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PhD in Marketing
Program Goals and Structure DOCTORAL REQUIREMENTS
The Marketing Doctoral Program equips PhD graduates with the The Marketing Department requires that doctoral students
theoretical, methodological, and substantive expertise needed successfully complete a series of required and elective
for successful scholarly careers in marketing. The program offers coursework. In the first two years of the program, students will
students the interdisciplinary environment to generate creative take 16 doctoral-level classes: four courses in the fall and spring
research ideas, the analytic skills to evaluate and execute the semesters of the 1st and 2nd years. In the summer before the
research studies that inform these questions, and experience start of each academic year, students are required to complete
communicating to the marketing community through published an annual course plan in consultation with the program liaison
articles, in conferences and seminars, as well as inside the and their research advisors. Early course planning is critical
classroom. as students seek enrollment in restricted courses across
departments within BU and at other consortium colleges.
The Program is a full-time, four year commitment that extends Courses of study are typically designed along two tracks:
across fall, spring, and summer terms. Training in the program micro/behavioral or economics/modeling. Department
involves: coursework that provides necessary foundations faculty will review each student’s progress and make
while also meeting individual needs and interests; work with recommendations. Accordingly, students must maintain a
faculty members on a series of original research projects, which 3.5 GPA in their major courses, and a minimum 3.3 GPA in all
ultimately lead to a dissertation; and experience teaching doctoral coursework to continue in the Program.
marketing courses. Qualifying milestones throughout the
program include a first-year curriculum paper, second-year Management Foundation Coursework
comprehensive exams, a doctoral dissertation proposal, and Students are expected to have completed graduate courses in
completion of original thesis research. management prior to pursuing doctoral studies. Receipt of an
MBA degree or an MS in marketing within the past five years
from an AACSB-accredited program meets this requirement.
Admission Students without such training and those who earned
The Marketing Doctoral Program is small and selective. their degree more than five years ago must complete four
There are generally 4-8 active students in the program, with management foundation courses at the MBA level in addition to
1-2 students for each program year. The program accepts their major, minor, and methods courses. This requirement must
only full-time students. Admission into the program is highly be completed before the student can sit for qualifying exams.
competitive, with acceptance rates generally in the 5-10%
range (based on a typical pool of 30-50 applicants). Admission Major Area Coursework
decisions are based both on the quality of the applicant and on Doctoral coursework in Marketing is designed to provide both
the interest of the faculty members. Successful applicants have breadth and depth in specific areas of the field. The five required
a high level of intellectual ability, relevant work experience, and seminars are:
a familiarity with and demonstrated commitment to scholarly 1. MK914 Consumer Behavior I
research in marketing. Average GMAT scores of accepted
applicants are in the 700s; undergraduate GPAs from solid 2. MK915 Consumer Behavior II
institutions range from 3.5 - 3.7; and average graduate GPAs 3. MK927 Marketing and the Customer-Focused Firm I
range from 3.6 - 3.9. Relevant work and research experience also 4. MK928 Marketing and the Firm II
weigh heavily in decisions, as does a clear statement of research
5. HBS 4660 Marketing Models
interests that builds from knowledge of the faculty.
To further enrich students’ foundation in the discipline, seminars
at other local universities can augment the core portfolio,
such as Consumer Behavior and Behavioral Decision Making
(HBS 4630). Major courses are critical to the comprehensive
examination.
relationships: theory and practice. New York, NY: Routledge Taylor & Qualifying Comprehensive Examination
Francis Group. Upon satisfactory completion of all course requirements and
Alvarez, C., & Fournier, S. (Forthcoming 2012). The lived successful performance on the curriculum paper, the student is
experience of brand flings. In Fournier, S., Breazeale, M., & eligible to sit for his/her qualifying examination. The qualifying
Fetscherin, M. (Eds.), Consumer-brand relationships: theory and comprehensive exam tests the student’s familiarity with
practice. New York, NY: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. classic and recent literatures in marketing, his/her ability to
conceptualize marketing problems and inform them using a
Fournier, S., & Alvarez, C. (Forthcoming 2012). Brands as
theoretical base, and proficiency with fundamental analytic
relationship partners: warmth, competence and in-between.
and methodological issues. The examination is held in the
Journal of Consumer Psychology.
early summer of the second year of the program. The exam
Hsu, L., Fournier, S., & Srinivasan, S. (2012). How brand portfolio extends across multiple days and variously involves a written
strategy affects firm value. Marketing Science Institute Working essay, problem-solving, critical review, and/or the development
Paper Series, 11-112. of a research manuscript, as seen fit by the examining body.
At the discretion of the faculty, and based on the student’s
Hsu, L., Kaufmann, P., & Srinivasan, S. (2012). Firm value and risk
performance, an oral component of the exam may also be
in franchised channels. Presented at the 25th anniversary of the
International Society of Franchising, Boston, MA.
administered. A student who fails his/her comprehensive
examinations is withdrawn from the program.
Kim, S., Bickart, B., Brunel, F., & Pai S. (2012). Understanding
blogs as one-to-one mass communication for business. Boston Dissertation
University working paper. Completion of the PhD program requires a written and oral
defense of both the dissertation proposal and the dissertation
Lawrence, B., Fournier, S., & Brunel, F. (2011). Consuming the itself. Students create a thesis committee and defend their
consumer-generated ad. Boston University working paper. thesis proposals early in the third program year, and dedicate
their doctoral activity to execution of the thesis thereafter. The
Lawrence, B., & Kaufmann, P. (2010). Franchisee associations: marketing job market is an early one: schools conduct their first-
strategic focus or response to franchisor opportunism. Journal of round interviews for rookie candidates in August, with campus
Marketing Channels, 17(2), 137-155. visits for qualified candidates arranged for the fall. Successful
Srinivasan, S., Liwu ,H., & Fournier, S. (Forthcoming 2012). students in the program have not only defended their proposals
Branding and firm value. In S. Ganesan and S. Bharadwaj (Eds.), before interviewing in August of their third years, they have
The Handbook of Marketing and Finance. Northampton, MA: collected preliminary data to inform their theses as well.
Edward Elgar Publishing. The dissertation must be based on an original investigation
that makes a substantive contribution to knowledge in the field.
The Curriculum Paper Recent doctoral theses include:
The curriculum paper serves as a test of the student’s ability
Batra, R. “When Good Looks Kill: An Examination of Consumer
to develop original ideas, demonstrate critical thinking and Response to Visually Attractive Products.” (2009)
analytic skills, and indicate a general level of preparedness
to undertake independent research as is required for the Dong, W. “The Role of Channel Orientation in Customer Equity
development of a marketing dissertation. The curriculum paper Management.” (2008)
is intended to be the primary activity undertaken over the Du, S. “Strengthening Consumer Relationships through Corporate
summer of the program’s first year. Students are also required Social Initiatives.” (2007)
to present their papers to department faculty and doctoral
Korschun, D. “Internal Marketing of Corporate Social
students during the first weeks of the fall semester. The paper
Responsibility: Does it Make a Difference?” (2008)
is graded on a pass/fail basis; a passing grade is required to
continue in the Program. Lawrence, B. “Identity in Franchise Organizations.” (2011)
Recent doctoral awards include:
Hsu, L. “Can Online Chatter Kill a Giant? Insights into the
Role of Brand Equity and Social Media during a Product Recall
Crisis” (2012). Honorable Mention, Alden G. Clayton Doctoral
Dissertation Competition, Marketing Science Institute.
Mailing Address
Boston University School of Management
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
To learn more, visit:
management.bu.edu/graduate/graduate-programs/phd