Students complete a total of 9 courses during the first three years of the PhD program in organizational studies. In addition to the courses listed below, students may take other courses through Columbia Business School, as well as courses offered through the social science departments of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Core courses
Individual and collective behavior in organizationsOrganization theory
Research methods
Advanced seminar in organizational behavior and theory
Advanced seminar in organizational strategy and decision making
Proseminar
Advanced organizational theory and strategy seminar
The Doctoral Program provides additional information about Ph.D. courses in management.
For a searchable listing of Columbia University course offerings, go to the Directory of Classes.
B9706 - Individual and collective behavior in organizations
An introductory course on the theory and research of behavior in organizational settings. Topics include basic conceptions of behavior, motivation, attitudes, and group functioning. Emphasis is on understanding the processes of behavior at the individual and group levels of analysis.
B9707 - Organizational theory
This course is an introduction to the major theoretical approaches and debates in organizational theory, which draws primarily on sociology and secondarily on economics, psychology, and political science to explain the basic building blocks of modern society. The purpose of this course is to provide you with a roadmap to roam the terrain of organizational theory. Accordingly, we will start with the classics and then trace the history of ideas as the field has evolved to the present.
B9708 - Research methods
This course is designed to introduce PhD students to issues in research design and the philosophy of science. The primary course emphasis is on conceptualization of the research process, understanding empirical research designs and strategies, and understanding the practical implications of scientific research. By the end of the course, students should be able to plan a complete program of research (from framing the research question and developing hypotheses to collecting and analyzing data) as well as to critique research done by others.
B9710 - Advanced seminar in organizational behavior and theory
Focus is on selected topics and issues related to the functioning of organizations and the processes of behavior within organizations. Topics are chosen by the instructor and announced prior to registration.
B9711 - Advanced seminar in organizational strategy and decision making
Focus is on the research and theory literature related to questions of organizational strategy and policy as well as issues of strategic decision making within organizations. Topics are chosen by the instructor and announced prior to registration.
B9712-001 - Proseminar
The proseminar is designed to introduce PhD students to (a) faculty members doing research on organizations and (b) various approaches to doing research on organizations. This year, the instructor had three goals in arranging speakers: The first was to emphasize faculty members who did not participate in last year’s proseminar. The second was to get a good representation of the styles of organizational research from across the campus. And the third, following up on the Management Division retreat, was to encourage speakers to emphasize the methods behind their papers
B9713 - Advanced organizational theory and strategy seminar
The focus of this course is selected topics concerning the creation, structure, and performance of organizations. In the first four weeks, we will read and discuss material on special topics selected by the professor (to be announced before registration). In the last eight weeks, we will read and discuss material related to students' current research projects, and we will turn the course into a workshop committed to helping students complete these projects.
