Operations Management & Information Systems

There are five main components to the successful completion of a PhD in OMIS:

• 15 graduate-level courses (45 credits in total spread over two years).
  • 7 courses (out of 15) are (foundational) required courses.
  • Each PhD student should also pass 8 elective courses.
• A second year research project (which is one of the 7 core courses) culminating in a
  seminar presentation (OMIS 7985).
• A comprehensive field exam consisting of two components:
  • A closed-book quantitative exam
  • An open-book research design essay
• Each PhD student is expected to teach an undergraduate course in OMIS.
• The completion of a dissertation that is likely to result in publications in high-level journals.

A typical program of study will take between four and five years. The course requirements are completed during the first two years, the seminar presentation and comprehensive examination take place in second year, and the remainder of the program is focused on research development and scholarly output (i.e., dissertation and submissions to journals).

Candidates for the Operations Management & Information Systems field PhD degree must fulfil the following minimum requirements:

Courses

Students must successfully complete the following course requirements:

Required Courses

7060 3.0: Introduction to Applied Statistics
7100 3.0: Logics of Social Research
7250 3.0: Research Design
7101 3.0: OMIS Foundations I
7102 3.0: OMIS Foundations II
7103 3.0: OMIS Emerging Topics
7985 3.0: Research Project in Operations Management and Information Systems

Eight Elective Courses

These courses are selected with the assistance of the Operations Management & Information Systems PhD program coordinator from among those offered in other fields in Schulich or from other relevant postgraduate programs at York. The eight elective courses expose students to theoretical and methodological courses relevant to their dissertation research interest.

Comprehensive Examinations

The comprehensive field examination takes place in the summer of the second year. There are two components: a closed-book quantitative exam (approximately four hours in length) and an open-book take home exam (one week). The closed-book exam tests students on skills learned in their core courses. The open-book take home exam is in essay format and tests students on their ability to design a program of research. Students must demonstrate clear and coherent writing ability, methodological mastery and a deep comprehension of the literature relevant to the topic. Their academic writing style should mimic what is expected by top journals in the field (e.g., Management Science, Journal of Operations Management). Students receive a grade of pass or fail on this comprehensive exam. Those who fail will have the opportunity to retake the exams once, within six months of the date of the first comprehensive exam. Those who fail to pass a second time are not allowed to continue in the PhD program.

The program regards the comprehensive examination as a pivotal point for deciding whether students should be allowed to proceed with their studies or be encouraged to withdraw from the program.

Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defence

Candidates must prepare a written proposal to conduct original dissertation research carried out under the supervision of a supervisory committee, and must defend this to the satisfaction of the thesis supervisor and members of the supervisory committee.

Dissertation and Oral Examination

Candidates must prepare a dissertation based on original research carried out under the supervision of a supervisory committee and submit the results in appropriate dissertation form. After the formal submission of the dissertation, an oral examination is held. It is expected that all or part of the dissertation will be published following professional or scientific review.

We recommend further consultation with your area Ph.D. rep concerning any impending changes to the program requirements and guidance on selecting appropriate optional courses.