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
Lessons in Leadership from the Dragon Boat Festival
For the first time in its 47-year history, the Boston Dragon Boat Festival featured a team from the MIT Club of Boston comprised of alumni, students, affiliates, and Institute community members.
4 ways to navigate entrepreneurship in the age of AI
MIT Sloan’s Bill Aulet and Jenny Larios Berlin explore how founders can combine artificial intelligence with the principles of Disciplined Entrepreneurship to move from concept to market more quickly.
How to get the public invested in climate change solutions
New research from MIT Sloan School of Management finds that financial incentives can motivate learning and support for climate mitigation policies
The Proposed California Billionaire Wealth Tax Produces Inequities and Adverse Incentives
In a new guest commentary for the Golub Center, Professors Ray Ball and Andrew Sutherland argue that CA's proposal will struggle to accurately value and tax billionaire assets and may even drive away some of the state’s largest taxpayers.
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)