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
The entrepreneurial spirit of the MIT EMBA
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Learn more about entrepreneurship at MIT and in the MIT EMBA.
How universities can help more women become inventors
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And why. Plus, an inclusive innovation scorecard.
U.S. universities are filling a regional innovation gap
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Universities can seed regional economic growth by attracting and training top talent who go on to file patents and found local companies, a new study shows.
One Day with Mike Sanchez, MBA '25
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“MIT Sloan was the only school I applied to—it was genuinely my dream school," says Mike Sanchez, MBA ‘25. "I'm incredibly grateful to be here.”
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 ManagementJohan’s research examines the shifting bases of social power and corporate advantage. Recently…
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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…
Learn MoreExample 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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Mahdi Hashemian (2020)