All doctoral students complete a rigorous program which emphasizes three main aspects: academic coursework, dissertation preparation, and graduate assistantship. Together, these aspects provide a cohesive process which focuses on academic training, structured time to conduct research, and practical mentoring in research and teaching.
The Ph.D. in Business Administration Program with a concentration in Business Policy/Strategy, consists of a total of 60 credit hours and typically takes five years to complete
Curriculum
Coursework (first two years) *
During the first part of the program, you will focus on completing the required 48 credit hours of coursework. This requirement typically takes two years to complete and may extend into the third year, given available course sequence or special academic circumstances.
The coursework is completed in three stages, which can be taken in any order. The information below represents courses typically included in a program of study, however, course content may vary depending on a student’s unique academic and professional background, research interests or guidance provided by the academic advisory committee.
Courses focus on learning specialized tools for conducting research. Some of the courses that students may take to comply with this requirement are:
- Research and the Statistical Packages
- Seminar in Management Research Methodology
- Advanced Statistics for Business I
- Advanced Statistics for Business II
- Advanced Statistics for Business and Economics
- Research Methods and Philosophies in Marketing
- Latent Variable Estimation Techniques
- Theory of Psychological Measurement
- Topics in the Analysis of Social Networks
- Longitudinal Analysis
Courses focus on studying and conducting literature review of the subject matter. Some of the courses that students may take to comply with this requirement are:
- Doctoral Seminar in the Behavioral Sciences I
- Doctoral Seminar in the Behavioral Sciences II
- Current Issues in Organizational Behavior
- Doctoral Seminar in Human Resource Management
- Seminar in Strategy Formulation
- Organization Theory
- Survey of Social Psychology
- Seminar in Judgment and Decision-Making
- Ph.D. Seminar on Cultural Frameworks and Research
There are various disciplines that enhance the student’s body of knowledge. Some of the courses that students may take to comply with this requirement fall within, but are not limited, to the following fields of study:
- International Business
- Human Resources Management
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Economics
* Students who hold an earned master’s degree are eligible, pending their academic advisory committee approval, to waive up to six semester hours of coursework. Such courses are typically waived from the cognate course requirement. This opportunity does not typically translate into reducing the typical length of the program (five years) but does provide the student with important time to focus on non-coursework activities.
Research and Dissertation Preparation (remaining three years)
Under the guidance of your dissertation advisor and committee, years three, four and five will be dedicated to planning, conducting and finalizing your dissertation research. This ongoing academic work accounts for the remaining 12 credit hours required for graduation.
At the end of the program, you will deliver your official document and present (i.e., defend) your dissertation before your dissertation committee. In addition to your required dissertation, and in most cases as part of your graduate assistantship, you will have a close working relationship with multiple faculty in the department, often participating in various research projects.
Both the dissertation, as well as various opportunities to participate in faculty-led research, play an integral part in the academic and professional training of all Ph.D. students. These opportunities provide students with research experience as they prepare for their future academic research career.
Graduate Assistantship
The graduate assistantship provides you with important experience and practical training in activities critical to your future academic career. During your progression in the program, graduate assistantship responsibilities may include:
Progression Milestones
As you progress through the program, you will be required to achieve the following milestones that will allow you to meet the degree requirements established by both the academic department and the university’s graduate school.
During the first two years of the program, you’ll will work closely with your Ph.D. coordinator and Ph.D. Advisory Committee to create and update your program or study. The Ph.D. faculty coordinator acts as your main advisor during the first two years, although it is expected that all students interact, work and network with other Ph.D. faculty.
You will be asked to present your first paper under the guidance of one or more faculty members and the Ph.D. faculty coordinator. This serves as the first experience in developing a research paper at the doctoral level.
This milestone consists of a written exam and an oral exam presented before the committee. The exam focuses on two important aspects:
- Evaluate the student’s mastery of coursework
- Evaluate the student’s ability to conduct the research required to complete a Ph.D.
After two years of ongoing interaction with faculty in the department, and in consultation with the Ph.D. faculty coordinator, you will select your dissertation advisor (advisor’s consent needed) and committee. This team will serve as your main support system and will provide guidance on completing your dissertation.
You will provide initial ideas on both the dissertation topic and the proposed methodology to use in the research process. The proposal consists of both a written document and a presentation before your dissertation committee.
This is the final milestone in earning the Ph.D. degree. You will provide the final dissertation document to the dissertation committee and conduct a formal presentation of its content and findings. Once approved by the committee, the final dissertation document is sent to the Graduate School for final approval and publication.
Course Descriptions
For your reference, the following list provides a general description of each of the courses outlined in the coursework section above.
Advanced use of available statistical packages in educational research. Content varies; topics and credit announced in advance.
Research methods and techniques for translation of management theory and practical problems into testable propositions.
The development and application of advanced statistical methods to problems in business. Topics include application of estimation and hypothesis testing in both univariate and multivariate cases.
The structure and analysis of experimental and research designs with applications to business problems.
Doctoral seminar covering research methods and philosophies that underpin knowledge generation in marketing.
Doctoral seminar examining covariance structure methods for developing measures of unobservable constructs and testing structural models.
A survey of psychological scaling and factor theory, together with special techniques for achieving reliability and validity, including item analysis.
Introduction to the theory and practice of measuring psychological attributes. Emphasis on test construction in a laboratory setting. Hands-on experience in designing, administering and analyzing psychological tests and measures.
Selected topics in the theory, measurement, and analysis of social networks.
Modern methods for the analysis of repeated measures, correlated outcomes, and longitudinal data, including repeated measures ANOVA, generalized linear models, random effects, and generalized estimating equations.
Study of major theoretical and methodological issues in organizational behavior with emphasis on developing conceptual models and implementing research designs.
Exploration of current specialized topics in organizational behavior with emphasis on synthesizing research, developing conceptual models, and implementing research designs.
An advanced seminar focusing upon reading, synthesis, and critical evaluation of current research in business and management.
Theories and research in human resource management.
Investigates the theoretical and empirical evidence regarding strategies aimed at creating and sustaining competitive superiority in business firms and the strategy formation process.
An evaluation of theories of organization, with particular emphasis on business applications. Approaches to a conceptual framework include decision theory, sociological and behavioral theories. Various models are evaluated in an attempt to build a framework for analysis of organizations.
Issues, research, and theories in social psychology.
Research and theories of processes in judgment, choice, and decision making.