Challenge-Focused Doctoral Curriculum

Acquire the tools needed to prepare for the program and elevate your readiness for a doctoral research journey. Start developing skills in self-reflection, listening, and empathetic inquiry. Additionally, learn to overcome biases to ensure impartial analysis and embrace curiosity and openness in research, which will lay the foundation for success in the program.

Every research journey begins with the exploration of research fundamentals to guide students in developing an individual research philosophical stance and help refine their problem of business practice. Embedded in this exploration is a comprehensive understanding of research philosophy, and how prior researchers and practitioners have described the problem and solution. At the end of this course, students will have developed an individual research philosophical stance and formulated and refined their applied research problem based on a critical review of the literature.

This course introduces students to the value of qualitative research in understanding phenomena within business administration. Become familiar with qualitative approaches to design, research validity, framework development, data collection, and analysis. Further review the use of qualitative research to support quantitative studies. At the end of the course, students will have built upon their work in the previous course and drafted sections of their proposal, as it relates to qualitative research, including research background, problem statement, purpose statement, research questions, conceptual framework, as well as the nature and significance of your study.

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles, methods, and ethical considerations inherent in quantitative research. Consider parametric and non-parametric tests using contemporary software tools, including a primer on machine learning and data analysis using SPSS and Python. At the end of the course, students will have built upon their work in the previous courses and drafted sections of their proposal, as it relates to quantitative research, including research background, problem statement, purpose statement, hypotheses, and theoretical framework, as well as the nature and significance of your study.

Explore advanced writing techniques essential for producing high-quality scholarly output. Through a combination of theoretical study, practical exercises, and peer critique, students will examine the intricacies of crafting cohesive arguments and presenting findings effectively. Emphasis is placed on developing a nuanced understanding of critical aspects of academic publication processes, including manuscript preparation, peer review, and strategies for engaging with scholarly communities. At the course's end, you'll have honed your ability to produce sophisticated, original research that contributes meaningfully to your area of study and positions you as effective and ethical scholarly communicators. You'll also have produced a draft research proposal and received relevant feedback in preparation for your final research proposal and proposal defense.