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Question

This site allows you to attain publication rankings:

https://citm.utdallas.edu/utdrankings/

This spread is specifically marketing journals...maybe a bit outdated though:

https://www.marshall.usc.edu/Marketing/P ... nkings.pdf

cabro57 · Answer

Two comments that do not completely invalidate these rankings, but I think are important to keep in mind:

1) Those rankings count the number of articles, and do not adjust for school size, so results are skewed toward larger schools with many faculty members. If you're a prospective PhD student you only need one, or maybe a few, knowledgeable/well known faculty members to help you out. There's no way in hell the University of Maryland (overall rank 7) has a better research reputation than Cornell (31), Yale (39) or Rochester (40).

2) Rankings based on the number of articles measure research productivity, not influence. This is probably more pronounced at the faculty-level (rather than school-level), but somehow I think citation studies, which also have their flaws, are a better performance measure of how an author/school is doing in terms of research quality and output.

Nevertheless, thanks Adam!

Adam6378 · Answer

Thanks for the follow-up. What do you think about the claims made here: https://www.business.uc.edu/departments/ ... g/research

emarinich · Answer

i'm currently a student at UC - just finished the MS Accounting program. are you considering applying?

cabro57 · Answer

That looks more useful. The only thing I don't get from the UC description is why they would compare themselves to Big 10 universities.. I'd never heard of such a comparison outside college sports.

Adam6378 · Answer

Hi, yes, I am considering applying for the Fall of 2009. I am interested in the marketing program, particulary researching on-line consumer psychology. I'm currently reading the book Karen Machleit (the department chair) co-edited "Online Consumer Psychology". I've found the book fascinating. I also like the research she has conducted into consumer attitudes and retail atmospherics. 

Are you familiar with any of the professors in the marketing dept.? Any information you care to share for a prospective student?

Also, I've noticed for a lot of the business PhDs they expect entering students to have calculus, linear algebra, and a few semesters of statistics under their belt. If I am lacking in those areas, will they simply ask me to take enough classes to meet the entrance requirements, or will they not take my application seriously? I'm assuming that if this it the case they'll use the GMAT to determine a applicant's ability to succeed? I love research and am willing to learn whatever concepts I need to conduct high quality marketing research. But is motivation to succeed enough or will they expect something more tangible, i.e. high grades in advanced math on an applicant's transcripts. 

I'm not sure why the refer to The Big 10 schools. The only possible answer I can provide is that they want to attract students who are interested in applying to OSU's PhD programs. Do Big Ten schools have more research facilities/funds than say a medium sized business school like U of C?

Thanks,
Adam.

cabro57 · Answer

Big Ten: I honestly don't know the answer to your question. Some of those schools have a very good reputation in academia, whether it's their business school, their economics department, or both. Northwestern and Michigan obviously stand out and are at least one step above the other ones in there, but Minnesota is highly regarded both in terms of their faculty (an economics professor there just won the Nobel prize in Economics, actually) and their PhD program. As far as the other ones go, I think that Michigan State may be one step below the others, but maybe that's just my perception. Whether this (perceived) reputation is correlated with research facilities/funds, I don't know. 

There aren't that many actual research "facilities" for b-school research. Sure you need some labs and computer processing power and such, but mostly you need commitment and funds from the administration to let/force their top faculty do more research and teach less. That may be where some flagship state schools have more resources to hire/retain top-level faculty.

Math: Additional calculus/statistics/linear algebra courses beyond the regular undergrad stuff is not absolutely needed, but it sure wouldn't hurt. If you don't have that, I think you'd need to have *some* other impressive area in your application, AND a relatively high GMAT score (ie. I don't think the GMAT score itself will be considered as impressive, unless it's 770 or something).

emarinich · Answer

Hi Adam -
I think I can address some of these questions. I am applying to PhD programs in Accounting for Fall 2008 (so I'm submitting apps literally as I type this). I am applying to several Big 10 schools and also to University of Cincinnati.

First - I'm not familiar with anyone in the Marketing department other than Dr. Norman Bruvold. I have him this quarter for Methods of Statistics. He seems to be a very bright guy and I am learning a lot.

Second - regarding the quant preparation question you ask: I was told by more than one professor at UC that I should have Linear Algebra, Calculus, Micro and Macro Econ, and Stats before entering the PhD program, but only to make myself a more competitive applicant and to give myself a competitive advantage in the first year. I have taken that advice and I am currently spending an extra year in school, beyond my MS Accounting, to complete this coursework. The average GMAT score for UC's program, per their website, is 650 - so if you are above the average, and have decent grades, I would guess you will be competitive at UC. I am not sure of how many applicants are interested in Marketing versus Accounting though, and this might become an issue (if the applicant pool for Marketing is much larger?)

Finally - my overall experience at UC has been positive. My coursework has been more challenging and rigorous than I originally expected and I have learned more than I thought I would going into the program. I come from an undergraduate institution that has a better reputation - but UC is challenging me just as much my undergrad coursework. It's a large urban campus - but is well-maintained and I feel safe there.

Feel free to PM me with any more questions!

Best,
Eric

Adam6378 · Answer

Thank you for the advice! I sincerely appreciate it. 
 

My goal is to attain a tenure track position in Ohio after I finish my PhD. The only issue with U of C that I can conceive is just the location factor. I've been told by several professors that if I want to end up back in Ohio, I should study out West. Have you heard similar comments?

emarinich · Answer

Our goals are similar - I also would like to eventually work for a university in Ohio (I was born here and lived in the Cincinnati area until I graduated from high school). I have not been told specifically to study on the west coast by anyone - I have only been told to accept an offer of admission from the PhD program with the best reputation and that Big 10 schools would be a plus.

I have a specific school in mind that I plan to target for job placement when I finish my PhD - and my strategy or approach to gaining employment there so far has been to speak with current faculty about the politics of the department and the university - and also to research where the current faculty have earned their doctoral degrees. My target school hires from Big 10 schools - but I think the better the program from which you are earning your doctoral degree, the better your chances are of having more choices available to you upon completion of the degree.

I lived in San Francisco prior to beginning my MS Accounting at UC and Berkeley is an amazing place to live and a great school, although the cost of living is very high. If you're interested in the west coast, I think Berkeley would be a great place to spend a few years!

cabro57 · Answer

Did any of these professors say why "out West"? This sounds like a very weird comment. Maybe there is such a thing as a "PhD not from Ohio" requirement, but I can't see schools passing on a good applicant because he didn't go "out West".

Adam6378 · Answer

From what he said is not necessarily restricted to "out West", it has to do with where you want to end up. If you live out "out West", he said you should probably study elsewhere. No specific reason was provided. 
He said it was more of an "unwritten rule". I'll ask more about it the next time we meet.

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