For the Ph.D. Degree Much of the Ph.D. program is essentially a research apprenticeship. Ph.D. candidates must establish relationships with faculty members in their major field. These may lead to research assistantships and possibly to coauthorship of publishable articles. A dissertation embodying original research constitutes the major requirement of the program. The topic is chosen by the student, and the outline of the dissertation is approved by the candidate's advisory committee and the coordinator of the doctoral program.
Candidates can expect to devote one year of full-time work to a dissertation.
A maximum of seven years is allowed by the University for completion of the Ph.D. degree. Advanced Standing Up to ten courses of graduate work completed at Columbia or at another university may be credited toward the course requirement for the degree. The granting of advanced standing depends on an assessment by the Doctoral Program Subcommittee on Business of the quality and relevance of the student's prior work. Credit for advanced standing is not granted until the Ph.D. student has successfully completed one term in the Ph.D. program. Residence Students must pursue their studies full time.