Program Overview

Operations, Information and Decisions, PhD

Overview

Wharton’s program in Operations, Information and Decisions emphasizes research on real management problems and maintains a balance between theory and implementation. The faculty trains scholars in decision making, information systems, and operations management.

Program Description

Our faculty leads in the development and application of an innovative blend of analytical and empirical approaches to important problems facing the private and public sectors, including the design, development, and evaluation of:

• behavioral approaches to individual and managerial decision making;
• information systems as a means of commerce and of decision making; and
• operations for the fulfillment of demand and broader economic and social needs.

Three Areas of Specialization

The program offers three areas of specialization:

Decision Making (DM)

What factors influence human judgment and decision-making? Why and when are people prone to judgement errors and biases? What kinds of interventions will help people make better decisions, or improve human welfare? Our interdisciplinary Decision-Making PhD program focuses on training students to conduct and publish academic research that helps to answer these important questions.

Information Systems (IS)

The Information Systems PhD Program covers a broad range of research interests, from the development of detailed analytical and information-technology-based methods for managing complex organizations to the broader economic evaluation of the impact of organizational and market-based use of information systems and information-based strategies.

Operations Management (OM)

The Operations Management PhD Program focuses on the processes that define an organization’s outputs, as well as the methods commonly used to analyze these processes. Students specializing in OM are interested in a wide range of functions, including operations strategy, product and process design, technology management, capacity planning, and supply chain management.

Curriculum

Students must complete 16 course units (CU’s) of classes to graduate. They may earn up to 4 CUs of credit for courses previously completed as a part of a master’s degree or PhD program, with the approval of the PhD Coordinator and the Wharton Doctoral Program Office.

Program Milestones

The overall program of study is the same for all students:

• Summer before matriculation: Preparatory Math and Tech Camps, August before the 1st Year (Optional)
• 1st Year Fall: (Mostly) Required Courses
• 1st Year Spring: (Mostly) Required Courses, Choose Summer Paper Topic and Advisor
• 1st Year Summer: Written Qualifier, 1st Year Summer Paper
• 2nd Year Fall: (Mostly) Elective Courses
• 2nd Year Spring: (Mostly) Electives Courses, Choose Dissertation Advisor, Sketch Area of Research Interest
• 2nd Year Summer: 2nd Year Summer Paper
• 3rd Year: Dissertation Research
• 4th Year: Dissertation Proposal in Fall
• 5th Year: Job Market, Dissertation Defense

Course Requirements

• Operations, Information and Decisions:
  • Introductory Faculty-Student Seminar: 1 CU
  • At least one of the following three core disciplinary courses, with the approval of the OID PhD Coordinator: 1 CU
    • OIDD 9000: Foundations of Decision Processes
    • OIDD 9400: Operations Management
    • OIDD 9550: Research Seminar in Information Systems
  • At least two CU in statistics/econometrics, with the approval of the OID PhD Coordinator and Wharton Statistics Department: 2 CU
    • STAT 5000: Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance
    • STAT 5010: Introduction to Nonparametric Methods and Log-linear Models
    • STAT 5150: Advanced Statistical Inference I
    • STAT 5160: Advanced Statistical Inference II
    • STAT 5200: Applied Econometrics I
    • STAT 5210: Applied Econometrics II
    • ECON 7300: Econometrics I: Fundamentals
    • ECON 7310: Econometrics II: Methods & Models
  • At least two CU in economics, with the approval of OID’s PhD Coordinator: 2 CU
    • ECON 6100: Microeconomic Theory
    • ECON 6110: Game Theory and Applications
    • ECON 7100 & ECON 7200: Microeconomic Theory I and Macroeconomic Theory I
    • ECON 7110: Microeconomic Theory II
    • BEPP 9040: Experimental Economics
    • BEPP 9150: Behavioral Economics and Policy Analysis
    • BEPP 9320: Contract Theory and Applications

Decision Making Track

• OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
• Statistics/Econometrics sequence: 2 CU
• Economics: 2 CU
• OIDD 9000: Foundations of Decision Processes: 1 CU
• 10 CU of electives at the 5000-level or above: 10 CU
• Total Course Units: 16 CU

Information Systems Track

• OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
• Statistics/Econometrics Sequence: 2 CU
• Economics: 2 CU
• OIDD 9550: Research Seminar in Information Systems: 1 CU
• 10 CUs of electives at the 5000 level or above: 10 CU
• Total Course Units: 16 CU

Operations Management Track

• OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
• Statistics/Econometrics Sequence: 2 CU
• Economics: 2 CU
• OIDD 9400: Operations Management: 1 CU
• OIDD 9410: Distribution Systems Seminar: 0.5-1 CU
• Stochastic Processes: 1 CU
• Optimization: 1 CU
• 7 CUs of Electives at the 5000 level or above: 7 CU
• Total Course Units: 16 CU

University PhD Benchmarks

In addition to Program requirements, the following milestones must be completed:

• Qualifying Evaluation
• Candidacy Examination
• Dissertation Defense/Oral Exam
• Dissertation Deposit

Typical Course Schedules

As the Requirements Outline suggests, there is great flexibility in how students may complete their course requirements. Thus, while the example plans of study, below, provide a sense of common first-year course rosters for the three concentrations, individual students’ plans can vary widely.

Decision Making

Plan of Study Grid First Year

• Fall:
  • OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
  • OIDD 9000: Foundations of Decision Processes: 1.0 CU
  • STAT 5000: Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance: 1.0 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
• Spring:
  • OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
  • ECON 6110: Game Theory and Applications: 1.0 CU
  • STAT 5010: Introduction to Nonparametric Methods and Log-linear Models: 1.0 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU

Information Systems

Plan of Study Grid First Year

• Fall:
  • OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU
  • STAT 5200: Applied Econometrics I: 1.0 CU
  • ECON 6100: Microeconomic Theory: 1.0 CU
• Spring:
  • OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
  • OIDD 9550: Research Seminar in Information Systems: 1.0 CU
  • STAT 5210: Applied Econometrics II: 1.0 CU
  • ECON 6110: Game Theory and Applications: 1.0 CU
  • Elective: 0.5 CU

Operations Management

Plan of Study Grid First Year

• Fall:
  • OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
  • OIDD 9400: Operations Management: 1.0 CU
  • OIDD 9120: Introduction to Optimization: 0.5 CU
  • OIDD 9300: Stochastic Models: 0.5 CU
  • STAT 5200: Applied Econometrics I: 1.0 CU
  • ECON 6100: Microeconomic Theory: 1.0 CU
• Spring:
  • OIDD 9010: Introduction to OID Faculty and Their Research: 0.5-1 CU
  • OIDD 9410: Distribution Systems Seminar: 0.5 CU
  • OIDD 9310: Stochastic Processes ll: 0.5 CU
  • STAT 5210: Applied Econometrics II: 1.0 CU
  • ECON 6110: Game Theory and Applications: 1.0 CU

Common Electives

The choice of elective courses can also vary widely, according to each student’s interests and focus of research, and valuable electives are offered within OID, as well as by departments throughout the University of Pennsylvania. The following list is a sample of courses, beyond the options listed above, that multiple OID PhD students have taken in the recent past:

• BEPP 9110: Empirical Public Policy: 1 CU
• BEPP 9310: Numerical Methods in Economics: 1 CU
• CIS 5200: Machine Learning: 1 CU
• CIS 5220: Deep Learning for Data Science: 1 CU
• CIS 5450: Big Data Analytics: 1 CU
• ECON 8310: Econometrics III: Advanced Techniques of Cross-Section Econometrics: 1 CU
• ECON 8450: Empirical Methods for Industrial Organization: 1 CU
• FNCE 9260: Empirical Methods in Corporate Finance: 1 CU
• MGMT 9330: Psychological Foundations of Research in Management: 1 CU
• MGMT 9530: Seminar in Research Design: 1 CU
• MGMT 9570: Applied Research Methods and Data Analysis in Organizational Behavior: 1 CU
• MGMT 9610: Special Topics in OB: Making a Contribution: 1 CU
• MKTG 9400: Measurement and Data Analysis in Marketing - Part A: 1 CU
• MKTG 9500: Judgment and Decision Making Perspectives on Consumer Behavior - Part A: 0.5 CU
• MKTG 9510: Judgment and Decision Making Perspectives on Consumer Behavior - Part B: 0.5 CU
• MKTG 9520: Contemporary Topics in Consumer Research - Part A: 0.5 CU
• OIDD 9370: Methods Stumblers: Pragmatic Solutions to Everyday Challenges in Behavioral Research: 0.5 CU
• OIDD 9530: Explaining Explanation: 1 CU
• OIDD 9920: Conflict Mgmt Seminar: 1 CU
• STAT 5710: Modern Data Mining: 1 CU
• STAT 9210: Observational Studies: 1 CU
• STAT 9270: Bayesian Statistical Theory and Methods: 1 CU
• STAT 9710: Introduction to Linear Statistical Models: 1 CU
• STAT 9740: Modern Regression for the Social, Behavioral and Biological Sciences: 1 CU

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.