1st year Econ phd student in her early 30s looking to move to strategy programs

[Bricktop]

Test Scores: GRE 166(90%)Q, 154(V)

 

Undergrad: engineering from top univ in my continent (grades are ok)

Master: MS Econ from top univ in mu continent (grades are ok)

Real analysis course (+B), seems to be important in econ programs but not in b-school.

 

Research Exp: 2 years RA in econ, 3 refered pub (2 in national journals, 1 top 5 in applied econ subfield). Attended conferences and awards for master thesis

 

Teaching Exp: Both TA and lecturer.

Work Experience: several years in a policy agency related with my research interest + 1 year finance quant in banking risk

management

Research interest: innovation econ, productivity, operations strategy, internationlization

 

Concentration Applying to: Strategy, operations and innovation economics (I fell my interests are in the intersection of these 3 topics. Considering my backgroun (UG engineer + MS economics), I would prefer to attend a Strategic management program.

N programs planned to apply to: 10

The program I am interested are those with high ranking in OM and strategy

Dream Schools: wharthon strategy/operations, MIT Innov and entrep management program

Second Schools: UCLA Strategy, Michigan Strategy, Minesota Strategy, Toronto strategy, Olin OM, Carey OM, Marshall OM, Texas OM, Ohio OM, Indiana OM, Duke Strategy

 

Questions or concerns you have about your profile?

At this moment I am in a top50 econ program but I am not really interested in the research the faculty is doing here. I would prefer to be in a department where my work experience were valuable.

 

I started talking with some b-school faculties here to try to transfer in the same univ, but they told me to apply to other places, too.

Also I am not doing really good in my coursework. I passed, but my classmates have econ undergrad + ms econ finished last year. I finished my studies 6 years ago. I mean, some of them have about 8 metrics courses and I am just now learning instrumental variable.

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD?

My work was mainly about writing policy documents and I felt I wanted to get the metrics training to do research in the field. A phd seems to be the natural next step.

The thing is that I am interested in doing research with real solutions to actual problems related with topics in the operations in the corporate strategy.

 

I also can finish the econ program here and try to get a minor in strategy. But I would like to go to the business jobmarket in strategy. The problem is that I am not in a top program thus that could complivate things to get a job in a b-school.

What do you recomend me?

Edited March 27, 2019 by Bricktop

[StrategicMGMT]

I think it is interesting because you will have the technical skills to do strategy work, but many strategists like to think of themselves as "economists" (quotes there for a reason ...), so I can imagine some committees giving you more intense scrutiny despite in reality you likely being far ahead of most people starting Strategy PhDs. But I imagine, for the schools you want, you are going to have to get that GRE way up. It might be better to take the GMAT instead and see if you can get 700+ there.

 

You should take some time to read articles published in Strategic Management Journal (the most "econ" of all strategy journals IMO), and get an idea for what people are working on.

 

If your school is top 50 for strategy (I can't make assumptions based on econ department), transferring might be a good step.

 

Test Scores: GRE 166(90%)Q, 154(V)

 

Undergrad: engineering from top univ in my continent (grades are ok)

Master: MS Econ from top univ in mu continent (grades are ok)

Real analysis course (+B), seems to be important in econ programs but not in b-school.

 

Research Exp: 2 years RA in econ, 3 refered pub (2 in national journals, 1 top 5 in applied econ subfield). Attended conferences and awards for master thesis

 

Teaching Exp: Both TA and lecturer.

Work Experience: several years in a policy agency related with my research interest + 1 year finance quant in banking risk

management

Research interest: innovation econ, productivity, operations strategy, internationlization

 

Concentration Applying to: Strategy, operations and innovation economics (I fell my interests are in the intersection of these 3 topics. Considering my backgroun (UG engineer + MS economics), I would prefer to attend a Strategic management program.

N programs planned to apply to: 10

The program I am interested are those with high ranking in OM and strategy

Dream Schools: wharthon strategy/operations, MIT Innov and entrep management program

Second Schools: UCLA Strategy, Michigan Strategy, Minesota Strategy, Toronto strategy, Olin OM, Carey OM, Marshall OM, Texas OM, Ohio OM, Indiana OM, Duke Strategy

 

Questions or concerns you have about your profile?

At this moment I am in a top50 econ program but I am not really interested in the research the faculty is doing here. I would prefer to be in a department where my work experience were valuable.

 

I started talking with some b-school faculties here to try to transfer in the same univ, but they told me to apply to other places, too.

Also I am not doing really good in my coursework. I passed, but my classmates have econ undergrad + ms econ finished last year. I finished my studies 6 years ago. I mean, some of them have about 8 metrics courses and I am just now learning instrumental variable.

 

What made you want to pursue a PhD?

My work was mainly about writing policy documents and I felt I wanted to get the metrics training to do research in the field. A phd seems to be the natural next step.

The thing is that I am interested in doing research with real solutions to actual problems related with topics in the operations in the corporate strategy.

 

I also can finish the econ program here and try to get a minor in strategy. But I would like to go to the business jobmarket in strategy. The problem is that I am not in a top program thus that could complivate things to get a job in a b-school.

What do you recomend me?

[Bricktop]

Thank you for your answer!

How difficult is going to the strategy job market with an econ phd?

Considering work experience al backgroun I am a much better candidate for a strategy program.

Also, I am more interested in the research in the b-school.

The trainning here is good, but the placement is really bad and I am not sure why.

Econ phds dont go to b-school job markets?

 

I think I will give a try to apply to a b-school, if I am accepted in a top school (top5 strategy, top10 OM) I will change

[Mandalorian]

Thank you for your answer!

How difficult is going to the strategy job market with an econ phd?

Considering work experience al backgroun I am a much better candidate for a strategy program.

Also, I am more interested in the research in the b-school.

The trainning here is good, but the placement is really bad and I am not sure why.

Econ phds dont go to b-school job markets?

 

I think I will give a try to apply to a b-school, if I am accepted in a top school (top5 strategy, top10 OM) I will change

 

As a Junior Faculty, going into a Management/Strategy department with an Econ PhD would be very tough. A management/strategy PhD is a requirement in most of the job listings.

 

If you had an Econ PhD, but a strong record of strategy publications and were Senior Faculty (full or distinguished professor, etc) finally making the switch, it would be more feasible.

[doingfine]

As a Junior Faculty, going into a Management/Strategy department with an Econ PhD would be very tough. A management/strategy PhD is a requirement in most of the job listings.

 

If you had an Econ PhD, but a strong record of strategy publications and were Senior Faculty (full or distinguished professor, etc) finally making the switch, it would be more feasible.

 

 

That 100% depends on the department. Plenty of macro departments out there focused on the Econ side of things.

[Bricktop]

That 100% depends on the department. Plenty of macro departments out there focused on the Econ side of things.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing.

in some strategy department is actually hard to find Phds in strategy.

for instance:

Research : Competitive and Organizational Strategy

 

empirical IO all way.

It could be actually difficult to get the structural econometrics skills in some strategy department, compared with in an econ department

[IDSC]

Quite a few schools have Econ PhDs on the strategy faculty. One example: Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship Department | Carlson School of Management