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Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has four areas of study: Accounting and Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

Accounting & Management  

Business economics  , health policy (management)  , marketing  , organizational behavior  , strategy  , technology & operations management  .

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Ph.D. in Management & Strategy: Research and Faculty

Management & strategy doctoral faculty.

Our faculty have earned their Ph.Ds from top programs and publish in top-tier journals and university presses. They are active in the discipline, serving on the editorial boards of several top-tier journals and as chairs of major conferences. Our faculty members also have an established record of securing external research grants. These faculty members work closely with doctoral students to help them develop strong research agendas.

Core Doctoral Faculty

Herman Aguinis , Ph.D., University at Albany, State University of New York Areas of Expertise: Human capital acquisition, development, and deployment, and research methods and analysis

James Bailey , Ph.D., Washington University Areas of Expertise: Leadership, change management, executive development, motivation, competencies, performance management, and education & pedagogy

Ernie Englander , Ph.D., University of Washington Areas of Expertise: History and politics of corporate governance, U.S. business and public policy, U.S. business history, institutional theory, history of economic thought

Denise Falchetti , Ph.D., University of Bologna Areas of expertise: Entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, with a focus on social evaluation processes and entrepreneur resource acquisition

Joel Gehman , Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University Areas of Expertise: Organization Theory, Sustainability, Grand Challenges, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Values

Sharon Hill , Ph.D., University of Maryland Areas of Expertise: Virtual teams, distributed and technology-enabled work arrangements, organizational change

Christopher Kayes , Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University Areas of Expertise: Learning, teams and groups, leadership, organizational change

Jennifer Merluzzi , PhD., University of Chicago Areas of Expertise: Professional careers, inequality, gender, social networks and social capital, economic sociology, identity

Lynn Offermann , Ph.D., Syracuse University Areas of Expertise: leadership and followership, diversity, and teams

Margaret Ormiston , Ph.D ., University of California, Los Angeles Areas of Expertise: Leadership within both top management teams, small groups in organizations and factors that make them successful

Vontrese Pamphile , Ph.D., Northwestern University Areas of Expertise: Organizational theory, CSR and non-market strategy, social networks, and inequality

Vanessa Perry , Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Areas of Expertise: Business and public policy, consumer behavior, behavioral economics, housing, consumer finance, social impact

Jorge Rivera , Ph.D., Duke University Areas of Expertise: Environmental management and policy, business and public policy, business non-market strategies

Cevat Tosun , Ph.D., University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom Areas of Expertise: Sustainable tourism development, community participation in the development process, tourism policy and planning, destination management and marketing, impacts of tourism development

Jim Wade , PhD., University of California, Berkeley Areas of Expertise: Strategic Management, corporate governance, industry evolution

Jorge Walter , D.B.A., University of St. Gallen Areas of Expertise: Strategy processes, strategic decision making, knowledge/technology transfer, social networks, and social capital

Liang (Larry) Yu , Ph.D., University of Oregon Areas of Expertise: Knowledge management, management innovation and hospitality management

Research Workshops & Conferences

The Management and Strategy Doctoral Program (MSDP) provides a strong research climate for doctoral students as evidenced by our research seminar series that attracts speakers from institutions such as Columbia University, Notre Dame University, Stanford University, The University of Pennsylvania, and University of Maryland.

The goals of the research seminars are to expose students to a broader range of research ideas and provide access to top management and strategy researchers. Doctoral students are expected to attend all research seminars from both the Strategy and Management departments.

Current Doctoral Students

For details on all doctoral students in the GW School of Business, visit the Doctoral Student Association page .

Past Doctoral Students

The goal of the Management and Strategy Doctoral Program (MSDP) is to develop students with strong academic research capabilities who can obtain research-oriented faculty positions. The MSDP departments have a history of placing doctoral candidates in academic institutions (81% in tenure-track faculty positions), and aims to place doctoral candidates in Top 100 schools of business.

Past placements for management students include:

• Aalto University
• California State University – Fullerton
• California State University – Los Angeles
• IESE Business School
• Kuwait University
• Morgan State University
• Oakland University
• Penn State University – Harrisburg
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH – Zurich)
• Towson University
• University of Bath, UK
• US. Military Academy, West Point
• West Virginia State University

Past placements for strategy students include:

• American University
• Loyola University (Chicago)
• Loyola University (Maryland)
• Portland State University
• University of California – San Francisco
• University of Minnesota
• University of Washington – Takoma
• Villanova University

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PhD in Finance

• PhD in Management Science and Operations Management
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Chicago Booth has long been recognized for its PhD in finance. Our finance faculty—which includes Nobel laureates Douglas W. Diamond, Eugene F. Fama, and Lars P. Hansen—sets the course for research in all areas of the field.

As a finance PhD student at Chicago Booth, you’ll join a community that encourages you to think independently.

Taking courses at Booth and in the university’s Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, you will gain a solid foundation in all aspects of economics and finance--from the factors that determine asset prices to how firms and individuals make financial decisions. Following your coursework, you will develop your research in close collaboration with faculty and your fellow students. Reading groups and workshops with faculty, student-led brown-bag seminars, and conferences provide many opportunities to learn from others.

The Finance PhD Program also offers the Joint Program in Financial Economics , which is run by Chicago Booth and the Department of Economics in the Division of the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago.

Our Distinguished Finance Faculty

Chicago Booth finance faculty are leading researchers who also build strong relationships with doctoral students, collaborate on new ideas, and connect students with powerful career opportunities.

Francesca Bastianello

Assistant Professor of Finance and Liew Family Junior Faculty Fellow, Fama Faculty Fellow

Emanuele Colonnelli

Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship

George M. Constantinides

Leo Melamed Professor of Finance

Douglas W. Diamond

Merton H. Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Eugene F. Fama

Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Niels Gormsen

Neubauer Family Associate Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Lars Hansen

David Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor The University of Chicago Departments of Economics, Statistics and the Booth School of Business

John C. Heaton

Joseph L. Gidwitz Professor of Finance

Steven Neil Kaplan

Neubauer Family Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance and Kessenich E.P. Faculty Director at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Anil Kashyap

Stevens Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Finance

Ralph S.J. Koijen

AQR Capital Management Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Stefan Nagel

Fama Family Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Scott Nelson

Assistant Professor of Finance and Cohen and Keenoy Faculty Scholar

Pascal Noel

Neubauer Family Professor of Finance and Kathryn and Grant Swick Faculty Scholar

Lubos Pastor

Charles P. McQuaid Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and Robert King Steel Faculty Fellow

Raghuram G. Rajan

Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance

Bruce Lindsay Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Public Policy

Quentin Vandeweyer

Assistant Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow

Pietro Veronesi

Deputy Dean for Faculty and Chicago Board of Trade Professor of Finance

Robert W. Vishny

Myron S. Scholes Distinguished Service Professor of Finance and Neubauer Faculty Director of the Davis Center

Michael Weber

Associate Professor of Finance

Anthony Lee Zhang

Luigi Zingales

Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance

Professor of Economics and Finance

Alumni Success

Graduates of the Stevens Doctoral Program go on to successful careers in prominent institutions of higher learning, leading financial institutions, government, and beyond.

Shohini Kundu, MBA '20, PhD '21

Assistant Professor of Finance UCLA Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles Shohini Kundu's research lies in financial intermediation and macroeconomics, security design and externalities of financial contracts, and emerging market finance. Her dissertation area is in finance.

Jane (Jian) Li, PhD '21

Assistant Professor of Business, Finance Division Columbia Business School, Columbia University Jane's research lies at the intersection of macroeconomics and finance. She is particularly interested in how financial intermediaries affect the real economy and how different types of financial institutions can contribute to financial instability. Her dissertation area is in financial economics.

Spotlight on Research

The pages of Chicago Booth Review regularly highlight the research findings of finance faculty and PhD students.

A Brief History of Finance and My Life at Chicago

Chicago Booth’s Eugene F. Fama describes the serendipitous events that led him to Chicago, and into his monumental career in academic finance.

Climate-Policy Pronouncements Boost 'Brown' Stocks

It was a dramatic example of how White House communications on climate policy can affect asset prices, according to Washington University in St. Louis’s William Cassidy, a recent graduate of Booth’s PhD Program.

With Business Loans Harder to Get, Private Debt Funds Are Stepping In

It’s become harder for many prospective borrowers to access capital. But private debt funds have stepped in to fill the gap, according to Joern Block (Trier University), Booth PhD candidate Young Soo Jang, Booth’s Steve Kaplan, and Trier’s Anna Schulze.

Too Many 'Shadow Banks' Can Limit Overall Access to Credit

While go-betweens can benefit the broader economy by smoothing the flow of credit, there are now probably too many links in the credit chain, argue Zhiguo He and Jian Li (Booth PhD graduate).

A Network of Support

Chicago Booth is home to several interdisciplinary research centers that offer funding for student work, host workshops and conferences, and foster a strong research community.

Fama-Miller Center for Research in Finance Tasked with pushing the boundaries of research in finance, the Fama-Miller Center provides institutional structure and support for researchers in the field.

Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Bringing together researchers from the entire Chicago economics community, the Becker Friedman Institute fosters novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems.

Center for Research in Security Prices CRSP maintains one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive stock market databases. Since 1963, it has been a valued resource for businesses, government, and scholars.

Kent A. Clark Center for Global Markets Enhancing the understanding of business and financial market globalization, the Clark Center positions Chicago Booth as a thought leader in the understanding of ever-changing markets and improves financial and economic decision-making around the world.

George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State Dedicated to examining issues at the intersection of politics and the economy, the Stigler Center supports research by PhD students and others who are interested in the political, economic, and cultural obstacles to better working markets.

Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation Committed to making the world more equitable and sustainable, the Rustandy Center works to solve complex social and environmental problems. The center’s student support includes fellowships, research funding, and networking opportunities.

The PhD Experience at Booth

For Itzhak Ben-David, PhD ’08, the PhD Program in Finance was an exploratory journey.

Video Transcript

Itzhak Ben-David, ’08: 00:03 For me, the PhD Program was an exploratory journey. It was about discovering what was interesting for me, what will be interesting for other economists. It was about discovering something new about the world. Much of the PhD Program experience is to explore and to wonder a bit and to just think and expose yourself to new ideas and new disciplines. Back then, this was 2006, I found a billboard that said, "If you buy this house, we're going to give you a free car or $20,000 in cash." And this seemed really odd to me. What I realized that was going on, that this was part of a borrower fraud and the idea was that seller and the buyer will agree on a higher price on a house and the lender would be under the impression that the collateral worth more than it really is.

Itzhak Ben-David, ’08: 00:58 So I started to investigate other parts of the real estate food chain. What I saw is that in many parts of this chain, there were incentives in place pushing the intermediaries or the different economic agents to inflate prices. It's not always a bubble, but oftentimes it points out behavior that is not consistent with our textbook behavior. I had the dream team of advisors, Toby Moskowitz, Dick Taylor, Steve Levitt, and Erik Hurst. Each one of them contributed in different way to my dissertation and brought different ideas, brought different aspects. There is no better place of doing research than in Booth. It's really a hub of academic activity. There is no important work that doesn't pass at Chicago before being published. It's really an intellectual home. When you meet people and you know that they are from Booth, you can see the difference in their thinking.

Current Finance Students

PhD students in finance study a wide range of topics, including the behavior and determinants of security prices, the financing and investment decisions of firms, corporate governance, and the management and regulation of financial institutions. They go on to careers at prestigious institutions, from Yale University to the International Monetary Fund.

Current Students

Rahul Chauhan Ching-Tse Chen Natalia Corado Aditya Dhar Mihir Gandhi  Huan (Bianca) He Jessica Li Edoardo Marchesi Alexa Marciano Rayhan Momin Lauren Mostrom Meichen Qian Francisco Ruela

Booth also offers joint degrees. Learn more about the current students in our Joint Program in Financial Economics .

Program Expectations and Requirements

The Stevens Doctoral Program at Chicago Booth is a full-time program. Students generally complete the majority of coursework and examination requirements within the first two years of studies and begin work on their dissertation during the third year. For details, see General Examination Requirements by Area in the Stevens Program Guidebook below.

Download the 2023-2024 Guidebook!

Executive Management

PhD in Executive Management

“Knowledge is different from all other resources. It makes itself constantly obsolete.” – Peter Drucker

What comes after success, contribute to a functioning society.

The Drucker School and its programs, including the EPhD, are grounded in the philosophy of Peter F. Drucker, widely regarded as the father of modern management. Distinct among business schools, the Drucker School views management as fundamental to human achievement and emphasizes the importance of good management for a functioning society. The EPhD embodies this philosophy by blending theory and practice, aimed at studying a business, management, or social issue in-depth.

The Next Journey for Visionary Leaders

A doctorate from the Drucker School represents excellence in leadership and management research and practice. As an academic, writer, and scholar, Peter Drucker’s work has left an indelible impact on the field of management. He joined the Claremont Graduate University in the early 1970s, and for nearly 20 years, he and CGU faculty offered the EPhD program, with the first students graduating in 1984. Although many business schools offer similar programs, such as the “DBA,” the EPhD at Drucker has a distinguished and unique history as the oldest program of its kind. The newly reimagined program is tailored to meet the needs of today’s top executives, providing the Drucker Edge and empowering you to join the distinguished ranks of visionary leaders who have shaped the future of business and society.

Program Highlights

• The Drucker Edge: Building on Peter Drucker’s management principles and his legacy of innovation, the EPhD is tailored for visionary leaders seeking to make a lasting impact by shaping contemporary business management practices.
• Designed for Executives: The newly reimagined EPhD is a hybrid program tailored for experienced executives working full time with completion within 3 years.
• Real-World Impact: The EPhD, in contrast to traditional PhD programs focused on the advancement of theory, seeks to advance the practice of management. World-class faculty with extensive academic and practical expertise guide top executives to address important practical issues with rigorous research.
• Your degree is AACSB accredited —the highest standard for business education.

Program At-a-glance

required units

degree awarded

Spring, Fall

program start

3 years | part time

estimated completion time

Adriana Leake

Assistant Director of Admissions

Michael Mirabella

Director of Recruitment for the Drucker School of Management

David Sprott

Henry Y. Hwang Dean, Drucker School of Management Professor of Marketing

Research Interests

Retailing, branding, influence strategies, marketing public policy

Vijay Sathe

C.S. & D.J. Davidson Chair and Professor of Management

Family business, Mindful revitalization, Creative economy, The Effective Executive, Managing Change

Clinical Full Professor Academic Director Faculty Coordinator, Center for Business & Management of the Arts

Corporate Finance, Investments, Economics of Strategy, Macroeconomics

Hideki Yamawaki

Ito Chair of International Business and Professor of Management

Design Thinking, Competitive Strategy, International Business, International Trade, and Foreign Direct Investment

Bernie Jaworski

Peter F. Drucker Chair in Management and the Liberal Arts

Client Management, Leadership, Management, Marketing, Strategy

Jeremy Hunter

Associate Professor of Practice Founding Director, Executive Mind Leadership Institute

Mindfulness, Self-management, Executive mind

Munirpallam A. Venkataramanan

University Professor

Supply Chain Management, Decision Support Systems, Optimization Techniques

Katharina Pick

Clinical Associate Professor

Organizational behavior, Teams, Organizational theory, Leadership, Corporate governance, Power and influence

Kristine Kawamura

Clinical Professor of Management

Responsible management, Care (as a strategic resource), Values-based management systems, Leadership, Organizational strategy and culture, Cross cultural competence, Human performance and resilience

Stephen Gilliland

Organizational Justice, Employee Attitudes and Motivation, Leadership

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

Michelle Bligh

Executive Vice President & Provost Professor of Organizational Behavior

Leadership, Organizational Culture, Charismatic Leadership

This doctoral program requires 64 units total, with most students transferring in up to 16 units from previous graduate work.

Doctoral Methods Core (8 units total)

• Foundations of Research (4 units)
• Qualitative Methods (2 units)
• Quantitative Methods (2 units)

PhD Completion Courses (16 units)

Leadership Core (6 units total)

• MGT 700 Great Books of Drucker (2 units)
• Two of the following: The Practice of Leadership, The Future Imagined, The Practice of Self-Mastery

Doctoral Core Seminars – (3 courses, 6 units)

Intensive courses in Claremont (4 units total)

• MGT 705 Predoctoral Intensive (2 units)
• Intensive of choice (2 units): approved list to be created

Transdisciplinary courses (4 units total)

Electives (4-20 units)

TOTAL UNITS = 48-64*

Learning Outcomes

The EPhD program at the Drucker School of Management offers a holistic educational experience for seasoned managers and leaders:

• Comprehensive understanding of advanced leadership and management principles, including the philosophy of Peter Drucker
• Apply advanced leadership concepts, theories, models, and tools for practical and creative problem solving
• Completion of a high-quality doctoral project that addresses an important business, management, or social problem with rigorous research methods and of relevance to the doctoral student
• Personal growth and preparation for new career paths, including teaching at a university, consulting, governance boards, and executive leadership roles

The Dissertation Reimagined

The Executive PhD features a doctoral project that transcends the traditional academic dissertation in favor of an experience and document designed for relevance and application. Students conduct rigorous research applying methods learned in the program curriculum to find solutions for current business or societal problems and formulate their results in a way that is streamlined and effective.

Who Should Apply

The ideal candidates for the EPhD are seasoned managers, leaders and executives with significant leadership experience in business, non-profits, and public sector organizations. These candidates should possess the following qualities:

• Leadership Experience:  Ideal candidates are senior leaders from various types of organizations. The Drucker School values the practice of management, therefore ideal candidates for the program should have experience managing and leading groups of people and organizations. As a School of Management we welcome people from all kinds of organizations, including non-profits, NGOs, for-profit firms, and governmental organizations.
• Research Interest:  Applicants should be able to submit a preliminary project proposal that aligns with the Drucker School faculty’s research interests and expertise. Ideal candidates should demonstrate a genuine passion for understanding a significant business, management, or social problems through rigorous research.
• Commitment:  The program is designed to be completed within three years with typical transfer credit, so candidates should be prepared to dedicate the necessary time and effort to their studies.
• Motivation:  Ideal candidates are motivated by self-enhancement, learning, and the potential for new career paths, such as teaching at a university, consulting, governance boards, or executive leadership roles in companies led by scientists and technologists with PhDs.
• Engagement:  Candidates should be active in their fields or professions, attending industry-relevant events, executive leadership/coaching programs, or participating in business professional organizations, such as those related to their industries or professions.

Application Guidelines

Please see the application checklist for more details.  

Key Dates and Deadlines

CGU operates on a priority deadline cycle and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 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, Duolingo English Test 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 allows for an English proficiency waiver if the applicant has received, or will receive prior to enrollment at CGU, an undergraduate or advanced degree from an institution where English is one of the primary languages of instruction for the majority of courses in the student’s program. To receive the waiver, documentation must be provided by the applicant to show that English is the language of instruction at their university/college.

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.

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.

Upon review of your application, you may be invited for an interview, which is required for admission. An admission decision will not be issued until the interview is complete.

Please provide three references that can attest to your work ethic, research experience, and/or readiness for graduate study. A letter of recommendation is not required from your references, but they may be contacted for additional information during the application review process.

Applicants may choose to submit a thesis, book chapter, or article demonstrating their writing acumen.

ESTIMATED TUITION (CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, NON-RESIDENTS, INTERNATIONAL)

*Based on 2024-2025 tuition rates.

STUDENT FEES (PER SEMESTER)

For estimates of room & board, books, etc., please download CGU’s  Cost of Attendance 2024-2025 .

Review General Costs

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• Contributors

Post-Doctoral Corporate Governance Fellowships For Finance, Economics, and Accounting Researchers

The Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School (HLS) is seeking applications for Corporate Governance Fellowships from highly qualified candidates with graduate training in finance, economics, or accounting.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis, and the start date is flexible. Appointments are for one year but the appointment period can be extended for additional one-year period/s (contingent on business needs and funding as are other Program positions).

Candidates should have completed a Ph.D., or a substantial part of their work towards it, in finance, economics, or accounting, have significant experience in empirical research, and have an interest in corporate governance.

During the term of their appointment, Fellows will be in residence at HLS. They will be required to devote part of their time to work on research projects of the Program, depending on their skills, interests, and Program needs. Fellows will also be able to spend significant time on their own projects. The position will provide a competitive fellowship salary and Harvard University benefits.

Interested candidates should submit a CV, graduate program transcripts, any research papers they have written, and a cover letter to the coordinator of the Program, Ms. Marzieh Noori, at [email protected] . The cover letter should describe the candidate’s experience, reasons for seeking the position, career plans, and the period during which they would like to work with the Program.

Supported By:

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Program on corporate governance advisory board.

• William Ackman
• Peter Atkins
• Kerry E. Berchem
• Richard Brand
• Daniel Burch
• Arthur B. Crozier
• Renata J. Ferrari
• John Finley
• Carolyn Frantz
• Andrew Freedman
• Byron Georgiou
• Joseph Hall
• Jason M. Halper
• David Millstone
• Theodore Mirvis
• Maria Moats
• Erika Moore
• Morton Pierce
• Philip Richter
• Elina Tetelbaum
• Marc Trevino
• Steven J. Williams
• Daniel Wolf

HLS Faculty & Senior Fellows

• Lucian Bebchuk
• Robert Clark
• John Coates
• Stephen M. Davis
• Allen Ferrell
• Jesse Fried
• Oliver Hart
• Howell Jackson
• Kobi Kastiel
• Reinier Kraakman
• Mark Ramseyer
• Robert Sitkoff
• Holger Spamann
• Leo E. Strine, Jr.
• Guhan Subramanian
• Roberto Tallarita

Corporate Governance: Essentials for a New Business Era

Program overview.

Today’s corporate boards face historic and unprecedented challenges. Boards of directors must navigate these sources of unexpected enterprise risk while capably monitoring their firms’ financial performance. For those responsible for filling board seats, the push toward making boards more diverse and inclusive adds complexity. Meanwhile, new opportunities are emerging for those seeking board service.

Corporate Governance: Essentials for a New Business Era provides critical tools for aspiring, newly appointed, and veteran board members, and for executives working with their board or other boards. Participants will gain insight into the duties and nuances of board service and learn to forge partnerships with company officers to strengthen financial return, enterprise risk management, and governance diversity.

Date, Location, & Fees

If you are unable to access the application form, please email Client Relations at [email protected] .

April 22 – 25, 2025 Philadelphia, PA $9,850

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Program Experience

Former guest speakers, who should attend, highlights and key outcomes.

In Corporate Governance: Essentials for a New Business Era , you will:

• Explore board opportunities for C-suite officers in areas including technology, human resources, and sustainability
• Grasp how a director’s role is changing in today’s social, legal, and business environment
• Learn to present yourself as an attractive candidate for boards
• Look inside the process for nominating, selecting, and onboarding directors

Experience and Impact

Traditional board governance is a thing of the past. Today’s directors must be ready and able to handle a wide range of enterprise risks that could impact a large company. Led by top Wharton management faculty, Corporate Governance: Essentials for a New Business Era offers those aspiring to be on boards, recently appointed to a board, or experienced directors and company executives a wide-ranging look at what constitutes successful board service in the current environment. The specific content of the program will also be informed by the most pressing issues facing corporate boards. The focus will include company and legal issues related to diversity and inclusion; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics; and leading in the boardroom.

Participants will explore how to present themselves as candidates for boards against the backdrop of social and legislative efforts to make boards more ethnically diverse and gender inclusive. You will also learn about the functional capabilities that are valued on boards, including strategy, technology, human resources, sustainability, and international experience. You will acquire strategies for marketing yourself to recruiters and come to recognize the value you can bring to a boardroom setting.

Individuals already on boards will gain new insights into managing emerging sources of enterprise risk and how best to diversify their board to address new regulations and investor expectations.

In addition to the outstanding faculty, selected guest speakers will enhance the program’s practical, real-world approach. Speakers may include veteran board chairs and lead directors; a federal prosecutor who has conducted internal investigations for major telecommunications and financial firms; and an executive-search partner experienced in board recruitment and onboarding.

A valuable benefit of this program is the substantial networking opportunity. You will have time to interact with seasoned and board-ready individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, providing for an expanded peer group. The need has never been greater for board members with new perspectives and experience. Timely and unique, Corporate Governance helps you take full advantage of the rapidly changing environment for both board selection and director responsibilities.

Session topics include:

• Overview of board structure, committees and emerging best practices
• Enterprise challenges and risks including climate change, job displacement, global trade, disease epidemics, and social responsibility
• Creating opportunities for those who have been underrepresented in the boardroom
• Characteristics of successful board leaders
• Overseeing management
• Building diversity, equity, and inclusion in the boardroom
• Leading boards through legal issues and other crises
• Succession planning
• Bringing environmental and social issues into the boardroom
• Designing political and social strategies
• Shareholder activism

Convince Your Supervisor

Here’s a justification letter you can edit and send to your supervisor to help you make the case for attending this Wharton program.

Due to our application review period, applications submitted after 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday for programs beginning the following Monday may not be processed in time to grant admission. Applicants will be contacted by a member of our Client Relations Team to discuss options for future programs and dates.

Janet Foutty

Executive Chair of the Board, Deloitte

Janet Foutty is executive chair of the board, Deloitte. She leads the board in providing governance and oversight on critical business matters including strategy, brand positioning, risk mitigation, talent development, and leadership succession. Janet is also a member of Deloitte’s Global Board of Directors, and chair of Deloitte Foundation, the 90-year old not-for-profit organization that helps develop future talent and promote excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum innovation.

Janet’s leadership experience includes most recently serving as chair and chief executive officer for Deloitte Consulting LLP where she led a $10B business comprised of over 50,000 professionals in helping Fortune 500 companies and government agencies translate complex issues into opportunity.

She previously led Deloitte’s federal practice dedicated to improving the efficacy and efficiency of US government agencies; as well as Deloitte Consulting LLP’s technology practice, which achieved exponential growth through acquisitions and the launch of businesses including Deloitte Digital. She has also held leadership roles on client programs that span retail, technology, government, energy, and financial services industries. Janet is a frequent author and popular public speaker. She regularly communicates with executive-level audiences about the changing business landscape, technology disruption, and leadership. Janet is a passionate advocate for inclusion in the workplace; women in technology; and the need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. She has founded Women in Technology groups in India and the United States. Janet serves on the board of directors of Bright Pink, a nonprofit dedicated to women’s health, and Catalyst, a global nonprofit working to build more inclusive workplaces. She serves on the advisory boards of NYU Stern’s Tech MBA program, Columbia Law School’s Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, and the executive committee for the Council on Competitiveness.

Janet holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University, and a Masters of Business Administration in finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She is an inductee of the Kelley School of Business Academy of Alumni Fellows, and a member of the Kelley School of Business Dean’s Council.

Watch the Video: Janet Foutty, Chair of the Board for Deloitte, talks about the key principles of board agility.

Katina Dorton

Chief Financial Officer; Board Director

Katina Dorton is a recognized and internationally experienced financial executive, corporate director, and public company CFO. Dorton's strategic insights, expert perspective, and financial acumen are informed by earlier career experience as a Wall Street investment banker and corporate transactions attorney. Dorton's industry expertise includes health care and life sciences, industrial services, and financial services.

Throughout her career, Dorton has advised executive leaders and boards of directors on capital markets, fund raising, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, collectively valued at more than $50 billion. As CFO, Dorton has built financial, legal, and operational functions to support companies through aggressive growth and transition including IPO preparation. Dorton has served on several public company boards and has demonstrated strong leadership as lead director, audit chair and governance committee chair. She meets the qualifications of an SEC financial expert, is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Corporate Governance Fellow, and serves on the NACD Lead Director Steering Committee. Dorton was named as one of Women Inc's 2019 Most Influential Corporate Directors and a 2020 NACD Directorship 100 Honoree.

William McNabb

Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Vanguard; Senior Fellow, Center for Leadership and Change Management, The Wharton School

F. William McNabb III is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Vanguard. He joined Vanguard in 1986. In 2008, he became chief executive officer; in 2010, he became chairman of the board of directors and the board of trustees. He stepped down as chief executive officer at the end of 2017 and as chairman at the end of 2018. Earlier in his career, he led each of Vanguard’s client-facing business divisions.

McNabb is active in the investment management industry and served as the chairman of the Investment Company Institute’s board of governors from 2013 to 2016. A board member of UnitedHealth Group and the chairman of Ernst & Young’s Independent Audit Committee, he is also chairman of the board of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, a board member of CECP: The CEO Force for Good, and a board member of the Philadelphia School Partnership.

In addition, McNabb is the executive in residence at the Raj & Kamla Gupta Governance Institute at the Le Bow College of Business and a member of the Advisory Board of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at Columbia Law School. He is a member of the Wharton Leadership Advisory Board of the Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management and a member of the Wharton School’s Graduate Executive Board. He also serves on the Dartmouth Athletic Advisory Board.

McNabb earned an AB at Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Paula Price

Public and Private Company Independent Board Director and Strategic Advisor

Paula A. Price was EVP and chief financial officer of Macy’s Inc. from July 2018 to May 2020, and served as advisor to the renowned retailer until the end of 2020. As CFO, she was also a principal architect of Macy’s transformation journey and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, led its financial restructuring, including raising $4.5 billion to recapitalize and sustain the company.

Price has been a visiting executive with Harvard Business School since July 2018, and was a full-time senior lecturer of business administration in the Accounting and Management Unit, having joined the faculty in July 2014. Until January 2014, Price was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Ahold USA, which she joined in 2009. At Ahold, Price was responsible for finance, accounting, and shared services; strategy and planning; real estate development and construction; and information technology. Price transformed the finance function, delivered a $1 billion cost savings program to fund strategic growth initiatives, and led a team of over 1,000.

Prior to joining Ahold, Price was senior vice president, controller, and chief accounting officer for CVS Caremark Corporation, and a key player in the $26 billion CVS/Caremark merger transaction. Price began her career as an intern in public accounting at Arthur Andersen & Co. before joining full time with clients that spanned financial services, consumer packaged goods, and health care.

Price currently serves as an independent director for public, private, and not-for profit companies. Today, she serves on the boards of the following publicly traded companies: Accenture, chairing its Audit Committee; Bristol Myers Squibb; Western Digital; and Davita, chairing its Audit Committee. She is a qualified audit committee financial expert as defined by the SEC and a certified public accountant.

Price’s career includes senior-level finance, general management, and strategy roles based in New York, Boston, London, and Chicago in the retail, financial services, health care, and consumer packaged goods industries.

Price earned her MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Chicago and her BSc in Accountancy from DePaul University.

Price and her family live in Manhattan and on Martha’s Vineyard, where she enjoys painting and outdoor activities.

Mark Turner

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of WSFS Financial Corporation and WSFS Bank

Mark A. Turner, has been President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of WSFS Financial Corporation and WSFS Bank since 2007. Mr. Turner was previously both the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of WSFS. Prior to joining WSFS in 1996, he worked at CoreStates Bank, Meridian Bancorp and at the international professional services firm of KPMG, LLP. WSFS is a multi-billion dollar, publicly-traded financial organization (NASDAQ:WSFS), the largest bank and trust company headquartered in Delaware and the Delaware Valley, and the 7th oldest bank in the U.S. Mr. Turner is privileged to be leading a Company that has been named by an independent survey as a “Top Workplace” in Delaware for the last 11 years in a row (with special recognitions for the Company’s leadership, ethics, and career development), and has also been voted as the “#1 Bank” in Delaware for six years in a row.

Mr. Turner received his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, his Master’s Degree in Executive Leadership from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Management from LaSalle University (Philadelphia). Among other executive leadership programs, Mr. Turner has studied at National Training Labs, Aspen Institute, Gallup University, Toyota University, Center for Creative Leadership, UC Berkeley, and Buckley School for Public Speaking.

Mr. Turner is an active leader in his community. He has served as: Chairman of the Board of Delaware Business Roundtable (DBRT); a member of U.S. Federal Reserve Board’s Advisory Council; Chairman of the Board of Delaware Bankers Association (DBA); a member of Executive Committee of the Board of Delaware State Chamber of Commerce (DSCC); a member of the Board of Trustees of Delaware State University (DSU); a member of the Board of Directors of Delaware Alliance for Non-Profit Advancement (DANA); a member of the Board of Advisors of Teach for America (TFA), Delaware; and a founding member of both Delaware Talent Live (DTL) and Wilmington Leaders Alliance (WLA).

Corporate Governance: Essentials for a New Business Era prepares executives with diverse backgrounds who aspire to join a board or wish to enhance their knowledge for ongoing board service. This program offers a wide-ranging look at what constitutes successful board service in the current climate with a focus on the fiduciary duties of directors, strategies for filling and seeking board seats, and navigating the politics of board service.

This program is ideal for:

• Senior-level women or minority executives who aspire to board service or have recently joined a board
• C-suite executives including general counsels, chief technology officers, chief financial officers, chief human resource officers, chief risk officers, and chief sustainability officers
• Partner-level attorneys in law firms with experience in corporate investigations, mergers/acquisitions, and compliance
• Leaders of major nonprofit organizations and academic institutions
• Board members who wish to become better informed and more productive in their role
• Members of governance and nominations committees seeking to diversify their boards
• Corporate secretaries
• Institutional investors

Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required for participation in Wharton Executive Education programs.

Group Enrollment

To further leverage the value and impact of this program, we encourage companies to send cross-functional teams of executives to Wharton. We offer group-enrollment benefits to companies sending four or more participants.

Michael Useem, PhD See Faculty Bio

Academic Director

William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management; Faculty Director, Center for Leadership and McNulty Leadership Program, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests: Catastrophic and enterprise risk management, corporate change and restructuring, leadership, decision making, governance

Mary-Hunter McDonnell, JD, PhD See Faculty Bio

Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor; Associate Professor of Management

Research Interests: Organizational theory (political sociology, institutional theory); nonmarket strategy; corporate governance; corporate misconduct and punishment

Peter Cappelli, DPhil See Faculty Bio

George W. Taylor Professor of Management; Director, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Human-resource practices, public policy related to employment, talent and performance management

Emilie Feldman, PhD See Faculty Bio

Michael L. Tarnopol Professor; Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Corporate governance, corporate strategy, diversification, divestitures, firm scope, spinoffs, mergers and acquisitions

Witold Henisz, PhD See Faculty Bio

Vice Dean and Faculty Director, ESG Initiative; Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management in Honor of Russell E. Palmer, former Managing Partner

Research Interests: Political and social risk management; project management; ESG integration; stakeholder engagement

Nancy Rothbard, PhD See Faculty Bio

Deputy Dean; David Pottruck Professor; Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Emotion and identity, work motivation and engagement, work-life and career development

How does a diverse board of directors help increase organizational performance?

Companies with diverse boards (in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, professional experience, and other factors) — and who work to benefit from  that diversity — have been shown to have higher than average ROI, have better than average growth, and pay higher dividends to stockholders. They can better monitor senior leaders, challenge the status quo, be more innovative, and provide more agile leadership in the face of change and disruptions. Diverse boards tend to be more aware of market trends and take steps to improve the company’s brand and overall reputation. They also tend to acknowledge a wider variety of risks and thus are more risk-averse.

How do you measure board diversity? Are there different methods that different companies use to measure it?

Diversity laws that mandate a specific number or percentage of women directors were first passed in Europe (Norway was first in 2003). By 2018, they extended to the United States: California and Illinois have diversity laws, and Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey are currently drafting them. Most of these laws, like those in Europe, focus solely on gender diversity.

Companies are also now facing pressure from institutional and activist investors, as well as social movements, to improve board diversity, but standards for measuring that diversity range widely. Most firms must define and benchmark progress toward diversity for themselves.

What are the qualities of a good board member?

A good board member should bring unique perspectives and sources of information and be willing to share them. They are honest and ethical, exercise discretion, and are cooperative with and respectful of their fellow directors. Good directors are also forward thinking, actively considering new issues to monitor that could become problematic for the firm in the future.

What skills do you need to be a board member?

Directors must be knowledgeable about and able to participate meaningfully in the duties their board is charged with. Those include making strategic decisions about mergers and acquisitions, CEO succession, executive compensation, and other high-level issues. Board members should possess strong critical thinking skills, awareness of the industry and positioning the company within it, and leadership experience. Business acumen in areas such as finance, operations, technology, and marketing is required of the board as a whole, but not every member needs expertise in each area.

What role does the board of directors play in corporate governance?

Corporate governance makes managers accountable to the best interests of their firm. The board acts as the intermediary, monitoring and guiding the firms’ senior leaders. In the United States, because shareholders typically do not own a very large block of shares in a company, the board plays a crucial role in representing those shareholders’ interests by actively working on their behalf.

How does corporate governance affect the image of the company?

Boards that actively monitor senior leadership and that maintain a level of independence can help safeguard a firm’s reputation by preventing or rectifying potentially disastrous situations. Many well-known company failures, such as Enron’s and recent #MeToo-related debacles, can be linked to failures in corporate governance.

Why is board composition important in corporate governance?

A board has to effectively decide on and implement a number of critical, diverse strategic tasks. Those include hostile takeovers, capital allocation strategy, and executive compensation and succession. To perform optimally, the board's composition must match the skill sets needed.

Download the program schedule , including session details and format.

Hotel Information

Fees for on-campus programs include accommodations and meals. Prices are subject to change.

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Program on Corporate Governance

Predoctoral Corporate Governance Fellowships

The Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School (HLS) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications from highly qualified candidates who are interested in working with the Program as pre-doctoral fellows/associates.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis, and the start date is flexible. Appointments are commonly for one year, but, contingent on business and funding, the appointment period can be extended for an additional one-year period.

The positions are especially fitting for individuals who seek to develop themselves professionally in advance of pursuing graduate degrees such as Ph.D. or JD.

Candidates should have completed an undergraduate degree by the start of their appointment. Some graduate coursework and/or work experience would be a plus but are not required.

During the term of their appointment, fellows/associates will be in residence at HLS and will be required to work on research and other tasks of the Program, depending on their interests, skills, experience, and Program needs. The position includes a competitive salary and Harvard University benefits.

Interested candidates should submit a CV, transcripts, a writing sample if available, and a cover letter to the coordinator of the Program, at  programcoordinator@corpgov. law.harvard.edu . The cover letter should describe the candidate’s reasons for seeking the position, career plans, and the period during which they would like to work with the Program. The CV should indicate the candidate’s research work experience and computer skills.

Postdoctoral and Doctoral Corporate Governance Fellowships

The Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School (HLS) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications from highly qualified candidates who are interested in working with the Program as Post-Doctoral or Doctoral Corporate Governance Fellows.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis, and the start date is flexible and can be negotiated based on applicant and Program needs. Appointments are commonly for one year, but the appointment period can be extended for additional one-year period/s contingent on business and funding.

Candidates should have a law degree from a law school in the United States or abroad. Candidates still pursuing a doctoral degree are eligible so long as they will have completed their program’s coursework requirements by the time they begin their fellowship period.

During the term of their appointment, Fellows will be in residence at HLS and will be required to work on research and other activities of the Program, depending on their skills, interests, and Program needs. The position includes a competitive fellowship salary and Harvard University benefits. Fellows will also be able to spend time on their own projects.

Applicants should have an interest in corporate governance and in academic or policy research in this field. Former Fellows of the Program currently teach in many leading law schools in the U.S. and abroad (e.g., Scott Hirst (BU), Robert Jackson (NYU), Marcel Kahan (NYU), Kobi Kastiel (Tel-Aviv), Yaron Nili (Duke), Roberto Tallarita (Harvard) and Holger Spamann (Harvard)).

Interested candidates should submit a CV, a writing sample, and a cover letter to the coordinator of the Program, at programcoordinator@corpgov. law.harvard.edu . The cover letter should describe the candidate’s experience, reasons for seeking the position, career plans, and the period during which they would like to work with the Program.

Post-Doctoral Corporate Governance Fellowships For Finance, Economics, and Accounting Researchers

The Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School (HLS) is seeking applications for Corporate Governance Fellowships from highly qualified candidates with graduate training in finance, economics, or accounting.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis, and the start date is flexible. Appointments are for one year but the appointment period can be extended for additional one-year period/s (contingent on business needs and funding as are other Program positions).

Candidates should have completed a Ph.D., or a substantial part of their work towards it, in finance, economics, or accounting, have significant experience in empirical research, and have an interest in corporate governance.

During the term of their appointment, Fellows will be in residence at HLS. They will be required to devote part of their time to work on research projects of the Program, depending on their skills, interests, and Program needs. Fellows will also be able to spend significant time on their own projects. The position will provide a competitive fellowship salary and Harvard University benefits.

Interested candidates should submit a CV, graduate program transcripts, any research papers they have written, and a cover letter to the coordinator of the Program, at [email protected] . The cover letter should describe the candidate’s experience, reasons for seeking the position, career plans, and the period during which they would like to work with the Program.

Knowledge Partners

HLS Faculty & Senior Fellows

• Lucian Bebchuk
• Robert Clark
• John Coates
• Stephen M. Davis
• Allen Ferrell
• Jesse Fried
• Oliver Hart
• Howell Jackson
• Kobi Kastiel
• Reinier Kraakman
• Mark Ramseyer
• Robert Sitkoff
• Holger Spamann
• Leo E. Strine, Jr.
• Guhan Subramanian
• Roberto Tallarita

Program Advisory Board

• William Ackman
• Peter Atkins
• Kerry E. Berchem
• Richard Brand
• Daniel Burch
• Arthur B. Crozier
• Renata J. Ferrari
• John Finley
• Carolyn Frantz
• Andrew Freedman
• Byron Georgiou
• Joseph Hall
• Jason M. Halper
• David Millstone
• Theodore Mirvis
• Maria Moats
• Erika Moore
• Morton Pierce
• Philip Richter
• Elina Tetelbaum
• Marc Trevino
• Steven J. Williams
• Daniel Wolf

The Darden Ph.D. Program

Ph.d. - strategy, ethics & entrepreneurship, strategy, ethics & entrepreneurship.

Darden's Strategy, Ethics & Entrepreneurship (SEE) Ph.D. Program connects these three fields of study. We bring a unique Darden perspective to creating and sustaining value - not only for the firm, but for stakeholders associated with the firm and for the society within which the firm operates.

Students in the SEE Ph.D. Program will be mentored by some of the leading business faculty in the world. Darden's SEE faculty through in-depth research and practical experience, integrate powerful theoretical concepts with rigorous, state-of-the-art methods. We push students, scholars and managers to rethink taken-for granted mental models and uncover promising new possibilities.

• The design of new sources of value creation including new products, new ventures, new markets and even new opportunities
• Sustaining, growing and sharing value over the lifecycle of firms
• Learning to weave together values, value creation and strategic innovation within a distinctive way of thinking about business and the role it plays within society

While emphasis is placed on the intersection of these topics, students will choose one of three tracks:

Strategy equips students with the framework, concepts and tools required to think strategically about the total enterprise and lead the creation of new futures. We focus on how to create value for customers, analyze industry structure and identify sources of uniqueness and competitive advantage. To this, Darden adds a unique focus on innovation, governance, organic growth, and sustainability.

Ethics enables students to reason about the role of ethics in business in a complex, dynamic and global environment. Business and ethics, when rightly understood, are things that tend to go together rather than forces that are fundamentally at odds: business can be viewed as how we live out our values in connection with others - and as dynamics that can foster better and richer forms of cooperation. Darden stands out as a place known for work on stakeholder theory, American pragmatism and the role of ethics in business.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is not just about starting companies, but about developing the entrepreneurial mindset: doing more with less as well as doing more with what you have. Key concepts here include idea generation, prototype development, obtaining funding, team building, business planning and risk management. To these, Darden adds entrepreneurial expertise and effectual logic and market-based solution for social issues.

Ming-Jer Chen

Leslie e. grayson professor of business administration; areas of expertise: competitive dynamics, ambicultural strategy, and global strategy and competition.

Yo-Jud Cheng

Assistant professor of business administration; areas of expertise: corporate governance, strategic leadership, ceo succession, top management teams.

Gregory B. Fairchild

Isidore horween research associate professor of business administration; areas of expertise: entrepreneurship, business strategy, business ethics, leadership.

R. Edward Freeman

Elis and signe olsson professor of business administration; areas of expertise: business ethics, stakeholder theory, stakeholder capitalism, pragmatism.

Jared D. Harris

Associate professor of business administration; areas of expertise: business ethics, corporate governance, interfirm trust.

Assistant Professor of Business Administration; Areas of Expertise: Competitive Strategy, Nonmarket Strategy, Corporate Strategy, Core Strategy

Lauren Kaufmann

Assistant professor of business administration; areas of expertise: business ethics, business & society, social entrepreneurship, impact investing, feminist theory.

Assistant Professor of Business Administration; Organizational Networks, Collaborative Strategy, Healthcare Delivery, Decentralized Organizations (e.g. blockchain-based)

Michael Lenox

Tayloe murphy professor of business administration; areas of expertise: business strategy, corporate innovation, sustainability, environmental entrepreneurship, digital transformation.

Jeanne M. Liedtka 

United technologies corporation professor of business administration; areas of expertise: leading growth, design thinking, corporate innovation.

Bidhan "Bobby" L. Parmar 

Assistant professor of business administration; areas of expertise: decision making and ambiguity, business ethics and leadership, collaboration, stakeholder management.

Saras D. Sarasvathy

Paul m. hammaker professor of business administration; areas of expertise: entrepreneurship, cognitive science, behavioral economics.

Scott A. Snell

Frank m. sands sr. professor of business administration; areas of expertise: strategic management, strategy execution, talent management.

Andrew C. Wicks

Ruffin professor of business administration; areas of expertise: business ethics, stakeholder theory and value creation, stakeholder responsibility, managerial mindset and responsible leadership.

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Ethics & Legal Studies

Wharton’s phd program in ethics and legal studies is unique: the only doctoral program in the world to focus on ethical and legal norms relevant to individual and organizational decision-making within business..

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton trains students in the fields of ethics and law in business. Students are encouraged to combine this work with investigation of related fields, including Philosophy, Law, Psychology, Management, Finance, and Marketing. Students take a core set of courses in the area of ethics and law in business, together with courses in an additional disciplinary concentration such as management, philosophy/ethical theory, finance, marketing, or accounting. Our program size and flexibility allow students to tailor their program to their individualized research interests and to pursue joint degrees with other departments across Wharton and Penn. Resources for current Ph.D. students can be found at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/doctoral-inside/ .

Our world-class faculty take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for the academic profession. Faculty work closely with students to help them develop their own distinctive academic interests. Our curriculum crosses many disciplinary boundaries. Faculty and student intellectual interests include a range of topics such as:

• Philosophy & Ethics : • philosophical business ethics • normative political philosophy • rights theory • theory of the firm •  philosophy of law • philosophy of punishment & coercion • philosophy of deception and fraud • philosophy of blame and complicity • climate change ethics • effective altruism • integrative social contracts theory • corporate moral agency
• Law & Legal Studies : • law and economics • corporate penal theory • constitutional law • bankruptcy • corporate governance • corporate law • financial regulation • administrative law • empirical legal studies • blockchain and law • antitrust law • environmental law and policy • corporate criminal law • corruption • negotiations.
• Behavioral Ethics : • neuroscience and business ethics • moral psychology • moral beliefs and identity • moral deliberation • perceptions of corporate identity

Our program prepares graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools and law schools. We have an excellent record of tenure-track placements, including Carnegie Mellon University, Notre Dame University, and George Washington University.  Click here to see our placements .

Sample Schedule

Core Courses

In addition to the Wharton Doctoral course requirements, the student’s four-course unit core in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department consists of two required doctoral seminars, LGST 9200 Ethics in Business and Economics, and LGST 9210 Foundations of Business Law. The remaining two LGST courses may be selected from a list of LGST courses that the faculty coordinator has approved.

Students without basic law courses will be required to take LGST 1010 in their first semester. Students will take LGST courses, other than Ph.D. seminars, under an independent study number, meet with the instructor periodically outside class, and write a paper. These requirements should be satisfied through courses taught by members of the LGST standing faculty, though exceptions will be made in special circumstances. The requirements may be adjusted for students with law degrees.

Ethics and Law in Business Courses

Students must take four LGST courses, including these two core course seminars:

• Ethics in Business and Economics (LGST 9200)
• Foundations of Business Law (LGST 9210)

Major Disciplinary Cluster

The purpose of the cluster is to ground students in a single academic specialty other than Business Ethics. Clusters include the following:

Students must choose a disciplinary cluster during the first year, in consultation with a faculty advisor. Required courses may not be double-counted. For example, a student choosing Philosophy as the cluster may not use the two required courses in ethical theory as part of the five course cluster requirement.

Get the Details.

Visit the Ethics & Legal Studies website for details on program requirements and courses. Read faculty and student research and bios to see what you can do with an Ethics & Legal Studies PhD.

Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Coordinator Brian Berkey Associate Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Academic & Business Administrator Tamara English Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department Email: [email protected]

Corporate Governance: Maximize Your Effectiveness in the Boardroom

Drive strategic directions and succeed as a board member

Get Your Brochure

By clicking the button below, you agree to receive communications via Email/Call/WhatsApp/SMS from Wharton & Emeritus about this program and other relevant programs. Privacy Policy

Who is this program for?

The Corporate Governance: Maximize Your Effectiveness in the Boardroom program is designed to give participants a deeper understanding of corporate governance and help boost their effectiveness on a corporate board.

The program is ideal for:

Current board members and senior executives interested in joining a board  who want to understand the various aspects of proactive governance and help drive strategic direction, risk oversight and the establishment of compensation.

C-suite executives  looking to explore the duties and nuances of board service, help strengthen their company's financial return, enterprise risk management and governance diversity, and learn to effectively take on existing and emerging issues.

Attorneys engaged in legal services  who are seeking to learn the fundamentals of corporate governance from a variety of angles and how to assess the effectiveness and execution of governance roles and responsibilities.

Key Takeaways

Wharton’s  Corporate Governance  program explores the role, structure, and responsibilities of corporate governance to help you succeed as a board member. This program will enable you to:

Define the board’s role and responsibilities as well as characteristics of successful board leaders

Ensure proactive governance and learn how to prepare for potential risks

Recognize key considerations of compensation and succession planning

Define strategies for board members, executives, and other environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integrators to respond to conflicting demands and societal challenges to their organization

Plan for how to manage the competing interests of stakeholders and shareholders

Program Modules

Program experience.

Discussion Boards

Reflections

Industry Examples

Assignments

Live Office Hours

Try-it Activities

Self-Study Quizzes

This online program provides real-world learning examples to help you understand the realities of corporate governance in practice through the experiential lens of leading global brands.

Analyze Apple’s board demographics to understand the value of diversity in background, experience, and skill sets.

Understand the importance of board accountability and how a captive board can reduce oversight in governance via this example of Disney’s board being comprised of friends and acquaintances of its president, Michael Ovitz.

Understand the impact of non-market factors through this example of the pharmaceutical organization, Mylan.

See how some companies (Starbucks,in this case) take diversity to heart and the influence that a diverse board can have.

Recognize the impact of diversity in background, experience, and skill sets through an analysis of Wells Fargo’s board composition.

Corporate Governance Handbook

This program enables you to explore the processes and responsibilities that drive corporate governance. It also includes a handbook where you can reflect on the program content and how it can help you succeed in a board member role. Topics addressed in the handbook include:

Laying the groundwork:  Begin by drafting your director bio and exploring the importance of marketing yourself.

Conducting a personal skills audit:  Assess your professional background to help you understand your strengths and any critical gaps in your knowledge or experience for board positions you’re seeking.

Finding your director doppelganger:  Focus on strategically networking with directors who possess experience/characteristic profiles that are similar to yours, as they can help point you toward boards that are looking for a candidate with your profile.

Demonstrating your grit:  Be able to persuasively articulate your experience in crisis/adversity situations.

Completing a leadership style assessment:  Consider how your style informs the way you would manage various stakeholders, as well as which stakeholders you’re most comfortable interacting with and/or advocating for in the boardroom.

Putting the pieces together:  Define and characterize your personal guiding principles via a concise and effective board value statement.

Associate Professor of Management, Organizational Behavior, The Wharton School

Mary-Hunter McDonnell studies organizational behavior within challenging institutional contexts, such as contentious social environments and uncertain regulatory environments....

Guest Speaker

Partner, Mayer Brown

Sean McDonnell is a partner in Mayer Brown's Washington D.C. office and a member of the global Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. Previously, Sean was an Assistant Unit...

Testimonials

Certificate

Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a digital certificate of completion from the Wharton School.

Note: After successful completion of the online program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at  [email protected]  or  Schedule a call  with one of our Program Advisors or call us at  +1 680 205 5118  (US) /  +44 185 845 9995  (UK) /  +65 3135 1422  (SG)

Early registrations are encouraged. Seats fill up quickly!

Flexible payment options available. View payment plans

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• Wharton Online

Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton focuses on the study of ethics and law in business. It is designed to prepare graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools, and law schools.

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton trains students in the fields of ethics and law in business. Students are encouraged to combine this work with investigation of related fields, including Philosophy, Law, Psychology, Management, Finance, and Marketing. Students take a core set of courses in the area of ethics and law in business, together with courses in an additional disciplinary concentration such as management, philosophy/ethical theory, finance, marketing, or accounting. Our program size and flexibility allow students to tailor their program to their individualized research interests and to pursue joint degrees with other departments across Wharton and Penn. Resources for current Ph.D. students can be found at http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/doctoral-inside/ .

Our world-class faculty take seriously the responsibility of training graduate students for the academic profession. Faculty work closely with students to help them develop their own distinctive academic interests. Our curriculum crosses many disciplinary boundaries. Faculty and student intellectual interests include a range of topics such as:

• Philosophy & Ethics : • philosophical business ethics • normative political philosophy • rights theory • theory of the firm •  philosophy of law • philosophy of punishment & coercion • philosophy of deception and fraud • philosophy of blame and complicity • climate change ethics • effective altruism • integrative social contracts theory • corporate moral agency
• Law & Legal Studies : • law and economics • corporate penal theory • constitutional law • bankruptcy • corporate governance • corporate law • financial regulation • administrative law • empirical legal studies • blockchain and law • antitrust law • environmental law and policy • corporate criminal law • corruption • negotiations.
• Behavioral Ethics : • neuroscience and business ethics • moral psychology • moral beliefs and identity • moral deliberation • perceptions of corporate identity.

Contact & Resources

Brian Berkey, Faculty Coordinator

Tamara English, Academic & Business Administrator [email protected]

Prospective Students View the Legal Studies Ph.D. FAQ or Visit Wharton

Current Ph.D. Students

Ethics & Legal Studies Career Placements

All Wharton PhD Placements

Our program prepares graduates for tenure-track careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools and law schools. We have an excellent record of tenure-track placements, including Carnegie Mellon University, Notre Dame University, and George Washington University.  Click here to see our placements .

Students enter the program from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds, including undergraduate degrees in business, philosophy, pre-law, psychology, and sociology. Some students have earned master degrees or law degrees prior to admission. Prior coursework in ethics, law, social sciences, or philosophy is considered a plus, although no formal credentials in any one of these areas is a prerequisite.

Course of Study

The course of study for the Ph.D. requires the completion of sixteen graduate course units, including two core doctoral seminars as well as two core courses in statistics. Some graduate-level credit from courses at other universities may transfer to Wharton. The expected time required to complete the degree is five years. Students receive tuition waivers, health insurance, and an annual living stipend. Students are expected to play an active and engaged role in the department’s and the University of Pennsylvania’s scholarly community while pursuing their degree, and as such, they are expected to be resident in the local area as they progress through the program.

Academic Enrichment

The Department regularly hosts junior and senior scholars from around the world for talks, lunches, and seminars. Doctoral students are encouraged to take full advantage of these opportunities.

The Legal Studies & Business Ethics Seminar Series features speakers from various areas of law and business ethics.  A wide range of recent topics includes Coin-Operated Capitalism, Paying People to Take Health Risks, The Curious Case of Social Enterprise Law, and Assigning Blame in the Wake of the Financial Crisis.

The Zicklin Center Normative Business Ethics Workshop Series provides a regular forum for scholars working on business ethics from a normative perspective.  A wide range of recent topics includes the Ethics of Big Data in Genomics, Boycotting the Boycott, a Reflection on the Duty of Charity Within Shareholder Theory, and Workplace Sexual Harassment as Sex Discrimination.

Current PhD Students

Chris Hughes 1st year Ph.D. Student

Chris Hughes is a Senior Fellow at the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School and the co-founder and chair of the Economic Security Project. His research focuses on contemporary issues in progressive political economy, including the history of central banking, antimonopoly policy, guaranteed income studies, and tax policy. Hughes is currently writing a book on the history of American economic governance entitled  Marketcrafting: How the Visible Hand Shapes the Economy  to be published in 2025 by Simon and Schuster. His first book,  Fair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn , was published by St Martin’s Press in 2018.

Hughes has a masters in Economics from The New School of Social Research and graduated from Harvard  magna cum laude  with a bachelors in History and Literature. He was a co-founder of Facebook and directed Barack’s Obama’s digital organizing efforts in 2008. A former member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Hughes chairs the board of the Brooklyn-based Foundation for Community Psychoanalysis, and serves on the boards of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Washington Square Park Conservancy.

Michaela Lobo 3rd year Ph.D. Student

I majored in business administration during my undergraduate degree, following which I was involved in brand marketing and corporate responsibility for the Estée Lauder Companies. During my bachelor’s degree and my time in the corporate world, I had a growing interest in morality and, more specifically, how ethics should apply within the context of business. This led me to pursue an MLitt in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews and, currently, the Ethics and Legal Studies PhD at Wharton.

During my search for doctoral programs, I was looking for something very specific: a program that would allow me to ask philosophical questions about business organisations, how they should be operated, how their members should behave, and so on. Unlike traditional programs at philosophy or business departments, Wharton’s LGST PhD is unique in that the aim is to prepare students to become academics in business ethics itself. I valued the opportunity to build foundations in business, economics, philosophy, and law. Additionally, I appreciated that we would simultaneously hone skills in our preferred methodology and dive deeper into areas of research we find most interesting. I was fortunate to interact with some of the faculty members and current students one-on-one and via the Zicklin Center’s workshops (enabled by the shift from in-person to the Zoom room). These interactions allowed me to discover first-hand the fantastic academic culture of the department and its members’ passion for normative business ethics.

I would advise prospective students to first focus on themselves: What ideas are you constantly thinking about? What types of questions are you eager to explore and have answered? And, in what ways do you like solving these puzzles? Next, find the department and set of faculty that can best support you in asking these questions, finding ways to solve them, and, eventually, discovering answers to them!

Alessio Salviato 1st year Ph.D. Student

Alessio Salviato joined the PhD program in Legal Studies and Business Ethics in 2023, after having completed his BA in Management at University of Padua (UniPd) and a two-years MPhil in Philisophy at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (UniSr), where he is currently finishing his PhD in Ethics. Before the PhD, he worked as a corporate social responsibility strategist in a multinational company. He is a member of the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) and the International Society of Business, Economics and Ethics (ISBEE).

He is interested in corporate moral responsibility; corporations and politics; and philosophical arguments for and against capitalism.

Guilherme Siqueira de Carvalho 4th year Ph.D. Student

I was drawn to studying and researching the vicious cycle of systemic corruption since 2014 with a particular and growing interest in the nuances of the relationship between businesses and corruption. The interdisciplinary approach, the world-class faculty, and the overall academic design of the Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton provide the ideal setting for pursuing that interest and will enable me to approach his subject of study from multiple angles.

Yifan Wang 1st year Ph.D. Student

My main research interests lie in moral psychology and applied political philosophy in the context of free markets.

I studied political philosophy and double majored in statistics in college. After graduation, I worked in the industry of economic consulting and served as a staff to expert witnesses who testified in court about economic issues related to antitrust and class action lawsuits. My interest in corporations and market phenomena sprung during that period. Later, I pursued an MA in philosophy at Georgia State, where I studied market phenomena related to emergent technologies such as sustainable brands and state surveillance embedded in markets. In the future, I hope to hone into some of these topics.

Meanwhile, I am drawn to moral psychology, especially emotion-based approaches to moral motivations and moral decision-making. At the LGST Ph.D. program, I plan to further study corporate organization so that I can apply theories in moral psychology to better understand how people make decisions of moral significance in their everyday practice inside corporations.

Olamide Williams 3rd year Ph.D. Student

Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a public emphasis on the ethical responsibility of the economic and financial policy-making agencies that oversee the financial system. I hope to explore methodological approaches to ethics and critically apply that to economic and financial policymaking, particularly during crisis time. Wharton not only offers the ethical foundation for my research on what responsibility, if any, such agencies have towards economic participants, but a faculty who will engage and are well versed in the economic, legal, and policy questions that arise along the way. I am confident that as my research evolves, Wharton’s interdisciplinary nature and faculty will offer expert guidance in whatever direction I go.

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Postgraduate Courses in Governance in the USA - 8 Courses

George washington university law school.

• Government Procurement Law
• Government Procurement and Environmental Law

Albany Law School Albany Law School

• Government Administration and Regulation LLM
• Government Affairs and Advocacy MSc

Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

• Tribal Policy, Law and Government

University of Connecticut School of Law

• Intellectual Property and Information Governance

Ohio Northern University College of Law

• Democratic Governance and Rule of Law

Stanford University Law School

• Corporate Governance and Practice

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Executive Education in Corporate Governance

The Corporate Governance Research Initiative offers intensive learning experiences in areas related to corporate governance.

Directors’ Consortium

Offered by Stanford GSB, this program combines powerful ideas and strategic insights to deliver an executive learning experience for board directors and board members.

Directors’ College

Offered by the Rock Center for Corporate Governance, this program is the nation’s premier executive education program for directors and senior executives of publicly traded firms.

Rock Center Program for Journalists: A Primer in Corporate Governance

This program brings together a group of Media Fellows, selected from leading writers in business and finance, to attend an educational and networking event in New York City. The program focuses on corporate governance fundamentals, financial services reform, executive compensation, succession planning, corporate finance, and accounting.

Stanford Centers

See also Corporate Governance

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