16.11.2009
Business PhD Applications on the Rise
A weak job market has many contemplating PhDs and faculty jobs. Will the business school faculty shortage be a thing of the past? There is a growing wave of professionals who are leaving the crisis-stricken business world behind for an academic career. Applications are up substantially this year at many top business PhD programs, with some business schools reporting jumps in applications as high as 40%. Reasons for that are professionals fleeing a weak job market, coupled with undergraduates bypassing the job market entirely by continuing their studies. Meanwhile, organizations like the PhD Project say more people than ever before are expressing interest in their programs and annual conference, which attracted the largest number of participants in the organization's 15-year history this fall. It's an encouraging sign for the world of management education, where a looming faculty shortage has had B-school deans worried for years. Those who have been thinking about getting a PhD are not wasting any time exploring their options. Potential PhD students were out in full force this fall at the PhD Project's annual conference in Chicago last November, where attendees mingled with professors and deans from nearly 100 business schools around the country. The conference usually attracts around 330 people, but this year 832 people applied, about 534 of whom were invited to attend. More information: businessweek.com |
