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Academic Areas > Organizational Behavior > PhD Coursework
 

 

PhD Course Work

 

The curriculum in the PhD Program includes both required courses and electives. Required courses cover the fundamental tools that every scholar in organizational behavior must possess to conduct research in the area. Electives provide additional tools that are suitable to pursue the student’s specific research interests.

 

The PhD in organizational behavior requires all students to take a minimum of 15 graduate level courses which must include micro OB, macro OB, research methods, groups and teams seminars as well as at least five of the various classes in statistics and research methods.  In particular, students should complete both semesters of BUSI 808 and 809.  Other elective courses can be found in psychology, sociology, and economics depending on the student's preferences.

 

Students may also pursue specific interests by taking additional elective courses in topics related to organizational behavior (e.g., psychology). Courses are offered at Kenan-Flagler as well as other Departments at UNC, including Psychology and Sociology. Students also have the option to take courses at Duke University. Students choose their course work under the supervision of their advisor and the director of the PhD Program in Organizational Behavior.

 

Sample Course Sequence

 

Year 1 – Fall Semester  Instructor

EDUC 684 – Statistics I  

or SOCI 708 -- Statistics for Sociologists

PSYC 867 – Advanced Survey of Social Psychology

SOCI 860 – Sociology of Organizations  

BUSI 852 – Groups & Teams 

 

 

 

Howard Aldrich

Matt Pearsall

Year 1 – Spring Semester

  

EDUC 784 – Statistics II

or SOCI 709 -- Linear Regression Models 

SOCI 861 -- Directed Seminar

BUSI 808 – Applied Research Methods I 

 

 

 

Jeff Edwards

 

(Begin work on Summer Paper)

 

  

Year 2 – Fall Semester 

  

EDUC 884 - Statistics III

BUSI 809 – Applied Research Methods II 

BUSI 851 – Micro Organizational Behavior

 

Jeff Edwards

Mike Christian

Year 2 – Spring Semester 

EDUC 888 – Introduction to Structural Equation Models

PSYC 870 – Psychology of Emotions 

BUSI 853 – Macro Organizational Behavior

 

 

Dick Blackburn

 

(Take Comprehensive Exams)

 

   

The Tables of PhD Courses contains the required seminars and some of the elective courses students may take in the OB PhD Program. For a complete list of graduate courses available at UNC, visit http://www.unc.edu/gradrecord/programs/deptintro.html

 
     
 

 Core Courses

 
DescriptionFilter
Individual Behavior in Organizations (Micro OB)
  
Analysis of individual behavior, adjustment, and effectiveness. Examination of attitudes, stress, problem solving, decision making, motivation, and personality. Applications to management of human resources.
Macro OB
  
Prerequisite, graduate standing in business administration. Intensive study of multiple theories including those taking a rational, behavioral, and/or open systems approach to understanding organizations.  Specifically, the course examines contingency, resource dependence, learning, network, population ecology, institutional, and organizational economic theories.
Groups and Teams
  
Intensive critical examination of interpersonal and intergroup behavior, including decision processes, communication, conflict, and conflict resolution in large organizations.
Applied Research Methods 1
  
Addresses fundamentals of empirical social science research. Topics include framing a research question, comparing research designs, instrumentation, reliability, validity, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Emphasizes application and analysis.
Applied Research Methods 2
  
Continuation of Busi 808. Topics include statistical control, categorical variables, interaction, curvilinear and similarity effects, longitudinal analysis, path analysis, structural equation modeling, and publication. Emphasizes application and analysis.
 

 Research

 
DescriptionFilter
Statistics 1
  

Studies descriptive and inferential statistics for educational research, including an introduction to fundamentals of research design and computer data analysis.

Statistics 2
  
Prerequisite, Educ 684 or permission of the instructor. A linear model approach to the analysis of data collected in educational settings. Topics include multiple regression, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance, using computer packages.
Statistics 3
  
Prerequisites, Educ 684, 784. An extension of the general linear model to analysis of educational data with multiple dependent variables, with computer applications.
Introduction to SEM
  
Introduction to structural modeling.
Sociology of Organizations
  
Prerequisites, permission of the instructor. Structural features of organizations. Behavior in organizations. Organizational career patterns. Comparative analysis of structure, behavior, and careers in different types of organizations. Interorganization and organization-environment relations.
Advanced Survey of Social Psychology
  

Prerequisites, graduate standing or permission of the instructor. Survey of research and theories of attitude change, interpersonal relations, and small groups.

Statistics for Sociologists
  
Provides an introduction to probability theory, descriptive abd inferential statistics and the algebra of expectations.  Emphasis in on elements useful to research sociologists, including bivariate regression and correlation.
Regression Models
  
The course presents regression analysis and related techniques.  The major topics are the assumptions of teh regression model, dummay variables and interaction terms, outlier diagnostics, multicollinearity, specification error, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation.  The final section introduces path anaysis, recursive models, and nonrecursive systems.
Occupations and Work
  
The changing occupational system.  Structural types of labor markets.  Occupational organization, role sets, power relations, careers and satisfaction in different types of labor markets and occupations.
 

 Minor

 
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