Ph.D program in the discipline of Management Science and Engineering is focused on the integration of management knowledge and skills and modern information technologies and devoted to taking advantage of the University’s superiority in scientific researches and resources in the field of information science and technology to better the program, as can be best reflected by the students’ accomplishment and competency. Taking the cultivation of multidisciplinary and creative management experts with an international perspective and a command of modern management ideas and methods as its mission, the program, after more than a decade’s continuous efforts, has distinguished itself by clarified training targets, distinct training conceptions and characteristic modules.

1. Objectives

 Ph.D candidates of the discipline are expected to have solid foundation in mathematics and statistics as well as in-depth theoretical background in and systematic knowledge of management science, economics and finance. They are to be familiar with fundamental system theories and engineering as well as the current application of computer system and network. With a profound knowledge of Chinese cultures, they are to be able to exchange ideas in Chinese. Empowered with skills in conducting researches on fundamental theories and cutting-edge issues in the field independently, they are to be qualified for positions such as teaching, researching, managing and industry planning at institutes of higher education, enterprises and government departments.

2. Orientations

1) Supply Chain

2) Information Management and Data Mining

3) E-Business

4) Corporate Finance

3. Duration

The duration set for Ph.D candidates is three years full-time. An extension can be applied for by those who cannot finish their courses on time owing to objective causes, yet altogether six years is the last due.

4. Progression and Requirements

International students of Ph.D candidates can take 1) full-time training, i.e. the whole progression is done at UESTC, or 2) on-the-job training, i.e. finishing the course work at UESTC and completing the dissertation in their home country, with no less than 1 year to be spent at UESTC for the research work around the dissertation. Either way chosen, the dissertation defense should be done at UESTC.

The supervisor responsibility mechanism is adopted in the education for international Ph.D candidates. The supervisor is responsible for the student’s making of personal study plan, the choice of courses, and the completion of the research report or the degree thesis.

During the course work, according to specifications by the discipline, the student is to pass examinations held for the degree courses and examinations or assessments held for the other optional courses. Of all the degree courses, common core courses are compulsory; at least one in core courses should be taken. Ph.D candidates are allowed to choose 1~2 inter-disciplinary core courses as their degree courses under supervisors’ guidance. Degree courses can be taken to substitute non-degree courses, but not vice versa. International students of Chinese language abilities can apply to take courses given in Chinese to local full-time graduate students and acquire corresponding credits if pass.

Those who fail to meet the credit requirements will be denied the thesis defense.

5. Compulsory Sections

The compulsory sections for international students of PhD candidates include four parts, and a candidate is required to complete the following aspects:

1) Elective Competence Development Courses: through introducing the academic cutting edge knowledge, culture, arts and sport, etc, such courses are given to improve the PhD candidates’ comprehensive competence. A candidate should take at least one course and get one credit after assessment.

2) Academic Activities: to enliven academic atmosphere and to further and broaden PhD candidates’ scope of knowledge, one should attend at least ten academic lectures within and out of UESTC, and fill in the Academic Activities Registration Form and get the official stamp upon attendance. One credit can be granted to the candidate when he/she succeeds in completing the above procedures.

3) Comprehensive Examination for Ph.D. Candidates (hereinafter as CEPC): which is taken upon their completion of all required courses. It mainly tests their understanding of basic theories and professional knowledge, and also checks their mastery of the research directions, of the leading edge, and of the dynamics in relevant fields.

A. Ph.D. candidates should generally take the CEPC at the end of the first year after enrollment. Those who fail in CEPC will have the opportunity to resit in the next year. If one still fails the resit, then she/he cannot participate in the dissertation defense and will terminate the study.

B. The CEPC is implemented by the Examination Committee (hereinafter as EC), which is composed of three experts designated by the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of the School. The chairman of EC must be a professor, while the other members being professors or associate professors.

C. The CEPC can integrate written and oral patterns with one-hundred-mark system. The written examination should account for at least 50%.

D. According to the actual situation, each discipline should organize two times of CEPC each year in April and October respectively. Having collected the test questions, test papers, oral test records and comments of the CEPC, the Teaching Affairs Secretary of each school should submit all these materials with the results of CEPC to the Section of Teaching Management in Graduate School for filing and preservation.

4) The Research Proposal Report and Literature Review of Dissertation (hereinafter as RPRLRD): before making the Research Proposal Report for the dissertation, all PhD. candidates should read more than 30 papers in the leading edge of their discipline from the latest literature. Then everyone should finish a literature review report of about 5,000 words as well as the corresponding Research Proposal Report.