Curriculum

The course of study for the PhD requires the completion of twenty graduate course units, comprising a three-course unit core in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department, four courses in statistics and microeconomics, a five-course major disciplinary cluster, two courses in ethical theory, and seven electives (five of which may be independent study with the appropriate faculty).

In addition, PhD students must complete a candidacy research paper, a core exam, an oral presentation of the PhD proposal, a dissertation, and a successful dissertation defense. The overall course requirements are summarized as follows:

Area Course Units
Ethics and Law in Business Courses (see below) 3
Statistics 2
Economics 1
Major Disciplinary Cluster 5
Ethical Theory (taught by the Philosophy Department) 2
Electives (up to 5 individual studies) 7
Dissertation —
Total 20

Depending upon the student's background and intended focus of study, credit can be granted for graduate-level work at other institutions. In general, students should not expect to have more than three credits (of the 20 required) transferred from previous work.

Ethics and Law in Business Courses

All PhD students are expected to take two basic courses in ethics and law in business from the Legal Studies Department:

  1. Ethics in Business and Economics (LGST 920)
  2. Foundations of Business Law (LGST 921)
A third course from the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department must be taken to fulfill the core requirements. To find out what courses are currently being offered, please contact the department.

Disciplinary Clusters:

The purpose of the disciplinary cluster is to ground the student in a single academic specialty and to equip them to teach in an area other than Business Ethics. The courses may be drawn from the following three clusters:

  • Management
  • Law
  • Philosophy
Students must choose their disciplinary cluster during the first year of Ph.D. studies in consultation with their advisor. Required courses cannot be double-counted. For example, a student choosing Philosophy as his disciplinary cluster, could not use the two required courses in ethical theory as part of his five course cluster requirement.

Statistics and Economics

Students must meet the all-Wharton requirement of two courses in statistics with a grade of B- or better. This requirement can be met by taking either STAT 510 and STAT 511; STAT 540 and STAT 541; STAT 550 and STAT 551; or ECON 705 and ECON 706.

The economics requirements can be met with:
  • ECON 680, ECON 681 and 682, or ECON 701 and 703, or MGMT 900
Adjustments to the requirements in statistics and economics may be requested by the students. Approval of such requests will be granted on a case by case basis.

Student Involvement in the Department
During the first year, students are expected to spend full-time on their course work and research. In subsequent years during which they are supported, students are expected to work with faculty, either as teaching assistants or research assistants, thereby gaining the experience required to be successful researchers and teachers in their future careers. Other activities that further the student's research careers are encouraged, subject to faculty approval.

In addition to regular seminars, all PhD students are expected to participate in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department colloquium, which features discussion of research in progress by faculty members, students, and guests.

Sample Program Sequence


Up to four courses per semester may be counted toward the overall requirement of 20 courses. The eight courses taken in the first year usually consist of the four required economics and statistics courses, two accounting core courses, and finance electives. Students generally complete all courses by the end of the third year.
  • Year 1 Fall
    Ethical Theory, Statistics (e.g., STAT 510 and STAT 511; STAT 540 and STAT 541; STAT 550 and STAT 551; or ECON 705 and ECON 706), 1 Disciplinary cluster course, Independent study with selected faculty member.

  • Year 1 Spring
    Ethical Theory, Economics (e.g., MGMT 900), Ethics in Business and Economics (LGST 920), 1 Disciplinary Cluster course

  • Year 2 Fall
    2 Major Disciplinary Cluster Courses, Independent study with selected faculty member; LGST Doctoral Pro-Seminar

  • Year 2 Spring
    Foundations of Business Law (LGST 921), 1 Major Disciplinary Cluster Courses, Candidacy Research Paper, Independent Study with selected faculty member, 1 elective

    End of Year 2 Spring: Take Foundations of Business Law Preliminary Exam. Preliminary Exam — The preliminary exams will be given in two parts. Part one will be given after student completes LGST 920 and reads the articles contained in the Preliminary Exam Readings List in Ethics. Part two will be given after student completes LGST 921 and reads the articles contained in the Preliminary Exam Reading List in Law.

  • Year 3 Fall
    Electives

  • Year 3 Spring
    Dissertation proposal; Dissertation.

  • Year 4 Fall
    Dissertation

  • Year 4 Spring
    Dissertation