Each student's program is designed to take advantage of the individual's particular needs and strengths. Some requirements may be satisfied by work experience. Research is required of all graduate students in the form of both class projects and a thesis or major paper. Research topics depend on the student's area of interest, work experience and area of study. Distance option students may select an applied research paper based on their workplace.
Students work with one or more advisors composed of graduate faculty members.
The general philosophy of the school is to balance individual student learning goals with core business and industry knowledge to assure a quality program. Beyond basic requirements, courses may be selected from several supporting disciplines. Students will be guided in this by their advisory committee and the graduate co-ordinator. The graduate co-ordinator serves as temporary adviser to incoming students and provides direction until a major adviser is selected. This track is intended for students who plan a career that is highly specialized and research intensive, or wish to continue study towards a Ph.D. degree.