Ph.D. in Operations
Ph.D. Operations Management concentration
The Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Operations Management program trains students for research careers as professors. As a doctoral operations management student, you will be working with faculty who are outstanding researchers, have work published in the field's top journals, and who have extensive experience successfully advising doctoral students.
The areas of study include supply chain management, revenue management, manufacturing and service operations, production and inventory systems, healthcare and sustainability. The main tools include optimization, game theory, probability and statistics. For successful completion of the program, students must have a strong background in mathematics.
Application Information
The UCR School of Business only accepts Ph.D. applications every few years. The Operations area is accepting Ph.D. applications for a program start in Fall 2028. Applications will be open in late 2027, due in January 2028.
Program Outline
The following is a brief overview of the Ph.D. in Operations Management program and its requirements. More details can be found in the Ph.D. handbook. The average time for completion of the program is five years. A student’s duration in the program will be devoted to research, core curriculum coursework and teaching assistantships, if applicable.
The program generally follows a three-phase sequence:
1. Beginning research with supervision, core curriculum coursework and a teaching assistantship, if applicable.
2. Continuing research, qualifying examination and advancement to candidacy.
3. Final dissertation research, including data collection, write-up and defense of the dissertation.
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Requirements
A large portion of a student's time in this program will be devoted to this research. After completing coursework and passing the comprehensive exam, students are required to produce a dissertation containing original research. Students will complete this work under the close guidance of the operations area faculty, who are among the world’s leading scholars in operations management. For additional information on the faculty members, please visit the operations faculty website.
The average time for completion of the program is five years. Students who progress through the program at the expected pace are usually provided financial aid throughout all five years in the program. Financial aid generally consists of tuition plus income in the form of stipends or teaching assistantships.
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Sample Coursework
Required Research Methods Courses (7):
- ECON 200A-B Microeconomic Theory I, II
- MATH 209A-B Real Analysis I, II
- STAT 215 Stochastic Processes
- ECON205A-C Econometrics (or STAT201A-C Theory of Probability &Statistics)
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Field Seminars
Required Field Seminars (4):
- MGT 296E-H
- MGT 296E Dynamic Optimization
- MGT 296F Game Theory Models in Operations
- MGT 296G Pricing and Revenue Management
- MGT 296H Inventory and Supply Chain Management
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Other Research Courses
Other Research Courses (6):
- MATH 217 Theory of Probability (or STAT 210A)
- MATH 209C Real Analysis III
- MATH 228 Functional Analysis
- STAT 203 A-B-Bayesian Statistics I and II
- STAT 205 Discrete Data Analysis
- STAT 207 Statistical Computing
- STAT 210A-B Advanced Theory of Probability and Statistics
- ECON 244 Empirical Research Methods
- ECON 283J Uncertainty and Information
- ECON 283N Applications of Games and Information Economics
- EOCN 283Q Economics of Contract: Theory and Applications
- EE 231 Convex Optimization in Engineering Application