Program Faculty

Interim Dean

Ali Emdad, Ph.D., Professor

Dean, Earl G. Graves School of Business & Management

Program Director

Darlington Richards, Ph.D., Professor, Ph.D. Program Director

GSBM Building, Room 435G

Tel: (443) 885-4482; Fax: (443) 885-8397

E-Mail: Darlington.Richards@morgan.edu

Discipline Coordinators

Accounting Coordinator

Bilal Makkawi, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Accounting and Finance Department (ACCT/FIN)

Finance Coordinator

Phyllis Keys, Ph.D., Professor

Accounting and Finance Department (ACCT/FIN)

Information Science Coordinator

Abirami Radhakrishnan, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Information Science and Systems Department (INSS)

Management Coordinator

Christopher J. Mathis, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Business Administration Department (BUAD)

Marketing Coordinator

Haiyan Hu, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Business Administration Department (BUAD)

Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration prepares graduates for careers in research, teaching, and consulting in the various functional areas of business. Graduates of the program are expected to make significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge of business practices through research and consulting as well as disseminate such knowledge through their teaching. The curriculum provides in-depth exposure to a specific business content area, sophisticated analytical methods, and education techniques. The exposure to these various educational techniques is unique to the program and is structured around several aspects of exposure to university-level teaching.

Program Objectives

The Ph.D. in Business Administration is designed to prepare graduates for an academic career. The specific objectives are:

1. to ensure that students have an advanced theoretical knowledge base;

2. to introduce students to classical and current research methodologies;

3. to provide students with advanced analytical and research training;

4. to develop academic scholars who will use their knowledge and skills to investigate and develop appropriate recommendations for solving problems; and

5. to expose students to various instructional methods and techniques that prepare them to be more effective in creating a conducive learning environment.

Admission

To be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. in Business Administration, an applicant must:

• Have a Master’s Degree in Business from an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)-accredited college or University with a GPA of 3.0 or higher OR be an outstanding applicant who only possesses a Bachelor’s degree with at least a GPA of 3.5. If an applicant does not have a Master’s Degree in Business from an AACSB-accredited college or University or is an outstanding applicant who only possesses a Bachelor’s degree with at least a GPA of 3.5, the applicant will be required to take MBA-level business courses (or additional preparatory courses) at Morgan State University or another AACSB-accredited institution to ensure adequate preparation before enrollment or commencing in their required doctoral courses. 

• Have a satisfactory score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and/or the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) taken no more than three years before applying. These scores must be delivered by ETS/GMAT to the Morgan State University School of Graduate Studies.

• Apply for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate Studies before program review and admission decision.

• Use the application system to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be placed with the application. These letters must be from officials or faculty members of institutions previously attended who are acquainted with the applicant’s ability for graduate study or from employment supervisors where applicable.

• Submit a typed exposition as part of the application regarding the student’s academic and professional plans and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University.

Additional Information for International Applicants

• For international applicants from non-English speaking countries, a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a minimum score of 7 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS); the exam must not have been taken more than three years before applying. This requirement may be waived for applicants who have had at least a year of university-level education in English.

• International applicants must complete the Supplemental International Applicant Information Sheet.

• An evaluation of the international applicant’s credentials will be used either from Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., www.ece.org; World Education Services, Inc., www.wes.org; Spantran, www.spantran.com; or the Foundation for International Services, www.fis-web.com. The application for foreign credentials evaluation must be sent directly to one of the aforementioned transcript evaluators. Official or certified true copies of all grade reports, mark sheets, certificates, diplomas, and similar academic records testifying to complete secondary and post-secondary work must accompany the application. These records must include a list of subjects studied, the grades received in each subject on each examination, the maximum and minimum passing marks on each examination, and the applicant’s rank in class. Official English translations must accompany documents not written in English.

• International applicants must not send any foreign transcripts, certificates, or portfolios to the School of Graduate Studies.

• Also, international students enrolled in the program who fail to register for at least nine (9) credits each Fall and Spring semester will jeopardize their visa status and will be reported to the relevant authorities.

  Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission to the Ph.D. program will be made to the applicant. The decision of the Discipline’s Ph.D. Program Committee in the Graves School of Business and Management (GSBM) involves reviewing and analyzing all the elements of the application and the availability of positions in the program. Then, the committee recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review.

Deferment

Students will be permitted a deferment for one year after the initial admission.  Students who fail to enroll by the deferred date shall be required to reapply to the Ph.D. program for consideration of admission.

Disciplines

The Ph.D. in Business Administration will be offered in five disciplines: Accounting, Finance, Information Science, Management, and Marketing.

Grade Requirement

No more than one grade of “F” may be earned in the program. All courses with a grade of “F” must be retaken immediately upon availability. Even if a grade of “F” is retaken and a grade of “C” or higher replaces the initial “F,” the initial “F” will count towards the number of “F”s earned in the program. If this threshold is exceeded, the student is immediately dismissed from the program. In addition, no more than two (2) grades of “C” may be earned in the program. If this threshold is exceeded, the student must immediately retake a course with any grades of “C” to come into compliance.  The student has the opportunity to take any of the classes in which they have earned a “C.” However, the student only has two (2) attempts to remedy the number of “C”s in the program.

Withdrawing from Course and Leave of Absence

Please see the School of Graduate Studies Catalog Regulations and Procedures.

Residency Requirements and Time Limits

Anyone who enters the program as a full-time student must complete the program within seven (7) years after entry. A qualified student may apply for, and be granted, an extension or leave of absence by The School of Graduate Studies with the approval of the Ph.D. Program Director. However, an official leave of absence does not extend this time limit; rather, it pauses the time frame in the program. When a student exceeds the time limit, they are no longer in the Ph.D. program and will not be permitted to register unless they have consistently applied for and have been approved for a leave of absence or extensions.

Also, students need to note that:

• Acquiring a doctoral degree requires a strong commitment. Students who stretch out their studies are usually unable to complete them. Thus, full-time students must enroll in a minimum of 9-credit hours per semester. Except for credits transferred at the beginning of a student’s program, all courses must typically be taken at Morgan State University. The Discipline’s Ph.D. Program Committee, in rare cases, will grant transfers of credits from other institutions. The maximum number of transferred credits allowed is nine (9) credits. For transfer credits to show up on the Morgan transcript, the Program Committee may recommend to the School of Graduate Studies that the credits be transferred and applied towards the students’ plan of study. The course must be 700-level or above from an AACSB-accredited college or University. The course must equate to a course at Morgan or be designated an elective and have a final grade of “B” or above (“B-“‘s are not accepted). Also, the transfer credit may not be used as part of any other degree program in which the degree has been/will be conferred.

• A dissertation proposal must be successfully defended within 12 months of passing the comprehensive examination in the discipline area. If students have not defended their proposal within 12 months, they will be automatically placed on academic probation.

All requirements for the program must be completed by the end of the stipulated period of study. An extension of not more than one academic year may be granted under extenuating circumstances. On the recommendation of the Ph.D. Program Director, the School of Graduate Studies may grant such an extension.

Re-Enrollment Process

Students who take a leave of absence from the program may apply for re-enrollment. Students must return to the program in the same semester in which the student left. For example, if a student leaves the program in a Spring term, they must return in a Spring term (likewise for Fall terms). To return to the program, the student must submit a request to return to the Ph.D. Program Director before the desired return. The Ph.D. Program Director makes decisions on re-enrollment in consultation with the faculty of the student’s major and will be communicated to the School of Graduate Studies. Students who have been dismissed from the program cannot be considered for re-enrollment. Students who have left the program by exceeding the time limit for completing their degree will not be allowed to re-enroll in the program.

Dismissal from the Program

Students are dismissed from the program if they fail the comprehensive examination and either do not take it again by the end of the following semester or else do so and fail the second time. A student may also be dismissed from the program for egregious violations of the student code of conduct.

Students can also be dismissed from the program by the action of the Program’s Director if, as advised by the Discipline Coordinator, they fail to make satisfactory progress towards completing their degree. The following are examples of conditions that usually indicate a lack of satisfactory academic progress:

• A grade point average below 3.0 for one academic semester

• Failure to participate in required professional development activities

• Failure to complete assistantships satisfactorily

• Failure to make progress commensurate with the student’s Individual Study Plan

• Failure to meet the qualifying requirements and take the Comprehensive Examination when required

• Failure to submit a dissertation proposal within one year after completing the Comprehensive Examination

• Exceed the time limit for completing the program (seven years from the date of first enrollment. However, the time limit will not apply to students who may have consistently applied and received extensions (e.g., leave of absence) 

When students are considered eligible for dismissal because of a lack of progress, they are warned in writing of the faculty’s concerns and given a probationary period of one semester to correct their deficiencies. The warning may specify particular problems that must be corrected to avoid dismissal. If the student fails to remedy the lack of progress by the end of the probationary period, the student will be dismissed from the program. This decision will be communicated to the School of Graduate Studies for implementation.

Plan of Study

The typical plan of study requires enrollment in a minimum of nine (9) credit hours per term to remain full-time. Not every course is offered every term, and the plan of study is provided later in the catalog.   A preliminary study plan will be established at the initial conference with a Discipline Coordinator.  The preliminary plan of study will be reported to the Ph.D. Program Office as well as the School of Graduate Studies for placement in the student’s file. At this time, any anticipated transfer credits (if considered eligible) will be evaluated. The estimated time must be included. The student and the Discipline Coordinator will sign the plan of study and submit it to the Ph.D. Program Office.

Also, to assure that students plan their work properly with appropriate advice from the faculty, students must maintain an individual plan of study, in which the Ph.D. Program Office retains a copy. The student submits an initial plan when registering for first-semester courses. The plan of study is prepared in consultation with the Discipline Coordinator and must be updated at the end of every semester. The student’s Discipline Coordinator must approve the plan of study before a copy is submitted to the Program Office.

Advising

Upon joining the program, the Ph.D. Program Director assigns the student a Coordinator in their discipline. The Discipline Coordinator is expected to assist the student in choosing classes and introduce the student to the research orientation of the faculty in that discipline. The student is expected to work closely with the faculty. The student is also expected to participate in the department’s research seminars, participate with individual faculty members on research projects, and seek advice from faculty members on the student’s research projects. The student can also expect the faculty to provide appropriate evaluations of their progress.

Students must register for nine (9) credits each semester to be considered for funding where and when funding is available. Those who register for less than nine (9) credits will not be offered research assistantships. Also, students whom the University funds will not be allowed to pursue other employment options unless approved by the School of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Ph.D. Program Director. Any student who secures additional employment without consultation while being funded by the University will have their funding withdrawn and may be subject to dismissal.

Annual Evaluation

At the end of every academic year, the student is provided with a written evaluation of their performance by the Discipline Coordinator based on information provided by the Ph.D. faculty who currently worked with the student that academic year. This evaluation assesses the student’s performance in coursework, research, and professional development activities. This evaluation will address anyone of the following statements:

• The “discipline” faculty considers “the student’s” progress satisfactory.

• The “discipline” faculty determines that “the student” needs to improve “the student’s” performance to complete the program.

• The “discipline” faculty advises “the student” to withdraw from the program.

A copy of the evaluation and recommendation is provided to the Graduate School for implementation and becomes a permanent part of the student’s record.

The Professional Development Requirement

All first- and second-year full-time students must attend Professional Development Seminars throughout the study period. These seminars are intended to provide students with information about the University, the program, as well as the university research and teaching profession. Seminars meet on a day and time specified during the academic year but not in conflict with classes.

Students are also required to attend all departmental seminars as well as the CARMA/BrownBag series. The GSBM CARMA/BrownBag Series is a platform for Morgan’s research community to exchange research ideas and learn about cutting-edge research practices. Through several sessions, faculty and Ph.D. students benefit from research presentations by faculty and other Ph.D. students, workshops, and CARMA (Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis) research method videos. A schedule of the sessions is available at https://www.morgan.edu/sbm/carma-brownbag.

The Course Requirements

The Discipline Coordinators identify the courses required for each discipline. The student must complete eight core courses, two discipline-specific core courses, six discipline courses, and one dissertation course. In addition, Pre-Doctoral Candidacy and Dissertation Guidance cannot be used to fulfill academic, curricular credits. These courses are only used after the curriculum completion, during comprehensive exams, and while the student is completing their dissertation. The course registration maintains the student’s status as a matriculated, full-time student. BUAD 993 should be taken during comprehensive exams. The only eligible grade for BUAD 993 is “P.” BUAD 997 must be repeated until the completed dissertation is deposited with the School of Graduate Studies. Other courses cannot be substituted for Dissertation Guidance. The only eligible grade for BUAD 997 is the grade of “S.”

General Requirements

Students for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration must satisfactorily complete a minimum of fifty-one (51) academic credit hours of coursework, pass the written and oral comprehensive exams, and submit an acceptably written dissertation. The Ph.D. program consists of four (4) stages:

1. Stage I: Major and Minor Requirements – Satisfactory completion of all doctoral-level discipline coursework, early research, Quality Matters certification, teaching portfolio, and teaching practicum

2. Stage II: Comprehensive Examination – Satisfactory completion of relevant discipline examinations

3. Stage III: Dissertation Proposal Defense – Satisfactory completion of the dissertation proposal defense

4. Stage IV: Dissertation Defense – Satisfactory completion of the dissertation defense

Stage I: The Major and Minor Requirements

The Major Requirements

The purpose of the major requirements is to enhance student research skills. There are two components related to the major requirements: discipline coursework and early research. The following provides further details concerning the two components:

1. Discipline Coursework: A student must complete six courses (18 credits) in their discipline. These courses usually define the broad area where the student writes a dissertation and eventually works as a scholar. The courses taken to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the discipline doctoral faculty, who may require additional courses to correct academic deficiencies. The responsible department’s requirements for the discipline are formulated with the Ph.D. Program Director’s approval. The program’s web page provides information on these requirements and the faculty for each discipline.

2. Early Research: Each student is expected to engage and complete an independent research project. This independent research project should be a theory-based empirical paper contributing to the literature in the student’s discipline. A faculty member will supervise the research; however, the execution of all aspects of the project is the student’s responsibility. The requirements are that the student is expected to present the early version of the paper at a Brownbag session before taking the Comprehensive Exam. After the student presents the paper at a Brownbag session, the Early Research Requirement Form A should be completed. The student’s paper is expected to be accepted and presented at an approved discipline conference or accepted for publication in an approved journal before defending their Dissertation Proposal. After the student’s paper is accepted and presented at an approved conference or accepted at an approved journal, the Early Research Requirement Form B should be completed. The student must contact the Discipline Coordinator for the approved discipline conference and journal list. The discipline conferences and journals are based on the Sedona approved list.

The Minor Requirements

The purpose of the minor requirements is to prepare students to be effective teachers at the university level because of the importance of teaching skills in career development. The courses are designed to guide students in understanding relevant issues associated with teaching college students. Emphasis is, therefore, placed on developing pedagogical skills and knowledge of psychological and other bases of learning. The Minor Requirements consist of four (4) components: Instructional Methods, Teaching Portfolio, Quality Matters, and Teaching Practicum.

1.  Instructional Methods:  Students must register for the BUAD 711, Seminar in Instructional Methods. The purpose of this course is to discuss instructional techniques, procedures, and methods, appropriate for college-level business subjects, and theories underlying them. Students are encouraged to focus on particularly useful methods in their various disciplines. Consideration is also given to such issues as goal setting, selecting instructional methods, measuring learning outcomes, teaching evaluation, and the role of instructional technology.
2. Teaching Portfolio:  The student must prepare a teaching portfolio designed for prospective employers, as exposed to the different components of the teaching portfolio in BUAD 711, Seminar in Instructional Methods. The teaching portfolio should contain the following: academic curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, syllabus, faculty evaluations of the student’s teaching, a summary of teaching experience, certificates of completion of Quality Matters training courses, and any other teaching material. A copy of the teaching portfolio should be submitted to the Program Office.
3. Quality Matters (or its equivalent):  Students are expected to have successfully completed Quality Matters training (Online teaching training) or its equivalent in online training. Students will learn to develop and teach classes to be delivered online. Online education is becoming essential in modern times for educational institutions of higher learning.
4. Teaching Practicum:  Before graduating, the student must register for BUAD 713 Teaching Practicum, and teach at least one course in their area of expertise under the guidance of a faculty member.  This assignment will be determined by the department in the student’s discipline.  The timing will be at the Department Chair’s discretion, provided that the teaching practicum is competed by the end of the second year.  The Discipline Coordinator will identify a senior faculty member with the Department Chair’s approval to evaluate the student’s teaching performance.  Feedback will be given, and a grade will be assigned.  The evaluator may ask the student to develop a plan of action to correct any deficiencies identified during the evaluation.  All students are required to complete the teaching requirement in their department at Morgan State University.  Students who have taught classes at other institutions are not exempt from this program requirement.

Timing of the Major and Minor Requirements

The coursework, presentation of an early version of the theory-based empirical paper at a Brownbag session, and all four components of the Minor Requirement must be completed before a student will be permitted to sit for their Comprehensive Exams. Also, it is essential to note that the theory-based empirical paper must either be accepted and presented at a conference or accepted for publication in a journal. The Comprehensive Examination must be successfully completed before the student can defend the dissertation proposal.

Stage II: Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to determine whether the student has acquired sufficient proficiency in their discipline to warrant admission to candidacy. Students must enroll in BUAD 993: Pre-Doctoral Candidacy during the semester they take comprehensive exams. The Comprehensive Examination in the discipline consists of written and oral components. The student’s eligibility to sit for the written and oral components covering the discipline is determined in the first semester of their third year. Students must take their comprehensive examination in the second semester of their third year. The Comprehensive Examination is conducted by a faculty committee of at least four (4) members in the student’s discipline. After students take the written component, the Discipline Coordinator completes the Written Comprehensive Form to indicate whether they passed or failed. Students who pass the written component successfully will be invited to the oral component within thirty (30) days. After students take the oral component, the Discipline Coordinator completes the Oral Comprehensive Form to indicate whether they passed or failed. Students who successfully passed the oral component would have passed the comprehensive examination, and the Discipline Coordinator will submit the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination Form. If a student is unsuccessful in passing either the written or oral components, the student must retake the examination by the end of the following semester. Students who fail the second time must leave the program; no third attempt is allowed. The Discipline Coordinator will complete the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination Form to indicate the student was unsuccessful in passing the comprehensive examination. 

To appeal a decision by the comprehensive examination committee, a student must submit a written statement to the Ph.D. Program Director within two weeks of receiving notification of the decision. The GSBM Ph.D. Program Committee reviews any such appeal after feedback from the comprehensive examination committee. Final decisions will be communicated to the student by the Ph.D. Program Director. The School of Graduate School will also be advised of the decision and the recommendation. 

Stage III and Stage IV: Dissertation Proposal Defense and Dissertation Defense

To complete their doctoral degree, the student must pursue an original investigation under faculty direction and present the results in a dissertation. A dissertation must address a major research issue. It is expected to contribute significantly to the received body of knowledge in the field of study. Students work under the guidance of a Dissertation Committee and enroll in nine (9) credits of dissertation seminars. These seminars are designed to guide students in developing a proposal, proposal defense, and dissertation defense. It is important to note that dissertations are written in consultation with the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee must consist of four members; however, it is advised that the student selects the Dissertation Committee in consultation with the Dissertation Chair. The Dissertation Committee is the student’s advising group. The student is strongly advised to submit research results to all its members regularly. The Dissertation Committee should regularly review the student’s program of study and may prescribe additional coursework or readings at any time. All Dissertation Committee members must approve the completed dissertation.

The following are the criteria for the committee members:

• The Dissertation Chair must be from the student’s discipline and must be a Scholarly Academic and hold the rank of no less than Associate Professor with Tenure.

• All committee members except for the Dissertation Chair must be a Scholarly Academic and hold the rank of no less than Assistant Professor.

• Two (2) of the committee members must be from the student’s discipline

• One (1) member must have been a Professor-of-Record from one of the Core Courses.

• One (1) of the four (4) committee members may be outside the student’s discipline or an external member outside of the GSBM and be a Scholarly Academic as outlined by GSBM’s criteria for AACSB-Accreditation.

After passing the comprehensive exams, the student will continuously register in the Fall and Spring terms for BUAD 997 (Dissertation Guidance) until the Dissertation is completed and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for review. The BUAD 997 course registration maintains the student status as a matriculated, full-time student (student registers for three (3) credit hours each semester but is acknowledged as having a 9-credit hour load).

After the Intent to Defend the Dissertation Form has been received by the School of Graduate Studies, this course registration will be changed from BUAD 997 to BUAD 998 (Dissertation Defense) for the given semester and count for three (3) credit hours of curricular coursework (BUAD 998 will also count as nine (9) credits of load). BUAD 997 will not count toward curricular credits. Other courses cannot be substituted for BUAD 997 (Dissertation Guidance). The only eligible grade for BUAD 997 (Dissertation Guidance) is the grade of “S,” and the only acceptable grade for BUAD 998 (Dissertation Defense) is “P/F” (Pass/Fail).

Stage III: Dissertation Proposal Defense

Within one (1) year of passing the comprehensive examination, the student must submit a written proposal that presents the projected content of the dissertation. The proposal is the vehicle for communicating the student’s project to the faculty. It should provide sufficient detail to allow faculty knowledgeable in the subject area to determine the validity and acceptability of the research, both in terms of quality and quantity. After the student completes the dissertation proposal, the Dissertation Chair should complete the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense Form A (Request for Dissertation Proposal Defense) from the Ph.D. Program Office along as the following requirements have been met:

1. the student has completed at least six (6) credits of BUAD 997, 

2. all Dissertation Committee members received a physical or electronic copy (whichever is preferred by the Committee Member) of the dissertation proposal at least one month before the desired proposal defense date,

3. no major revisions or problems are anticipated, and

4. the student, Dissertation Chair, and Committee Members have agreed on preliminary guidelines for the dissertation.

The dissertation proposal defense should be conducted publicly before the student’s Dissertation Committee and the academic community. The Dissertation Chair informs the Doctoral Program Office by doing the following: 1) submit the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense Form A (Request for Dissertation Proposal Defense); 2) submit a copy of the dissertation proposal abstract; and 3) request an anticipated dissertation proposal defense date at least two weeks before the desired defense date. Upon receiving the notification with the previously mentioned information, the Ph.D.> Program Office will circulate an announcement of the proposal defense to all faculty and students. The Dissertation Chair determines the format of the proposal defense and conducts it. The external member should be consulted about the written proposal and present (physically or virtually) for the proposal defense.

For the purposes of the Dissertation Proposal Defense, the Dissertation Chair will complete the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense Form B for Chair’s Evaluation, and the Dissertation Committee Members will complete the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense Form B for Committee Member’s Evaluation. The Proposal Defense Form B for the Dissertation Chair and Committee Members are official, required forms from the Ph.D. Program Office. Each Committee Member must complete and sign the Committee Member’s Proposal Defense Form B, indicating whether the student has passed or failed. In addition, the Dissertation Chair must complete Chair’s Proposal Defense Form B indicating whether the student has passed or failed and report the suggested modifications and revisions, if necessary, from the Dissertation Committee to the Ph.D. Program Office after the dissertation proposal defense. If any issues or recommendations need to be addressed and rectified, the student revises the dissertation proposal and satisfies the requirements. The student must prepare a document that comprehensively shows that the revised dissertation proposal has addressed the issues raised or suggested recommendations. This summary should be provided to the Dissertation Committee to accompany the Chair’s Proposal Defense Form B.

Once ALL of the Dissertation Committee approves this document, the Dissertation Committee submits the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense Form C (Candidacy). Then, the student may continue with the dissertation process. If the student successfully defends the Dissertation Proposal, the Graduate School is informed, and the student is then officially advanced to candidacy status. However, if the student fails the Dissertation Proposal Defense, Dissertation Chair’s and Committee Member’s Proposal Defense Form B is retained for the program’s record in the Ph.D. Program Office. The Dissertation Chair and Committee Members will submit a new Proposal Defense Form B when the student is ready to defend the dissertation proposal again. 

Candidacy Status

The Ph.D. Program Director will certify students for admission to Candidacy for the Ph. D. in Business Administration Degree upon the recommendations of the Discipline Coordinator for the particular discipline after satisfactory completion of the following:

1. All major and minor requirements as indicated in Stage I;

2. Earning a passing grade on the written and oral examinations as indicated in Stage II; and

3. Approval of a dissertation proposal by the Dissertation Committee as indicated in Stage III.

Stage IV: Dissertation Defense

After the candidate completes the dissertation, the Dissertation Chair should complete the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Form A (Request for Dissertation Defense) from the Ph.D. Program Office. Similar to the dissertation proposal defense requirements stated above, all notifications, timelines, and publicly held defense formats apply to the dissertation defense. In addition, the candidate must deliver the Intent to Defend the Dissertation Form to the School of Graduate Studies once the dissertation defense date has been selected and agreed upon by the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Chair informs the Doctoral Program Office by doing the following: 1) submit the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Form A (Request for Dissertation Defense); 2) submit a copy of the dissertation abstract; 3) submit a copy of the entire dissertation; and 4) request an anticipated dissertation defense date at least two weeks before the desired defense date. Upon receiving the notification with the previously mentioned information, the Ph.D. Program Office will circulate an announcement of the defense to all faculty and students. The Dissertation Chair sets the format of the defense. It must include an opportunity for any member of the faculty or student attending the defense to question the candidate on the research. At the dissertation defense, the candidate must satisfy the committee and other faculty members in attendance that they are qualified to receive the Ph.D. in Business Administration degree.

For the purposes of the Dissertation Defense, the Dissertation Chair will complete the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Form B for Chair’s Evaluation, and the Committee Members will complete the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Form B for Committee Member’s Evaluation. The Defense Form B for the Dissertation Chair and Committee Members are official, required forms from the Doctoral Program Office. Each Dissertation Committee member must individually complete and sign the Committee Member’s Defense Form B, indicating whether the candidate has passed or failed. In addition, the Dissertation Chair must complete Chair’s Defense Form B indicating whether the student has passed or failed and report the suggested modifications and revisions, if necessary, from the Dissertation Committee to the Program Office after the dissertation defense. If any issues or recommendations need to be addressed and rectified, the candidate revises the dissertation and satisfies the requirements. The candidate must prepare a document that comprehensively shows that the revised dissertation has addressed the issues raised or suggested recommendations. This summary should be provided to the Dissertation Committee to accompany the Chair’s Defense Form B.

Until ALL Dissertation Committee members have approved the recommended changes, the Dissertation Defense Form C (Completion and Approved) and the signature page of the dissertation should NOT be signed. The committee members must complete Dissertation Defense Form C and signature page to signify their acceptance of the dissertation upon the Dissertation Committee’s approval of recommended changes. The candidate obtains the Dissertation Defense Form C from the Ph.D.  Program Office to record the successful dissertation defense. 

Once the Ph.D. Program Director certifies that all program requirements have been completed for the Ph.D. in Business Administration degree, candidates are expected to electronically submit their final dissertations to the School of Graduate Studies and adhere to the University’s guidelines for submitting electronic dissertations. The dissertation must be prepared following the School of Graduate Studies’s style guide, which may be downloaded from the School of Graduate Studies website. Candidates who deposit their dissertation by the stipulated Fall semester deadline are considered December graduates by the University but are still required to register for the fall semester that has already begun. Candidates who deposit their dissertation by the stipulated Spring semester deadline are considered May graduates and must register for the spring semester that has already begun.

If the Dissertation Committee fails to accept the dissertation, a new defense date will only be scheduled after all recommended changes have been completed. The dissertation defense must be reconvened when the committee accepts the revised dissertation. The candidate must provide the revised dissertation to the committee a month in advance and another notice to the faculty at least two weeks in advance. These changes and the new defense must occur within the stipulated time set by the University for completing doctoral studies at the institution.

Program Course Requirements 51 credits

The next sections provide a description of the elements required for proficiency before taking doctoral seminar courses, a suggested course sequence for each discipline, and the descriptions of each course.

Elements of Business Operations

(Prerequisites; credit hours earned do not count toward degree)

Each student must demonstrate proficiency in the major elements of business administration before taking doctoral seminars. The elements cover such functional areas as accounting, finance, organizational behavior, marketing, information science and systems, general and operations management. They are designed to give students a broad knowledge of business operations. The following GSBM courses address these areas. The student may be required to take any or all of these courses as determined by the Discipline Coordinator:

• ACCT 600 - Accounting for Decision Making 3 Credits
• BUAD 625 - Leadership and Ethics 3 Credits
• BUAD 647 - International Business & Sustainability 3 Credits
• ECON 501 - Survey of Macro and Micro Economics 3 Credits
• ECON 513 - Statistical Analysis 3 Credits
• FIN 620 - Corporate Finance 3 Credits
• INSS 687 - Information Technology & Supply Chain 3 Credits
• MKTG 675 - Advanced Marketing Management 3 Credits

•  

   

• Every student must satisfy these 3-credit prerequisites before beginning the formal doctoral study. Each course requirement can be satisfied in one of three (3) ways:

  • By taking and passing an equivalent course to GSBM courses from an AACSB-accredited institution with a grade of at least B, a maximum of five years before admission;

  • Possession of an undergraduate major in the subject area;

  • Passing a proficiency examination administered by the relevant department with a grade of at least “B.”

  Note: Higher-level courses may also be required depending on the discipline

Core Courses 18 Credits

The Core Courses are common to all disciplines and are designed to provide students with an understanding of the philosophy and tools of scientific inquiry. Emphasis is placed on developing students’ research skills. Particular attention is placed on quantitative methods involved in research processes.

• BUAD 701 - Applied Statistics I 3 Credits
• BUAD 702 - Foundations of Scientific Research 3 Credits
• BUAD 705 - Applied Statistics II 3 Credits
• ENGL 760 - Problems in Technical Writing 3 Credits
• INSS 586 - Operations Management 3 Credits
• INSS 795 - Data Analytics Methods 3 Credits

Discipline-Specific Core Courses 9 Credits

• ACCT 705 - Introduction to Accounting 3 Credits
• ACCT 807 - Empirical Research in Capital Markets 3 Credits *
• BUAD 703 - Measurement Theory and Method 3 Credits
• BUAD 883 - Multivariate Techniques 3 Credits
• FIN 820 - Microeconomic Theory 3 Credits
• INSS 840 - Foundation in Information Systems 3 Credits
• MGMT 860 - Seminar in Organizational Behavior 3 Credits
• MKTG 880 - Foundations of Marketing 3 Credits

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• No Discipline-Specific Core Courses may be double counted towards satisfying the Discipline Course requirements.

  *For the accounting discipline, this course is not a Discipline-Specific Core Course and counts toward the discipline requirements.

Discipline Courses 15 Credits

Each discipline has a separate set of requirements that includes research skills and methodology courses. Students choose specific courses with the approval of their Discipline Coordinator. This area reflects the student’s chosen area of theoretical and intellectual interest. Courses are designed to develop knowledge and analytical capabilities to contribute to intellectual developments in the field.

• ACCT 800 - Financial Accounting Seminar 3 Credits
• ACCT 801 - Managerial Accounting Seminar 3 Credits
• ACCT 802 - Taxation Seminar 3 Credits
• ACCT 803 - Auditing Seminar 3 Credits
• ACCT 804 - Accounting Information Systems Seminar 3 Credits
• ACCT 805 - Accounting Research Seminar I 3 Credits
• ACCT 806 - Seminar in Selected Accounting Topics 3 Credits
• ACCT 807 - Empirical Research in Capital Markets 3 Credits
• ACCT 876 - Research Implementation 3 Credits
• FIN 822 - Theory of Corporate Finance 3 Credits
• FIN 823 - Seminar in Investment Analysis 3 Credits
• FIN 824 - Financial Economics 3 Credits
• FIN 825 - Applied Econometric Methods 3 Credits
• FIN 826 - Empirical Research in Finance 3 Credits
• FIN 830 - Derivatives Markets 3 Credits
• FIN 831 - International Finance Seminar 3 Credits
• FIN 832 - Seminar in Selected Finance Topics 3 Credits
• INSS 841 - Information Systems Strategy 3 Credits
• INSS 842 - Information Systems Seminar I 3 Credits
• INSS 843 - Information Systems Seminar II 3 Credits
• INSS 850 - Dynamics of Information Systems in Organizations 3 Credits
• INSS 851 - Knowledge-based Information Systems 3 Credits
• INSS 852 - Enterprise-wide Infrastructure 3 Credits
• INSS 853 - Management Databases 3 Credits
• INSS 854 - Information Systems Security 3 Credits
• INSS 855 - Information Systems for Supply Chain Management 3 Credits
• MGMT 861 - Seminar in Organization Theory 3 Credits
• MGMT 870 - Seminar in Human Resource Management 3 Credits
• MGMT 871 - Seminar in Business & Society 3 Credits
• MGMT 872 - Seminar in Strategic Management 3 Credits
• MGMT 873 - Comparative Management Systems 3 Credits
• MGMT 874 - International Business Seminar 3 Credits
• MGMT 875 - Special Topics in Management 3 Credits
• MGMT 876 - Research Implementation 3 Credits
• MGMT 877 - The Entrepreneurship Process 3 Credits
• MGMT 878 - Theoretical Foundations in Entrepreneurship Research 3 Credits
• MGMT 879 - Contemporary Research Topics in Entrepreneurship Credits
• MKTG 881 - Consumer and Organizational Buying Behavior 3 Credits
• MKTG 882 - Seminar in Strategy and Global Marketing 3 Credits
• MKTG 884 - Research Implementation 3 Credits
• MKTG 890 - Social Issues and Public Policy in Marketing 3 Credits
• MKTG 891 - Special Topics in Marketing 3 Credits

Minor Field 6 Credits

• BUAD 711 - Professional Development Seminar In Business I 3 Credits
• BUAD 713 - Professional Development Seminar in Business II 3 Credits

Dissertation 3 Credits

BUAD 997 / BUAD 998   - Dissertation Guidance/Dissertation Defense 3/9 credits *

Upon achieving Doctoral Candidacy, the student will continuously register in Fall and Spring terms for BUAD 997 (Dissertation Guidance) until the Dissertation is completed and submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for review. The course is used only when the curriculum has been completed, candidacy has been achieved, and the student is completing the research and writing of the Dissertation. The BUAD 997 course registration maintains the student status as a matriculated, full-time student (student is registered for three (3) credit hours, and the system reports a full-time nine (9) credit hour load).

After the Intent to Defend the Dissertation form has been received by the School of Graduate Studies, this course registration will be changed to BUAD998 (Dissertation Defense) for the given semester and count for three (3) credit hours of curricular coursework (BUAD 998 will also count as nine (9) credits of load). BUAD 997 will not count toward curricular credits. Other courses cannot be substituted for BUAD 997 (Dissertation Guidance). The only eligible grade for BUAD 997 (Dissertation Guidance) is the grade of “S,” and the only acceptable grade for BUAD 998 (Dissertation Defense) is “P/F” (Pass/Fail).