PhD in Management - Design & InnovationAdmission Information

The Department of Design and Innovation at Weatherhead School of Management offers a unique PhD program to pursue interdisciplinary research at the intersection of information systems, marketing, entrepreneurship and strategy.

Illustrative topics include:

• Digital/AI Technologies & Innovation

• Digital Entrepreneurship

• Customer Interface Design

• Platforms & Strategy

• Privacy & Personalization

Fall 2024 PhD Recruitment Notice

The Design & Innovation (D&I) Department at Case Western Reserve University invites applications for admission to the PhD program in management. The D&I department comprises of faculty whose research interests span the fields of information systems, marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship and international business. 

Our faculty have done pioneering research on multiple contemporary "hot" topics including digital innovation, digital infrastructures, digital entrepreneurship, digital strategy, digital globalization, organizational frontlines, service innovation, customer experience, customer-centric marketing, and customer value co-creation, among others. Our faculty frequently publishes in top-tier academic and practitioner journals such as MIS Quarterly, Organization Science, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Academy of Management Review, Information Systems Research, Journal of International Business Studies, Research Policy, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. Our faculty also serves on the editorial boards of many of these journals and have managed multiple special issues in these journals. 

We are actively seeking PhD program applicants who share interdisciplinary research interests that fit with faculty expertise. We offer a highly active research environment with ample opportunities to acquire interdisciplinary theoretical grounding and methodological skills that enable path-creating research on important managerial and societal problems. Our recent PhD alumni have been placed at several major research universities including University of Rochester, University of Georgia, University of Notre Dame, Stevens Institute of Technology, Brigham Young University and University of Sydney.

The application deadline for fall 2024 admission is Jan. 31, 2024. 

Have questions related to our PhD Program or admission requirements? Please contact: Satish Nambisan, PhD program director at spn24@case.edu or Gail Stringer, department administrator at gcs23@case.edu.

Application Process Overview

Ready to get started? Follow these steps to apply: 

1. Create an application, or log in using your username and password to continue your application.
2. Upload the required unofficial documents. You do not need to provide official documents at this time. If you are admitted and you matriculate, we will require your official documents then. Further instructions will be sent by email.
3. When your application is finished, select “submit” to pay your non-refundable application fee.
4. After selecting “submit,” you will not be able to make any changes to your application form, or essays, but you will be able to log back in later to upload your resume, and copies of your transcripts and test scores. All documents required for application review must be submitted and verified in order for your application to be considered complete.
5. Once your application is complete, you may receive an invitation to interview. Interviews are by invitation only.

Note: Any application that remains incomplete at the end of the admissions period will be withdrawn.

Application Deadlines

Applications to our program are accepted from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31 each year. Applications that meet all requirements and show promise will be contacted for either a visit to campus or a teleconference. International applicants will be offered the opportunity to interview via Skype or Adobe Connect.

Please note that we admit approximately 3-4 students into this program each year.

Applications Accepted: Oct. 1-Jan. 31

Notification: Second week of March

Required Application Materials

To complete your application, you must submit the following materials: 

• Statement of objectives explaining your study and research goals as they relate to your doctoral study and personal and professional goals
• Detailed resume
• Official transcript of academic work
• Official GMAT/GRE scores (taken in the last three years)
• GMAT code: WTJ-F1-54
• Three letters of recommendation
• $50 application fee (non-refundable)
• International students require evidence of financial support for studies

Ready to apply? You can send documents to the following address: 

Case Western Reserve University
Weatherhead School of Management / PhD in Management
ATTN: Gail Stringer
330 Peter B. Lewis Building
11119 Bellflower Road
Cleveland, OH 44106-7235 USA

Apply Now