Program Highlights
While Each area of concentration (Finance, Management, or Marketing) will have their its own specific requirements, a general overview of the typical requirements for a Trulaske PhD broken down by the standard 5-year plan of study is provided below. Students must have a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond their bachelor’s degree to complete the PhD degree. Throughout the 5-year degree program, students making satisfactory progress are supported by a research or teaching assistant position, which requires approximately 20 hours of work per week.
General overview by year:
First year
The primary focus of the first year is coursework. Students complete a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester (typically three courses), plus attend weekly seminars. They typically create their doctoral advisory committee and select their faculty advisor by the end of the first year. Students also work toward completing their qualifying exam requirements. The qualifying exam varies by area and serves to evaluate a student's knowledge and/or skills that are critical for successful completion of the program.
Second year
During the second year of study, students again have a coursework load of at least 9 credit hours and also prepare for the comprehensive exam.
Third year
In the third year, students complete any remaining coursework and take their comprehensive exam, which consists of both a written and an oral section. Students also begin to develop their dissertation proposal.
Fourth and fifth years
The dissertation is the primary focus of the student’s fourth and fifth years.