Academic Departments - Supply Chain
Program Goal
The goal of this interdisciplinary program is to develop both research and teaching skills, preparing graduates for a successful academic career. Under the guidance of nationally recognized faculty, PhD students in supply chain management explore the foundations of economics, operations management, logistics, marketing, and information technology. PhD students are expected to conduct rigorous research publishable in the most esteemed journals of the field. With this in mind, each student is expected to produce a publishable research paper by the end of their second year of study.
Whitman’s supply chain management program is the first in the nation, established in 1919. The program is ranked 17th in Businessweek (2010) and 15th by the Princeton Review (2009). AMR Research (2009) ranks our program 9th overall and at the top in risk management.
Accepted candidates are expected to complete their studies within four years and pursue their academic careers in other academic institutions. While research is the most critical component of the doctoral studies in finding academic positions and successful career, candidates in the program are also trained and prepared for the teaching duty at their new institutions.
The Whitman School of Management is host to two globally recognized research centers in the field of supply chain management: The H.H. Franklin Center for Supply Chain Management and the R.H. Brethen Operations Management Institute. These two centers, in addition to the Whitman School of Management, provide financial and academic support for the doctoral students. Additional information on our program can be found here.
Program Requirements
The structure of the PhD program at the Whitman School of Management is comprised of major field coursework, supporting field coursework, and research methodology courses. Students begin a summer research project after the first year.
Major Field
Students take the following four seminar courses. Additional advanced graduate courses may be required, depending on the student's background.
- SCM 960 - Supply Chain Management Seminar I
- SCM 960 - Supply Chain Management Seminar II
- SCM 962 - Marketing and Supply Chain Models
- SCM 972 - Seminar on Distribution Channels
Supporting Field
A minimum of nine credit hours of PhD level coursework in a related supporting field is required. Students typically select economics/marketing as a supporting field. Example courses are listed below:
- MAR 960 - Marketing Seminar I
- MAR 960 - Marketing Seminar II
- ECN 601 - Survey of Microeconomic Theory
- ECN 611 - Microeconomics I (price theory)
- ECN 612 - Microeconomics II (game theory)
- ECN 621 - Econometrics I
- ECN 622 - Econometrics II
Research Methods
A minimum of 12 credit hours of advanced graduate level research methods courses must be completed. These will be determined in consultation with the major advisor.
Summer Research Project
Students begin a six credit hour summer research project during the summer following their first year in the program, and complete it by the end of the second year. The project is directed by a faculty mentor, with the aim of producing a paper of publishable quality. The final project is evaluated by the faculty mentor and one other faculty member in the major area.
Selected Faculty Publications
Fred Easton
“Schedule Recovery: Unplanned Absences in Service Operations,” 2005, Decision Sciences 36(3) 459-488, with J.C. Goodale.
Burak Kazaz
“Global Production Planning Under Exchange-Rate Uncertainty,” 2005, Management Science 51(7) 1101-1119, with M. Dada and H. Moskowitz.
Julie Niederhoff
“On the Benefits of Operational Flexibility in a Distribution Network with Transshipment,” 2010, Omega 39(3) 350-361, with Yu, D. and S.Y. Tang.
Pat Penfield
“The Potential Certified Wood Supply Chain Bottleneck and its Impact on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Construction Projects in New York State,” 2010, Forest Products Journal, with R.H. Germain.
Scott Webster
Principles of Supply Chain Management, 2009, 2nd edition, Dynamic Ideas, Belmont, MA.
Selected PhD Student Publications and Presentations
C.X. Wang
“A General Framework of Supply Chain Contract Models,” 2002, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal 7 302-310.
Heather Lutz
“The Application of Conjoint Analysis in Supply Chain Design,” 2006, 12th IFPSM Summer School on Advanced Purchasing Research.
“Supply Chain Initiatives: Motivation, Evaluation, and Company Performance,” 2007, 18th Annual North American Research/Teaching Symposium, with L. Birou.
Supriya Mitra
“Competitive Strategy in Remanufacturing and the Impact of Take-Back Laws,” 2007, Journal of Operations Management 25(6) 1123-1140, with S. Webster.
“Competition in Remanufacturing and the Effects of Government Subsidies,” 2008, International Journal of Production Economics 111(2) 287-298, with S. Webster.
Tim Noparumpa
“Production Planning Under Supply and Demand Uncertainty with Downward Substitution,” 2009, INFORMS National Conference, San Diego, CA., with B. Kazaz, S. Webster.
PhD Student Awards and Placements
Charles Wang, 2003. Received the Syracuse University Best Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2003. Accepted position as assistant professor at SUNY-Buffalo.
Supriya Mitra, 2006. Received the CSCMP Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2006. Accepted a position with Tata Consultancy Services in India
Sidong Zhang, 2008. Accepted a position as assistant professor and Kuehne Logistics Chair at the Sino-German Institute at Tongji University, Shanghai.
Heather Lutz, 2009. Accepted a position as assistant professor at Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis MN.
Dwayne Cole, 2011 (expected). Received the Betty F. Elliott Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Award in 2010 from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. |
