Are you passionate about research and making a mark in the world?
Designed for highly motivated, business-oriented students, Alvarez Pre-Ph.D. Pathway participants will learn critical research skills currently in high demand for doctoral programs and research-intensive careers.
Students committed to enhancing their research and analytic mindset should strongly consider the pathway, regardless of prior research experience.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree can inquire about this pathway as a special non-degree seeking graduate student.
Master's Curriculum
| Course | Title | Credit Hours |
| GBA 6013 | Graduate Academic Research and Programming | 3 |
| GBA 6023 | Research Conceptualization, Development and Practice | 3 |
| GBA 6033 | Research Implementation, Reporting and Engagement | 3 |
Course Descriptions:
GBA 6013. Graduate Academic Research and Programming. 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. The course provides an introduction to research in business administration for graduate students who are interested in entering the doctoral programs but do not have prior academic experience in this area. It also explores the nature of doctoral programs and careers in academe. The curriculum examines the nature and scope of research conducted in a variety of business disciplines and involves a broad systematic review of business research literature. Finally, this course presents the foundational work and an array of methods and approaches that students can take to prepare for research projects of interest. Curricula also include development of meaningful research topics.
GBA 6023. Research Conceptualization, Development and Practice. 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisites: GBA 6013 and (MS 3043 or MBA 5413 or equivalent), and consent of instructor. This course is the first in a two-part sequence and provides an overview of common research methodologies and their applications in context to the student's degree program. Foundational concepts include examination and application of theoretical frameworks, critical analysis of scholarly literature and collection / processing of data through a theoretical lens. Students also explore quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods and the analytical elements of an effective research scheme.
GBA 6033. Research Implementation, Reporting and Engagement. 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 6023 and consent of instructor. This course is the second in a two-part sequence and intends to give students hands-on research experience in a pragmatic and professional manner. This course continues with the array of quantitative research skills introduced in GBA 6023 and trains students to apply appropriate research paradigm and conduct scientific business analysis. The analysis of data, data visualization and communication of outcomes are emphasized. Topics related to strategic fit and selection of research outlets are incorporated.
Undergraduate Curriculum
| Course | Title | Credit Hours |
| GBA 3013 | Introduction to Academic Research | 3 |
| and either | ||
| GBA 4023 | Conducting Cutting Edge and Innovative Research and Discovery | 3 |
| GBA 4033 | Communication and Visualization of Impactful Research | 3 |
| or | ||
| GBA 4993 | Honors Thesis | 6 |
Course Descriptions:
GBA 3013. Introduction to Academic Research. 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor. This course will introduce students to the nature and scope of research conducted in a variety of business disciplines. Students will participate in broad review of business research literature. This course will also explore the nature of doctoral programs and careers in academe. Finally, this courses will describe methods and approaches that students can take to prepare for admission into graduate programs of interest.
GBA 4023. Conducting Cutting Edge and Innovative Research and Discovery. 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisites: GBA 3013, MS 3043 and consent of instructor. This course is the first in a two-part sequence providing students with practical knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience needed to conduct pragmatic and professional research in an application area of interest. Students will meet with their peers, if any, and the instructor for the purpose of facilitating the research work. During this course, students will engage in the following steps of the research and knowledge discovery process: problem definition, question formulation, hypothesis development, methodological selection, preliminary analytics, analytical design, data acquisition, data preparation and pre-processing, visualization, and data analysis.
GBA 4033. Communication and Visualization of Impactful Research. 3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: GBA 4023 and consent of instructor. This course is the second in a two-part sequence aiming to give students hands-on research experience in a pragmatic and professional manner. Students will continue and finish their major data analytics project, focusing on post hoc or auxiliary analysis and presentation of results portion of the process. The next steps will be detailed data analysis and feedback, conclusion drawing, report preparation and refinement, presentation preparation and final presentation. The course will culminate in a formal, completed report to the supporting organization, as well as to peers and professionals in the field. Students and mentoring faculty may consider submission to professional conference and/or additional publication or presentation venues to further enhance the research experience.
