Program Requirements

Degree Requirements
The Doctoral Program at the Kellogg School of Management trains students to be innovative researchers with careers as professors. In preparation for the demands of academia, all doctoral students must meet a set of coursework requirements, pass a written qualifying examination and an oral examination (proposal), and complete a dissertation. Students must satisfy additional requirements, such as annual research presentations, teaching and research assistance, and other requirements determined by each program.

Each program administers the PhD degree requirements under the guidelines set by the Kellogg School of Management and The Graduate School at Northwestern University. Each program also determines the curriculum and monitors each student’s progress toward the PhD degree. Specific program requirements — including coursework, examinations, research papers and professional development — are outlined under each program heading.

Coursework Requirements
Coursework requirements include departmental PhD courses and seminars and any additional courses needed to develop competency for scholarly research. Those who have earned a graduate degree before entering Kellogg may be considered for transfer (residency) credit toward coursework requirements. Because the type of coursework and statistical or quantitative training varies among programs, applicants should refer to each program section for details on its curriculum. Most students complete their coursework in six quarters (approximately two years).

Residency Requirement
Doctoral students are expected to be on campus full time and involved in the research and teaching activities of the department throughout the year, including summer quarter, to qualify for continued funding. Students who will be away from campus for more than two weeks during an academic quarter need the approval of their PhD coordinator. Unexcused absences may result in the canceling of financial aid awards from Kellogg and/or Northwestern University.

Annual Student Review
At the end of each academic year, each doctoral student submits an activity report that summarizes his or her activities for the year: coursework taken, status on research projects, teaching or research assistance provided, research presentations, professional development and any other field-specific requirements that he or she has met. After reviewing the activity report and consulting with the program’s faculty, the student will receive an academic progress report from his or her academic advisor or PhD coordinator. The report provides feedback on the student’s progress to date as well as suggestions for meeting the next set of requirements or milestones for the coming year — advanced coursework, candidacy, dissertation research and the academic job market.

Teaching/Research Assistance
To become better integrated into the department’s intellectual life, beginning in year two, students will be working alongside faculty on various teaching and research projects. Success as a faculty member requires development of the abilities to conduct innovative research and to be an effective instructor. These teaching and research appointments are like apprenticeships; students receive on-the-job training under the guidance of the faculty. Students will be required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week.

Qualifying Examination
A written qualifying (preliminary) examination in the major field is required. This exam is focused on the coursework taken in the student’s major field of study and measures the student’s knowledge of the field as a whole. The structure and timing of the exam are determined by each program. Students have two opportunities to pass the exam. A successful performance on the exam will demonstrate the student’s competency in the field and provide the foundation from which he or she begins the research that will form the basis of the dissertation. Passing the qualifying exam, in addition to any other program-specific requirements (such as a research paper), will advance doctoral students into candidacy.

Dissertation Committee
Dissertation committees are reviewed and approved by the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research at the time of the proposal and final examination (dissertation defense). The committee consists of at least four faculty members, no fewer than three of whom are on the Kellogg faculty. At least one member of the committee must be from outside the student's program. The committee chair and at least one other member must be from The Graduate School faculty, and the chair and at least one other committee member are expected to hold appointments in the student's program to ensure that half of the committee members represent the student’s program. Usually one member of the committee represents the student's minor field of study.

These are the criteria for choosing a committee member from outside the student’s department/program:

1. a faculty member from outside the department/program or outside of the Kellogg School, but within Northwestern University;
2. a faculty member from outside Northwestern who has a permanent appointment at another university and who supervises doctoral students as they complete their dissertations.

Please note that a faculty member with a joint appointment spanning two Kellogg departments, one of which is within the student's own program, cannot be used as someone from outside the student's program.

Proposal
After completing most of the coursework and the written qualifying examination, a student takes an oral examination in which he or she proposes a dissertation topic or other substantive piece of research, discusses its significance to the development of knowledge and explains the research methods to be used and any preliminary results. Kellogg doctoral students must propose their dissertation by the end of the summer of their fourth year of study. However, some programs have instituted an earlier deadline; therefore, students should consult with their PhD coordinators regarding this requirement.

Dissertation and Final Examination
Each candidate must complete a dissertation demonstrating original and significant research and must pass a final oral examination on the dissertation.

Kellogg doctoral students are expected to complete their PhD degree requirements in a timely manner. The deadline to complete the PhD degree requirements (successfully defend and submit a dissertation that is accepted by the Graduate School) is the end of year nine (9) – the deadline determined by the Graduate School. Students must be in satisfactory standing up until this point. Any Kellogg doctoral student who does not complete the PhD degree requirements within this nine-year timeframe is subject to dismissal from the Kellogg PhD Program.

The calendar is posted on The Graduate School’s Web site.

The Graduate School
At Northwestern University, The Graduate School supervises all work leading to the PhD. The rules and regulations of The Graduate School, to which all doctoral students are subject, are outlined on The Graduate School’s Web site.

© Nathan Mandell