Emphasis - Finance
Ph.D in Business Administration
Description
The Ph.D. in business administration is offered with an emphasis in finance, management, management information systems (MIS), production/operations management (POM), and marketing. These emphases are designed to enable persons who are seeking careers in institutions of higher learning (or in research or staff positions in business, industry, or government) to acquire a comprehensive, professional education. The doctoral program provides a deep understanding of business administration and in-depth study in the emphasis field.
Minimum Total Credit Hours: 60
Course Requirements
Students in the Ph.D. program in business administration must satisfy the course requirements for an emphasis in finance, management, management information systems (MIS), production/operations management (POM), or marketing.
Other Academic Requirements
Written comprehensive examination: All doctoral students in the School of Business Administration are required to pass a written comprehensive examination in their major field of study. A student’s major field exam may be taken only upon satisfactory completion of all course work in this field, as well as the tools requirements. Depending on departmental policies, a student may be required to pass a written comprehensive exam in at least one minor field.
Dissertation and oral defense: The dissertation, which is supervised and evaluated by the faculty, demonstrates the student’s ability to conduct research and to make a distinct and significant contribution to the common body of knowledge within one’s discipline. The initial step of the process is directed toward the formulation of a written proposal that must be approved by a dissertation committee. After writing the dissertation, the candidate must successfully defend it before the dissertation committee.
Emphasis - Finance
Course Requirements
Doctoral students in the Ph.D. program with emphasis in finance are required to complete at least 60 hours of approved graduate credit beyond the bachelor’s degree or at least 30 hours of approved courses numbered above 600 beyond the master’s degree. The number of graduate credit hours will be determined by the student’s program of study and prior undergraduate and/or graduate courses. Moreover, each student must complete at least 12 hours in a major field beyond the master’s degree and at least 9 credit hours in an approved minor field(s). In addition to the major and minor fields, each candidate must satisfy such additional requirements as deemed appropriate by the advisory committee. A doctoral student must also demonstrate proficiency in research methodology and satisfy the tools requirement of the major field department.
Students majoring in finance must successfully complete a written preliminary examination at the end of their first year in the program. The examination consists of a quantitative part that satisfies the School of Business tool requirement and a theory part that covers material taught in background finance courses.
Other Academic Requirements
In addition to a written comprehensive examination, students majoring in finance will also take an oral comprehensive examination after successfully completing all of the written comprehensive examinations. The purpose of the oral examination is to evaluate the student's ability to integrate the content of the major and minor areas of concentration.