PhD IN ACCOUNTING
The PhD in Accounting programme equips students with in-depth knowledge of accounting theory and practice, and of related fields such as economics and finance. Students will have the ability to conduct original scientific research in accounting through theory-building and state of-the-art quantitative research methodology, and will be trained by distinguished faculty members in fields such as financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing and tax.
The PhD framework is as follows:
- Foundation Courses (8 Course Units)
- Electives (4 Course Units)
- Empirical Research (2 Course Units)
- Overseas Exchange
- PhD Dissertation (28 Course Units)
Students are also required to attend accounting research workshops and other research-related events organised or hosted by the SMU School of Accountancy.
The coursework is intended to lay the ground in preparation of the dissertation research. The student will have to sit for a PhD Qualifying Examination (QE). It will assess his or her mastery of the foundation required for the next stage of the PhD programme – the dissertation. This is the student’s original work in his or her specialised area through independent research. On successful completion of the QE, the student will be ready to embark on the dissertation. If he or she feels comfortable with the PhD curriculum along the way, the dissertation research can commence even before the coursework is completed. The dissertation is marked by two major milestones, as follows.
Oral Defence of the Dissertation Proposal
This is an oral presentation of the proposed topic to a Dissertation Committee. A written dissertation proposal will have to be submitted before the presentation. A supervisor, with the expertise in the chosen topic, will be appointed. He or she guides and mentors the student throughout the dissertation work.
Oral Defence and Completion of the PhD Dissertation
This is an oral presentation of the written dissertation report to the Committee. After possible revision(s) to the report and upon fulfillment of all necessary requirements, the Committee will recommend to the University to award the PhD degree.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is compulsory.
PhD IN BUSINESS
The PhD in Business programmes are rigorous and intellectually stimulating emphasising advanced study in the areas of finance, economics, statistics and quantitative research methods. Given the tremendous relevance of finance to the global economy, a graduate of this programme will be well prepared for diverse careers in academia, industry, international organisations and the public sector.
PhD student will typically focus on coursework in the first one to two years, followed by the dissertation research in subsequent years. The PhD framework is as follows:
- 6 Foundation Courses (6 Course Units)
- 2 Electives (2 Course Units)
- 4 Advanced Research Topics (ART) Courses (4 Course Units)
- PhD Dissertation (28 Course Units)
The coursework is intended to lay the ground in preparation of the dissertation research. The student will have to sit for a PhD Qualifying Examination (QE). It will assess his or her mastery of the foundation required for the next stage of the PhD programme – the dissertation. This is the student’s original work in his or her specialised area through independent research. On successful completion of the QE, the student will be ready to embark on the dissertation. If he or she feels comfortable with the PhD curriculum along the way, the dissertation research can commence even before the coursework is completed. The dissertation is marked by two major milestones, as follows.
Oral Defence of the Dissertation Proposal
This is an oral presentation of the proposed topic to a Dissertation Committee. A written dissertation proposal will have to be submitted before the presentation. A supervisor, with the expertise in the chosen topic, will be appointed. He or she guides and mentors the student throughout the dissertation work.
Oral Defence and Completion of the PhD Dissertation
This is an oral presentation of the written dissertation report to the Committee. After possible revision(s) to the report and upon fulfillment of all necessary requirements, the Committee will recommend to the University to award the PhD degree.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is compulsory.
PhD IN ECONOMICS
The PhD in Economics programme is structured to lead you from classroom learning to research and paper writing, with many targets throughout for students to meet. Many of our students graduate with an academic publication in a top journal and our placement record is strong.
Year 1
Students spend their first year completing the following foundation courses.
- Microeconomics I
- Microeconomics II
- Macroeconomics I
- Macroeconomics II
- Econometrics I
- Econometrics II
At the end of Year 1, students must sit for, and pass the PhD Qualifying Examinations in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics before advancing in the programme.
Year 2
In the 2nd year, students take:
- International Trade or International Macroeconomics Elective
- Applied Econometrics (Empirical Research Project)
- 8 Advanced Research Topics (ART) Courses
The Applied Econometrics course covers Applied Microeconometrics and Applied Macroeconometrics. It is graded on the basis of a submitted empirical paper.
Each ART is a six-week course. The set of ART courses that might be offered includes:
- Macroeconomic Models with Financial Frictions
- Modern Economic Growth
- Industrial Organisation
- Empirical Industrial Organisation
- Labour Economics
- Urban Economics
- Nonparametric Econometrics
- Bayesian Macroeconometrics
- Advanced Topics in Time Series Econometrics
- Financial Econometrics
- Spatial Econometrics
- Panel Data Econometrics
- High-Frequency Econometrics
- Political Economy
- Public Economics
- Decision Theory
- Information Economics
- Mechanism Design
- Environmental Economics
Only a subset of the ARTs will be offered in any given year, depending on faculty availability.
Year 3
Students in their 3rd year are expected to:
- Confirm a supervisor and committee, and pass the oral defence of PhD Dissertation Proposal
- Complete a 3rd year paper Present at a School of Economics (SOE) Research Workshop
All students from the 3rd year onwards are expected to attend research workshops and the SOE Seminar Series.
The 3rd year paper must be an original piece of research, which would typically form the basis of at least one chapter of the student’s dissertation. While the paper may require substantial additional work and polishing before being ready for submission to a journal, the paper should be strong enough to be taken as a complete first draft or working paper.
A prize is awarded to the student with the best 3rd year paper, and this student will be nominated for the SMU Presidential Doctoral Fellowship.
Years 4 and 5
- Oral Defence of Completed PhD Dissertation
- Presentation at SOE Seminar Series
At different points in the programme, students may be required to attend certain ancillary programmes, including the Institutional Review Board training, the Graduate Development Programme (instructor training) and an English communication skills programme.
Students are also given financial assistance to attend and present their work at international research conferences, and we have a strong support structure for students entering the academic market, including presentation training and interview preparation. Most students enter the job market in their 5th year.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is compulsory.
PhD IN PSYCHOLOGY
This PhD in Psychology programme equips students with doctoral-level knowledge in content areas in psychology and research methodology, with a focus on areas in experimental, social, personality and organisational psychology.
Students will learn, from both coursework and hands-on research experiences, to link psychological theory, study design, measurement, and data analysis in order to make substantive inferences and evidence-based recommendations to theory and practice that are scientifically defensible. Students in the programme have presented their work at international conferences and published their research in top journals in psychology. Graduates of the programme will be well-prepared for careers in universities, research institutes and industry.
A PhD student will typically focus on coursework in the first one to two years, followed by a Master’s thesis and the dissertation research in subsequent years.
The PhD framework is as follows:
- 6 Foundation Courses (6 Course Units)
- 2 Electives (2 Course Units)
- Empirical Research Project (1 Course Unit)
- Master’s Thesis (12 Course Units)
- 3 Advanced Research Topics (ART) Courses (3 Course Units)
- PhD Dissertation (28 Course Units)
The coursework is intended to lay the groundwork in preparation for the dissertation research. A student in the programme will be required to finish a Master’s thesis by submitting the written thesis and orally defending it. The student will then have to sit for a PhD Qualifying Examination (QE), which will assess his or her mastery of the foundation required for the next stage of the PhD programme – the dissertation. The dissertation is a student’s original work in his or her specialised area through independent research. The dissertation is marked by two major milestones listed below.
Oral Defence of the Dissertation Proposal
This is an oral presentation of the proposed topic to a Dissertation Committee. A written dissertation proposal will have to be submitted before the presentation. A supervisor, with the expertise in the chosen topic, will be appointed. He or she guides and mentors the student throughout the dissertation work.
Oral Defence and Completion of the PhD Dissertation
This is an oral presentation of the written dissertation report to the Committee. After possible revision(s) to the report and upon fulfillment of all necessary requirements, the Committee will recommend to the University to award the PhD degree. Students will also attain an MSc degree upon completion of the PhD programme.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is compulsory.
PhD IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
PhD IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS
This programme produces graduates with the ability to address deep technological challenges in real-world information systems that impact business processes or management, as well as develop tools and methodologies to translate business goals into technological solutions.
Our graduates will be trained to collaborate with researchers from different disciplines, design technology solutions for real-world problems and applications, and produce top-rated academic publications. The programme will equip them for careers with research and development laboratories, academia and industry.
The curriculum comprises the following:
- Coursework (6 Course Units)
- Empirical Research Projects (4 Course Units)
- Advanced Research Topics (2 Course Units)
- Dissertation (28 Course Units)
Graduate Coursework
In the first two years of study, students will enrol in intensive courses to build their research depth and breadth, as well as professional skills.
Depth Requirements
Students will enrol in the advanced course in the primary area and undertake research apprenticeship with their primary advisors. Each advanced course covers important research papers on key topics and techniques that students need to be acquainted with in order to carry out research in an area.
Breadth Requirements
Students will attend courses in the five areas of research concentration shown above. These requirements are intended to help the PhD students to establish their networks and to expose them to industry practices. In addition, students will attend the advanced course in one of the breadth areas.
Professional Skills
To round up the PhD training, the curriculum includes workshops on Information System Research Methodology; Intellectual Property Management; and Research Writing and Presentation.
Dissertation
Oral Defence of the Dissertation Proposal
This is an oral presentation of the proposed topic to a Dissertation Committee. A written dissertation proposal will have to be submitted before the presentation. A supervisor, with the expertise in the chosen topic, will be appointed. He or she guides and mentors the student throughout the dissertation work.
Oral Defence and Completion of the PhD Dissertation
This is an oral presentation of the written dissertation report to the Committee. After possible revision(s) to the report and upon fulfillment of all necessary requirements, the Committee will recommend to the University to award the PhD degree. Students will also attain an MSc degree upon completion of the PhD programme.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is encouraged.
PhD IN LAW, COMMERCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The PhD in Law, Commerce and Technology programme emphasises the interdisciplinary study between law, business, and technology. In particular, students can choose to specialise in either of its two tracks – ‘Law and Commerce’ and ‘Law and Technology’. The ‘Law and Commerce’ track focuses on the study of legal and regulatory responses to business, commercial or financial activities, while the ‘Law and Technology’ track focuses on the study of legal and regulatory responses to technology developments. Both tracks are open to students working on topics involving the three-way interaction of law, commerce and technology. PhD students are supposed to determine and declare their tracks no later than the beginning of Year 2.
The curriculum comprises the following:
- Foundation Courses (6 Course Units)
- Elective Courses (6 Course Units)
- Dissertation (28 Course Units)
The coursework is intended to lay the ground in preparation of the dissertation research. The student will have to sit for a PhD Qualifying Examination (QE). It will assess his or her mastery of the foundation required for the next stage of the PhD programme – the dissertation. This is the student’s original work in his or her specialised area through independent research. On successful completion of the QE, the student will be ready to embark on the dissertation. If he or she feels comfortable with the PhD curriculum along the way, the dissertation research can commence even before the coursework is completed. The dissertation is marked by two major milestones, as follows.
Dissertation
Oral Defence of the Dissertation Proposal
This is an oral presentation of the proposed topic to a Dissertation Committee. A written dissertation proposal will have to be submitted before the presentation. A supervisor, with the expertise in the chosen topic, will be appointed. He or she guides and mentors the student throughout the dissertation work.
Oral Defence and Completion of the PhD Dissertation
This is an oral presentation of the written dissertation report to the Committee. After possible revision(s) to the report and upon fulfillment of all necessary requirements, the Committee will recommend to the University to award the PhD degree.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is compulsory.
PhD IN ASIAN URBANISMS
The PhD in Asian Urbanisms programme equips students with in-depth knowledge of urban studies, and of related fields such as humanities, economics and business. Students will have the ability to conduct original scientific research in urban studies through theory-building and empirical insights that speak from Asia, and will be trained by distinguished faculty members in fields such as humanities, economics, public policy, business and climate science.
The PhD framework is as follows:
- Foundation Courses (6 Course Units)
- Elective Courses (6 Course Units)
- PhD Qualifying Examination
- PhD Dissertation with Defence (28 Course Units)
Students are also required to attend research workshops and other research-related events organised or hosted by the SMU College of Integrative Studies.
The coursework is intended to lay the ground in preparation of the Qualifying Examination and dissertation research. The student will have to sit for a PhD Qualifying Examination (QE). It will assess his or her mastery of the foundation required for the next stage of the PhD programme – the dissertation. This is the student’s original work in his or her specialised area through independent research. On successful completion of the QE, the student will be ready to embark on the dissertation. If he or she feels comfortable with the PhD curriculum along the way, the dissertation research can commence even before the coursework is completed. The dissertation is marked by two major milestones, as follows.
Oral Defence of the Dissertation Proposal
This is an oral presentation of the proposed topic to a Dissertation Committee. A written dissertation proposal will have to be submitted before the presentation. A supervisor, with the expertise in the chosen topic, will be appointed. He or she guides and mentors the student throughout the dissertation work.
Oral Defence and Completion of the PhD Dissertation
This is an oral presentation of the written dissertation report to the Committee. After possible revision(s) to the report and upon fulfillment of all necessary requirements, the Committee will recommend to the University to award the PhD degree.
*The Graduate Research Professional Development (GRPD) programme (1 Course Unit) is compulsory.