| Abstract: | This paper presents a model developed for the planning and control of a Ph.D. program in business administration at a major southeastern university. The technique employed was network simulation (GERT-type) which was selected for its capability to incorporate the stochastic nature of the system into the model. Included in the model are all the sequential steps of the Ph.D. program, such as course work, written preliminary exams, oral exams, dissertation and oral defense, as well as the various probabilistic outcomes and feedback loops of the process. The simulation output yields statistical estimates on program duration and probabilities of various outcomes. The model and simulation results can be used by both university administrators and Ph.D. candidates for planning purposes. The model is flexible in that it can be altered to reflect the unique features of Ph.D. programs of most schools. |
