About Our Program

At Johnson, we prepare our PhD candidates to lead in this dynamic intellectual landscape.

Our doctoral program is geared primarily toward highly motivated, self-directed individuals interested in a career in university teaching and research. The majority of graduates pursue the scholarly advancement of their fields at top business schools. Current starting salaries range from $150,000 to $250,000, and the demand is strong: Johnson graduates typically choose from several offers at major universities.

The Johnson doctoral program combines the best of theory and practice, building on a three-pronged foundation:

• A focus on reality-based education creatively fuses innovative research with hands-on experience.
• Candidates devise their own course of study, with guidance from a faculty committee, and undertake in-depth study in one of six primary areas: accounting, economics, finance, marketing, management and organizations (organizational behavior), and operations, technology & information management (production and operations management).
• Candidates can draw on the vast array of graduate-level courses throughout Cornell, including those offered by the ILR School, the Nolan School, the College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Law School.