Doctoral Program Structure

The Lally School doctoral program provides both structure and individual choice.

Ninety credits are required to complete the doctoral degree. Thirty to forty-five of the ninety credits can be applied from a master's or an MBA degree.

Our discussion of program structure is based on a student entering with a master’s degree*, receiving financial aid in the form of an assistantship, which carries with it at most the responsibility of 20 hours per week of work. This assistantship also imposes a maximum course load of five courses per semester.

Because of our interdisciplinary emphasis on management and technology, the typical duration of the doctoral program is just over three years.

Typically in year one of the doctoral program a student fulfills the breadth of requirements and preparation for conducting research; year two consists of area-oriented coursework, and year three consists of dissertation research.

Students are reviewed annually to make sure they are making timely progress. Students needing to take a leave of absence or draw out their program longer than four years must inform the doctoral director in writing.

* A student who has a previous master's in management from an AACSB-accredited institution within seven years of applying to the doctoral program and who is able to take courses in the summer can consider the three-year program. Additional courses, particularly background or breadth courses are required of students who enter without a master’s of management.

Please note: The Rensselaer Lally School will not be accepting students into the finance and accounting Ph.D. areas for the 2013-2014 academic year.

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