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Business Administration
The Beedie PhD program is a hybrid program that combines a rigorous program of doctoral seminars and other graduate course work, along with a tailored mentorship with a Faculty member who acts as the student's senior supervisor. We offer students a PhD program customized to individual interests and abilities. Students collaboratively develop their own curriculum to meet the challenges and opportunities of business and management theory and practice. The goal is to develop highly capable scholars for careers in academia.
All students specialize in a traditional business discipline - Marketing, Organization Studies, Accounting, Finance, MIS, Strategy, Technology Operations Management, International Business-as well as broadening their academic background in one of the interdisciplinary areas that are the Beedie School of Business' key strengths - Innovation, Globalization/Emerging Markets, Sustainability.
間眅埶AV Requirements
The minimum doctoral admission university requirements are provided in 1.3.4 間眅埶AV to a Doctoral Program . Students are admitted in the fall term only. A minimum GMAT score of 600 and 5 on analytical writing is required. Interviews and a statement of interest is used to determine fit between students and faculty.
Application
See the Beedie School of Business website for details, beedie.sfu.ca/phd
English Language Competence
English is the language of instruction and communication at the University. Accordingly, an applicant whose primary language is not English must demonstrate command of English sufficient to pursue graduate studies in the chosen field. Please refer to the Graduate General Regulations (1.3.12 English Language Competence) for minimum language requirements and further information:
Program Requirements
Non Finance Specialization
The course requirements consist of a minimum of 11 approved graduate courses, three of which are required of all students, and the remainder selected by the senior supervisor and the doctoral candidate's committee to create a curriculum which will be flexible within certain limits.
In addition, a research project with an incomplete/complete grade is required in the third term, as well as a comprehensive exam and a thesis proposal. The candidate must fulfil the university requirements regarding a thesis and its public defence.
Those who lack a business degree may, at the discretion of the PhD director, be asked to complete additional courses beyond the program requirements in order to improve their background knowledge.
Students must complete all of
The effective use of empiricism, positivism, and interpretive explanations in generating, defending and clarifying logically rigorous arguments is explored. Participants from diverse fields (marketing, international business, management studies, accounting, policy analysis, finance, etc.) within the administrative sciences will look at the processes which have guided theory development and theory testing within their field of inquiry. Attention will focus on what criteria are used to assess the adequacy of explanations and useful theories. The seminar seeks to advance the participants' interest in putting theory into practice. Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Provides an overview of the major quantitative and qualitative analytical methods associated with empirical research in Business Administration. This seminar is aimed at providing an overview of the research process, an introduction to a range of research techniques and data analysis appropriate to those techniques. It should develop participants' skills for designing research as well as an ability to critically assess research reported in the literature. To do this, the course will focus on various approaches to research design, discuss the kinds of analyses appropriate to those designs, and introduce computer packages for data analysis, such as Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
This seminar is intended to support doctoral students in the early stages of the development of their dissertations. Practical and conceptual issues with respect to the integration of theory, research design, and methodology will be explored. The seminar will provide a forum for students to share their dissertation work in progress, and learn from each other with respect to theoretical, analytical, and methodological problems, successes and trade-offs. Prerequisite: Enrolment in the PhD program or consent of the instructor.
A minimum of three Research Methods Courses
Examples:Quantitative and/or Qualitative Research Methods, Multivariate Methods, Experimental Design
A minimum of three research methods courses will be completed Inthe first five terms. The student's supervisor can add to, or substitute, methods courses in consultation with the director of the PhD program.
A Minimum of Two Breadth Courses
Selected Topics in Innovation.
Selected Topics in Globalization/Emerging Markets.
Selected Topics in Capital/Risk Managment.
Selected Topics in Sustainability.
A minimum of three Specialization Courses
These courses are set and administered by the senior supervisor in consultation with the student's supervisory committee and the PhD program director. These courses can include Beedie School of Business graduate courses, directed studies courses, special topics, as well as approved graduate courses in other programs or universities. It is highly recommended that at least one of the specialization courses be given by the student's senior supervisor. In special cases, the senior supervisor can recommend, in consultation with the PhD director, that the student complete fewer, or more, specialization courses than the minimum required. At least two courses should be completed at 間眅埶AV.
Project, exam and thesis requirements
PhD students will generate a research project in their third term that will be graded by the senior supervisor on a pass/fail basis. The student can rewrite the project once. If the grade is still deficient, they will be asked to withdraw from the program. Those who pass the research project will present it in an open research presentation. Questions and answers emerging in this context should assist the student to develop their research. Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Students will be required to pass a comprehensive exam in the sixth term of the program. This will include written examinations in each student's major and methodology minor followed by an oral exam. Graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Thesis Proposal.
Finance Specialization
The course requirements consist of a minimum of 9 approved graduate courses selected by the senior supervisor and the doctoral candidate's committee to create a curriculum which will be flexible within certain limits.
In addition, a research project with a incomplete/complete (IP/CO) grade is required in the third term, as well as a comprehensive exam and a thesis proposal. The candidate must fulfill the university qualifications regarding a thesis and its public defence.
Those who lack a business degree may, at the discretion of the PhD director, be asked to complete qualifying courses (see qualifyingcourses) addltional courses beyond the program requirements in order to improve their background knowledge.
Finance students must complete all of
The course subsequent to ECON 802 which covers advanced Microeconomic theory on a dynamic and general equilibrium basis. Prerequisite: ECON 802. Offered once a year.
A study of optimum portfolio selections and diversification of financial assets including cash vis-a-vis different classes of utility functions of final wealth. Also, an examination of the behavior of speculative prices and rates of return. Offered once a year. Prerequisite: ECON 331. Students with credit for BUS 815 may not take this course for further credit.
The theory of the general linear model and the implications of basic econometric problems such as multicollinearity, autocorrelated residuals, errors in variables and heteroscedasticity. The use of dummy and lagged variables, simultaneous equation models. The identification problem. Estimation of over-identified equations. Offered once a year. Prerequisite: ECON 835 or equivalent.
Project, exam and thesis requirements
PhD students will generate a research project in their third term that will be graded by the senior supervisor on a pass/fail basis. The student can rewrite the project once. If the grade is still deficient, they will be asked to withdraw from the program. Those who pass the research project will present it in an open research presentation. Questions and answers emerging in this context should assist the student to develop their research. Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Students will be required to pass a comprehensive exam in the sixth term of the program. This will include written examinations in each student's major and methodology minor followed by an oral exam. Graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Prerequisite: Enrolment in PhD program.
Thesis Proposal.
A minimum of three Research Methods Courses
These three required research methods courses will be completed in the first five terms. The student's supervisor can add to, or substitute, methods courses in consultation with the director ofthe PhD program.
A minimum of three Specialization Courses
These courses are set and administered by the senior supervisor in consultation with the student's supervisory committee and the PhD program director. These courses can include Beedie School of Business graduate courses, directed studiescourses, special topics,aswell as approved graduate courses in other programsor universities. It is highlyrecommended that at least one of the specialization courses be given by the student's senior supervisor. In special cases, the senior supervisor can recommend, in consultationwith the PhD director, that the student complete fewer, or more, courses than required in the specialization. At least two courses should be completed at 間眅埶AV.