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Business Administration
The Beedie School of Business offers a doctor of philosophy (PhD) program that helps students create a path to careers in and beyond academia. The program combines course work in methodology and areas of specialization (including accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management and organization studies, management information systems, marketing, sustainability, strategy, and technology and operations management) with faculty mentoring and substantive original research.
間眅埶AV Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the University admission requirements as stated in Graduate General Regulations 1.3 in the 間眅埶AV Calendar. Students are admitted in the fall term only. A minimum GMAT score of 600 and five on analytical writing is required. Interviews and a statement of interest are used to determine a fit between students and faculty. See the Beedie School of Business website for details, .
Program Requirements
This program consists of course work, a comprehensive exam, research seminars, a research project, a thesis proposal, and a thesis for a minimum of 55 units.
Students must complete all of
seven courses chosen in consultation with the student's supervisor
and research seminar three times
This is a research seminar in the PhD program on a selected topic. Students may repeat this course for further credit under a different topic.
and a research project
Students will be exposed to the broad world of academia, from presenting and providing constructive feedback on papers, to conferences and journal publishing and refereeing, while being exposed to an introduction to a range of research techniques and data analysis. The cornerstone of the course, and the primary vehicle for experiential learning, is that each student will write an original research project. The project that will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Students who receive Satisfactory will present it in an open research presentation. Questions and answers emerging in this context should assist the student to develop their research and to begin to chart their course in academia. Prerequisite: Enrollment in PhD program.
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and the requirements for one of the specializations below
and a comprehensive exam
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: Enrollment in PhD program.
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and a thesis proposal
and a thesis
Management Specialization
must also 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: Enrollment 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: Enrollment in the PhD program or consent of the instructor.
and an additional elective course
Financial Accounting and Finance Specialization
must also complete all of
An examination of basic macroeconomic theory, empirical macroeconomic data and models, macroeconomic analysis, and application to economic developments and policy issues. Prerequisite: ECON 798 or equivalent. Offered once a year.
Develops a foundation for econometric theory and applied econometrics. Topics may include an introduction to measure and probability theory, integration and mathematical expectations, stochastic limit theory, asymptotic theory, mathematical statistics, multiple linear regression, and an introduction to GMM and maximum likelihood estimation. Prerequisite: ECON 835 or equivalent.
Program Length
Students are expected to complete the program requirements within four to five years.
Other Information
Course Work
Graduate elective course work must be approved by the supervisor to create a curriculum which will be flexible within certain limits.
Those who have already done graduate study in business or a related field may request to be exempt or to substitute some of the course work in consultation with the director of the PhD program.
Students who lack a business degree may, at the discretion of the PhD Program Director, be asked to complete up to four additional graduate courses beyond the program requirements.
Comprehensive Examination
Students will choose two areas in which they will take their comprehensive examinations. The reading list for the comprehensive exam will be a subset of the reading assignments in the Beedie School of Business graduate courses, special topics, as well as approved graduate courses in other programs or universities.
Students prepare two thematically organized bibliography/reading lists. They should reflect the significant works in the areas in which the student is to be examined. They should also provide a foundation for research in these areas. The lists must be submitted to the PhD program administration and the student’s supervisory committee for approval.
Research Seminar Courses
Students in their second through fourth years of studies are required to enroll in research seminar course each year. Students will contribute to the seminar series by inviting guest speakers and presenting their own work.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.