GSB-PHD - Business Administration (PhD)

Students are required to take the following accounting courses. Students may be exempt from a required accounting course (or be required to substitute with another accounting course) if the course is not offered in the first three years of the student’s program. In general, students are expected to complete all Accounting PhD courses offered during their first three years in the program.

Plus, two additional doctoral-level courses in finance.

• Breadth requirement (1 course)

One graduate level course in a field other than accounting, finance or economics. Suitable courses will depend on the student’s research interests, and might include subjects such as behavioral science, statistics, political economy, linguistics, computer science, mathematics, logic or marketing. Course selection for breadth requirements have to be approved by the liaison.

II.   Practicum

All students are required to register for course - Teaching Practicum or course - Research Practicum for one unit in every quarter of the academic year and during the summer quarter. Students register for ACCT 698 and ACCT 699 on Axess and receive a letter grade for ACCT 698 and ACCT 699. 

We estimate that students in their first and second year will spend 3 hours per week per quarter on the practicum. These practicums are research rotations with faculty and involve regular meetings and deliverables.  Students in years 3 through 5 will spend approximately 14 hours per week per quarter during the academic year and 10 hours per week in the summer quarter on the practicum. These practicums typically focus on the students’ own projects, under the guidance of the faculty with whom they are working with. 

In years 3-5, students have the option to work up to 6 hours/week during the academic year and up to 10 hours/week during the summer as an RA or CA. Students sign up for RA or CA work on the CARA system.  In addition, at any point during the program, students have the option to work as a grader up to the appropriate limits per school and university policy. Students sign up as a grader on CARA.

International students may be restricted in the number of hours they can work as RA, CA or grader due to their visa status.

Research practicum

The purpose of the accounting group’s research practicum is to give our doctoral students hands-on exposure to accounting research.  In the student’s first academic year of study, each student will be assigned to work with a different faculty member each quarter. During these first-year series of practicum,

students will gain exposure to the given faculty members' areas of research through a variety of activities, such as reading and discussing research papers, collecting data for a research project, working on an aspect of the faculty member’s research or performing a literature review.  

In the second year of the program, students will serve as research assistants for the sponsoring faculty member as part of their research practicum. From the third to the fifth year, the focus of the research practicum will shift to the students' own research projects, including collaborative work, under the guidance of the sponsoring faculty member.

These practicums are designed to provide valuable research experience, involving the initiation, development, and completion of new and ongoing research projects, as well as writing referee reports under faculty supervision and engaging in similar career-building activities.

In addition to the activities overseen by the sponsoring faculty member, students must regularly attend accounting seminars and internal workshops.

Teaching practicum

The purpose of the accounting group’s teaching practicum is to give our doctoral students hands-on exposure to aspects in teaching. A teaching practicum can involve a variety of activities such as conducting review sessions, development of teaching material including case writing. The scope and nature of the teaching practicum will be determined by the sponsoring faculty member each quarter. 

III.  Summer Research Papers and Presentations

Satisfactory completion of the following research papers and presentations are required for admission to candidacy.

1st year summer paper

Each student is required to write an original research paper during the summer after the first year of coursework. This research paper is due before the start of the fall quarter of their second year, and is required to be presented to the faculty during an accounting workshop at the beginning of the fall quarter at a time announced by the liaison.  The student receives a pass/fail grade for the 1st year summer paper.

2nd year summer paper

Each student is required to write a second original research paper after completing two years of coursework and the area field exam. This second research paper is due at the end of the fall quarter of their third year, and is required to be presented to the faculty during that fall quarter at a time announced by the liaison.

The second year summer paper is expected to be more substantive than the first year summer paper. Ideally, it can be developed into a doctoral thesis. The student receives a pass/fail grade for the 2nd year summer paper.  

IV.  Field Exam

The purpose of the field exam in accounting is to examine (1) the student’s command of the past and current academic literature in accounting; (2) the student’s ability to understand, critique and apply the methods used to conduct research in accounting; and (3) the student’s ability to evaluate research in accounting and independently develop suitable research designs to address research questions in accounting.  

The field exam tests whether the student has the solid understanding of accounting research necessary to conduct meaningful research in accounting. Studying for the field exam may also help the student identify 

gaps in the literature as well as research areas and questions of interest to her/him.  The questions on the field exam focus on topics covered and skills developed in the students’ coursework during the first two years in the program.

The field exam in accounting is usually a written exam conducted over two days during the summer after the second year. The format and date will be announced by the liaison.

V.   Teaching Requirement

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of three quarters of course - Teaching Practicum or course assistantships prior to the end of the fourth year in the program.

VI.    Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VII.  University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

VIII.   Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community. Accounting does not have any general guidelines beyond the University requirements, and instead defer to the student's Dissertation Reading Committee.

Students must complete 3 two-course sequences in topics in economics and related business fields. Examples are given below. If a course appears in more than one sequence, the course may not be counted twice. Alternative topics and two-course sequences may be proposed by the student, and must be approved by the faculty liaison. 

II.  Practicum

Students do not need to sign up for practicum in year 1. In years 2 through 5, students sign up for MGTECON 699 with the faculty liaison or the faculty advisor (after one is chosen) as a one-unit pass/fail course in every quarter. Students must regularly attend and participate in one of the seminar series at the GSB. With the faculty liaison's approval, students may attend a non-GSB seminar series, in lieu of a seminar series at GSB.

III.  Field Exams  

Students take two field exams in the summer after the first year in the program: theory and econometrics. Students must pass both exams in order to successfully complete the requirement. Successful completion of the field exams is required for advancement to candidacy.

IV. Summer Research Paper

Each student is required to submit a research paper and present it in the Fall quarter of their third year in the program at the time announced by the liaison. The paper has to be an original and novel body of work. Students should discuss the scope and expectations for the paper with their faculty advisor and liaison. The papers and presentations will be graded by the faculty with a Pass/Fail grade. A student who fails will be provided with a second opportunity to complete this requirement (paper and presentation) in the spring of the third year. Successful completion of the research paper is required for advancement to candidacy.

V.   Teaching Requirement

One quarter of course assistantship or teaching practicum. Requirement must be completed prior to graduation.

VI.    Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VII.  University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

 VIII.  Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community.  The Economics faculty defer to the student’s Dissertation Reading Committee to provide general guidelines (e.g. number of chapters, length of dissertation) on the dissertation.

Students specialize in one of two tracks of finance research

Students choose a minimum of two 2-course sequences from the alternative fields listed below. Courses may not be used to fulfill two general fields.  In many cases, students interested in the field will want to take more than two of the suggested courses in that field.

II. Practicum

Students are required to sign up for either a research or teaching practicum each quarter of enrollment. Below is a description of the practicum requirements for Finance students. 

During the student’s first year, the student will be assigned each quarter to work with a different faculty member.  This assignment will involve mentoring and advising from the faculty member and RA work from the student.  The purpose of new assignments each quarter is to give the student exposure to a number of different faculty members.

In subsequent years, the practicum will take the form of a research or teaching mentorship, where the student is expected to provide research or teaching support under the guidance and advice of a faculty member.   Faculty assignments here will be made through informal discussions between faculty and students, and may be quarterly, or for the entire year.

For students of all years, one requirement to satisfy the practicum is that students regularly attend the Finance seminar.  The only exception to this will be if there is a direct and unavoidable conflict between the seminar and necessary coursework.  

III. Summer Research Paper

All students in all years are expected to complete a research paper over the summer, and present this paper in the Fall quarter.  A draft of this research paper should be submitted by the end of September to the field liaison.  Students can continue to work on and improve their paper up to their presentation. Presentations of summer research will always be viewed as research in progress.

For students completing their first year, the summer paper should demonstrate the mastery of a specific area in the literature. This can be accomplished by either (i) presenting the preliminary development of a research idea or (ii) presenting work co-authored with faculty.  The student will be expected to present this paper to a gathering of three Finance faculty members of the student’s choosing in October.

For students completing their second year, the summer paper should develop a research idea that was approved during the oral exam at the beginning of the summer (see below). “Develop” does not mean complete - students will be evaluated based on whether they have made reasonable progress on their research topic and on whether they have identified an appropriate research question. A passing grade on the second-year paper is one requirement for admission to candidacy.  

In all years after the second year, the summer research paper should be a well-developed research paper.  (Well-developed does not mean completed - research is always presented as work in progress.  Rather, it means that the work shows enough progress and development to merit a seminar presentation.)  Students will then present their papers to the overall Finance faculty and Ph.D. student body in scheduled talks over the Fall quarter.  Student presentations will typically be 45 minutes, save for job market paper presentations, which will be a full hour and a half.    

More generally, these presentations throughout all years will be a primary manner that faculty who are not advising the student become familiar with the student’s work, and will play a crucial role in the assessment of the student’s academic progress.

IV. Field Exam  

Students take the field exam in the summer after the first year.  Material from the field exam will be based on required first year coursework.  This includes required finance courses, as well as the required microeconomic and econometric classes.   The primary purpose of the exam is to ascertain that students have learned the introductory material that is a necessary foundation for understanding and undertaking research in the field.  Additionally, studying for the field exam will give students the opportunity to review and synthesize material across all their different first year courses.  Students may be asked to leave the program if they fail the field exam, or may be allowed to retake the exam at the Faculty’s discretion.  Students who fail the field exam two times will be required to leave the program.

V. Teaching Requirement

One quarter of course assistantship or teaching practicum. This requirement must be completed prior to graduation.

VI. Finance Oral Exam

The finance oral exam takes place at the end of the spring quarter of the second year, in early June. 

At the beginning of the spring quarter of the second year, the student meets with the liaison to determine three finance faculty members who will administer the exam.  The student then meets with the selected faculty examiners to discuss a set of topics that will be covered in the finance oral exam.  These topics will generally be chosen from coverage in the Finance PhD classes. An important component of the exam involves the student identifying a particular research area to discuss at the exam. The student will be expected to discuss major results in the literature related to this area and to identify important unresolved questions that need to be addressed. In addition the student will be expected to discuss how one or more of these questions might be addressed either theoretically or empirically.  During the exam, the student should agree with the faculty members on a topic for the second-year paper (see above).

The results from the finance oral exam plus the result from the second-year summer research paper (presented in the fall of 3rd year) and overall performance in the program are weighed in the decision to admit to candidacy.

VII. Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VIII. University Oral Exams

The university oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

IX. Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community.  The Finance faculty defer to the student’s Dissertation Reading Committee to provide general guidelines (e.g. number of chapters, length of dissertation) on the dissertation. 

All required courses must be taken for a grade (not pass/fail or credit/no credit). Exceptions are made if the required course is offered pass/fail or credit/no credit only. Each course must be passed with a grade of P or B- or better. Substitutions of required courses require approval from the faculty liaison. Waiving a course requirement based on similar doctoral level course completed elsewhere requires the approval of the course instructor, faculty liaison, and the PhD Program Office.

Additionally: One Psychology course (selected in consulations with the Faculty Liaison) is required

II.  Research Practicum

During the first year, students will be assigned each quarter to work with a different faculty member for initial research exposure. This is the “Research Rotation.”  Students will enroll in MKTG 699. Research Practicum in autumn, winter, and spring quarters during year 1 with the respective faculty.

III. Seminars

Students in all years regularly attend and participate in the Marketing seminar.  The only exception to this will be if there is a direct and unavoidable conflict between the seminar and necessary coursework.

IV.  Summer Research Papers

The student will submit a Proposal Paper by the end of the fall quarter of the second year, and present this work in the winter quarter of the second year. The proposal paper should thoroughly review relevant literature and propose a new hypothesis. An excellent proposal paper will demonstrate both a good understanding of the topic area and what the student can potentially add to that topic area. Thoughtful conceptualization (e.g., identifying meaningful gaps in the literature to develop the hypothesis) is key. Data are optional; no more than one study.

The student will submit an Empirical Paper by the end of the winter quarter of the third year, and present this work in the early spring quarter of the third year. The empirical paper should propose a new hypothesis and provide a comprehensive empirical assessment of that hypothesis. An excellent empirical paper will demonstrate both the student’s expertise in the topic area and what the student will contribute to that topic area. This paper will be used as part of the materials to evaluate the student’s eligibility to advance to candidacy.

V. Field Exam  

Students take the field exam in the summer after their second year. The students will receive two field exam assignments at the beginning of summer and will need to submit their responses by the end of the summer quarter: 

(1) Review and write a thoughtful critique on a paper. You should identify strengths and weaknesses in the paper as you see fit and make a recommendation on whether this paper should be published, revised, or rejected. Your review should be 2-3 pages long (single spaced). The paper will be assigned when the field exam begins.

(2) Write a 25-30-page (double spaced, excluding citations) review paper. Identify a common theme or a core question that arises across multiple courses/domains/disciplines in our field. An excellent review paper will provide a comprehensive discussion of this theme or question, drawing from multiple literatures or research domains, and identify similarities, overlaps, differences, and/or conflicts to ask critical questions and draw meaningful insights and conclusions across domains (e.g., what you make of the similarities and differences you have noted, what new insights you can generate about them, what framework you would propose to integrate them, etc.). Consider also what is missing. Are there gaps in the literature, promising avenues suggested by adjacent literatures, or unexplored mechanisms worthy of attention? In short, identify a big theme, idea, or question that emerges across different research areas and offer a critical discussion of it. Your reference list should be approximately 40-80 citations. You may discuss the potential topic and scope of your paper with faculty before you begin. 

VI.   Assistantships

Students are required to complete a minimum of two quarters of research assistantships and two quarters of teaching assistantships prior to graduation.

VII.    Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VIII.  University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program.  

IX.   Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community.  The marketing faculty defer to the student’s Dissertation Reading Committee to provide general guidelines (e.g. number of chapters, length of dissertation) on the dissertation.

Choose one class from each of the three sets:

The faculty highly recommends that students pursue writing and communications workshops and resources throughout the program.

II.  Practicum

Students are required to sign up for either research or teaching practicum each quarter of enrollment. Below is a description of the practicum  requirements for quantitative marketing students. 

Year 1: Regularly attend and participate in the Marketing and Work-In-Progress (WIP) seminars. Work with a different marketing faculty in autumn, winter, and spring quarters for initial research exposure. 

Years 2-5: Attend and participate in the Marketing and WIP seminars. Attendance is required for all Marketing Seminars designated as Combined or Quantitative, and recommended for the seminars designated as Behavioral. Continue research work with faculty of student’s choice. Students are also encouraged to take the visiting Quantitative/Combined seminar speaker to lunch after the Marketing seminar. 

Years 3-5:  Recommended that students enroll in “MGTECON 628: Reading Group in Industrial Organization” and attend and participate in the weekly “IO Lunch.”

III.  Summer Research Papers

The primary goal of the first-year paper is to give students the experience of going through the entire process of a research piece, including data analysis. This is also the time to learn programming and to start thinking about working with data. The paper can be an extension of a published piece or a work-in-progress. Students are expected to work closely with faculty on the research. It is typical that the first-year summer paper is related to an extension of research conducted by one of the Stanford GSB marketing faculty, due to the ready availability of data. There is no expectation that the research is publishable. The key objective is learning the “art of research”. Students will submit the first-year paper by the end of the autumn quarter in the second year. The first-year paper will be presented to the faculty early in the winter quarter of the second year. Students are encouraged to begin discussions with faculty about their first-year paper during the Spring quarter of their first year. It is strongly recommended that students find their advisors for the first-year paper by the end of the first-year Spring quarter. Students are welcome, though not required, to present their early-stage work in a Work-in-Progress (WIP) seminar, either at the end of the first-year spring quarter or at the beginning of the second-year fall quarter. 

The primary goal of the second-year paper is to give students an opportunity to start research on their own and produce a publishable output as an independent researcher. The second paper is expected to be of publishable quality in a good field journal, and driven primarily by the student. Co-authorship with faculty is encouraged (though not required); however, the student is expected to be the lead driver of the project. The second paper is due by the end of the autumn quarter in the third year, and should be presented to the faculty early in the winter quarter in the third year. Students are encouraged to begin discussions with faculty about their second-year paper by the late winter or early spring quarter of the second year, after their presentation of first-year papers. It is strongly recommended that students present their research idea with data description and summary statistics in a Work-in-Progress (WIP) seminar by the end of the second-year spring quarter.

The overall evaluation of each paper will be judged by two faculty members, one of whom could be the collaborating faculty member (if any), as High Pass, Pass, Marginal, or Fail. This evaluation will take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the research; the student’s effort and contribution; and whether the student evidences ability to produce high quality research. Passing both papers is required for maintaining good academic status and advancing to candidacy. 

IV. Field Exam  

Students take the field exam in the summer after their first year. It is an open-book, open-notes exam. The student is to work on the exam independently over five days. The exam tests whether the student is able to apply the knowledge assimilated over the first year of coursework to a real Marketing problem.

V. Teaching Requirement

A minimum of one quarter of course assistantship or teaching practicum. Requirements must be completed prior to graduation.

VI. Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VII. University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

VIII. Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community.  The marketing faculty defer to the student’s Dissertation Reading Committee to provide general guidelines (e.g. number of chapters, length of dissertation) on the dissertation.

II.  Research Practicum

During the first year, students work with at least one faculty member on at least one research project. Most of this training will consist of readings and discussions of relevant papers and issues in the field, as well as assisting faculty members with their research projects.  By the summer quarter, students will be expected to work with one faculty member on their own research project. 

Students enroll in course: Doctoral Practicum in Research in autumn, winter, and spring quarters of year 1 with the respective faculty.

III. Seminars

Students in all years are expected to attend all of the talks presented in the OB seminar. During year 2 in spring quarter,  students will present their second-year research paper in the OB seminar.  During year 4 or year 5, students are expected to present their dissertation paper in the OB seminar.

Students are expected to attend the weekly professionalization seminar, “Macro Lunch.”

Students are also urged to attend other workshops and colloquia on campus that cover research, such as that offered by the Stanford Center for Work, Technology and Organization; the SCANCOR seminar series; and occasional colloquia sponsored by the Department of Sociology and the Graduate School of Education.

IV.   Field Exam

Students take the field exam during the summer quarter following the first year.

The field exam will be designed to achieve two main functions: (1) Ensure broad exposure to scholarship in the student’s sub-area (micro or macro OB); and (2) serve as an effective diagnostic tool with respect to the students’ ability to succeed in the program. 

The exam will be based on a curated reading list that the students receive during the second week of June and are expected to read by the last week of August. There will be two separate reading lists (one for Micro and one for Macro) that span the important domains in each concentration (Micro/Macro). These reading lists shall be designed in such a way as to allow the student to have a broad understanding of the structure of the field in terms of different lines of research and theoretical perspectives. 

Over the course of the summer following the first year, students will be encouraged to work with an advisor to make a limited set of additions to the reading list that either a) reflect the specific interests of the students, or b) add more recent work (or both).  Students should sign up for a directed reading with the faculty liaison to formalize this process.

The exam will be taken during the last week of Summer quarter and will span a week. 

The structure of the field exam will include questions that assess the students’ abilities to: 

• Think critically about research

• Identify gaps in the literature

• Integrate theories from different domains

• Articulate and justify a research question and a hypothesis

To prepare for the exam, students should read broadly during their first year and engage in seminars to develop their critical and research design skills. While the faculty reserve the right to ask questions on any topic that they deem important, at the very minimum students should actively engage with the materials covered in their required classes and seminars, including the Wednesday macro-OB talks.

V.   Second-Year Research Paper

By April 30 in year 2, each student will submit a research paper prepared with the collaboration of a faculty advisor and input from a second faculty reader. Students will present this research paper in the OB seminar in the spring quarter. While research is done in collaboration with their faculty advisor, this paper should be the student’s own written work. This paper is a key way that the OB faculty track the progress of students in their second year and plays a major role in the student’s second-year evaluation.

VI.   Assistantships

Students are required to complete a minimum of two quarters of research assistantships and two quarters of teaching assistantships prior to graduation.

VII.    Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VIII.  University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

IX.   Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community. OB-macro does not have any general guidelines beyond the University requirements, and instead defer to the student's committee (with most guidance directly provided by the major advisor).

PSYCH 252 Statistical Methods for Behavioral and Social Sciences (Year 1)
OB 675 Micro Research Methods (Year 1 or 2)
OB 678 The Design and Process of Experimental Research (DPER)

Breadth Courses (2 courses)

Students are required to complete one PhD-level course offered by a GSB OB-macro faculty, to be chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor. 

Students are required to complete one PhD-level course offered by a GSB or university faculty member outside of OB, to be chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor. 

II. Seminars

Students in all years are expected to attend and participate in all micro-OB talks. In Years 1 to 3 during the academic year, students are expected to attend 3 non-micro-OB talks at the GSB (e.g., macro-OB, Marketing, Political Economy, Economics). 

III. Field Exam

Students take the field exam during the summer quarter following the second year.

The field exam will be designed to achieve two main functions: (1) Ensure broad exposure to scholarship in the student’s sub-area (micro or macro OB); and (2) serve as an effective diagnostic tool with respect to the students’ ability to succeed in the program. 

The exam will be based on a curated reading list that the students receive during the second week of June and are expected to read by the last week of August. There will be two separate reading lists (one for Micro and one for Macro) that span the important domains in each concentration (Micro/Macro). These reading lists shall be designed in such a way as to allow the student to have a broad understanding of the structure of the field in terms of different lines of research and theoretical perspectives. 

Over the course of the summer following the first year, students will be encouraged to work with an advisor to make a limited set of additions to the reading list that either a) reflect the specific interests of the students, or b) add more recent work (or both).  Students should sign up for a directed reading with the faculty liaison to formalize this process.

The exam will be taken during the Summer quarter and will span a week. 

The structure of the field exam will include questions that assess the students’ abilities to: 

• Think critically about research

• Identify gaps in the literature

• Integrate theories from different domains

• Articulate and justify a research question and a hypothesis

To prepare for the exam, students should read broadly during their first year and engage in seminars to develop their critical and research design skills. While the faculty reserve the right to ask questions on any topic that they deem important, at the very minimum students should actively engage with the materials covered in their required classes and seminars, including the Wednesday micro-OB talks.

IV. Second-Year Research Paper

By April 30 in year 2, each student will submit a research paper prepared under the supervision of a faculty advisor with input from a second faculty reader. Students will present this research paper in the OB seminar in the spring quarter of Year 2. While research is planned and conducted in collaboration with their faculty advisor, this paper should be a product  of the student’s independent thinking and his or her own written work. This paper and presentation are key ways that the OB faculty track the progress of students in their second year and play a major role in the student’s second-year evaluation.

V. Dissertation Proposal

Students submit a proposal for a dissertation topic in the third year of the program. In this 5-page (single-spaced) proposal, students are expected to concentrate on theorizing; the document should not contain references to data or plans for empirical research.

The first draft of the proposal must be submitted to a micro-OB faculty member (whom the student has identified as a potential advisor) by the last day of the fall quarter in the third year. A final draft of the proposal must be approved by that faculty member (or another) by the last day of the winter quarter. The student must then obtain support for the proposal from two additional faculty members by May 1 in the third year.

An approved dissertation proposal supported by three micro-OB faculty members is a field-specific requirement for advancement to candidacy.  The designated faculty advisor and the two supporting faculty members who approve the proposal may or may not wind up being the student's dissertation advisor or dissertation reading committee members. 

VI.   Assistantships

Students are required to complete a minimum of two quarters of research assistantships and two quarters of teaching assistantships prior to graduation.

VII. Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. To apply for candidacy, students must fulfill all course requirements, research papers, field exam(s), designate a principal research advisor, and fulfill any other field specific requirements for candidacy. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VIII. University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

IX. Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community. The dissertation work is typically conducted under the supervision of and in collaboration with the adviser; however, the dissertation document is expected to be written primarily by the student with feedback and suggestions on drafts from the adviser and the committee.

The first year field exam, administered in the summer of a student’s first year, covers mathematical models and methods from two foundational areas: applied probability and stochastic processes and mathematical optimization. Applications of these methods in an OIT context will also be introduced.

 II.  Research Practicum

During the first year in winter and spring quarters, students work (2 hours/week) with a faculty member (different faculty in each quarter) on a research project. Assignment of students to faculty is performed by PhD liaisons at the end of the fall quarter (using knowledge of student and faculty interest). Students enroll in course Doctoral Practicum in Research in the winter and spring quarters with the respective faculty.

After the completion of the first year field exam, students are expected to work with a faculty member of their choice on a research project, which typically continues onto year 2.  

III. Seminars

Students in all years are required to attend and participate in the OIT Seminar. Fifth year students are expected to attend OIT 644 regularly, and present their work in the seminar during the fifth year.

IV.   Second Year Field Exam  

During the second year, if not sooner, each OIT PhD student is expected to sign up with a faculty advisor that will engage with the student on a research project of interest to the OIT area. The second-year field exam is designed to evaluate the student’s progress on that research project.  The second-year field exam consists of two parts -- a research paper and an oral examination. In the paper and oral exam, the student should demonstrate mastery of a problem area, relevant literature, and applicable methods, and should demonstrate some progress towards solving the problem.  

1. The oral exam will be held prior to the beginning of the Fall quarter in the students’ third year, and the research paper must be submitted before the oral exam. The exam committee together with the student will decide the exact date for the oral exam (typically in September). The exam committee consists of at least three members, one of which is typically the second year faculty advisor.

2. The paper should be succinct and clear.  The target length is 15 pages with 1.5 spacing.  A student that would like to submit a paper significantly shorter or longer than 15 pages should consult with the faculty member organizing the exam. 

3. The oral part consists of an open presentation as in the OIT seminar for about 30 minutes and an additional 15 minutes of Q&A limited to the exam committee.

4. The student will present a research problem that he or she has studied with his or her faculty advisor in an open forum. The questions from the audience will be limited to those of a clarifying nature during the open presentation.

5. The exam committee will conduct an oral exam on the research problem covered in the presentation. The goal of the oral exam is to evaluate the student’s ability to initiate research.

6. After the oral exam and reading the papers, each member of the exam committee will independently assign Pass (P), or Fail (F) grades to each student along with comments. Based on the combined grades, the exam committee will make a recommendation on the overall outcome for each student to the entire OIT faculty. The OIT faculty will vote to determine the overall outcome of each student as Pass or Fail. 

To advance to candidacy, a student must pass both the first and second-year field exams, and an appropriate set of advanced field courses. The outcome of the exam and the consequences will be communicated to the student by the PhD liaison.

V.   Assistantships

Students are required to complete a minimum of two quarters of research assistantships prior to graduation.

Students are required to complete a minimum of four quarters of course assistantships for OIT courses prior to graduation. Students should participate in the teaching of at least two different OIT courses, rather than have a 3 or 4 time-repeat-engagement in the same course. One course assistantship must be completed in year 2; exceptions may be granted with PhD Faculty Liaison approval. 

VI.    Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the OIT faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. The procedure for making this assessment centers on a presentation the student is required to make to his or her primary advisor and two other faculty members who are likely to become PhD thesis committee members. Students are expected to convene this presentation in the Spring or Summer of the third year. Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VII.  University Oral Exams

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research. Students are required to successfully complete the oral exams by September 1 before the start of their fifth year in the program. 

VIII.   Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is expected to be an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community.  The OIT faculty defer to the student’s Dissertation Reading Committee to provide general guidelines (e.g. number of chapters, length of dissertation) on the dissertation.

Autumn Quarter

course/course Optimization
course Foundations of Stochastic Modeling
course Microeconomic Analysis I

Winter Quarter

course Advanced Topics in Optimization
course Stochastic Systems
course Microeconomic Analysis II
course Doctoral Practicum in Research

Spring Quarter

course OIT Modeling
course Doctoral Practicum in Research
OIT Foundations or electives, e.g., course Asymptotics in Operations Management

Students must take three courses making up the core microeconomics sequence. This sequence can either be taken in the GSB or in the economics department. Students can also “mix and match” by taking courses in different schools to complete the proper ordering of the three-course sequence.

*GSBGEN 675 Microeconomic Theory is a pre-approved substitution for this course.

Students must take two courses making up the first part of the core econometrics sequence, and one elective course.  A list of approved electives is provided in the third group below. If the student wishes to take a course not on the list, he or she must petition the PhD liaison.

Students are required to take two substantive topics courses in the economic department. A list of approved courses is below. If a student wishes to take a course not on this list, he or she must petition the PhD liaison prior to enrolling in the course.

POLECON 683 cannot be used to fulfill both the substantive economics requirement and the substantive political science requirement.

Students are required to take two substantive topics courses in the political science department or in the GSB. A list of approved courses is below. If a student wishes to take a course not on this list, he or she must petition the PhD liaison prior to enrolling in the course.

POLECON 683 cannot be used to fulfill both the substantive economics requirement and the substantive political science requirement.

Students are recommended, but not required, to take one course exposing them to organizational and/or psychological approaches to social sciences. A list of courses in this area is below. Students can consult with their advisors and the PhD liaison to determine which course(s) would be best to take. 

II.     Seminars

PE students in all years are required to attend the regular PE seminar with visiting presenters, and the weekly PE student research lunch, in which PE students present work in progress.

III.    Summer Paper Requirement

Each student is required to write a research paper each summer following the first and second year of study, and to present these papers to the faculty in an hour-long seminar during autumn quarter of the second and third years, respectively. The purpose of the summer papers is to assess whether students can comprehensively and fully execute a research project: formulating a research question, developing a research design, executing the analysis, and interpreting the conclusions. The second-year summer paper must be an original piece of research that is clearly distinct from the first-year paper, not simply an improvement or extension of it. Successful completion of both papers is required for admission to candidacy.

IV.     Field Exam 

Students are required to pass a field exam consisting of three parts: (1) political economy (covering material in POLECON 680, 681, 682); (2) microeconomics (covering material in the core microeconomic sequence); and (3) econometrics (covering material in the core econometrics sequence).

Students take the field exam during the summer after their first year.  In rare cases students may petition the faculty to defer taking the field exam to the summer after the second year. By GSB policy, students who fail the exam are not guaranteed an opportunity to retake the exam. At the faculty’s discretion, a student who fails the exam may be permitted to retake the exam. 

V.   Assistantships 

Students are required to complete a minimum of two quarters of research assistantships and two quarters of teaching assistantships prior to graduation.

VI.     Candidacy

Admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree is a judgment by the faculty of the student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program.  The procedure for making this assessment centers on a presentation by the student to his or her primary advisor and two other faculty members who are likely to become committee members.  Students are expected to convene this meeting in the Spring of the third year.  Students are required to advance to candidacy by September 1 before the start of their fourth year in the program.

VII.      University Oral Exam

The oral examination is a defense of the dissertation work in progress. The student orally presents and defends the thesis work in progress at a stage when it is one-half to two-thirds complete. The oral examination committee tests the student on the theory and methodology underlying the research, the areas of application and portions of the major field to which the research is relevant, and the significance of the dissertation research.  Students are advised to complete oral exams before the end of winter quarter in the fourth year. Failure to successfully complete the oral examination by September 1 before the start of their fifth year will impact financial aid in year five.

VIII.     Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is an original contribution to scholarship or scientific knowledge, to exemplify the highest standards of the discipline, and to be of lasting value to the intellectual community. This generally involves the completion of three articles, although the specific format of the dissertation should be discussed between the student and his/her advisors. A maximum of one article can be co-authored with a faculty member. A minimum of one article must be solo-authored.