Students who perform well in the program typically follow the track below:

First Year

After arriving on campus, students take their first year of coursework, including in-department seminars, courses in their minor, and statistics and methods courses in other departments. Meanwhile, students get involved with multiple faculty on research projects, to begin gaining research experience. A designated faculty member serves as a first year advisor, guiding students in their course selection and monitoring their developing portfolio of research projects.

Second Year

Students take their second year of coursework while increasing the intensity of their research. Some projects may be put under review at academic journals as new projects are begun. Students will also teach one section in either the fall or spring of this year, a pattern that continues throughout the remainder of the program. Students who have successfully completed their coursework and met departmental standards then take their comprehensive exams in the summer after their second year.

Third Year

Assuming successful performance in the program and on comprehensive exams, the third year is spent further bolstering a student's research record. There is no more coursework, so time is spent putting projects under review and shepherding them through that process. Students at this stage begin assuming the lead-authored position on projects, where appropriate, in order to establish their own unique research identity.

Fourth Year

Students continue to bolster their research resume while turning their attention to their dissertation. A topic is chosen and a dissertation proposal is written and defended. As the summer approaches, the student prepares to go on the job market.

Fifth Year

Students interview for academic positions, often initially at the Academy of Management meeting in August, and subsequently through campus visits in the fall. After accepting a job, students conduct the final defense of their dissertation, bring research projects with faculty to closure, and begin new projects to continue as Assistant Professors.