasizes research that focuses on real business problems and maintains a balance between theory and practice. This concentration is designed to train Ph.D. students in fundamental and applied business modeling and analytical thinking.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
English Language Requirements
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