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• PhD Students

 

 

Marketing

Requirements 2007-2008

I. Preparation in Quantitative Methods

As preparation for the general program requirement, some marketing students, depending on their previous preparation, find it useful to complete the course below or equivalent in the summer prior to the first year or during the first year. Questions concerning what constitutes adequate preparation should be directed to the doctoral liaison.

Topic	Course Level	Preparation
Probability	STATS 116: Theory of Probability	ECON 270: Intermediate Econometrics I and other statistical courses
Mathematics	ECON 50M: Mathematical Preparation for Economics

Students specializing in quantitative marketing are expected to have adequate computer programming skills. Knowledge of the C++ computer language is sufficient. If students do not have adequate computer programming skills, they may learn this material on their own or take the Stanford Computer Science course CS106A "Programming Methodology.''

II. General Program Requirement (GPR)¹

All students are encouraged to fulfill the general program requirement during their first year of study, unless extensive remedial preparation in quantitative methods is necessary. Each course must be passed with a grade of P or B- or better. Interpretation of the LP grade will be determined on a case by case basis.

Note: Any changes to the General Program Requirement (GPR) or Field Course Requirement (FCR) will be "grandfathered." Students are responsible for fulfilling the requirements in place at the time they entered the program.

Courses

Economics Either take one of the following five courses: (revised Mar-07)
MGTECON 600: Microeconomic Analysis I or MGTECON 601: Microeconomic Analysis II or ECON 202: Core Economics I / or ECON 203: Core Economics III / or MS&E 241: Economic Analysis
Or take the following course: (revised Nov-06)
MGTECON 200: Managerial Economics
You must take the following courses:
GSBGEN 698: Practicum in Training
GSBGEN 699: Practicum in Research
Plus one of the following three courses:
HRMGT 302: Incentives and Productivity or ECON 149: The Firm in Theory and Practice or ECON 157: Imperfect Competition

 

Econometric Methods Take one of:
ECON 270: Intermediate Econometrics I / MGTECON 603: Econometric Methods or ECON 271: Intermediate Econometrics II / MGTECON 604: Econometric Methods II or GSBGEN 641: Advanced Empirical Methods or STATS 203: Regression Models and Analysis of Variance

 

Or take two of the following courses (preferably a sequence): (Revised Mar-07)
PSYCH 252: Statistical Methods of Behavioral and Social Sciences PSYCH 253: Statistical Theory, Models, and Methodology EDUC 251B: Statistical Analysis in Educational Research: Analysis of Variance EDUC 251C: Statistical Analysis in Educational Research: Applied Multivariate Analysis EDUC 257A or B: Statistical Methods for Behavioral and Social Sciences EDUC 257C: (same as SOC 257): Casual Inference in Quantitative Educational and Social Science Research
Organizational Behavior/Psychology Take one of:
OB 671: Social Psychology of Organizations or OB 672: Organizations and Environment or OB 676: Seminar on Social and Political Processes in Organizations or GSBGEN 646: Behavioral Decision Theory or PSYCH 212: Social Psychology

In rare cases, the Director of the PhD Program may waive a general program requirement for a student based on similar PhD-level coursework completed elsewhere.

III. Field Course Requirement

GSBGEN 640: Multivariate Data Analysis

MKTG 641: Behavioral Research in Marketing: Methodology1

MKTG 642: Behavioral Research in Marketing: Conceptual Foundations

MKTG 643: Quantitative Research in Marketing I

MKTG 644: Quantitative Research in Marketing II

¹ This course can be waived for quantitative students in Marketing.

Each course must be passed with a grade of P or B- or better. Interpretation of the LP grade will be determined on a case by case basis.

IV. First Year Field Examination

The marketing field examination is administered in late August or early September of the first year in the student's area of specialization, either behavioral or quantitative marketing. It is an open-book, open-notes exam that consists of four questions. The student is to work on the exam independently over five days.

V. Research Papers

The student is to prepare two research proposals in the second academic year: one during the months of October through February, to be submitted March 1; and the second during the months of March through July, to be submitted August 1. The student is allowed to collaborate with a faculty member on the papers, with the student's contribution being at least one-half. The student must work with a different faculty member on each paper unless there is a compelling reason (to be approved by the liaison) to allow collaboration with the same person on both. Overall evaluation of each paper will be judged by the collaborating faculty member and another faculty member as High Pass, Pass, Marginal, or Fail. This evaluation will take into account the student's strengths and weaknesses related to research, and whether the student evidences enough ability to continue in the program.

VI. Candidacy

Students who have completed the general program requirement, the field course requirements, the field examination, and the second-year research paper requirements are considered for admission to candidacy.

VII. Dissertation Research

The faculty strongly recommends against students entering the academic job market without first completing a thesis proposal acceptable to the dissertation chairperson.

VIII. Supplementary Requirements

Each student is expected to participate regularly in the weekly research seminars organized by the marketing faculty. The following programs are examples of possible course schedules; university scheduling of these courses may fluctuate across quarters.

IX. Example of a Course Schedule with a Quantitative Emphasis

First Year: Quantitative

Second Year¹: Quantitative

¹ During the second year, students usually take some elective courses and concentrate on the second-year research paper requirements.

X. Example of a Course Schedule with a Behavioral Emphasis

First Year: Behavioral

Second Year¹: Behavioral

¹ During the second year, students usually take some elective courses and concentrate on the second-year research paper requirements.

There are many other courses taken by PhD Students that are offered in departments outside the GSB, such as Computer Science, Economics, Management Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics. Descriptions of these course offerings can be found in the Stanford Bulletin, published by the Registrar's Office (650-725-1879).

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