June/July 2009
Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business Programs Add to Pool of Academically Qualified Faculty
A recent AACSB survey found that business schools are continuing to experience challenges with locating qualified doctoral faculty. As part of an ongoing initiative to increase the number of business doctorates, AACSB endorses a set of Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business programs. These innovative programs are designed to prepare doctoral faculty from related, non-business disciplines such as economics, engineering, math, psychology, sociology, and statistics for careers as business school faculty. Each program is unique and varies in length, discipline, and requirements. All candidates must already hold a research doctorate and have a proven research record. Developed in 2008 by five AACSB-accredited institutions, the programs have proven to be successful in increasing the pool of prospective academically qualified faculty. In this year alone, the programs have added 51 academically qualified faculty to the pool of prospects.
The benefits of the programs are abundant, as stated in a recent article from the Economist.com, “Change is clearly under way:
the AACSB, for one, is active, with its ‘Bridge Programme’, launching this year, attempting to boost co-operation between business academics and those
in other disciplines. Such collaboration is becoming part of the business-education environment”.
The programs’ graduates gain the same initial five-year qualification as a business doctorate, increase their earning
potential, and become part of a diverse research and teaching environment. Schools who hire program graduates receive a multi-disciplinary advantage
while meeting AQ faculty requirements.
Four of the five Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business programs have graduated their first cohort groups and new programs have begun.
Information on last year’s graduates (concentrations ranging from, supply chain management, marketing, and organizational behavior to finance, accounting,
international business, and technology and innovation) can be found on AACSB’s Web site. To view graduate vitae, click here.
For more on the Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business Programs, including individual program requirements and contact information,
visit www.aacsb.edu/bridgetobusiness or click on one of the schools below.
* Grenoble Ecole de Management – Scheduled to Graduate October 2009
* University of Florida – Class of September 2008
Accounting and Finance: 10 graduates
International Business: 5 graduates
Marketing and Management: 6 graduates
* University of Toledo – Class of October 2008
Supply Chain and Technology Management: 4 graduates
* Tulane University – Class of May 2009
Finance: 7 graduates
Marketing: 6 graduates
Organizational Behavior: 5 graduates
* Virginia Tech – Class of August 2008
Finance: 6 graduates
Marketing: 3 graduates
