Why a Foster PhD: Ji Youn Kim, Strategic Management track

Guest post by Ji Youn (Rose) Kim, 2014 graduate, UW PhD in Strategic Management.

First placement: University of Kentucky
Current: University of Kentucky

I joined the Foster business school as a doctoral student in management in 2009. There are many great aspects to the PhD program at the Foster, but let me highlight three things. First, Foster provided me with an exciting environment in which to observe the latest research in the field: doctoral seminars with faculty members who continually publish in top-tier journals and enjoy interacting with students, a wonderful series of renowned guest speakers in the field offering presentations on various topics, and generous support from the school to attend key academic conferences and workshops. Those experiences were invaluable to the development of the specific research interests for my dissertation.

Second, the PhD at the Foster School of Business is a competitive degree program. Upon admission, I found myself surrounded by a wonderful group of smart people not just within my department but across the entire business school. They were definitely an additional source of learning, intellectual support and precious friendship, which is important not only for completing the program but for continued collaboration after graduation.

Finally, I would emphasize that Seattle is just a fabulous place to live in terms of its beautiful natural environment, cultural diversity and respect for it (which was important for me as an international student), and year-round mild weather. The University of Washington itself offers a beautiful campus environment. As you might (or should) expect, it is not easy to go through the ups and downs of the doctoral program. At such times, just by taking a short walk through the evergreen trees or near the lake on the campus helped me to relax and get recharged to move forward.