|
“Globalization”
is one of the buzzwords of the current era, and indeed, globalization is
transforming the way the world does business. The PhD (International
Business) at Rutgers aims to develop a rigorous,
theoretically informed and empirically based understanding of this important
phenomenon.
As a field, International
Business attempts to develop an understanding of not only the macro
phenomenon of global flows of expertise and capital, but also the micro-level
mechanisms used by firms in their internationalization. It therefore
integrates insights from Economics and Management, and may – depending on the
theoretical perspective of the researcher – also draw on Sociology,
Psychology and Economic Geography. Aspects like locational choice for
innovation and technological upgrading are central concerns in the study of
interdisciplinary field of International Business.
Since Rutgers
University awarded its first
specialist PhD in International Business in 1993, its graduates have become prominent scholars
and teachers in the USA,
Europe and East Asia. The
relationships developed at the university often last long after the student
has graduated, with students continuing to do research
with their erstwhile advisors. The tradition continues today, as Rutgers
prepares the next generation of scholars.
As is typical
for PhD programs in the US,
the first two years of the program are dedicated to coursework. The
coursework offers students a thorough foundation in the diverse fields that
constitute International Business, as well as exposure to different
methodological approaches to the field. Different seminar programs also
introduce students to other scholars in the field, and students are
encouraged to undertake research projects with faculty members. The extensive
contact with a range of academic perspectives provides an intellectual and
social support base that help students to define a meaningful dissertation
project once they have completed the qualifying examinations at the end of
the second year. Potential applicants are advised to find more detailed
information about the structure
of the PhD (International Business) and the PhD program in general at Rutgers
Business School.
All PhD
studies are to be done on a full-time basis. Rutgers offers
financial assistance and medical insurance to PhD students, in return for
which students act as Teaching or Research Assistants for fifteen hours per
week. Access to the PhD (International Business) program is highly
competitive, and it is extremely rare for more than two International
Business students to be selected per year.
The PhD in
International Business does not prepare students for a career in
multinational corporations or enable students to run a business or
participate in one more successfully. The program aims to develop the
research skills of its students, and graduates from the PhD program generally
pursue academic careers in well-respected universities, while a very limited
number are appointed to highly competitive postings as researchers to United
Nations agencies or organizations like the World Bank. For an indication of
the kinds of articles that students are expected to read and to comment upon
in their courses, and the kinds of standards they are expected to meet when
they write their theses and papers for publication, potential applicants are
invited to review some recent issues of the Journal of International
Business Studies.
|