Is There a Doctorate in the House?

Pursuing a Career as a Marketing Professor

Sources of Inspiration—Quotes from Marketing PhDs

• Challenge and Personal Freedom. – After 10 years at a leading Marketing

company, I decided to get my PhD in marketing because an academic career offers new challenges along with intellectual and personal freedom that I couldn’t get in my previous role.  The PhD is a credential that opens many doors and unlocks many opportunities that a Bachelor's degree or even an MBA cannot. 

Sources of Inspiration—Quotes from Marketing PhDs

• Personal Freedom and Lifestyle.– You are your own boss in your own

research world with very flexible hours.  The job provides great work-family balance, decent pay, and great opportunities to travel around the world. 

Sources of Inspiration—Quotes from Marketing PhDs

• Freedom and Research. – Academic research is different from doing

marketing research as practitioner. As a practitioner, you are working for the client. As an academic, you can wake up one morning wondering about why firms try to implement more technology that lessens salesperson-customer interaction and you can decide to spend the next 24 months of your life researching that issue.

 

Sources of Inspiration—Quotes from Marketing PhDs

• Challenge and Research. – I’m driven by challenge – researching and

finding the unknown is the ultimate challenge in the field of marketing.

 

Sources of Inspiration—Quotes from Marketing PhDs

• Research. – I decided to get a PhD because of the

research.  I am intrigued by ideas of how and why things work or started.  I was even more fascinated by how, on a everyday basis, with how people are influenced to do things based on marketing.  I used to think it was is magic or something. I had to find out what was going on.  

Sources of Inspiration—Quotes from Marketing PhDs

• Making A Difference.– I was inspired by the opportunity to make

a difference in students’ lives.– You get to spend a lot of time around

young people, talking to them about the things you feel passionate about and hoping that you had something to do with the choices they make in terms of what to do with their lives.

Making A Difference• Quotes from Students about their

Marketing Professors:– My marketing professor went above and beyond

her call of duty by finding me an internship, writing a letter of recommendation, and speaking with potential employers as a reference. She also helped me get my dream job in New York City.

– You always seemed interested and excited about the material you were presenting. I feel like I have learned a lot and, as strange as it may sound, I enjoyed every minute of it.

– My professor was so effective that I’m now considering a career in retailing.

Making A Difference

• Marketing professors can also make a difference in the quality of education and in economic development.

• Their research makes what they teach relevant.

• This research also gets students to think beyond current practice.

• Thus, PhDs are very important to economic development.

PhD Programs• Provide a depth of knowledge in the area.• Train students for an academic career in

research.• Also train students to teach within the

specialization.• Require full-time commitment for 4-5

years.• Pay monthly compensation through

research and teaching assistantships, plus provide a tuition waiver.

Other Issues to Consider

• The business PhD is an endangered species.

• Studies estimate that some 500 spots for doctorate-holding faculty went vacant in 2003.

• The situation is likely to worsen—applicants are desperately needed!

Other Issues to Consider

• There are many well-paying positions!

• 2004-2005 AACSB Salary Survey Report:– New doctorate new hires were paid $91,800

on average.– The average salary for new doctorates at

accredited schools was $93,200.