On this episode, Stacy talks with USA Global Scholar Dr. Torsten Pieper. Torsten is an Associate Professor of Management in the Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte, the President of the International Family Enterprise Research Academy, and the author of more than 20 articles and nine books on family business. He gives some great insights and specific advice when searching for the right post-graduate business degree or Ph.D. and ensuring you're not wasting your valuable money and time and not shooting yourself in the academic foot.

Key Takeaways

- Make sure you're looking at AACSB accredited institutions and colleges.

- Find a traditional or non-traditional degree that fits your lifestyle and long-term career goals.

- Research the instructors and professors. You want to work directly with the best researchers and instructors in that school.

- Look for a program that will teach you to research correctly and how to get published.

Compare your list of AACSB programs, and then determine how they differ.

Torsten Pieper Says:

There's a lot of confusion out there in the market over the years. There's Doctor of Business Administration, Executive Ph.D., Executive Doctorate, Executive Doctorate Management. There are so many names and programs that came about that I can see how people can get very quickly confused.

One important criterion you want to take into your calculation is to make sure the school has AACSB accreditation. Otherwise, you are wasting the money.

You need to make sure that somebody teaches you how to publish and how to get published. You need to do research that has a chance of getting published, that has a chance of getting published. Because otherwise, you spend a bunch of money and at the end, you will have a degree from a school with a nice name. But if you still don't know how to do research and that's what you want to do, then kind of shot yourself in the foot.

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Learn more about the USA Mitchell College of Business

- Business PhD Program

- Master in Business Administration

- Undergraduate Business Degrees

On this episode, Stacy talks with Ph.D. student Justin Scott. Justin has finished all his classwork, and when interviewed, he was working on his dissertation. Justin tells us his thought process in choosing USA Mitchell College of Business, how this program fit his family and career situation, and how there isn't a "mold" for a Ph.D. student. Plus, he shares his best advice for nailing your first year and what learning tool you need to master.

Key Takeaways

- Look for a program that works with your family, career and life situation.

- Find a faculty that could help you and support your research ideas and career goals.

- Prioritize your time when starting your Ph.D. Focus on school, family, and life decisions that are the most important and beneficial.

- Learn to be consistent with your reading, research and classwork. Cramming is not going to work in this program.

- There is no "Ph.D." mold or type of student. All types of people, students and careers enroll and thrive in this program.

Justin Scott Said:

Already having a family, a job, and a home, trying to uproot and move somewhere for a traditional program just did not align with the goals that I set for my family.

Look for a faculty that won't pigeonhole you into their ideas. Rather, they provide you the guidance and support to pursue your own ideas.

Prioritization and consistency will pay off even if it still seems like there's an entire mountain of work in front of you to climb. But before you know it you realize you're on the other side of the mountain.

Don't neglect the pursuit and accomplishment of something that can be career-altering and life-changing simply because you didn't think that you fit the "Ph.D. mold.". That mold does not exist.

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Learn more about the USA Mitchell College of Business

- Business PhD Program

- Master in Business Administration

- Undergraduate Business Degrees

On this episode, Stacy talks with the new Ben May Distinguished Professor of Management at the USA Mitchell College of Business, Dr. Robyn Brouer. Dr. Brouer is a dedicated educator who has a passion for leadership, social influence and effectiveness, Organizational Behavior, and Human Resources. And she is driven by the age-old question of "how can we make leaders better?" Dr. Brouer shares her excitement for engaging with the Mitchell College of Business doctoral students, what skills are essential to thriving in a high-level business school program, and mentoring students in a one-on-one educational environment.

Learn More About Dr. Robyn Brouer

Key Takeaways

- If you have a love of learning, a curious mind, and the will to put in the hard work, then you have what it takes to be in a business Ph.D. program.

- The Cohort system is an excellent alternative to a traditional one at a time Ph.D. program.

- A life of learning begins with your enrollment and completion of your business Ph.D.

- Build solid relationships with your cohort, other students, and instructors; they will be beneficial for your time in school and the rest of your career.

- Look for a business school program that values not only research but also in developing mentorship and one on one relationships with the students.

Dr. Brouler Said:

I've taught at the big schools where students are just a number. That's not the feeling I got from the University of South Alabama.

I'm very excited to come to a school that values research where I can work with doctoral students and develop mentoring and one-on-one relationships.

If you like to learn, a PhD program is for you because you can learn and keep learning and learning. You're never going to run out of things to learn.

One of the main things I look for when selecting Ph.D. students is that drive, curiosity, and desire to have more knowledge.

It's not about what grades you got. It's not about your GMAT score for me. Ph.D. programs are hard work, but you don't have to be the smartest. You just have to have that curiosity, and you have to be willing to put in the work.

I think cohort programs do a good job rather than the one-off accepting one Ph.D. per person at a time.

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Learn more about the USA Mitchell College of Business

- Business PhD Program

- Master in Business Administration

- Undergraduate Business Degrees