Brian Lowery, Professor of Organizational Behavior, talking with students. Credit: Elena Zukhova

Faculty Mentors

Our faculty members are uncompromisingly committed to student success

Sarah Soule, Professor of Sociology, teaches a classroom of students. | Elena Zhukova

Fields of Study

Students pursue an intensely focused, highly energized academic experience in their chosen discipline

Sarah Soule, Professor of Sociology, gives a lecture in class. Credit: Elena Zhukova

Thought Leaders

Recognized experts in their fields, our faculty continually publish groundbreaking research

PhD students having coffee together

Living and Learning Together

Our collaborative culture enables students to support one another, and most students live on campus

Students walking around outside on campus. Credit: Elena Zukhova

Learn How to Apply

Learn more about our application materials and what we look for in a candidate

Erica Plambeck, Professor of Operations, Information, and Technology, hugging a student during a commencement ceremony. Credit: Saul Bromberger

Success

Our graduates pursue tenure-track academic placements at top institutions around the world

Stanford GSB PhD Program

Discover a focus and intensity greater than you may have thought possible. As a PhD student at Stanford Graduate School of Business, you will be inspired and challenged to explore novel ideas and complex questions.

Fall 2026 applications are now closed. The application deadline was December 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM PST.

Fields of Study

Fields of Study

Academic Experience in the PhD Program

Academic Experience

Admission to the PhD Program

How to Apply

Become an Outstanding Scholar

Our PhD Program is designed to develop outstanding scholars for careers in research and teaching at leading academic institutions throughout the world. You will embark on a challenging and meaningful experience, focusing your academic study in one of seven distinct fields within the PhD degree program.

Is a PhD Right for You?

Strong PhD candidates are full of ideas and curiosity, with a passion and aptitude for research. If you’re prepared to embark on a rigorous career in research and develop your full potential, we invite you to explore the possibilities of a PhD in business. Admitted students receive full fellowships for their doctoral studies.

Faculty Publications

Publication Search

Cognitive Affordances of South Scandinavian Mesolithic Portable Art as Inferred from Complexity and Entropy Measures

Lasse Lukas Platz Herskind, Riccardo Fusaroli, Helena Miton, Felix Riede

Journal of Archaeological Science 2026 Vol. 189

Driving Merchant Adoption of Digital Payment Solutions through Customer Success Management

Shreya Kankanhalli, Stephen J. Anderson, Leonardo Iacovone, Sridhar Narayanan

2026

A Simple Threshold Captures the Social Learning of Conventions

Douglas R. Guilbeault, Spencer Caplan, Charles Yang

PNAS 2026 Vol. 123 Issue 17

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PhD Student Voices

Voices

Alexa Samaniego PhD ’27

I want to figure out what makes people seem authentic. It sounds like such a simple question, but no one fully knows.

Alexa Samaniego

Sadegh Shirani PhD ’26

The way I think about real-world problems ties back to how good or bad decisions cause good or bad outcomes.

Sadegh Shirani

Benjamin Tremblay-Auger PhD ’25

I’m very interested in analyzing how institutional and cultural changes work together.

Benjamin Tremblay-Auger

Pauline Liang PhD ’26

None of my family or friends had ever done a PhD and I wasn’t sure if I should do it.

Pauline Liang

See All PhD Student Voices

School News

Sarah Soule Appointed Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business

A scholar of organizational behavior in Stanford GSB and a member of its leadership team for many years, Soule will become dean of the business school in mid-June.

A Gathering to Celebrate Stanford GSB’s Legacy of Scholarship

The Faculty Celebration of Scholarship marked a century of innovation, breakthrough knowledge, and teaching excellence.

Research Fellows Program

Research Fellows Program

Gain valuable research experience and training in a two-year, pre-doctoral opportunity at Stanford University.

Learn How to Apply

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