Course Plan Years 1 & 2

Ph.D. students come to the Simon School with widely varying academic backgrounds. Because training in mathematics and statistics is necessary for all course work at the Simon School, we offer three courses -- Mathematical Techniques in Economics (AEC 505), Linear Algebra and Programming (MSM 502) and Fundamentals of Economics (AEC 504) -- starting in early-July, before regular first-year classes begin. First-year fellowship aid begins in July.

The Core Courses

All first-year students take a sequence of courses in probability theory and statistics, mathematics, economics, and econometrics. We therefore require all doctoral students including those majoring in functional areas, such as Accounting, Marketing, or Operations Management, to obtain this background. A grade of B or better in all core courses is required.

The mathematics sequence consists of MTH265H Real Analysis, and MSM522 Optimization. This prepares the students to think in an analytical and rigorous way and understand the basics of optimization that underlies much of managerial science.

The economics core sequence consists of the following courses: Advanced Price Theory I (Microeconomics), II (Game Theory), and III (Industrial Economics). While these courses are taught at a graduate level, they are complete and accessible even to students with no or only a rudimentary background in economics theory.

The econometric sequence is also designed for a ground up introduction to the topic. It starts at a basic level with ECO 483 / 484 Introduction to Math Statistics and Econometrics and leads into ECO 485 which is a graduate level course in econometrics.

Students will take some of the courses at the Simon School and some courses at other departments of the University. The combined schedule is shown in the table below.

 

Fall Quarter	AEC 511 Advanced Price Theory I
Winter Quarter	AEC 512 Advanced Price Theory II MSM522 Optimization Winter Slot*
Spring Quarter	AEC 513 Advanced Price Theory III Spring Slot 1* Spring Slot 2* Spring Slot 3*
Fall Semester	ECO 483/484 Intro Math Stats/Econometrics MTH 265H Real Analysis ** Fall Slot*
Spring Semester	ECO 485 Econometrics***

 

* The choice of courses in these slots depends on the major. See below for details.

** Required for Students who did not take AEC 505 in Zeoreth Summer.

*** Students intending to major in CIS or OMG may defer this course until second year.

In addition to these basic sequences, students will also take some additional foundational courses that depend on their area of major. These fill up the ’slots’ listed in the table above. These additional courses are shown in the table below.

 

Slot	ACC/FIN	CIS/OMG	CIS/OMG
Fall	FIN 505 Th. of Finance	BST401 Intro to Prob	ST401 Intro to Prob
Winter	FIN 511 Adv. Fin Economics	MSM 504 Th. of Prob. and Stochastic Proc. I	MSM 504 Th. of Prob. and Stochastic Proc. I
Spring 1	ACC 511 Empirical Acc. Research or FIN 532 Adv. Topics in Cap. Mkts.	MSM 535 Integer Programming	MKT 431 Consumer Behavior
Spring 2	Consult Advisor	MSM 505 Th. of Prob. and Stochastic Proc. II	MKT 513 Marketing Seminar
Spring 3	Consult Advisor	Consult Advisor	MKT 402 Marketing Management

 

For undergraduate and graduate courses outside the Simon School, course descriptions can be found in the Official Bulletin Undergraduate Studies or the Graduate Studies Official Bulletin, University of Rochester; for 400-level Simon School courses, see the Simon Information Guide for 500-level course descriptions appear under Field Descriptions on the web site. Unless otherwise noted, all quarter courses are three credit hours and semester courses are four credit hours.

Core Examination

The Core Examinations, given in June of the first year, are an important part of an ongoing evaluation process to assess the learning and suitability of Ph.D. students to the program. The Core Exams are based on the material presented in certain core courses. Passing the Core Examination represents the first major accomplishment for Ph.D. students.

The Second Year: Depth

Every doctoral student at the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration has declared a major and minor field of study by the end of the second year. To prevent over-specialization, certain major/minor combinations are not possible, either because they are offered as minor fields only, or are specifically not allowed. Specific requirements for students who wish to major or minor in these areas, and a list of suggested courses to be taken in preparation for the Core and Qualifying Examinations, are given in the Field Descriptions section. To major in any field, students are expected to write a Second-Year Paper acceptable to two faculty members.

Admission to Candidacy

Students spend most of their second year preparing to meet the requirements for Admission to Candidacy. At the University of Rochester, as at most universities, Ph.D. students do not officially become Ph.D. Candidates until a set of Qualifying Examinations has been passed. These examinations test students preparation in the chosen fields of specialization. The full set of requirements for a student to become a Ph.D. Candidate is:

• Passing the first-year Core Examination;
• Completing an acceptable First-Year Paper (ACC & FIN majors);
• Passing Qualifying Examinations in both Major and Minor fields;
• Completing an acceptable Second-Year Paper; and
• Receiving a recommendation from the faculty in the Major field area.

Qualifying Examinations

In the summer of the second year or the fall of the third year, Qualifying Examinations are written. The examining committee, however, may substitute an oral examination, and students may also petition the committee for this option. Alternatively, the examining group may select a research examination, and students may petition for this option as well. In some cases, an area may require appropriate course work at the Simon School instead of a Qualifying Examination in the Minor field. A student may also petition the examining committee for this option.

The courses listed under Field Descriptions are intended to give students guidance in preparing for the Qualifying Examination, but do not actually have to be taken for credit. Furthermore, qualifiers usually demand a level of understanding beyond that which is necessary to pass the courses on the suggested list.

First-Year Paper

By the fall of the second year, students majoring in Accounting or Finance are expected to complete an original research paper that is acceptable to one faculty member. The First-Year Paper encourages students to think about research early and gives them a chance to demonstrate their abilities in a non-examination environment. The paper should demonstrate a grasp of the methods required to do serious research.

Second-Year Paper

By the fall of the third year, all students are expected to complete an original research paper which is acceptable to two Simon School faculty members. While we hope that some papers will be of publishable quality, we do not expect that they all will be. The paper should demonstrate enough research potential to make completion of an acceptable thesis likely.

Recommendation by Faculty in Major Field

The final decision regarding Candidacy is made by the Area Coordinator in the students Major field, after consultation with the faculty in the area. This group makes the decision because it ultimately accepts the responsibility of supervising the students dissertation. Students must demonstrate in examinations, course work, and research papers that they merit the commitment in time and resources that Admission to Candidacy entails.