PhD Life at Wharton

Wharton’s doctoral community is a vibrant network of academic leaders who collaboratively explore ideas and generate new knowledge. Our breadth and depth of business knowledge power your research interests, all within the unique research ecosystem of Wharton and Penn.

What You’ll Find at Wharton

As a doctoral student, you join this diverse intellectual network, centered at Wharton and extending throughout Penn. You form close professional and personal bonds with the people who will be your co-authors, colleagues, mentors, and friends throughout your career, all while working, studying and living in Philadelphia — a culturally rich city that is a hub of higher education.

Top Faculty and Resources

You work with world-leading faculty in a collaborative environment. You take ownership of your ideas, discovering new multidisciplinary research opportunities while gaining access to some of the best research resources you’ll find anywhere.

Working across 10 academic departments and 20 research centers and initiatives, Wharton’s 225+ faculty represent a tremendous breadth and depth of expertise. Their commitment to you as a doctoral student provides you unlimited opportunity to discover your interests and define your individual research niche.

An Involved Community

Research is often a solitary pursuit, so Wharton creates a community to support doctoral students. From informal groups to student organizations like Mack Innovation Doctoral Association (MIDAs),  a student-led cross-department seminar series, and Wharton Society for the Advancement of Women in Business Academia (WSAWBA), Wharton PhD students have a community to rely on.

Academic and Administrative Support

The Wharton Doctoral Programs office reduces the friction that gets in the way of research, navigating you through administrative processes. We minimize the administrative burdens so that you can concentrate on what matters. Wharton Research Computing offers assistance with all aspects of technology from programming to data acquisition, while departmental coordinators help keep you on track.