The University�s general admission requirements are discussed here.
Application for admission to the Ph.D. program should normally include (1) a
GMAT test score of 600 is advisable based on our experience with student
success in the program, (2) an undergraduate degree with a good academic record
from an accredited institution of higher learning, (3) letters of
recommendation, and (4) a personal statement of goals in relation to seeking
the degree. In the case of international students, TOEFL scores or other
evidence of English proficiency are required. No student will be admitted
without the approval of the concentration area to which the student applies.
For additional information, contact the Office of the Director of Ph.D.
programs in the
The University�s general degree requirements are discussed here.
Each doctoral candidate is required to complete a minimum of 90 semester
credit hours of applicable graduate work in specific program areas beyond the
baccalaureate and prerequisites. Throughout their programs of study at the
university, Ph.D. students are encouraged to participate in ongoing research
activities and to develop their own lines of research. Research activities
include research seminars, directed reading courses and research
assistantships. Research supervision is available in the areas of Accounting,
Finance and Economics, Information Systems, Marketing, Operations Management,
Operations Research, and OSIM (Organizations, Strategy and International
Management).
Students may enter the IMS doctoral program after previous graduate training
or directly from undergraduate programs. Desirable educational
backgrounds include graduate training in any area of business and graduate or
undergraduate degrees in areas such as economics, sociology, political science,
mathematics, and engineering, although students from all areas are considered.
The IMS Ph.D. curriculum includes a business foundation, core courses,
advanced seminars, a methodology requirement, directed readings and independent
research courses, and the dissertation. All students must take the Ph.D.
courses that are offered in each of the first two years in the program.
Students must pass the comprehensive qualifying examination, which is
administered at the end of the second year of study when all the relevant
course requirements (* below) have been satisfied. It is intended to
assess the student�s mastery of the basic theories and methodologies central to
the program and to evaluate the student�s potential to do original research in
an area of specialization. After passing the comprehensive exam, each
student writes a dissertation proposal. This must be completed within six
months of the comprehensive exam. The proposal is defended before a
faculty committee appointed in consultation with the student, dissertation
chair, and Ph.D. advisor. This committee also serves as the supervising
committee for the dissertation after the proposal is approved.
These courses provide a foundation in basic business topics such as
economics, marketing, finance, and accounting. These courses may be waived for
students with master�s degrees in management or other academic backgrounds that
provide an equivalent foundation.
MAS 8v42 Organizational Behavior
IMS 7300 International Management
IMS 8v40 International Business
BPS 7300 Strategic Management
MAS 8v51 Advanced Strategic Management
Advanced seminars are offered on topics in organization theory, organizational
behavior, strategic management, and international management. These courses are
an opportunity for students to explore areas of study in greater depth, to
develop short-term research projects, and to develop working relationships with
faculty members with a view towards research publications and the
dissertation.
OB 7303 Research Design
OPRE 6301 Quantitative Introduction to Risk and Uncertainty in Business
or POEC 5313 Policy Data Analysis I or STAT 5311 Applied Statistics for
Management Science I**
STAT 5312 Regression Analysis or POEC 5316 Policy Data Analysis II**
POEC 5331 Econometrics**
OB 7306 Macro-Organizational Empirical Investigation
Students are encouraged to take additional methods courses consistent with
their research interests.
**Students desiring a methods sequence with a greater emphasis on
mathematical statistics may substitute OPRE 6330 or STAT 5351, STAT 5352, and
MECO 6320 for these three courses.
Students can take further courses with selected faculty members to develop
more specialized knowledge in areas of research interest before and after the
comprehensive exam.
The Ph.D. degree is conferred when the dissertation is successfully
defended.
The Ph.D. program in Management Science is characterized by a high ratio of
research faculty to students, which fosters close working relationships. Core
and elective courses provide the students with a thorough understanding of
management principles. Course work incorporates a broad business outlook into
the study of theory and practice. A sequence of Ph.D. seminars exposes students
to traditional and emerging research issues. Students have the opportunity to
be involved in ongoing research projects under the mentorship of experienced
faculty. We emphasize involving students in research early in their graduate
careers. The close interaction with faculty members enables students to quickly
learn to identify and develop research ideas and create their own research
agenda. Students also develop their teaching competence under faculty
mentorship by teaching organized classes.
The course of study for the Ph.D. in Management Science consists of three
phases. First is attaining a background in business concepts.
Second are the requirements for doctoral proficiency. Third is the
dissertation. Each area of study � Accounting, Finance, Information
Systems, Marketing, and Operations Management � determines the specific
requirements for the three phases. Details can be obtained from the
Director of the Ph.D. programs in the
Students admitted into the program typically devote two years to the
doctoral proficiency course work and research projects. They then take a
comprehensive qualifying exam, based on the course work. Following passing the
qualifying exam, each student develops his or her dissertation research area,
which is usually completed over the next two years.
Doctoral proficiency encompasses courses in research methods, electives or a
specialization, doctoral seminars, and a written and oral qualifying
examination.
OPRE 6330 Probability and Stochastic Processes
MECO 6315 Approaches to Statistical Inference
MAS6v00 Data Analysis and Software
MECO 6320 Introduction to Econometrics
MECO 6345 Advanced Managerial Economics
OPRE 7320 Optimal Control Theory and Applications
MAS 8V00 Teaching Practicum
Students must take at least two of the following courses:
OPRE 6311 Game Theory
MECO 7320 Advanced Econometrics
OPRE 6331 Stochastic Models in Operations Research
OPRE 7330 Deterministic Models in Operations Research
Remaining requirements beyond the core consist of research courses,
electives, independent study, and seminars as approved by the program committee
appointed to guide and evaluate each student. After completion of the
coursework to achieve doctoral proficiency, the student will sit for a written
qualifying exam which must be passed before formal admission to candidacy for
the doctorate. The student must also orally defend the dissertation
proposal before starting the dissertation. Written examination in the
area of specialization may also be required.
The focal point of the Ph.D. program is the dissertation. The
dissertation is written under the direction of the candidate�s committee.
Twelve to twenty-four semester hours may be granted for the dissertation toward
the minimum ninety hour requirement for the degree. At a time mutually
agreeable with the candidate and the members of the committee, the student will
orally defend his or her dissertation to the satisfaction of the
committee. A student must pass in order to have the Ph.D. degree
conferred.
This program is for individuals seeking training in the most advanced
issues, both theoretical and applied, in the field of Accounting. It is
designed to prepare them primarily for teaching positions in research-oriented
universities. Some students may be placed in senior positions in industry,
government or consulting organizations. The program requires a hands-on
training in accounting research, supported by work in the disciplines of
economics, mathematics, psychology and statistics, culminating in a doctoral
dissertation.
This program is for individuals seeking the most advanced academic degree
with an emphasis in Finance. It is designed to prepare them for (1) teaching
positions in research-oriented universities, (2) senior staff positions in
industry or government, or (3) senior positions in consulting organizations;
however, the emphasis is on (1). The program consists of coursework in
financial management, investments, and money and capital markets, together with
work in the supporting areas of economics, mathematics, and statistics; it
culminates in a doctoral dissertation. The program is designed to be completed
in three years of full-time study by a student entering with an appropriate
master�s degree.
This program is designed for individuals who seek training in advanced
theoretical and applied issues in the field of information systems. The
training prepares students for conducting leading edge research in topics
ranging from the design of optimized systems to the effective use of such
systems in organizations. Students undergo rigorous training in research
methodologies as well as in the design of information systems. The research
conducted is often interdisciplinary in nature, and is characterized by strong
analytical modeling of new and emerging issues in information technology
creation and management. The program prepares students mainly for academic
positions in research universities; some students may be placed in research
positions in industry, government, or consulting organizations.
The purpose of the PhD Program in Management Science with a marketing major
is to train researchers capable of dealing with the most advanced issues, both
theoretical and applied, in the field of marketing. Universities as well as
major companies with marketing orientation aggressively recruit PhD�s with
strong theoretical and research training in marketing. Graduates will have
rigorous training in disciplinary areas and research methodology. They will have
knowledge of the various research streams in marketing, will have developed a
research specialization and a clear perspective on management issues.
Operations Management emphasizes the development of models, methods,
applications, and algorithms as they apply to problems in manufacturing and
services. All students will be exposed to deterministic and stochastic modeling
and will have the option of applying and/or developing these and new methods to
solve problems in their selected topics. There will also be an option of
combining a major in Finance, Information Systems or Marketing with one in
Operations Management. The goal of the doctoral program in Operations
Management is to educate future practitioners and researchers in the concepts
and analytical techniques needed to understand and advance scientific solutions
to the problems currently faced by operations managers.
The faculty of the School makes intellectual contributions in two areas: fundamental
scholarship that advances theory and practice and applied scholarship focusing
on practical issues. The fundamental work includes traditional basic
research as well as applied research that defines new areas of practice and
provides general frameworks that address a wide range of application
problems. The applied scholarship provides �how to� frameworks for
skilled practitioners, uses demonstration cases to show how theories can be
applied, and defines new areas of application for existing tools and
techniques.