Qualifying Paper

Updated August 9, 2011

Procedure for the Qualifying Paper

The purpose of the qualifying paper is to provide students early experience in making an original theoretical contribution to the field of management. The paper should conform in length and style to the most recent Academy of Management Review instructions for contributors and style guide for authors regarding regular articles. It should represent original work expressly prepared for purposes of meeting the qualifying paper requirement.

The following procedure will be followed:

  1. By May 15 of the first year, the student will form a three-person qualifying paper committee. This committee will be comprised of one member of the department’s doctoral program faculty selected by the student who will serve as the chair of the committee. The chair, with input from the student and approval of the Management Ph.D. Program Coordinator, will choose two additional members so as to complement the student’s interests and needs. In addition, two ex-officio, voting members (readers) will be assigned to this committee for the sole purpose of evaluating the qualifying paper. The program coordinator and department head in consultation will appoint the two readers, involving as much as is practical Management faculty from different ranks and sub-specialties. The qualifying paper committee will be responsible for approving a research question to be examined in the qualifying paper, providing developmental feedback, and evaluating the qualifying paper.
  2. The student will take 3 credits MGMT 6200 (previous MGMT 400) – Directed Readings with the chair of the qualifying paper committee during the fall semester of the second year. The output of the course will be the first draft of the qualifying paper.
  3. Drafts of the qualifying paper will be submitted to the qualifying paper committee according to the following timetable:
    • The first draft of the paper is due on November 1 of the student’s second year. The committee may accept the first draft, reject it, or invite the student to revise and resubmit it.
    • If the student receives a revise-and-resubmit decision for the first draft, the second draft is due on January 15 of the second year. The committee may accept the second draft, reject it, or invite the student to revise and resubmit it.
    • If the student receives a revise-and-resubmit decision for the second draft, the third and final draft is due on March 1 of the second year.
  4. Should the qualifying paper committee vote to reject the qualifying paper, it will notify the program coordinator, who will then convene the Management Ph.D. Program Committee (consisting of all Management Ph.D. Program faculty) to review the case and make a final determination. Failure to pass the qualifying paper requirement will result in the student’s dismissal from the program.
  5. All deadlines specified in this procedure will be strictly enforced. Failure to meet them will jeopardize the student’s status in the program.
  6. This procedure will be implemented for students entering the Management Ph.D. program in Fall 2004 and afterwards.