Introduction

This document describes the objectives, admissions procedures and curriculum for the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program within the Department of Marketing. It is consistent with the College of Business policies for the DBA program, a copy of which is attached.

While the education of doctoral students in Marketing is addressed in the following, the importance of the individual student's needs should be emphasized. In the development of each student's capabilities some reasonable latitude in interpretation of policy is to be expected and even encouraged. The College of Business requirements ensure some baseline level of performance. It is the goal of the faculty to help our doctoral students grow beyond that level.

The objective of the doctoral program in marketing is:

To provide the student with a comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the field of marketing, leading to career options in teaching, research and service in academic, government and industry environments.

Admissions

Size of Program:

The goal of the program is to recruit, admit, educate, graduate and place   quality DBAs concentrating in marketing. Consistent with this goal and with the human and financial resources available, an ideal student-to-graduate faculty ratio should not exceed approximately 1 to 1.5 at any point in time. Admissions should be monitored so that a critical mass of 5-6 students is enrolled in the marketing doctoral seminars.

Quality of Students:

While the GMAT may not be a perfect indicator of a student's ability to successfully complete a doctoral program, it does provide some general screening information. A GMAT of over 600 is preferred. The application materials of those whose GMAT score is between 550 and 600 will be assessed very carefully to determine the ability and motivation to complete doctoral work at a satisfactory level. Any applicant whose GMAT score is below 550 would be an exception to the minimum admission standard and that individual's portfolio would require particularly careful evaluation, possibly including a personal interview.

The applicant's graduate coursework and GPA may be considered fairly reliable indicators of a student's ability to do doctoral level work. A graduate GPA of less than 3.5 may be indicative of potential weaknesses and the specific course grades may provide some insight relative to such potential problems.

The letters of recommendation should clearly address the applicant's motivation, dedication and ability to undertake and successfully complete doctoral work in marketing. The potential to undertake meaningful research also should be addressed specifically. Particularly in the case of foreign students, the recommendations should indicate capable verbal and writing skills. The TOEFL score should corroborate this.

The student's letters and vitae should show a progression of maturity and indicate a high potential to conduct research and to teach and write at the level necessary to successfully complete the DBA program.

Funding:

No student should be admitted without reasonable assurance of at least three academic years of support (if such support is sought), preferably through an assistantship in the Department of Marketing. However, it is important to communicate the desire that students 1) be financially capable, through whatever means, to remain in residence through their third year, and 2) have a continuing responsibility to teach and assist in research within the department. To the extent resources allow, an effort will be made to commit one or more assistantships for a fourth year. This would permit more orderly progress into the interviewing stage and job market. It should be clear that support in the summer is typically low and is not guaranteed.

Timing:

Applications should be reviewed in a manner so as to facilitate the student's and the department's need to plan. For students desiring to enter during the Fall semester, decisions should be made on applicants wanting assistantships no later than April 30 and by June 30 for others not seeking financial support. Spring and Summer term entry should be discouraged to the extent possible, as this somewhat inhibits "class tracking."

The review of applications should be on a timely basis. A meeting of the department graduate faculty should be convened for action on current applications. Timing of these meetings should be based on the number and quality of applications pending. In the case of a student with clearly superior credentials the process should be expedited. Applications for Fall, received after April, should be accumulated and acted upon by available graduate faculty prior to June 30 if any openings remain.

Program

Program Advisory Committee (PAC):

The PAC should be formed during the student's first semester in residence. The PAC chair, however, should be appointed by the department chair to achieve a reasonably compatible assignment and an appropriate distribution of the work load among the graduate faculty. Faculty who perceive an applicant as particularly desirable from the stand point of their academic interests should feel free to request to chair the PAC of that student.

The PAC is composed of three people: the chair, (who must have full graduate faculty status), another continuing marketing faculty member, and an outside member representing the student's support field. It is the role of the PAC to design a curriculum with the student as soon as is practically feasible. Upon adoption of the program, a contract is formed between the committee and the student. While subject to change, it does represent a formal agreement concerning the coursework the student is expected to take and complete. The minimum coursework required beyond Master's equivalency is 36 hours (typically a 12-course minimum).

Coursework in Marketing:

Students should take no less than 15 hours of content-oriented coursework in Marketing. Of that 15 hours, 12 hours are prescribed: Theory (BA 557), Consumer Behavior (BA 555), Strategy (BA 556), and Research (BA 552). These are not problem-solving, micro-oriented MBA level courses.  The courses should be offered one per semester to require the student to be enrolled in coursework for two full academic years. These courses also serve as an opportunity to expose students to the nature of the preliminary examination and its emphasis on synthesis and integration. Discussions, presentations, papers, and examinations should be used to sensitize students to the preliminary examination requirements as well as research standards in the field. It is expected that students will write term papers in each seminar. Course grades are not affected by whether the paper is published or whether the professor is a co-author.

The other 3 or more hours of content coursework may be chosen from Masters or 400-level undergraduate courses if the course supports the academic interest of the student. Alternatively, this can be an opportunity to provide directed research to the student through a BA 591 independent study option.

Coursework in Research Tools:

Each student should be encouraged to take at least four true tool courses. Consistent with the students primary research interest, the courses should be selected from among the following:

EPSY 507*, 508*, 531, 580B, 580D, 580I; PSYC 522, 523, 524*, 525, 527, 540, 542; MATH 583; and, POLS 501D.

[*These courses are typically taken by all students. Although the courses themselves are not absolutely required, knowledge of their subject matter from some source is necessary for successful preparation for comprehensive exams and dissertation research.]

Doctoral students should also become proficient in the use of at least one major statistical program package such as SPSS or SAS. This can be accomplished through non-credit courses offered through Computing Services or through POL 503, Data Preparation and Management, (not to be counted toward minimum degree requirements), if the student is deficient in this area.

Coursework in Support Field:

The student's support field can come from virtually any discipline. While the student may take an exam in the support area, it does not necessarily represent the knowledge base someone from that field may see as necessary for a minor in that field. The support field supports the student's research and these can be very diverse. It is quite acceptable to combine the research tools courses with other similar courses to develop a combined support/research tools segment in support of the work in the major field. The student, in consultation with the PAC chair, should identify and contact a faculty person from the support area to determine his/her willingness to serve on the PAC. This person should then be contacted by the PAC chair to confirm membership on the PAC. Six to nine hours in the support field is typical. However, the support field PAC member has primary responsibility for this area and may recommend any number of courses between the 6-12 hours specified in the DBA program requirements.

Interim Progress Reports:

In order to assure students are progressing adequately, a formal review of the student's progress should be undertaken by the PAC on an annual basis. At the end of each academic year, the PAC should review the student's progress with respect to coursework, research, and teaching. A written evaluation should be provided to the student, with copies to the department chair and the student's permanent file. This evaluation should be candid and include the PAC recommendation for continuance or dismissal from the program. Both weak and strong areas of performance should be identified. It should be clear to students that if in the PAC's judgment there has not been reasonable progress over time toward completion of the coursework then that may be sufficient grounds for dismissal.

Preliminary (Comprehensive) Examination:

The preliminary (comprehensive) examination should be taken within one year after coursework is completed. It consists of three parts: a written examination in marketing; a written examination in the support field (if appropriate); and, a combined oral examination. Examinations are administered two times during the calendar year: mid-Fall and mid-Spring. Every attempt should be made to administer exams simultaneously to all students prepared to take them. For those entering the program in a Fall semester, it is recommended that they plan on taking their exams in the Fall semester two years after initial entry to the program. This schedule should allow sufficient time to finish coursework and to prepare for the preliminary examination. Although not impossible, students should be discouraged from taking the exams while still in coursework.

The sequence of the exam is major, support, and oral as outlined in the College of Business policy. Questions for the major exam should be solicited from all graduate faculty in the department about one month prior to the actual exam date. If more than one student is sitting for the exams at the same time then it is appropriate for their marketing committee members to coordinate composition of the tests. However, the two PAC members from marketing for each student are ultimately responsible for selecting the questions to be used in the exam for their respective students. Each of the following four areas should be represented on the exam:  Marketing Theory; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Marketing Research. The research questions should assess students' research tool capabilities as well as their understanding of the academic research process.

After the student has completed the written exam, the responses should be given to the administrative assistant for immediate typing (next day turn around) and then distributed to all graduate faculty for comment within five days. Students able to type their answers on a PC during the examination period are strongly encouraged to do so.

One week after the written major exam, the support field written exam (if appropriate) should be administered. This is the responsibility of the PAC support field person. Feedback to the PAC should be provided within three days of the exam. It is not unusual for this exam to be waived by committee members especially if the support field is tool-related. Testing of statistical and computer knowledge can be made on the research portion of the main exam.

The oral examination should be held approximately two weeks after the administration of the major written examination. It is reasonable for the PAC to advise the student relative to strong and weak areas represented by the written exam responses. Only the PAC members vote to determine the student's status as passing or failing but all marketing graduate faculty are encouraged to provide feedback on the examination. The PAC chair, therefore, should have reasonable control of the flow of the oral exam process to ensure meaningful dialogue.

The portions of the exam process are graded collectively by the PAC as either pass or fail. Failure results in a PAC recommendation for remedial activity (e.g., additional coursework, retaking exams, directed study) or dismissal from the program, if deemed appropriate. Students passing the examination shall be recommended for admission to candidacy by the PAC. Appropriate forms to be completed at the completion of the oral examination should be secured from the College of Business Graduate Office by the PAC chair.

The Dissertation:

After successful completion of the comprehensive examination process, a dissertation committee (DC) must be formed according to College of Business DBA policy. This committee consists of five members, at least one of whom must be from outside the College of Business. It often makes sense to enlist the support field person from the PAC if the support field was not within the College of Business. At least two of the members must have dissertation direction authorization (typically Associate Professor or above).

"The dissertation is designed to demonstrate that the student is capable of independent research in the field of business and administration. In choosing a topic for the dissertation, the candidate will:

1. Prepare a written proposal and submit it to his/her dissertation committee. The proposal should be reasonably detailed and provide information about the following in a  multi-Chapter format: Introduction to research problem, implications for theory and practice limitations,  literature review, theoretical propositions, empirical hypotheses, construct measurement, data collection procedures, and statistical analysis techniques.  More rather than less rigor should be imposed here so that it is as clear as possible to the student and the committee what is being proposed.

2. At least two weeks prior to the oral presentation, the doctoral student shall provide, with the approval of his/her committee members, the DBA Committee Chair with the following information: (1) Presentation title; (2) Names of committee members; (3) One-page abstract of presentation or dissertation; (4) Time, date, room number and building where presentation is scheduled. The DBA Chair shall ensure that the above information is sent to all COBA graduate faculty and doctoral students.

3. Make an oral presentation of the dissertation proposal.  Faculty and graduate students may attend the proposal presentation, and graduate faculty may participate in  questioning and discussion, subject to reasonable limitations imposed by the chairperson of the dissertation committee. On acceptance of the written and oral presentation of the dissertation proposal by the Dissertation Committee, with at least four satisfactory votes, the student will  proceed with further work on the dissertation topic. If the performance on the written and oral presentation is unsatisfactory, the Committee will determine the appropriate course of action for the candidate.

In the preparation of the dissertation, the student should follow the procedures outlined in the special dissertation brochure available from the Graduate School. The student may register for a maximum of six dissertation hours prior to passing the preliminary examination. The candidate is expected to make normal progress toward completion of the dissertation. All degree requirements must be met within a five year period after passing the preliminary examination." (College of Business and Administration Policies and Procedures for the DBA program).

It is anticipated that DBA students will remain in residence for at least one year beyond the successful completion of coursework to achieve appropriate progress toward completion of their dissertations. While exceptions can and do occur, early entrance to the job market should be strongly discouraged by the faculty. A student leaving without data collected is not likely to finish his/her dissertation in a timely manner. The faculty should work closely with students in providing counsel and guidance about the academic market place. This involves targeting potential job sites, as well as timing entry into the job market. Both individual and program considerations must be addressed.

The dissertation Chairman should formally evaluate the student's progress every six months. This written evaluation should assess the student's progress toward completing the dissertation. Target dates for appropriate progress on the dissertation should be established and adherence to these should be monitored carefully. Based on timely review and evaluation, the committee is encouraged to set standards for continuation; if these are not met, dismissal should be considered as a option. A recommendation for continuance or dismissal should be made at this time. Copies of the evaluation should be given to the student, the committee, and the department chair. (Graduate School requirements stipulate that all requirements must be fulfilled within a five-year period after admission to candidacy).

At the appropriate stage in the preparation of the dissertation, the dissertation committee and the candidate will establish a date for the final oral examination. It will be administered by the student's dissertation committee and will focus on the subject of the dissertation. The final oral examination shall be scheduled no earlier than four months after the oral presentation of the dissertation proposal to provide sufficient time for data collection, analysis, writing, and committee review of initial drafts. The typical time required to complete the dissertation is one to two years.

At least two weeks prior to the dissertation defense, the doctoral student shall provide, with the approval of his/her committee members, the DBA Committee Chair with the following information: (1) Dissertation title; (2) Names of Committee members; (3) One-page abstract of dissertation; (4) Time, date, room number and building where defense is scheduled. The DBA Chair shall ensure that the above information is sent to all College of Business and Administration graduate faculty and doctoral students.

Faculty and graduate students may participate in questioning and discussion, subject to reasonable limitations imposed by the chairperson of the committee. However, only members of the committee may vote concerning acceptance of the dissertation and satisfactory performance on the final oral examination. If the performance on the final oral examination is unsatisfactory, the Committee will determine the appropriate course of action for the candidate. Appropriate forms to be completed should be secured from the College of Business Graduate Office.

Finally, students will provide the chair of their committee as well as the department bound copies of their dissertations. This should be done as soon after the final defense as possible.