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
Unicorns Everywhere: Renée Jones on Why Startups Are Staying Private Longer and What to Do About It
Law professor and former SEC division director Renée Jones discusses her new book Untamed Unicorns and ideas for reforming startup financing after decades of deregulation.
4 seats AI can occupy at the negotiating table
AI can negotiate for you, coach you, support your team, or mediate between parties. An MIT Sloan School of Management professor explains those four roles — and why human judgment still matters.
Christina Qi, SB ’13
Christina Qi, SB ’13, co-founder and CEO of Databento, discusses overcoming near-failure, her undergraduate experience at MIT Sloan, and her definition of success.
Alumni Prepare for the Future of Healthcare
Alumni discussed what AI, digital health, and new organizational models mean for alumni in healthcare at Reunion 2026.
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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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)