Celebrating Four Decades of Excellence: The Alberta School of Business PhD Program Turns 40

The Alberta School of Business PhD program began in 1984 with just four students: two in Accounting, one in Finance, and one in Organizational Analysis. By 1985, Marketing was added as a specialization, and the program welcomed an additional seven students, bringing the total to 11. Over the next few years, specializations in Human Resource Management/Industrial Relations (now Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Management, SEM) and Management Science (now Operations and Information Systems, OIS) were introduced in 1989 and 1995, respectively.

Fast forward to 2024 and the program has produced 230 graduates over the last 40 years, with over 90 per cent securing academic positions at institutions around the world. Alumni are now spread across 18 countries, undeniable proof of the global reach and reputation of the Alberta School of Business, especially in academia.

“While the number of graduates from the PhD program may seem small on a grand scale, that intimacy in class sizes is a hallmark of the business PhD program and allows for close mentorship,” says Sarah Moore, a marketing professor who is entering her second year as Associate Dean, PhD and Research at the Alberta School of Business.

“The PhD students work really closely with the advisers in these small groups and teams to learn the literature and to learn the methods that they need,” she says. “And that gives them time to engage in conversation and to get deep into articles in a way that's very different from undergrad or even thesis-based master's programs.”

It was in 2005, with two to three students admitted annually in the five areas of specialization, that the PhD program had grown to 65 students, and it’s maintained class sizes between 55 and 70 ever since.

Alan Webb, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Waterloo and a PhD graduate from the Alberta School of Business Accounting program in 2001, emphasized the importance of these smaller cohorts.

“The small class sizes gave me the opportunity to get to know the faculty and regularly interact with them on class topics and broader research issues,” says Webb. “This was particularly important to my success, as I didn’t have a research background prior to joining the PhD program, so the learning curve was very steep during the first two years. It was through these many interactions that I built confidence in my ability to succeed in the program and in my career.”

Since completing the program, Webb has been recognized for numerous contributions to the field of accounting, including being named a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants of Ontario (FCA) for outstanding career accomplishments, and receiving the Lifetime Contribution to Management Accounting Award from the Management Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association.

He also served as Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Accounting Research (CAR). Retiring in 2023, his career stands as a reflection of the program’s ability to cultivate academic leaders.

Moore emphasizes the program’s enduring commitment to crafting the next generation of business scholars. “I was only three years old when the PhD program launched,” says Moore, whose research area focuses on communication, language and its diverse impacts on consumer behavior. “Our alumni shape the program, and I hope that our alumni are out there spreading the word and encouraging students who might be considering PhDs to come to the U of A.”

Her goal as associate dean of the program is clear: “I want each student to find the research question that drives them to pursue academia. Whatever we can do to provide training and computer infrastructure and all those things to help people do that — that's what we will continue to do.”

Alumna Tὒlin Erdem, ‘93 PhD, now the Leonard N. Stern Professor of Business at NYU and Executive Director of the Marketing Science Institute (2024-2026), recalls the resources and opportunities she had during her time at the U of A. "I had great support in pursuing the research topics I found interesting,” she says. “This included a wide variety of courses, as well as funding to visit other universities and work with co-authors who had the infrastructure I needed for my research. For example, I used the University of Minnesota Supercomputer Institute’s supercomputers when I was working on my dissertation."

Erdem’s area of research includes decision-making, behavioral economics, choice modeling, branding and marketing strategy, and she’s served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Marketing Research, the president of INFORMS Society of Marketing Science (ISMS), and is an ISMS fellow. Before she joined NYU-Stern, she was a chaired professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, where she also served as the Associate Dean of Research and PhD program director.

“The reputation of a school depends, among other things, on the placement of its PhD students and its PhD students' productive careers,” says Erdem. “I was fortunate to have a great career and I hope that has contributed to the legacy of the Alberta School of Business.”

The legacy of the program’s PhD graduates is profound, having published 1,636 papers and garnered over 78,000 citations, far surpassing the global average. Approximately 740 of these publications align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, covering topics such as Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, Economic Growth, Climate Action and Good Health and Well Being.

Looking ahead, Moore is particularly excited about a new PhD-level course, Philosophy of Science, launching next fall. "This course will be instrumental in strengthening cross-specialization understanding," Moore says. “One of my favorite aspects of working at a university is the diversity of specializations and research methods, and this course will further unite our PhD students, enriching their academic experience."

A sense of community is fostered by the Business Doctoral Association (BDA), officially recognized by the Graduate Students Association, which helps to develop workshops for professional development, plan social events and assist with orientation for incoming students.

Additional financial support was introduced in 2022 when the PhD program secured fifth-year funding, an important initiative that allows students to focus fully on their research without the pressure of securing financial support in their final year. “It’s nearly impossible to finish a PhD in four years, and this funding ensures students can dedicate that last year to their work rather than worrying about how they’ll pay tuition or cover living expenses,” says Moore.

With four decades of excellence behind it and new initiatives on the horizon, the Alberta School of Business PhD program remains a beacon of academic rigor, preparing the next generation of scholars to make their mark on the world.

As the program celebrates its 40th anniversary, the U of A will be profiling Alberta School of Business PhD alumni throughout the course of the 2024-25 academic year, sharing their accomplishments and contributions as the program looks forward to many more years of success.