Choosing the right PhD program
When choosing a PhD program, you have three important questions to ask:
Is the program focused enough for me to pursue the research that interests me?
Will I have meaningful interaction with faculty who will take an active role in my development?
Does the program have a record of placing graduates in tenure-track positions at quality colleges and universities, or executive-level positions in industry?
For all of Tippie’s PhD programs, the answer to those three questions is “yes.”
Fields of study
Tippie’s nationally recognized PhD programs are small and collegial to maximize mentoring opportunities and research collaboration among students and faculty. Your program will be led by some of the most productive and respected scholars in their fields. And Tippie's graduates have gone on to teach and conduct research at some of the world’s leading universities. Choose from six areas of study.
PhD in Accounting
Strong placements, faculty mentorship, and the opportunity to work with some of the best researchers in the field.
PhD in Economics
Designed to prepare students to conduct research in economics.
PhD in Finance
Working side by side with researchers in finance and teaching in the classroom prepares you for work in this dynamic field.
PhD in Management
Students have the opportunity to collaborate with the highly respected faculty from this department and enjoy strong placements in academia.
PhD in Business Analytics
Tippie's PhD in Business Analytics is one of the leading doctoral programs in the field. The STEM-designated PhD program has specializations in information systems, quantitative methods, and operations management.
PhD in Marketing
The increase in consumer data provides great fodder for students in the Marketing PhD Program. Placements are both in industry and academia.
Resourced and supported
It's true—PhD programs can be tough. Research and publication is often an exercise in tenacity, accepting failed submissions, and endless revise and resubmit requests. You might work the better part of a decade on a single research paper before it sees publication.
You can't get through a top-tier PhD program as a lone wolf. You need many sets of hands holding you up, pushing you onward when you really want to throw in the towel. You need access to the best minds, the deepest journal databases, and the most supportive advisors and mentors. That's where we shine. We attract top research talent and devote our time to making sure you have the resources you need to get things done.
PhD writing support
The Frank Business Communication Center provides summer writing support and instruction to Tippie PhD students after their first or second year in their PhD program. Students learn writing strategies to maintain research relevance and rigor without excessive use of jargon. The course addresses clarity, brevity, and the role of narrative in creating a coherent and readable paper.
During the final two weeks of the session students also practice delivering 2-3 minute “elevator pitch” presentations of their research to academics in and outside their discipline to refine expressing the relevance of their research to a potential hiring committee.
Iowa City: fun and family friendly
PhD programs are four to five years in residence. Spend those years in one of the greatest university towns in the country. Food, music, culture, Big Ten sports, parks, and plenty to keep you and/or the family busy. With a close-knit community where everything is a short walk or a bus ride away, being part of Iowa City is hard to beat.
Research that speaks for itself
Tippie College of Business faculty produce research that intersects some of the most salient issues of our time, including healthcare, gender in business, social responsibility, and sustainability. Publishing relevant, accessible, actionable research contributes to the university’s impact as a Tier 1 research institution.
In a 2020 Stanford University study, 13 Tippie faculty were identified as the most impactful global researchers—within the top two percent of their academic subfields.