Previous

Page - 3

You should go to individual websites of these schools and find out if faculty research interests and your research interests match. You should also e-mail individual faculty members if you have any questions about faculty research.

iii) All good Business Schools provide funding to their Ph.D. students. The level of funding varies between different schools. However, you must take into account the cost of living in a particular area when you are comparing funding from different schools. For example, Los Angeles is an expensive place to stay, and Lansing, Michigan is an inexpensive place. You are better off with a $12,000/year funding in Lansing as compared to $18,000 per year funding in Los Angeles. You may use a Cost of Living Calculator website to estimate your expenses and compare your stipend.

What is the Structure of a typical Ph.D. program?

The format of a Ph.D. program may differ between various Business Schools. However, US Business Schools can be generalized to follow an overall structure.

i) Coursework.
In most US Business Schools, you are required to take coursework for the first 2 years. The coursework will consist of a number of subjects related to Statistics, Research Methods, Teaching Methods, and some courses related to your area of specialization. Unlike other disciplines, Business Schools do not club their Ph.D. courses with MBA courses, as the objectives of these two programs are completely different. However, those who join the Ph.D. program may be required to take a few MBA courses to get a perspective of business education.

ii) Comprehensive Exams.
After you have successfully completed each of the courses, you would be required to sit for a comprehensive exam. Most Schools will have a written and oral component in their comprehensive exams. The comprehensive exam tests your knowledge as well as your ability to conceptualize research problems.

Next

* Contributed by -
Dr. Partha Mohapatra,
Assistant Professor,
Morgan State University, USA,
The contents of this article reflect author's personal opinions.