1. Who should consider applying to the Ph.D. program in Organizational Behavior?
Our Ph.D. program is a full-time, residential program based on our Ithaca campus and typically takes five years to complete. The program is oriented toward training future professors who will do academic research and teach at research universities.
2. How does an Organizational Behavior Ph.D. fit into the ILR School’s doctoral program?
Organizational Behavior (OB) is a concentration within the ILR School’s doctoral program alongside two other concentrations – Global Labor & Work (GLAW) and Human Resources (HR). The current roster of doctoral students in each concentration can be found on our ILR Ph.D. students page.
Students concentrating in OB will work closely with their faculty advisor and will engage regularly with other faculty members and doctoral students in departmental workshops and seminars. Doctoral students will also have the opportunity to connect with faculty and students in other ILR departments through coursework, research presentations, and collaborations based on students’ areas of interest.
3. What does the typical five-year path through the program look like?
Students typically spend their first two years in the program completing coursework and gaining hands-on research experience through close collaboration with faculty. During this time, they develop foundational knowledge in their area of study and begin contributing to ongoing research projects. By the end of the second year, students submit a second-year paper, demonstrating their ability to design and lead a research project.
In the third year, the focus shifts toward more independent work. Students develop a dissertation proposal that sets the stage for the research they will carry out in their remaining time in the program. Over the course of the program, students have regular opportunities to present their research within the department, as well as at externally at academic conferences.
4. What coursework do Organizational Behavior doctoral students take?
Students with a concentration in Organizational Behavior typically take seminars in Micro and Macro Human Resource Management, Micro and Macro Organizational Behavior, and Research Methods. Additionally, students take courses in statistics and research methods and additional content-based seminars based on their individual areas of interest. In previous years students have taken seminars on creativity, social networks, etc. As Ithaca-based Cornell graduate students, our doctoral students have access to all of the resources of the entire university and can take classes in any department. Typically students take relevant courses at the Johnson School of Business.
5. Where have graduates of the program placed as faculty members?
Graduates of the program typically obtain faculty positions at research universities.
6. How do I apply? What are the application requirements?
We use a centralized admissions process in which all ILR doctoral program applications are submitted and processed through the ILR Graduate Office. Admissions decisions are then made collectively within each academic department in ILR. Individual faculty members do not make admissions decisions.
Application requirements and a link to submit your application for the doctoral program in ILR can be found here. Within the application system, you will indicate the primary academic department within ILR to which you are applying.
7. How competitive are admissions decisions? What sets competitive applicants apart?
Admission to our program is quite competitive. Each year, we receive many strong applications, but we admit only a small number of students whose interests closely align with the expertise of our faculty.
In evaluating applications, we consider a combination of factors, including research experience, academic preparation, and fit with our program. Successful applicants typically demonstrate an excellent record of previous research experiences (e.g., prior research assistantships, lab manager posts, completion of a senior or Master’s thesis, independent study), academic achievement, strong test scores, enthusiastic letters of recommendation, a clear and well-articulated statement of purpose that connects the applicant’s research interests to the work of our faculty and a genuine curiosity about employee- and organization-related issues.
8. Is funding available for admitted students?
Admitted doctoral students are fully funded, meaning their tuition is paid by the university and they are granted a modest living stipend in exchange for ~15 hours/week of work as a teaching assistant or research assistant:
9. Do I need to secure the commitment of a faculty advisor before applying to the program?
Students do not need to secure a faculty member to serve as their advisor before applying to the program. In fact, as part of our admissions process, we ask multiple faculty members to commit to advising a student to ensure that the student will have adequate and uninterrupted support during their time in the program. Given that these advising arrangements and admissions decisions are made collectively, individual faculty members will not commit in advance to serve as an applicant’s advisor prior to the admissions decision.
10. Who are the faculty members involved in the Organizational Behavior doctoral program? What are their areas of research?
All of the tenure-track faculty in Organizational Behavior are involved in our doctoral program. Our faculty study a range of topics, including creativity, diversity & inclusion, inequality, judgement and decision making, negotiations, performance assessment, social movements, social hierarchy and social influence. Additional information on individual faculty members’ research can be found on their individual faculty pages via the link above.
11. Who can I contact for more information?
For additional information about admissions requirements or the application process, you can contact the ILR Graduate Office (ilrgradapplicant@cornell.edu).