Ph.D. Curriculum

The University of Alabama's doctoral program in Operations Management (OM) is intended for students with interest in academic or industrial research. Successful applicants will develop the competency to review, analyze, conduct, and publish research through a series of seminars and courses that complement and supplement each student’s background and aspirations. The Ph.D. program in Operations Management is a four-year integrated program where students have the opportunity to conduct research and develop their teaching skills under the guidance of faculty members.

Students admitted to the program will have a two-stage qualifying exam comprising of a written and an oral exam, generally at the end of the first year in the program. The written exam measures the student’s competency to review, analyze, and propose solutions to questions typically drawn from the coursework in the first year. The oral exam measures the student’s ability to review, analyze, and conduct doctoral-level research and culminates with a research presentation by the student.

Applicants to the OM program should have the following core competencies.

• Mathematics/Statistics knowledge and aptitude

• Computer programming skills

Other factors such as related work experience or academic coursework in OM are beneficial but not required.