The doctoral program places heavy emphasis on mentorship and active engagement in research. In additional to attending formal academic talks by invited speakers, many students also participate in the interdisciplinary behavioral decision making colloquium and the associated weekly lab meetings. Students undertake original research early in the program and have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty in other areas of the school (e.g., marketing and strategy areas). The behavioral lab provides a formal link between the management and organizations area and other behavioral researchers in the school; in addition, many of the management and organizations faculty are cross-appointed in the UCLA Department of Psychology.
First-year Ph.D. students are assigned a primary and secondary advisor upon arrival, which can be adjusted as their interests develop. Students take 18 classes in total (eight outside Anderson, five management and organization classes, five research methods classes). They complete a summer paper and field exam, after which they begin work on their dissertation proposal in year three, and conduct additional research to prepare to be competitive on the academic job market.