Areas of Study
The PhD degree in the Terry College of Business trains individuals for teaching and research in universities, colleges, government and business. The program is individually planned with each student by his/her major professor and advisory committee. The student and the committee evaluate previous work and designate sufficient coursework to provide the necessary proficiency to do research and teach in a chosen field of specialization.
- Accounting
- Finance
- Management
- Management Information Systems
- Marketing
- Real Estate
- Risk Management and Insurance
- PhD in Economics
PhD in Business Administration
Accounting
The objective of the PhD program at the J. M. Tull School of Accounting is to prepare students for an academic career in accounting at a major university. Students may concentrate in financial accounting, behavior auditing, or taxation. A dissertation in the student's area of interest is required to complete the degree.
Finance
The PhD program in finance is designed to prepare students for a career of teaching and research at a major university or for a career as a financial researcher at a major corporation or research agency. The content of the program consists of a strong foundation in financial and economic theory, and advanced seminars in corporate finance, investments, research methodology, and other topics of interest to the field.
Risk Management and Insurance
The PhD program in risk management insurance is designed to prepare students to teach and conduct research at colleges and universities nationwide. The coursework includes both theoretical and applied aspects of insurance, risk management, and employee benefits. Students are encouraged to obtain a good background in financial theory, as well as to develop comprehensive research methodology skills.
PhD students in risk management insurance participate in doctoral seminars taught jointly by departmental faculty; these seminars include individual projects that often lead to publication prior to graduation. To complete the PhD degree, a student must write a dissertation which demonstrates the ability to conduct original research on a risk management or insurance related topic.
Management
The PhD program in management is designed to develop qualified scholars who will excel in research and teaching positions at major universities and colleges. Within the Management Department, students may specialize in organizational behavior or strategic management. Each student works with an advisor and a committee to create an appropriate academic program. As part of their program, students are expected to be actively involved with faculty mentors in teaching and conducting research leading to professional presentations and publications.
Management Information Systems
The goal of the PhD program in management information systems is to develop scholars to teach and perform research at other major universities in the United States and abroad. The focus of the program is on behavioral and applied research that blends a core understanding of information technology with management, decision support, and applied psychology. In addition to including rigorous coursework and a dissertation, the program provides the opportunity for students to become actively involved with research projects leading to publication starting in their first year, and to continue to work on such projects throughout the program.
- Department of Management Information Systems
- Plan of Study (PDF | 16 KB)
Marketing
The PhD program in marketing is designed to provide students with the background necessary to pursue research and other scholarly activities in academia or in business. Through a series of required marketing seminars and additional marketing courses selected based on the student's background and interests, the program provides a student with the flexibility to receive in-depth training in various facets of the discipline. Each student also selects courses outside of marketing which are designed to improve the student's research skills as well as to enhance the student's knowledge in areas which are closely related to marketing.
Real Estate
The purpose of the PhD program in real estate is to train individuals for academic careers in teaching and research. Emphasis in the program is on real estate investments, finance, and appraisal while building a strong foundation in economics, finance theory and research tools in statistics and econometrics.
- Real Estate Program
- Plan of Study (PDF | 13 KB)
PhD in Economics
The objective of the PhD program in economics is to provide strong training in economic theory and quantitative methods for the purpose of developing the capabilities to perform rigorous applied research in private industry, the government sector, and universities. The program develops such capabilities through a core curriculum that consists of sequences in microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, analytical methods and econometrics, and through direct student involvement from the onset in research projects of the faculty. The sequences are typically completed within the first two years of study.
To build further on the analytical and quantitative skills developed in the core, three research areas must be chosen for special emphasis. Students are required to pass comprehensive examinations based on the core and two of the chosen fields, and to complete an acceptable dissertation. Under favorable conditions, the comprehensive examination will be completed by the end of the second year and the dissertation by the end of the fourth year.
- Department of Economics
- Plan of Study (PDF | 12 KB)
