IIM Kashipur Exec-PhD Program

The Exec-PhD program is divided into two phases:

• Phase 1: Coursework 
• Phase 2: Thesis work

The program structure of the exec-PhD is- 

Year	Component	Duration
Years 1 and 2	Course Work	6 Terms of course work (Total 23 Credits) (1 Credit = 25 Hours of the course) (Total 20 courses of 25 hours + Two CIS (course of independent study) (= 1 + 2 Credit) (CIS-1 will be from the beginning of March to the end of June of first year and CIS-2 will be from Jan to May of year 2)
Year 3	Comprehensive Examination (CE)	Within 3-4 months after the CIS-2 result
Year 3	Formation of TAC	Within 3 months after the CE Result
Year 3	Research Proposal Submission	Within 9 months after the CE Result
Years 3- 6	Progress Report and Seminars	Every 4 months after the proposal / TAC formation
	Submission of the first draft of the thesis and Internal Thesis Defense	Within five years from the date of the beginning of the Programme
	External Evaluation	Depends on the time taken by the external evaluators
	Final draft of Thesis	Within 3 months from the date when the comments of the external evaluators are received.
	Final Defense	Within one month of submission of the final draft of the thesis.
	Final Thesis Submission (Two Hard Copies and One Soft Copy)	After Final Defense

First and Second year coursework

The course curriculum is an important and integral part of an Exec-PhD student’s learning process. The breakup of credits in this course structure is given below.

Modules	Minimum Credits (1 Credit =25 Hours)
Research Foundation and Methodology Courses (Core Courses)	3 Credits
Research Foundation and Methodology Courses (Elective Courses)	2 Credits
Management Foundation Courses	8 Credit
Area Core Courses	3 to 4 Credits
Area Elective Courses	3 to 4 Credits
CIS and Independent Research Project	3 Credits (CIS-1=1Credit, CIS-2=2 Credits)
Total Credits	23 Credits

Management Foundation Courses (Core courses)

1. Organizational Behaviour and Design (1 Credit) (Term-1)
2. Accounting and Financial Management (1 Credit) (Term-1)
3. Applied Economics (1 Credit) (Term-1)
4. Operations Management (1 Credit) (Term-2)
5. Marketing Theory and Management (1 Credit) (Term-2)
6. Management Information System (1 Credit) (Term-2)
7. Strategic Management (1 Credit) (Term-3)
8. Managerial Communication (1 Credit) (Term-3)

Research Foundation and Methodology courses (Core Courses)

1. Philosophy of Management (0.5 Credit) (Term 1)
2. Statistics for Management Research (1 Credit) (Term 2)
3. Research Methodology (1 Credit) (Term 3)
4. Academic Writing (0.5 Credit) (Term 3)

Research Foundation and Methodology courses (Elective Courses)

Along with the core courses, scholars also have to choose courses from the elective methodology courses offered across the three terms. A scholar is required to undergo a minimum of 2 credits from this list.

Course Title	Credits	Term
Quantitative Research Methods	1	4
Qualitative Research Methods	1	4
Econometrics	1	5
Experimental and Survey Design	1	5
Multivariate Data Analysis	1	5
Structural Equation Modelling	1	6

Residency Requirements

Each term will include a six-day campus visit as part of the coursework. Attendance during these on-campus sessions is mandatory. The remaining coursework hours will be delivered online and distributed over the duration of the term.

All subjects in a given term will have a compulsory end-of-term examination, which will be conducted offline.

CIS and  Independent Research Projects  

The purpose of the CIS and Independent Research Projects is to familiarize scholars with the research process prior to beginning their thesis work. Each scholar is required to complete two CIS projects. CIS-1 will be conducted from early March to the end of June in the first year, while CIS-2 will take place from January to May in the second year.

Comprehensive examination 

Upon successful completion of the coursework, scholars will be required to appear for a comprehensive examination (CE) conducted in offline mode. The CE should be a rigorous and carefully structured assessment based on the courses completed by the scholar. It must be completed within three months from the announcement of coursework grades and confirmation of the scholar meeting all grading requirements, and in no case should the timeline exceed four months.

The primary objective of the CE is to evaluate the scholar’s preparedness to undertake independent research. Specifically, the examination will assess:

• The scholar’s conceptual grasp of the courses completed and their ability to integrate this knowledge.
• The scholar’s capability to synthesize existing research and identify gaps within their chosen area of interest.
• The scholar’s understanding of the research methodologies relevant to their field of inquiry.

Thesis Work 

Once the comprehensive examination is cleared, the scholar will begin thesis work under the supervision of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The thesis will be reviewed by experts from inside and outside the Institute, and the scholar will be required to defend it publicly before the examination panel.

Progress Report 

The scholar should submit the progress report and presentation every four months.