Emphasis in Marketing

Program Overview

The goal of the Ph.D. program in Marketing is to prepare doctoral students to become productive researchers and teachers at top research universities. Students work closely with our faculty to identify areas of research interest and choose to specialize in one or more of the three core areas of Marketing:

• Consumer Behavior: focuses on developing theories to understand consumer behavior, drawing upon a blend of literature in marketing and psychology including cognitive and social psychology.
• Marketing Management and Strategy: focuses on developing theories to understand firms and markets, with an emphasis on managerial and strategic issues, and draws upon theories and methods from industrial economics, strategic management, political science, and organizational behavior.
• Marketing Models and Quantitative Methods: uses techniques from statistics, economics, computer science, management science, and operations research to develop quantitative models to solve marketing problems.

About the Marketing Department

The Smeal Marketing Department is noted for its productivity, the achievement of faculty members, and its service to the broader research community. The department is consistently ranked among the top marketing departments in the world in terms of research productivity, and prides itself on having one of the best marketing faculties in the country. The scholarship of the department’s faculty has been recognized by leading journals and associations such as the American Marketing Association and Marketing Science Institute. 

To learn more about the Marketing faculty, visit:

• Core Areas of Marketing
• Research Achievements of our Faculty
  
  

To learn more about the Marketing Ph.D. Program, visit:

• Marketing Program Structure
• Marketing Department Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on the Smeal Ph.D. Emphasis in Marketing, contact:

Dr. Courtney Szocs
Associate Professor in Marketing
Ph.D. Program Coordinator
Department of Marketing
Smeal College of Business
The Pennsylvania State University
458 Business Building
University Park PA 16802-3603
Telephone: 814-865-1869
E-mail: cks6084@psu.edu

The goal of the Marketing Ph.D program is to prepare our doctoral students to become productive researchers and teachers at quality research universities and institutions.  The basic structure of the program consists of five components, briefly described below:

Course Work

Coursework is drawn from the Marketing Department and supporting disciplines fundamental to marketing. Coursework depends upon your core area of interest (i.e., consumer behavior, marketing management, quantitative models). Some courses are required (e.g., core courses in each of these areas, research methods, Introduction to business research). For electives, students can choose from a wide variety of courses that are related to your research interests (e.g., advanced courses in each of the core areas, courses drawn from economics, management, psychology and other supporting disciplines). Coursework is normally completed during the first two years of the program.

Qualifying Exam

The Qualifying Exam consists of four components: an evaluation of course work performance, a written qualifying exam to assess breadth of knowledge (administered at the end of the spring semester), a first year paper (due August 15 of the first summer), and a presentation of this paper to an evaluation committee (to take place during September). The Qualifying Examination committee, in consultation with the faculty members who were mentoring the student, will make a determination by the end of the third semester. The overall evaluation will be based on the student’s paper and presentation, scores on the written examination, as well as the student’s academic progress and potential for independent research.  Students who fail the Qualifying exam will normally be asked to leave the Ph.D. program.

Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive exam consists primarily of a second year comprehensive paper (due August 15 of the second summer). Leading up to and during the summer of the second year, students conceptualize, design and execute original research under the guidance of faculty. The paper and presentation are evaluated by the candidate’s committee (four to five faculty members, including the student’s advisor).

Dissertation Proposal

Students then establish a dissertation committee. Working with their adviser and committee, students then conceptualize, design and propose original research that will constitute their dissertation.  Students “defend” their proposal to faculty and receive feedback leading to a set of clear expectations, needed work to develop an acceptable dissertation, and a timetable for completion. The proposal defense normally takes place in the Spring of the fourth year (at which time, students normally send out applications and then interview during the summer for academic positions to start after the fifth year).

Defense of the Dissertation

When the doctoral committee thinks that the student has a sound dissertation, the students schedules a final oral examination. The final dissertation defense is public and students who successfully defend their dissertation are then granted a Ph.D (conditional on successful completion of coursework and other elements of the Ph.D. program). At this point, we all celebrate!

Other Aspects of the Ph.D. Program Include:

Colloquia

Students are expected to attend our Marketing colloquia. For example, faculty from Penn State and visitors from other universities may be invited to present their current research in the Marketing Department. Ph.D. students will also present in the colloquia series. The colloquia series is a great opportunity to learn about the latest ongoing research and network with the marketing community.

Conferences and Workshops

Students are expected to attend conferences to learn about the latest ongoing research and to present their own research. The "big" marketing conferences are Marketing Science, Association for Consumer Research, American Marketing Association, Society for Consumer Psychology, and so on. In addition, students may be invited to attend various “consortia” designed specifically for Ph.D. students (e.g., AMA Doctoral Consortium, Haring Symposium). Funding is available for Ph.D. students who present their own research.

Research Center

The Marketing Department works closely with the Institute for the Study of Business Markets.. This center provides education (e.g., ISBM runs online workshops and courses for doctoral students around the world), research opportunities (e.g., interaction with firms, data collection) and may provide funding for research (e.g., via grants). Additional research funding is also available from Smeal (e.g., research grants for doctoral students and from other sources).

Research Assistant (RA) work

Students who receive funding via graduate assistantships are expected to work with faculty, usually on joint research that is intended for publication. Students normally rotate among faculty, and both students and faculty are asked for input to best match faculty and students. The RA system provides faculty and students with an opportunity to work together and frequently leads to research publications.

Teaching Experience

Ph.D. students are also expected to teach during the program (usually in their fourth and fifth year, in lieu of RA work). Smeal provides teacher training and faculty serve as mentors, and this teaching experience helps prepare you for your teaching role as a business professor.

A Vibrant Ph.D. Experience

More generally, Ph.D. students are provided with the tools necessary to do their work, including:  offices, personal computers, research labs, libraries, and so on. The facilities at Smeal are truly impressive – visit us in the Business Building and see for yourself!

Many excellent Ph.D. students are currently working in our Ph.D. program. To learn more about our students, please click on the links below.

Current Marketing Ph.D. Students

Portrait	Name (Last, First)	E-mail	Phone	Office Address
	Alqadeeri, Dalal	dua460@psu.edu	814-865-7149	447A Business Building
	Goel, Namita	nfg5226@psu.edu	814-865-1572	418A Business Building
	Liu, Jingzhi (Ginger)	jjl7224@psu.edu	814-865-2219	462A Business Building
	Lo, Chung-Kang	cql6023@psu.edu	814-865-1572	418A Business Building
	Sanwal, Aadya	afs6594@psu.edu	814-865-6250	421A Business Building
	Shen, Tongyao	tqs5651@psu.edu	814-865-7149	447A Business Building
	Smith, Hannah	hes5407@psu.edu	815-865-2219	462A Business Building
	Yu, Wenlan	wzy5104@psu.edu	814-865-6250	421A Business Building
	Zhao, Qi	qqz5132@psu.edu	814-865-6250	421A Business Building

Many excellent Ph.D. students have graduated from our program over the years and have obtained jobs at high level universities. Some recent examples include:

Recent Placement Records

Logo	Placement Information
	Nate Allred- Texas Tech University Actions in the Shadows: The Influence of Conspiracy Theory Endorsement on Consumer Decision-Making Marketing, 2023 Dissertation Advisor: Lisa Bolton
	Benjamin Beck- Brigham Young University Cutting through the noise while maintaining a privacy-first focus; enabling marketers to understand the customer journey and improve online trust. Marketing, 2023 Dissertation Advisor: J. Andrew Petersen
	Franziska Schmid- Oregon State University  Essays on Stakeholder Networks Marketing, 2022 Dissertation Advisor: J. Andrew Petersen
	Felix (Haiyue) Xu - University of Kentucky Consumer Response to Marketplace Practices: A Moral Perspective Marketing, 2022 Dissertation Advisor: Lisa Bolton
	Mayank Nagpal - Northeastern University Keyword Selection Strategies in Search Engine Optimization: How Relevant is Relevance? Marketing, 2021 Dissertation Advisor: J. Andrew Petersen
	Yifan Zhang - Kennesaw State University Marketing Analytics Model in the New Data Era Marketing, 2020 Dissertation Advisors: Duncan Fong and Arvind Rangaswamy
	Qian Chen - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Network Models and Statistical Learning Methods to Study Customer Heterogeneity With Complex Marketing Data  Marketing, 2020 Dissertation Advisors: Waybe DeSarbo and Duncan Fong
	Gretchen Wilroy Ross - Texas Christian University Preference Shifts After Loss Marketing, 2020 Dissertation Advisor: Margaret Meloy
	Gabriel Gonzales - SUNY New Paltz Fair Prices and Profits Across Channels Marketing, 2019 Dissertation Advisors: Lisa Bolton and Margaret Meloy
	Amirali Kani - University of Guelph Modeling Competitive Group Dynamics: A Bayesian Hidden Markov Model Approach Marketing, 2018 Dissertation Advisors: Wayne Desarbo and Duncan Fong
	Andong Cheng - University of Delaware The Picky Consumer Marketing, 2017 Dissertation Advisor: Margaret Meloy
	Manpreet Gill - University of South Carolina Essays on the Causal Analysis of Strategic Marketing Actions Marketing, 2017 Dissertation Advisors: Min Ding and Shrihari Shridar
	Ashley Stadler Blank - University of St. Thomas Putting a Price on Participation: The Role of Consumer Costs and Benefits Marketing, 2016 Dissertation Advisor: Lisa Bolton
	Huanhaun Shi - University of Lincoln-Nebraska Essays on Causal Analysis of Strategic Marketing Decisions Marketing, 2016 Dissertation Advisors: Rajdeep Grewal and Shrihari Shridar
	Zhi Lu - University of Victoria How Does Organizational Power Affect Organization Perceptions? Marketing, 2016 Dissertation Advisor: Lisa Bolton
	Jamie Hyodo - University of Lincoln-Nebraska The Multiple Facets of Gratitude: Exploring the Effects of Salvation, Serendipitous and Serene Gratitude on Consumer Behavior Marketing, 2016 Dissertation Advisors: Margaret Meloy and Karen Winterich
	Aditya Gupta - Iowa State University Implications of Organizational Political Ideology for Firm’s Market and Non-Market Behavior Marketing, 2015 Dissertation Advisors: Rajdeep Grewal and Gary Lilien
	Charles Kang - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Doing Good, Doing Bad, and Doing Well: Dynamic Effectiveness of Sustainability Strategy Marketing, 2015 Dissertation Advisor: Rajdeep Grewal
	Sae Rom Lee - University of Texas at San Antonio The Role of Ideals and Morality in Consumer Decisions Marketing, 2014 Dissertation Advisors: Hans Baumgartner and Karen Winterich
	Sunghoon Kim - Arizona State University A New Class of Bayesian Segmentation Methods for Deriving the Heterogeneous Drivers of Service Quality Evaluations Marketing, 2014 Dissertation Advisors: Wayne DeSarbo and Duncan Fong
	Li Xiao - Fudan University Essays on Customer Preference Measurement Marketing, 2013 Dissertation Advisor: Min Ding
	Chen Zhou - Erasmus University Empirical Models for Organizational Service Quality Decisions Marketing, 2013 Dissertation Advisor: Rajdeep Grewal
	Hye-Jin Kim - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Essays in Consumer Preference Measurement Marketing, 2013 Dissertation Advisor: Min Ding
	Aaron Garvey - University of Kentucky How Consumer Goal Characteristics Determine the Influence of Goal Progress on Goal Perseverance Marketing, 2012 Dissertation Advisor: Lisa Bolton
	Frank Germann - University of Notre Dame Essays on Marketing's Role During Firm Crises Marketing, 2012 Dissertation Advisor: Rajdeep Grewal
	Alok Saboo - Georgia State University Modeling Strategic Issues for IPO Forms Marketing, 2012 Dissertation Advisor: Rajdeep Grewal
	Simon Blanchard - Georgetown University A Methodology For Identifying Unobserved Categories when Consumers Assign Brands to Multiple Categories Marketing, 2011 Dissertation Advisors: Wayne DeSarbo and Margaret Meloy
	Mahima Hada - City University's Baruch College Referral Equity and Referral Management: Essays on the Supplier Firm's Perspective of Referrals Marketing, 2011 Dissertation Advisors: Rajdeep Grewal and Gary Lilien
	Bryan Johnson - Creighton University Social Capital in the Marketplace: The Implications of Using Social Relationships for Consumption Purposes Marketing, 2010 Dissertation Advisor: Bill Ross
	Anindita Chakravarthy - University of Georgia Stock Market's Influence on Marketing and R&D Budgets: Implications for Short and Long Term Firm Performance Marketing, 2010 Dissertation Advisor: Rajdeep Grewal
	Kunter Gunasti - University of Connecticut The Effects of Product Experiences on Attitudes Toward the Brand, a Product's Country of Origin and Competitor Brands Marketing, 2009 Dissertation Advisor: Hans Baumgartner

Our students frequently publish in top marketing journals with faculty members during and after they have completed their Ph.D.

*Please note, placements are within one year of graduation.

*Please note, all academic placements are tenure track unless an alternate job title is provided

Research in marketing focuses on three core areas:  consumer behavior, marketing management and strategy, and marketing models and quantitative methods (known colloquially as “behavioral”, “managerial” and “quant”). Below is a brief description of each of the areas, plus a list of our Marketing faculty who primarily conduct research in these areas. You can learn more about the specific research interests of faculty by visiting their web pages.

Consumer Behavior: This area focuses on developing theories to understand consumer behavior, drawing upon the literature in marketing as well as concepts and methods in psychology (including cognitive and social psychology). Topics include: How do consumers process information to make purchasing decisions? How does emotion affect the decision-making process? How do marketing tactics (such as advertising and pricing) affect consumer preference? What are the consequences for customer satisfaction? What are the implications for marketers and for public policy?

Faculty Members: Hans Baumgartner, Lisa E. Bolton, Sara Dommer,  Meg Meloy, Courtney Szocs, and Karen Winterich

Marketing Management and Strategy: This area focuses on developing theories to understand firms and markets, with an emphasis on managerial and strategic issues, and draws upon theories and methods from industrial economics, strategic management, political science, and organizational behavior. Topics include: How do managers turn marketing information into marketing strategy? How do companies develop relationships with distributors? What organizational structures contribute to the success of a sales force? How do digital technologies change marketing practice in consumer markets and business markets?

Faculty Members: Luciano Lapa, Gary Lilien, J. Andrew Petersen, Sotires Pagiavlas, Arvind Rangaswamy, and Stefan Wuyts

Marketing Models and Quantitative Methods: This area uses techniques from statistics, economics, computer science, management science, and operations research to develop quantitative models to solve marketing problems. Topics include: How can we mathematically calibrate the impact of marketing actions on consumer choice? How can we use audio and visual data to help managers optimize marketing decisions such as advertisement, product design, branding, retailing, customer management? How can we represent competitive positions of brands? How can a company optimally structure its new product pipeline? What is the optimal pricing strategy for a new product, and how should a company react to a competitor's price change?

Faculty Members: Min Ding, Duncan Fong, John Liechty, Gary Lilien, Sean Melessa, Arvind Rangaswamy, and Ning Zhong

The topics noted here are relatively broad and used for illustrative purposes. To better understand the research interests of our faculty, please visit individual faculty webpages on the Marketing Department website.

The marketing department works closely with the Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) research center at Smeal.