Ph.D. Advising and Evaluation
Advising
A member of the doctoral committee is responsible for advising all M.S./Ph.D. and Ph.D. students in their first year of study, and making sure that all the prerequisites are met and required courses are taken. At the beginning of their second year, students must choose one area of concentration: Financial Engineering, Optimization, Stochastic Models, or Supply Chain Management and Logistics. Students will be assigned a faculty adviser (not necessarily their dissertation adviser) who works in the area of concentration chosen. By the beginning of a student's third year (or earlier) it is expected that the student will have found a dissertation advisor to guide the student.
Periodic Reviews
Doctoral student performance is reviewed by the doctoral program committee at the end of each semester during the first two years and at the end of each year thereafter. During the first year, attention is focused on the student's performance in course work, particularly the four required core courses. Doctoral students are held to the highest expectations; strong performance is indicated by grade of A+ or A; good but somewhat marginal performance is indicated by a grade of A-; and weak performance is indicated by a grade of B+, B, or lower. Receiving grades of B+ or lower in two or more courses in any semester is an indication of difficulties. After each semester during the first two years, the faculty will give the doctoral students constructive feedback on their performance.
Qualifying Exams
After the first year, doctoral students are required to take two of the following qualifying exams:
(1) written exam on the core courses
(2) written analysis and oral presentation of a research topic
Written Exam on the Core Courses: An Integrative Experience
A month after the end of their first year coursework (in the second half of June), doctoral students will take a written qualifying exam, in two parts, covering the four core courses: Optimization I and II (Part 1), and Stochastic Models I and II (Part 2). Sample qualifying exams from past years are made available. In addition to providing an important opportunity for students to demonstrate competence, the written qualifying exam on the core courses should help students integrate the material from their courses and obtain a broad view of the field.
Written and Oral Presentations on a Research Topic: Fostering Research and Communication Skills
After the student passes the written exam, he/she will select a research topic and both write a paper and present it to a faculty committee. The research topic will be selected in consultation with a faculty member. The research topic will usually be specified by scholastic journals. Each student's performance will be evaluated by a three-person faculty committee.
These writing and presentation experiences are intended to help students prepare to conduct research. The research topic may be related to the student's intended thesis topic, but it need not be. Through the paper, the student should demonstrate writing skill sufficient to write a doctoral dissertation.
Qualification
After successfully completing the qualifying exams, a student is considered by the faculty to be qualified to complete the doctoral program. However, due to the limited resources, support beyond a fourth year may not be possible. The departmental faculty is committed to guiding and assisting students to complete the program within the time given.
Thesis Adviser
The ultimate goal for the student in the doctoral program is to write the doctoral dissertation in collaboration with a faculty adviser. By the end of the second year or early in the third year, each doctoral student should find a doctoral adviser, who assumes primary responsibility for advisement and evaluation. However, the entire faculty will continue to monitor each student's progress, and other faculty members will be available to give advice. For most doctoral students, the most critical step in their doctoral program is finding a faculty dissertation adviser. Collaboration between the student and faculty adviser is critical to the successful completion of the program. At times, students may conduct research with more than one faculty member. Students are encouraged to interact with a broad range of faculty and students in the Columbia research community.
Dissertation Proposal Presentation
After the student has selected a research topic and has completed some initial research (at the end of the third year), the student should give a seminar on the research topic. This seminar corresponds to a defense of the dissertation proposal. This opportunity allows the student to practice giving resesarch presentations, keeps related faculty informed about the research direction, and stimulates feedback from advisor and other faculty members.
Dissertation Defense and Department Colloquium
After the dissertation has been completed (at the end of the fourth year), the student defends the dissertation before a small faculty committee following University guidelines. The student distributes the dissertation to the defense committee in advance. There are high standards for the dissertation defense; technical errors and sloppy writing causes major setbacks. Creativity and good workmanship are appreciated. At the time of the dissertation defense, the student should also give a seminar for the department.