The Ph.D. student reaches these objectives through the major field requirement, research requirement, breadth requirement, dissertation, and a combination of formal and informal learning experiences and employment on or off campus. Students are expected to complete certain prerequisites before matriculation or shortly thereafter. Study in the major field normally consists of about ten courses. In-depth competence is required in a subfield chosen by the student and guided by the student's personal Doctoral Committee. The breadth courses normally include work in accounting, finance, and marketing unless they have covered these areas previously.
Some specifics follow .
The Written Qualifying Examination normally is given once a year to all students who believe that they have achieved qualifying competence in the four required subject areas. It is a sit-down examination approximately 6 hours in length, administered by the Chairman and the faculty who teach these courses. The Depth Examination is tailored to the individual student and the chosen field of depth study, and is designed to test competence to undertake original research in the depth field. Normally the Major Field Examination is completed at the end of two full years of study. The research requirement has two parts.