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.  

Common Outcomes of PhD Programs:

• Develop and deepen the current and advanced knowledge in the field with original thought and/or research and come up with innovative definitions based on Master's degree qualifications
• Conceive the interdisciplinary interaction which the field is related with ; come up with original solutions by using knowledge requiring proficiency on analysis, synthesis and assessment of new and complex ideas.
• Evaluate and use new information within the field in a systematic approach.
• Develop an innovative knowledge, method, design and/or practice or adapt an already known knowledge, method, design and/or practice to another field; research, conceive, design, adapt and implement an original subject.
• Critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of new and complex ideas.
• Gain advanced level skills in the use of research methods in the field of study.
• Contribute the progression in the field by producing an innovative idea, skill, design and/or practice or by adapting an already known idea, skill, design, and/or practice to a different field independently.
• Broaden the borders of the knowledge in the field by producing or interpreting an original work or publishing at least one scientific paper in the field in national and/or international refereed journals.
• Demonstrate leadership in contexts requiring innovative and interdisciplinary problem solving.
• Develop new ideas and methods in the field by using high level mental processes such as creative and critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.
• Investigate and improve social connections and their conducting norms and manage the actions to change them when necessary.
• Defend original views when exchanging ideas in the field with professionals and communicate effectively by showing competence in the field.
• Ability to communicate and discuss orally, in written and visually with peers by using a foreign language at least at a level of European Language Portfolio C1 General Level.
• Contribute to the transition of the community to an information society and its sustainability process by introducing scientific, technological, social or cultural improvements.
• Demonstrate functional interaction by using strategic decision making processes in solving problems encountered in the field.
• Contribute to the solution finding process regarding social, scientific, cultural and ethical problems in the field and support the development of these values.

• 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 (For BS degree, this is at the end of their seventh 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.