Dr. Uma Karmarkar

Associate Professor

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Biography

Uma R. Karmarkar combines methods from consumer psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience to develop theory-driven frameworks about how people make decisions and how their brains influence behavior. She is an Associate Professor at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) and holds a joint appointment as a member of the executive board of the Society for Neuroeconomics, where she will serve as incoming president from 2024 to 2025. At GPS, she teaches courses including Marketplace Behavior and Survey Methods, Marketing. Karmarkar’s research focuses on how individuals utilize the limited information available to them in uncertain situations to make choices, such as financial investments. Her work also explores how the timing and context-dependent framing of information can influence decision-making in marketplace settings. Prior to joining UC San Diego, Karmarkar was a visiting professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and served as an assistant professor in marketing at Harvard Business School.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

— Present

University of California, San Diego • La Jolla, California

Teaches courses in Marketplace Behavior, Survey Methods, Marketing, and develops research in decision-making and consumer behavior.

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).