Course Timeline
Effective Academic Year 2026-27 onwards
From the first term onwards, students take advanced doctoral courses and supervised research projects in their specialization domain along with some recommended post-graduate level courses which provide a general management overview and help develop basic skills for analyzing managerial problems.
Students gain early research exposure through Pre-Dissertation Research (PDR) in Terms III and IV, and a Mini Dissertation (MD) conducted over Terms V and VI of the programme.
After completing the coursework, students have to pass an Area Comprehensive Examination to demonstrate that they have reached a level of proficiency in the doctoral specialization.
As they enter their third year, students begin work on their doctoral theses. These theses are expected to make original contributions to a domain of management or to one of management’s source disciplines.
A student moves into the final stage of presenting and defending the thesis only when the thesis advisors and thesis examination committee members are satisfied with and approve the student's work and the research output.
Curriculum Overview
Effective Academic Year 2026-27 onwards
Area Comprehensive Examination (ACE) (Year II)
Upon completion of the coursework, the students take the area comprehensive examination. The area comprehensive examination tests whether the student has obtained a satisfactory level of knowledge in his/her field of specialization and whether he/she has satisfactorily integrated the various courses taken in the area.
If and only if a student passes the comprehensive examination, he/she enters the Thesis stage. The thesis stage consists of first developing a thesis proposal, for which the student identifies a thesis topic, forms a Thesis Advisory Committee [TAC], presents a seminar on the thesis proposal to the IIMA academic community, and gets the thesis proposal approved by the TAC. Then the student works closely with the TAC on his/her thesis. On completion of the thesis research, the student submits the thesis, gives a seminar, and defends the same.
Mandatory Workshops/Post ACE Courses (Year III)
Mandatory research communication and teaching workshops for advanced students:
Pedagogies in Management
Research Communication
Academic Assistance (Post ACE)
All doctoral students, past the successful completion of their comprehensive exam, along with their thesis work, must independently assist in a total of at least sixty sessions of qualifying postgraduate/doctoral-level courses.
Doctoral Thesis (Year III onwards)
The thesis provides the student with an opportunity to undertake original research in their area of interest. The thesis should be a scholarly contribution to knowledge pertinent to the understanding and resolution of management problems. Research is an essential part of the doctoral student’s training at IIMA. Throughout the programme, starting as early as Year I, students are encouraged to be actively involved in research activities at the Institute and with faculty members.
Year III begins with the formation of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) in the initial part of the third year. Students are encouraged to meet faculty members with whom they share research interests and seek their assistance in identifying a thesis topic as early as possible. In addition to the close working relationship during the coursework, this interaction helps the student find a thesis advisor and form the thesis advisory committee. The thesis advisor advises the student on his/her thesis and chairs the TAC, comprising at least two other members.
The student develops a written proposal and, with the agreement of the thesis advisor, gives a seminar on the thesis proposal. The proposal has to be approved by the TAC. From then onwards, the student works closely with his/her TAC on the thesis. When the candidate’s TAC judge that the thesis is complete, the student gives a seminar on the thesis work and subsequently defends the thesis orally before a Thesis Examination Committee (TEC). The Doctoral Programme Chairperson appoints the TEC comprising of two members from the thesis advisory committee and two other members.
Detailed norms, policies, and processes of the Doctoral Programme in Management are shared with admitted students.
Resources
Vikram Sarabhai Library
The Vikram Sarabhai Library, considered as one of the best management libraries in the country, is committed to providing access to its resources for students, researchers as well as faculty members. Over the years, it has built a robust collection of over 2 lakh books in addition to Journals and Newspapers, Databases, Working Papers, Theses, Project Reports, CDs, and Videos.
The strength of the library is its digital collection, which can be accessed campus-wide through its website. The website provides its in-house catalogue in addition to the 165+ databases which contain scholarly, company, and industry information. The library has also launched an Android app for accessing its resources.
The library has been publishing two quarterly information bulletins since 1998.
Current Contents in Management: Marketing
Current Index of Management: Marketing
It has started NICMAN (National Information Centre for Management) Membership inorder to help/facilitate business/management-related researchers in their research
Computing Facilities
IIMA has a very extensive campus-wide network comprising high-end servers, computers in faculty offices, classrooms, library, and standalone computer labs. All rooms in student dormitories are networked with the Institute's servers. IIMA requires every student to have a personal computer with a prespecified configuration. Campus-wide computer facilities also include Apple iMac computers, scanners, and printers. The network supports advanced research and teaching software as well.
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