Doctoral Program at the Segal Graduate School

The PhD course requirement consists of successful performance in a minimum of nine approved graduate courses.

1. Core PhD courses

The three core courses required of all students in the PhD program include:

• BUS 980 Theory Development in Business Administration
• BUS 981 Research Methods in Business Administration 
• BUS 982 Dissertation Development

2. Specialization major courses

The specialization will includes three to five courses as determined by the senior supervisor in consultation with the supervisory committee and the Academic Director of the PhD program. These courses can include graduate courses in the Faculty of Business Administration, directed studies courses or approved graduate courses from other programs or universities. A minimum of two courses are required to be taken within the Faculty.

3. Research methods minor

The research methods minor area of study includes three graduate level courses in research methods deemed appropriate to the specific research area of the student by the Academic Director of the PhD program and the student's supervisor. These courses can include graduate courses in the Faculty of Business Administration, as well as approved courses from other programs at Simon Fraser University or other universities.

These three courses will be taken in the first five semesters. The PhD student's supervisor can add or substitute minor courses in consultation with the Academic Director of the PhD program.

PhD students will generate a research project in their third term(summer) that will be graded by the senior supervisor on a pass/fail basis. The students can rewrite the project once. If the grade is still deficient, they will be asked to withdraw from the program. Those who pass the research project will present it in an open research presentation. Questions and answers emerging in this context should assist the student to develop their research.

The expectation for all first year students is that they will engage in a research project that wil produce a paper that must be submitted to their senior superviors and the academic chair of the PhD program in mid-September, with a presentation to the Faculty as a whole in mid-October.

The intent of the project is to provide all students with an oppportunity to conduct a small research project rooted in their theoretical, methodologial and topical interests.  

PhD students are required to pass a comprehensive exam in the sixth semester of the program. It includes written examinations in the student's major and methodology minor, followed by an oral exam. Details of the exam will be provided to students at the appropriate time.

In the seventh term, PhD students will present an oral defense of their dissertation proposal.

The Academic Chair will assign a Beedie faculty member external to the student's supervisory committee to join in the examination.

The examination will probe a written thesis proposal and may extend into the area in which the student intends to do his/her work. The supervisory committee and the examiner will confer a pass/fail grade upon the student's presentation and written work. Suggestions by the evaluators on how to improve and clarify the research proposal are expected.

Those who fail the dissertation proposal defense must represent it  and pass by the end of the eighth semester.

The PhD thesis in Business Administration must be based on substantially original research. The thesis can take the form of a single work or a series of at least three papers.

Please see Graduate General Regulations for details.

PhD students who do not have substantial teaching experience will have an option to complete the certificate program offered by educators in the Learning and Instructional Development Centre at SFU. The practicum component will involve developing and delivering an undergraduate course in the Beedie School of Business.