PhD
System Dynamics
MIT Sloan’s System Dynamics PhD group, established by Professor Jay W. Forrester in 1956, equips students with the theoretical, methodological, and philosophical tools to analyze system behaviors across various fields, including management, environmental change, politics, economics, medicine, and engineering. The group integrates organization studies, behavioral decision theory, and engineering to understand and influence dynamic changes over time. Students engage in comprehensive studies of system principles, economic and industrial dynamics, and policy analysis, supplemented by coursework in economics, information systems, statistics, and political science. Faculty members like Hazhir Rahmandad, who explores complex organizational dynamics and public health issues; John Sterman, known for his work on system dynamics modeling and sustainability; and Vicky Chuqiao Yang, who studies collective human behavior and decision-making, provide invaluable guidance and expertise.
Research from System Dynamics Faculty
Harnessing the Power of Global Coalitions: Didem Nisanci
Through high-level roles in government and the private sector, Didem Nisanci’s 25-year career has thus far been defined by navigating the intersection of financial stability, public policy, and the global economy. Most recently, as Chief of Staff to US Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, she helped ...
Turning Data into Policy and Action: MIT’s Global Building Inventory (GloBI)
The GloBI digital platform will be a powerful searchable database on buildings in cities around the world that provides detailed, actionable information. A prototype currently covers residential buildings in Massachusetts..
MIT Students Rethink Social Impact at a Global Scale
The Sloan Entrepreneurs for International Development (SEID) club took its annual trek to Washington, D.C., bringing together a group of MIT Sloan students interested in learning more about international development, sustainability, and social impact.
From Research to Broad Industry Impact
Laura Cappellucci, MBA ’17, graduated from MIT Sloan with a Sustainability Certificate eight years ago, but that event did not end her ties to the Sustainability Initiative. Rather, it marked the beginning of a lasting relationship with global impact.
Select System Dynamics Faculty
Full-Time Faculty
Johan Chu
Hear name pronounced.Sarofim Family Career Development Assistant Professor
Johan Chu is the Sarofim Family Career Development Assistant Professor and an Assistant Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management Johan's research examines power. Recently-developed technologies–including generative AI–allow…
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Hazhir Rahmandad
Hear name pronounced.Schussel Family Professor of Management Science
Hazhir Rahmandad is the Schussel Family Professor of Management Science and a Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Hazhir's research shows how complex organizational dynamics can lead to heterogeneity in organizational…
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Nelson P. Repenning
School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies
Nelson P. Repenning is the Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership Center, and the School of Management Distinguished Professor of System Dynamics and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His early work focused on understanding…
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Example PhD Thesis Topics
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Jose Lopez (2024)
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James Paine (2023)
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Tianyi Li (2021)
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Tse Yang Lim (2021)
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Jad Sassine (2021)