Marketing Concentration

The Ph.D. program in marketing emphasizes university-level research and teaching skills. The program is flexible to meet individual needs and interests. Students are admitted on a full-time basis and normally work as research or teaching assistants and receive direct support which includes a full tuition waiver.  Admission to the Ph.D. program in marketing is selective. Admitted candidates typically have a GMAT in excess of 600, and a GPA of 3.3 or higher in upper division and graduate course work.

Program of Study

A Ph.D. student with a concentration in marketing prepares a program of study subject to the approval of the student's doctoral program committee.  The program includes a business core of at least 15 hours, a marketing concentration of at least 15 hours, two 9-hour supporting areas or one 12-hour supporting area, and a collateral area with a minimum of 12 hours (18 with only one support area) in research methodology and statistics.  The combination of course work, seminar experience, and dissertation experience is designed to provide students with a sound foundation for a productive career as an academic in marketing.

Business Background

All doctoral students in the School of Business must fulfill the following core requirements (Students with an MBA will typically have these requirements waived.):
ACCT  7310:  Accounting for Managers
FIN      7440:  Managerial Finance
MKT    7460:  Managerial Marketing
ECON  7332: Microeconomics for Managers

One of the following:
MGMT 8310:  Strategic Human Resource Management
MGMT 7380:  Organizational Behavior and Management
MGMT 8340:  Organizational Theory and Design

In addition to the above, students should have completed course work in calculus (the equivalent of MATH 1320) and statistics (the equivalent of STAT 1400).

 

Marketing Concentration (minimum 15 hours of 8000- and/or 9000-level courses)

The following seminars are typical of the marketing concentration:
MKTG 9020:  Seminar in Advanced Research Methods in Marketing (3 credits)
MKTG 9210:  Seminar in Marketing Strategy (3 credits)
MKTG 9220:  Seminar in Marketing Models (3 credits)
MKTG 9230: Seminar in Consumer Behavior (3 credits)
            MKTG 9185: Doctoral Independent Study in Marketing (3 credits)

Support Area(s) (two with a minimum of 9 hours each, or one of at least 12 hours)

Support areas are designed to achieve the objectives of the Ph.D. candidate.  Typical support areas for students in marketing are social psychology, organizational behavior, economics, and statistics. 

Psychology/Social Psychology Supporting Area:  Sample courses include

PSYCH            7340:  Attitude Change
PSYCH            8310:  Survey of Social Psychology
PSYCH            8610:  Motivation
PSYCH            9310:  Theories of Social Psychology
PSYCH            9360:  Seminar in Social Psychology  

Organizational Behavior Supporting Area:  Sample courses include

MGMT 9087:  Seminar in Human Resource Management
MGMT 9087:  Seminar in Organizational Behavior I
MGMT 9087:  Seminar in Organizational Behavior II
MGMT 9087:  Seminar in Strategic Management I
MGMT 9087:  Seminar in Organizational Theory
SOC     7487:  Seminar in Sociology of Organizations

Economics Supporting Area:  Sample courses include

ECON  7340:  Economic Theory of Games
ECON  7351:  Intermediate Microeconomics
ECON  8451:  Advanced Microeconomic Theory 1
ECON  8470:  Dynamic Optimization
ECON  8472:  Econometric Methods 1
ECON  9452:  Advanced Microeconomic Theory 2
ECON  9471:  Advanced Game Theory
ECON 9473:  Econometric Methods 2

Statistics Supporting Area:  Sample courses include

STAT   7530:   Analysis of Variance
STAT   7750:  Introduction to Probability Theory
STAT   7760:  Statistical Inference
STAT   7830:  Categorical Data Analysis
STAT   7850:   Introduction to Stochastic Processes
ECON  8472:  Econometric Methods 1
STAT   9210:   Bayesian Statistics
ECON  9473:  Econometric Methods 2
STAT   9710:   Mathematical Statistics 1
STAT   9720:   Mathematical Statistics 2

Analytical Tools (minimum of 12-18 hours)

The collateral area of research methods and statistics is required to provide each doctoral student with a sound foundation in research skills.  The area requirement includes a minimum of 12 hours (18 hours if only one support area) in research methods and analysis courses.  Course work in multiple regression, analysis of variance, and multivariate statistics is required.  Students may also take courses in qualitative methods.  Sample courses include:

MKTG 9010:  Introduction to Research Methods in Marketing (2 credits)
MKTG 9030:  Seminar in Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis in Marketing (2 credits)
ECON  7340:  Economic Theory of Games
ECON  7351:  Intermediate Microeconomics
ECON  8470:  Dynamic Optimization
ECON  8472:  Econometric Methods 1
ECON 9473:  Econometric Methods 2
PSYCH            8710:  General Linear Models in Psychology I
PSYCH            8720:  General Linear Models in Psychology II
PSYCH            9320:  Social Psychology Methodology
PSYCH            9330:  Applied Research Methodology
PSYCH            9520:  Psychometrics
PSYCH            9710:  Multivariate Stat Psych
PSYCH            9725:  The Literature Review
SOC     7120:  Social Statistics
SOC     7130:  Advanced Social Statistics
SOC     8120:  Research Methodology
SOC     9287:  Seminar in Qualitative Methods in Sociology
SOC     9837:  Seminar in Multivariate Analysis Techniques
STAT   7210:  Applied Nonparametric Methods
STAT   7310:  Sampling Techniques
STAT   7350:  Operations Research
STAT   7510:  Regression and Correlation Analysis
STAT   7530:  Analysis of Variance
STAT   7540:  Experimental Design
STAT   7750:  Introduction to Probability
STAT   7760:  Statistical Inference
STAT   7830:  Categorical Data Analysis
STAT   7850:   Introduction to Stochastic Processes
STAT   9210:   Bayesian Statistics
STAT   9710:   Mathematical Statistics 1
STAT   9720:   Mathematical Statistics 2

Research Seminar Experience (MKTG 9101) (minimum of 4 hours)

 

Students are expected to participate in this one-hour seminar every semester they are in residence at the University of Missouri.  The seminar is intended to provide an open forum for the exchange of research ideas and the discussion of current topics in marketing.

PhD Seminars

 

MRKTNG 9010 Introduction to Research Methods in Marketing (1-3).

Introduces students to the research process. Examines philosophy of science, constructs and measurement, issues regarding validity, and hypothesis-testing. Provides an overview of experimental and survey research methods, with introduction to qualitative research, model-building, and research using secondary data. Prerequisites: Ph. D. students only; instructor’s consent.

MRKTNG 9020 Seminar in Advanced Research Methods in Marketing (1-3).

Familiarizes students with advanced research methods in marketing, emphasizing problem development and conceptualization, operationalization of research questions, measurement, and survey research. Prerequisites: MRKTNG 9010 or equivalent; Ph. D. students only; instructor’s consent.

MRKTNG 9030 Seminar in Applied Multivariate Analysis in Marketing (1-3).

Familiarizes students with multivariate analysis of data used for research in marketing. Emphasizes application of multivariate methods, presentation of results, and defending the methods and results. Topics include setting up a data set, performing preliminary assessment of data quality and distribution, assessing measurement quality, and conducting a variety of multivariate statistical analysis such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, path and structural equation models, regression, logistic regression, discriminant analysis, cluster analysis, multi-way frequency analysis, and ANOVA. Prerequisites: basic course in multivariate statistical methods; Ph. D. students only; instructor’s consent.

MRKTNG 9210 Seminar in Marketing Strategy (1-3).

Focuses on research topics that pertain to strategic marketing programs and decisions, such as marketing productivity, services marketing, product innovation management, and pricing, among others. Coverage is also given to defining the domain of research in marketing and to the development and use of related theories. Prerequisites: Ph. D. students only; instructor’s consent.

MRKTNG 9220 Seminar in Marketing Models (1-3).

Familiarizes students with quantitative modeling approaches to address a variety of marketing problems. The focus is on the nature, relevance, and properties of mathematical models and analytical methods that are employed to address various types of marketing decisions. Students will gain an understanding of the process of model-building, testing, and implementation. Prerequisites: Ph. D. students only; instructor’s consent.

MRKTNG 9230 Seminar in Consumer Behavior (1-3).

Exposes doctoral students to perspectives on consumer behavior that draw from a variety of disciplines, including marketing, psychology, decision theory, sociology, and cultural anthropology. Students also learn about the different methods researchers employ to study consumers. Covers both classic and contemporary literature. Students are encouraged to evaluate and synthesize existing literature in the pursuit of new research ideas. Prerequisites: Ph. D. students only; instructor’s consent.

Research and Teaching Assistant Assignments

For two years during their doctoral program, students will be assigned as research assistants to assist faculty members with their research.  For the remaining two years of the doctoral program, students will be given responsibility for classroom teaching in preparation for their future roles as marketing professors.  The teaching assignment is typically one undergraduate course per semester.  Assistantships are contingent on satisfactory performance in the doctoral program.

First-Year Project

Every marketing doctoral student is required to prepare and present a first-year project addressing a scholarly topic in marketing.  This project is a means of building a foundation of research and communication skills and collegial support that will enhance the overall experience of the student throughout the doctoral program.  It also serves as the marketing qualifying examination.

Dissertation (MKT 9090) (minimum 12 hours)

A dissertation is required to complete the doctoral program.  The dissertation proposal is normally defended at the end of the third year of the program, and the dissertation itself is completed during the fourth year.  A final oral examination on the dissertation research is held upon completion.

Ongoing Research and Scholarship

In addition to the formal research requirements of the doctoral program and marketing course work, students are expected to carry out their own research projects in conjunction with faculty, other doctoral students, or independently.  Students are expected to prepare scholarly articles for presentation at national conferences and/or publication in marketing journals.  Research funds are available to cover some of the expenses of these research projects.  Students are also expected to keep abreast of current developments in marketing by reading marketing journals and conference proceedings.

Why a PhD in Marketing?

 

Why the University of Missouri?

 

Admission to the Program

Admission Student Resources MU Graduate Catalog

MU Graduate School

For more information about the Marketing Department
Marketing Faculty Profiles
Marketing PhD Student Profiles

                                                                                                                                                 

Last Edited: 2/7/2008