Top PhDs in USA 2019

The goal of the Ph.D. programme is to prepare the next generation of leading researchers.

The Ph.D. is a programme of independent, self-directed academic research degree, supported by a team of supervisors that makes an original contribution to knowledge written up in a publishable dissertation. The Ph.D. programme also supports the development of research and generic skills to equip you to operate successfully as a professional researcher in any setting. The essential requirement of a Ph.D. is the creation of new knowledge. Being a researcher means developing new ideas and improving understanding through the creation of new knowledge. Your research will inevitably build to some degree on the work and ideas of others, but as a research student, you are expected to make an original contribution to knowledge in your discipline.... [-]

Business leadership is increasingly required to integrate multiple sources of knowledge, understand the perceptions of diverse parties and put human values into action. Executives are challenged to create social, intellectual and economic value for their organizations and for society at large based on rigorous and sound evidence. Recognizing these challenges, the Weatherhead School of Management offers two doctorate degrees in management for working professionals: the Doctor of Management (DM) and the Designing Sustainable Systems track in the Ph.D. in management.

The DM is a three-year lockstep program with an option to pursue the Designing Sustainable Systems track in the Ph.D. in management. DM students’ research projects are evaluated by a faculty review committee over the course of the program at critical research milestones.... [-]

The Doctor of Philosophy in Global Leadership and Change program prepares students to become visionary leaders, as well as agents of change in creating new directions in strategy and policy. This program was specifically designed for individuals who are focused on research. Graduates of the program are likely to hold positions in NGOs, think tanks, higher education, healthcare, military leadership, federal and state government, and other organizations.... [-]

The objective of the Ph.D. in Logistics and Supply Chain Management is to develop scholars who generate and disseminate new knowledge by conducting high-quality research and teach at the university level. The Ph.D. program is delivered via traditional course work and other research initiatives with faculty in the Parker College of Business. By retaining a residence teaching/learning model, the program capitalizes on individualized student development through constant interaction in a supportive environment of mentors and colleagues.

The program requires at least 60 credit hours, provided the student has a master’s in business from an institution accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). Students without a core understanding of major business areas may require up to an additional 18 graduate credit hours.... [-]

The Josef Korbel School Ph.D. program combines broad and rigorous training in conventional fields - international politics, comparative politics, international political economy and/or political theory - with ample opportunities for customization, creativity, and exploration. Faculty mentoring ensures each student pursues a productive path of study, whether the goal is college teaching or a career in research, government or the nonprofit sector. Each year, the Josef Korbel School receives approximately 100 applications and accepts 4 applicants, making it a highly sought after and competitive program.

Our doctoral candidates develop close working relationships with faculty in an open, informal environment that facilitates interaction and the exchange of ideas. The small size of the program also contributes to a strong sense of community. The Josef Korbel School challenges each student to become an original and creative scholar while providing a supportive environment for personal and professional development.... [-]

Kennesaw State University's Ph.D. in Analytics and Data Science is an advanced degree which has been developed to meet the market demand for Data Scientists.

This degree will train individuals to translate large, structured and unstructured, complex data sets into information to improve decision making. This curriculum includes a heavy emphasis on programming, data mining, statistical modeling, and the mathematical foundations to support these concepts. Importantly, the program also emphasizes communication skills - both oral and written - as well as application and tying results to business and research problems.

Because this degree is a Ph.D., it creates flexibility. Graduates can either pursue a position in the private or public sector as a "practicing" Data Scientist - where continued demand is expected to greatly outpace the supply - or pursue a position within academia, where they would be uniquely qualified to teach these skills to the next generation.... [-]

The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) is a post-master’s professional degree for those pursuing the highest level of practice in clinical psychology. Utilizing the practitioner-scholar model, the doctoral program provides a comprehensive foundation in the scientific bases of psychology to ground clinical training, dissertation research, and scholarship. The program fosters an educational environment that values cooperative and collaborative learning and promotes professional development and personal growth.

Professional development and personal growth are integral to the degree programs at MiSPP, and many aspects of the educational process are based on experiential learning and self-exploration.... [-]

Preparing leaders who serve schools, community and social agencies, government, and non-profit institutions in a regional and international world.

The Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Organization and Leadership is a unique program for working professionals who see themselves as educational leaders transforming their organizations through a learning perspective.

The Organization and Leadership (O&L) Doctoral program is comprised of 60 credits of study beyond the master's degree and culminates in the completion of a doctoral dissertation.

To meet the needs of working professionals, the program follows a schedule of alternate weekend classes that convene nine times a semester (Friday evenings and all day Saturdays).... [-]

Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate students have extraordinary opportunities to learn about the state-of-the-art in their studies. Environmental engineering students use one of the world’s largest wastewater treatment plants as a real-world laboratory to improve the water quality of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Structural engineering students study earthquake engineering, extreme event design of structures and bridge design on a state-of-the-art, six-degrees-of-freedom earthquake simulator. And transportation-engineering students learn from faculty and experts at GW’s National Crash Analysis Center and the Federal Outdoor Impact Laboratory.... [-]

The Ph.D. program in the graduate field of Applied Physics (AP) provides students with mastery of a broad knowledge base in applied physics, as well as advanced research focuses that prepare them for successful research-driven careers in academia, government or industry.

As a nationally and internationally recognized Ph.D. program, NJIT’s Applied Physics Ph.D. program prepares Ph.D. candidates with practical skills and theoretical knowledge for a successful career in academic or government organizations and private industry. Students will prepare for passing their written qualifier exams, as well as gain the theoretical and experimental background needed for their research, which they will orally present and defend as part of their Ph.D. thesis. Throughout their study as a Ph.D. candidate, students will exhibit the following:... [-]

The Truman School offers small classes, close relationships with faculty mentors, and opportunities to participate in ongoing research. Students gain a rich academic experience on the path to successful and fulfilling careers in public affairs. By the time our students graduate, they are fully-engaged experts in their subfield with broad perspectives.

The Truman School is deeply interdisciplinary. The diverse academic training of our faculty gives students an opportunity to explore many theoretical and methodological perspectives and multiple ways of thinking about social science research.

Doctoral students take classes and conduct research with faculty from a variety of disciplines in the Truman School and throughout the University of Missouri. Close work with faculty through research assistantships and the dissertation process encourages students to apply varying perspectives to real-world problems and to develop novel ways of addressing issues in public policy and public administration.... [-]

Since offering its first classes in 1964, Herff College has developed a reputation for excellent instruction. Over 50 dedicated faculty members with outstanding academic and professional credentials comprise the College enabling us to offer a variety of graduate degree programs. Within our five academic departments, we offer MS and PhD degree programs and many exciting activities and services that enrich or smooth the path to an engineering degree.

Two Doctor of Philosophy degrees are offered in the Herff College of Engineering: Biomedical Engineering, a joint program between UofM and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center; and Engineering, featuring an interdepartmental curriculum with concentrations across the college.... [-]

The strategic leadership program emphasizes business principles, accountability, and leadership theory and applications, which are all areas of reform that national groups have touted as important for new educational, nonprofit and higher education administrators. Students will be instructed in management principles and in the broader visionary perspectives necessary for effective leadership. The program emphasizes practical applications grounded in sophisticated research skills needed for data-based, innovative decision-making in current and future practice.

The leadership coursework encompasses models, theories and processes, as well as applications. The capstone leadership course requires an externship. In addition to leadership coursework, students enroll in clusters of courses centered on research methodology including measurement, statistics, and accountability; business administration such as managerial finance, accounting for decision-making and control, and other management courses. Students choose a specialty concentration of nonprofit and community leadership, organizational science and leadership, or postsecondary analysis and leadership. Students in all concentrations study strategic management, advocacy and volunteerism strategies and principles, and advanced leadership dynamics.... [-]

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers advanced coursework integrated with research leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Mechanical Engineering. The program has four concentrations: Thermal and Fluid Systems; Design and Manufacturing Systems; Mechanics and Materials; and Robotics and Control. The Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering will be awarded to candidates who have displayed an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and demonstrated the ability to make an original contribution to knowledge in their field of specialty.

Program Overview

The Doctor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Gratz College is designed for students already holding a graduate degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, history, or another related discipline. Doctoral students will engage in a meta-study of genocide to understand the phenomenon from a comprehensive range of academic approaches—historical, sociological, geographical, psychological, legal, theological and scientific—to inform their dissertations while reviewing the significant literature and conducting in-depth original research in the field.

Curriculum Map

Total Degree = 48 credits

Required Core Courses = 21 credits