Credits

Credit Requirements

Ninety (90) credit hours of graduate study beyond the master’s degree must be completed successfully to receive a Ph.D. for the Graduate School at Sullivan University. The distribution of credit hours is provided below:

• Cornerstone Requirements: Sixteen (16) credit hours of foundations coursework may be transferred into the Ph.D. program from a master’s-level program. Cornerstone courses must be from: (1) two courses closely aligned with the macro- and micro-level courses required in the management core; (2) a research course equivalent to Sullivan University’s QNT 550 or CSC 550; and (3) a course in the student’s concentration area or a root discipline of the concentration area. Cornerstones or their equivalents are Ph.D. Policies & Procedures Page 6 determined at the discretion of the Ph.D. Admissions Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School.
• Management Core: Twenty (20) credits hours are required to provide a common core of theory-based courses and content for all students in the Ph.D. programs. Generally, these courses provide students with a common body of knowledge expected from all Ph.D. students in Management. The management core courses cover organizational theory, organizational behavior, human capital management, strategic management, and a course that integrates both macro-level analysis and micro-level analysis in the study of innovation and change in organizations.
• Research Core: Twenty-four (24) credits are required as a research core. A Ph.D. is a research certification, and the research core courses are designed to provide students with knowledge and experience to function as high-level researchers in academia, business, and government organizations. All Ph.D. students take requisite course work in research methods and research design, quantitative research and analysis, qualitative research and analysis, advanced quantitative analysis and design, and mixed methods.
• Concentration Area: Sixteen (16) hours are required for a primary concentration or area of study. Students may choose one of four concentrations areas: Strategic Management (Strategy), Information Technology Management (IT Management), Human Resource Leadership or Conflict Management. The student’s primary concentration area includes four courses common to all students who choose a particular concentration area.
• Comprehensive Exam: Two (2) credit hours are awarded for successful completion of the comprehensive exam. The comprehensive exam is offered in the term immediately following the student’s successful completion of Ph.D. courses. Credits are awarded on a pass-fail basis, and no letter grade or quality points will be assigned for completion of the comprehensive exam.
• Dissertation: Twelve (12) credit hours are awarded for dissertation research. Credits are awarded after a student successfully defends a Ph.D. dissertation and the dissertation is accepted by the Dean of the Graduate School as successful completion of requirements for the Ph.D. degree.
• Residencies: No credit hours are awarded for required residencies, although residencies are required for each of the first two years of their enrollments in Ph.D. studies.

Transfer Credits

A student may transfer up to eight (8) hours of non-cornerstone Ph.D. coursework from a regionally accredited doctoral program in areas closely related to the management core, concentration area, research core, or electives. Comprehensive exam hours and dissertation hours are ineligible for transfer and are not included in the transfer policy. Please refer to transfer of graduate credits in the current Sullivan University catalog. Transfer of credits will be considered by the Ph.D. Admissions Committee, and all decisions rendered by the committee and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School are considered final.