Doctor of Philosophy - Business and Economics (DR-PHILBE) // Course structure

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Course structure

About the PhD

Candidates are required to present a thesis in such a form as the Academic Board may from time to time prescribe. Advice is available from the relevant Graduate Research Director of the Department or the Faculty of Business and Economics.

Course Structure: 4 Year Doctoral Program (Masters by Coursework followed by PhD)

A four year Doctoral Program is offered in the following discipline areas:

  • Economics
  • Management & Marketing

Candidates commence by enrolling in a one-year Masters coursework degree. Upon successful completion of this course, and by meeting the progression requirement of achieving an average of 75% or above, the candidate is enrolled in the PhD. The PhD begins with a coursework year. In the third and fourth years of the Program candidates complete a research thesis. Confirmation of candidature is approved on the basis of successful completion of the coursework subjects and an approved thesis proposal. The decision to award the degree is based solely on the examination of the thesis. Examiners of the thesis are informed that the candidate has undertaken a course of study by thesis and coursework component, and that the thesis may be shorter than one presented by a candidate pursuing the degree by research alone, but should be comparable in research quality.

Course Structure: 5 Year Doctoral Program (Masters by Coursework followed by PhD)

A five year Doctoral Program is offered in the following discipine areas:

  • Accounting
  • Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences
  • Finance

Candidates commence by enrolling in a two-year Master of Commerce coursework degree. Upon successful completion of this coursework degree, and by meeting the specific progression requirments outlined in the relevant Masters handbook entry, the candidate is enrolled in a three year thesis-only PhD. The decision to award the degree is based solely on the examination of the thesis. Examiners of the thesis are informed that the candidate has undertaken a course of study by thesis and coursework component, and that the thesis may be shorter than one presented by a candidate pursuing the degree by research alone, but should be comparable in research quality.

Course Structure: PhD by Thesis only

The Centre for Actuarial Studies offers a three-year PhD by Thesis only.

Subject options

PhD (Accounting)

From 2017 the PhD in Accounting is a three-year thesis-only graduate research degree. For previous versions of the PhD, students should refer to the handbook entry for the year they commenced the doctoral program.

PhD (Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences)

The PhD in Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences is a three-year thesis-only graduate research degree.

PhD (Economics and MIAESR)

Students should visit the handbook entry for

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-ECO No longer available
for detailed information on the Master of Economics. This year will consist of coursework. Students who attain an average of at least 75% in that course will proceed as probationary candidates to the PhD degree.

To advance to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required coursework subjects in the first year of the PhD (the second year of the Doctoral Program) with at least a 75% average and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. Post-confirmation, in years three and four of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

Year 1 (100 points of coursework)

Students must complete both of the following core subjects:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90055 Computational Economics
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ECON90056 World Economic History
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Students must complete two electives in each semester from the following list:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90064 Advanced Studies in Economics 1
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ECON90065 Advanced Studies in Economics 2
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ECOM90018 Advanced Studies in Econometrics 1
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ECOM90019 Advanced Studies in Econometrics 2
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ECON90067 Special Topics in Economics 2
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

or equivalent subjects as approved by the Graduate Research Director.

AND:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
ECON90073 Economics Thesis Workshop Part 1
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
ECON90074 Economics Thesis Workshop Part 2
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Years 2 and 3

The final two years of the program consists of thesis research.

PhD (Finance)

From 2017 the PhD in Finance is a three-year thesis-only graduate research degree. For previous versions of the PhD, students should refer to the handbook entry for the year they commenced the doctoral program.

PhD (Management and Marketing)

Students should visit the handbook entry for

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-COMMGT No longer available
or
Code Name Study period Credit Points
MC-COMMKT No longer available
for detailed information on the Master of Commerce (Management) or the Master of Commerce (Marketing). This year will consist of coursework. Students who attain an average of at least 75% in that course will proceed as probationary candidates to the PhD degree.

To advance to confirmed candidature, students must pass all the required coursework subjects in the first year of the PhD (the second year of the Doctoral Program) with at least a 75% average and present an acceptable dissertation proposal. Post-confirmation, in years three and four of the program, students will conduct research leading to the completion of their dissertation.

Year 1 (50 or 75 points of coursework, depending on whether a Research Report was completed in the Master of Commerce year)

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MGMT90206 Management & Marketing Special Topics 1
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
MGMT90207 Management & Marketing Special Topics 2
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Students must select two elective subjects from a related discipline, including Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Ethnography, Political Science, Decision Sciences, etc. These subjects must be approved by the Supervisor(s) and Graduate Research Director. Students who completed the Research Report in their Masters by Coursework year will be required to complete additional coursework of 25 points.

Years 2 and 3

The final two years of the program consists of thesis research.

PhD (Actuarial Studies)

Duration

Three years full-time or equivalent part-time. Available by Research Thesis only (no coursework).

Last updated: 4 June 2022