Why Get Your PhD in SCM at the University of Houston?
We strongly believe that our PhD program in Supply Chain Management (SCM) here in the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston is the very best program in the world. In support of our claim we address the following 10 reasons why, if you plan on getting a PhD in SCM, you should get it at the University of Houston.
One of the hidden values of the program is the access to world-class faculty in other areas ...
1. Our Student Support
The C. T. Bauer College of Business PhD student support package is one of the best in the world. PhD students receive a generous year-round stipend, tuition reimbursement fellowships, additional instructional compensation, health benefits, computer resources, office space in the college’s primary facility (Melcher Hall), and access to a myriad of university resources. University Presidential Fellowships, Bauer College Dean’s Scholarships, travel support to attend national conferences, and dissertation completion grants are also available. For 2014, the base stipend is $2,250 per month ($27,000 annually), University Presidential Fellowships are $3,600 per year for each of the first two years, Bauer College Dean’s Scholarships are $5,000 per year for each of the first two years, and additional instructional compensation is $3,000 for each class that a PhD student is the instructor of record. Each new PhD student also receives a laptop computer and related software. Depending on the valuation of the various benefits and student residency, year in the program, scholarships and fellowships received, and number of classes taught; the total value of the support package (including tuition reimbursement fellowships) is in the range of $42,000 to $60,000 per year.
In addition to monetary support, our PhD students receive extensive mentoring and career development support from our faculty. This starts with an initial orientation, continues with the PhD program coordinator and an advisory committee during coursework, and finishes with a dissertation committee. To further enhance each student’s career development, the Decision and Information Sciences Department provides travel support in the third and fourth years of the program to students so they can attend a doctoral student consortium at a national conference (usually either the Decision Sciences Institute or the Production and Operations Management Society) and interview for an academic position. Our goal is to provide the information, knowledge, and support necessary for our students to have successful and satisfying careers in academia.
2. Our Program
Our PhD program (see the Program page for more details) is designed so as to balance the needs of students for direction and flexibility. The major field, research requirement, and supporting field framework serves as a proven roadmap for developing the necessary skills to be successful academicians. However, within this framework students have considerable latitude in customizing each of those areas. Students can choose research tool and supporting field courses to best meet their needs. For example, students can focus entirely on deterministic or stochastic analytical methods and problems, or can choose to focus entirely on building a strong statistical skillset to evaluate empirical issues, or can choose to build a unique mix of research tools. Similarly, supporting field alternatives allow students to investigate a variety of technical or more behavioral boundary-spanning issues. The end result is a balanced program that meets the needs of each student.
3. Our Faculty
Of our 14 faculty in Supply Chain Management 8 are tenure-track or tenured research faculty that help shape our PhD program by teaching seminars and mentoring PhD students. These faculty have published in the top journals in SCM, are actively involved in the development of methods and new approaches for improving supply chains, and have been recognized as leaders in the supply chain field. The following are brief introductions of our research faculty.
SCM Incoming PhD Student Profile | |
| Age (mean) | 33 |
| Age range | 27-37 |
| Gender (% female) | 67 |
| GMAT/GRE (percentiles) | |
| Quant | 73 |
| Verbal | 95 |
| GPA | |
| Undergrad | 3.7 |
| Graduate | 3.8 |
| Prior Masters degree (%) | 100 |
| Industry experience (years) | 7 |
4. Our PhD Students
Our students are truly the best of the best. We only admit exceptional students that we strongly feel have the potential to be great scholars and teachers. Students that choose to join our program can do so with the assurance that they will have the opportunity to interact educationally and socially with other high-achieving PhD students. This is a very important consideration because learning in a PhD program is a collaborative effort among faculty and students. As part of the program each student works closely with our faculty to build their research and teaching skills, and launch their academic careers. Past graduates of our program have accepted faculty positions at Ohio State, USC, Lehigh, the Air Force Institute of Technology, George Mason, and other excellent research universities. Consider our current student profile and decide if you would like to be a member of that peer group.
5. The C. T. Bauer College of Business
The Bauer College of Business is AACSB accredited and ranked in the top 50 of public business schools in the United States with over 4,400 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students pursuing BBA, MBA, Executive MBA, MS, and PhD degrees. The college has grown tremendously since receiving a gift of $40 million in 2000 from Ted Bauer. The college now includes Melcher Hall and two recently completed state-of-the-art facilities: Cemo Hall and Insperity Center. Most importantly, the college provides strong support to the SCM area and is fully committed to the PhD programs.
6. The University of Houston
The University of Houston (UH) is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university with an enrollment of over 39,000 students representing more than 137 nations located on a scenic 550 acre campus just three miles from downtown Houston. The university provides all the amenities and high-tech facilities required by modern university life, and in just the past few years has made more than $220 million in campus improvements. According to U.S. News and World Report (2010), UH has the second most diverse student-body among all universities in the United States. In addition, UH is one of only three Tier One public research institutions in the nation designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U. S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education (U. S. Department of Education, 2012).
UH has a close affiliation with industry, particularly in the Energy sector ...
7. Access to Industry
Houston is a prime location for conducting collaborative business research with industry. The Houston economy is highly diversified with large manufacturing and service sectors. From a global perspective, Houston has a particularly strong presence in energy, aeronautics, transportation, and health care. The University of Houston and the C. T. Bauer College of Business are closely involved with the business community through numerous initiatives. Members of the Dean’s executive board lead energy, finance, investment, banking, technology, and retail companies. The college sponsors a Distinguished Leaders Series with on-campus presentations from business leaders each semester. The UH Bauer alumni association has a large and active presence throughout Houston and the world. The college has large executive MBA programs, professional development programs, a number of large research centers, and is home to the UH Global Energy Management Institute. As a result, there are numerous opportunities for PhD students to interact with industry executives and engage in meaningful, real-world research projects.
8. Quality of Life
Let’s face it. Four years is a long time. You can spend the next four years of your life at a land grant institution in a snowbound rural college town, or you can spend it three miles from downtown Houston in a warm climate with year-round outdoor activities. Its all about the quality of life you prefer. Road trips are never necessary in Houston because Houston is a destination. Of course, there are a few other urban universities that offer similar amenities to Houston, but very few (if any) offer everything Houston does at a comparable price. And remember that you will be living off your PhD stipend over the next four years. The low cost of living in Houston is an important feature!
9. The Future
The University of Houston, the C. T. Bauer College of Business, and the Supply Chain Management area in the college are all growing by leaps and bounds: more students, more faculty, new facilities, new research centers, and more funding. It's truly an exciting time with almost unlimited opportunities. We are proud of our PhD program. We strongly feel it is the best program in the world. But more importantly, we are working toward making it even better. To fully appreciate our PhD program you should consider both where we are today and where we will be in the future.
10. Our Values
The decision to get a PhD is a life altering decision. The relationships you develop in your PhD program will last for life. Here at the University of Houston we realize the importance of our PhD program in Supply Chain Management. We consider the education of future scholars and teachers to be one of our key missions. We consider our PhD graduates to be tremendously important long-term assets. We value our program and our PhD students. We hope you choose to join our team for life.
