Curriculum

The PhD program at the Sabancı University's Graduate Business School is primarily intended for candidates who aspire to develop a career in academia. Some graduates may also be taking up positions in public or private sector organizations involved in research. The goal is to have graduates who can perform and contribute at the international level in any of these possible career paths. Currently, the program offers specializations in the areas of Management and Organization, Business Analytics and Operations Management and Finance.  

• Demonstrate a through appreciation and knowledge of extant theory and research in their  chosen field of specialization
• Develop the capacity to place the accumulated knowledge in the field into a historical and contextual perspective
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of methodologies for conducting research within their field
• Develop skills pertaining to scholarly writing and presentation
• Demonstrate the capacity to conduct independent research that contributes to and advances extant knowledge within the field
• Develop and uphold the scholarly values of independent and critical inquiry, advancement of knowledge, and academic and professional integrity

• The Ph.D. program consists of three main components, namely, coursework - usually lasting two academic years, a qualifying examination and a dissertation.
• Altogether the completion of program requirements should be expected to take four to five years,
• You can reach the regulations concerning each of the components are accessible through the link of University's website.
• Ph.D. students majoring in one of the four main areas of specialization can complete their coursework in two years by fulfilling the course requirements indicated below.

Students are expected to take the qualifying examination after they complete course requirements and before the end of their fifth term in the program. The qualifying requirement consists of both written and oral assessments. Following successful completion, the student develops a research idea and a dissertation proposal with the assistance of his or her supervisor and thesis proposal committee. Within six months after the qualifying examinations, the student orally presents his or her proposal in front of the committee. Upon their approval, the Ph.D. candidate can proceed with working on the dissertation, which is monitored by the five-person dissertation committee. At the end of the process, the final approval is given by the student's committee after an oral defense of the dissertation.

Ph.D. students must have an accepted/forthcoming paper in an SSCI journal or must have presented their papers in internationally recognized conferences before graduation.