Curriculum
The minimum duration for the programme is three years. Most students, however, are expected to take approximately four years to complete the programme. Students are required to apply for extension of study at least 3 months prior starting of their Year 5 and addtional tuition fee are chargable to students. The maximum duration of the programme is five years, unless special prior approval for a longer duration has been granted by SMU
Curriculum
Total graduation requirement = 40 Credit Units (CUs). The curriculum consists of completion of the following:
| Year 1 |
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|---|---|
| Year 2 onward |
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(A) Coursework (12 credit units):
The courses are designed to familiarise students with the various business domains, their evolution and the current state of research and theory in the domain. The Research Techniques Workshops are intended to equip the students with the additional skills and insight to conduct rigorous research.
The coursework consists of approximately up to 468 contact hours of lectures and seminars or workshops, conducted over a period of 6 intensive residential segments during the first year of the programme. Each course will be assessed by the instructor, and the method of assessment may be a written examination, take-home examination, project or essay. Instructors will give a grade for each section of the course and the final grade will be based on the overall assessment of the course. Students must pass the courses to the satisfaction of the instructors.
The typical format of a course is generally comprised of three phases:
| Phase 1 (pre-work) | Students are to complete an estimated 15 hours of work per course before each segment, in the form of preparatory readings and/or assignments. |
|---|---|
| Phase 2 (Segment) | Students are to attend 24 hours per course (total of 12 courses) in SMU during the intensive residential segments. |
| Phase 3 (post-segment) | Students may also complete up to 15 hours of work per course, during or after the course in the form of assignments, projects, or other additional course requirements. |
List of Coursework Curriculum (subject to change):
- Marketing Strategy
- Theory Construction and Research Design
- Strategic Management
- Strategic Management II
- Organisational Behaviour
- Decision Making & Leadership
- Finance
- Corporate Finance
- Political Economy : Global and Regional
- Basic Research Methodology & Statistics
- Research Methods And Multivariate Statistics
- Operations Management (0.50CU)
- Legal Knowledge & Strategy for Senior Management (0.5CU)
Coursework / Segment Dates:
Coursework will be conducted in 6 week-long study blocks (segments) in Year 1. Segments schedule is subject to change.
The following are the segment dates for the intake starting May 2025.
| Monday to Saturday (full day Seminar) | |
|---|---|
| Segment 1 | 15 - 20 May 2025 |
| Segment 2 | 10 - 15 July 2025 |
| Segment 3 | 2 - 7 October 2025 |
| Segment 4 | 4 - 9 December 2025 |
| Segment 5 | 26 February - 2 March 2026 |
| Segment 6 | 13 - 18 May 2026 |
The following are segment dates for the intake starting December 2024
| Monday to Saturday (full day Seminar) | |
|---|---|
| Segment 1 | >3 - 8 December 2024 |
| Segment 2 | 26 February - 2 March 2025 |
| Segment 3 | 13 - 18 May 2025 |
| Segment 4 | July 2025 |
| Segment 5 | October 2025 |
| Segment 6 | December 2025 |
(B) Qualifying Examination (QE):
After completing 12 credit units of coursework, students are required to pass the Qualifying Examination (QE). There are 4 exam areas in the QE (Finance, Marketing, OBHR and Strategy & Organisation). Students will choose 2 exam areas as their QE.
(C) Dissertation (28 credit units):
(i) Supervision and formation of PhD Dissertation Committee
Upon completion of coursework, students will proceed to work on his / her dissertation. Students will be working on their dissertations under the supervision of his/her Dissertation Committee and are expected to meet regularly with their dissertation supervisor and committee members advisory for one week every 3 months until successful completion of their PhD Dissertation.
The PhD Dissertation with the Dissertation Committee consisting of one dissertation supervisor (Chair of the Dissertation Committee), one SMU faculty members and one member outside of the discipline group which may or may not be a SMU faculty member. The members of the Dissertation Committee are appointed by the School in consultation with the dissertation supervisor.
The student is expected to form their Dissertation Committee no later than the beginning of Year 2.
(ii) Oral proposal of dissertation proposal
The student is expected to submit the written dissertation proposal and orally defend the dissertation proposal to the Dissertation Committee upon the completion of the PhD Qualifying Examination and no later than the mid of Year 3.
(iii) Final defence of dissertation
After passing the Oral proposal Defence, student is expected to submit the Final Dissertation to Dissertation Committee no later than mid of Year 4. After reading the written dissertation report, the Dissertation Committee will conduct a final oral examination in which the student will orally defend the final dissertation. Revision and resubmission of the dissertation may be required by the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee will examine the dissertation and make a recommendation to the SMU Graduate Research Programmes Office regarding fulfillment of the dissertation requirement for the degree.
It is expected that all dissertation work is to be performed by the student and that their report is to be 100% original unless properly cited.
