ACADEMIC ADVISING

All students receive academic advising at the outset of their program. In this session, you'll receive an overview of all program requirements, courses and delivery methods. You'll also learn about our academic services (and how to take advantage of them), enrollment processes, and the policies and procedures for completing your final projects and/or doctoral dissertations.

We may also schedule academic advising once you've started your degree program, to assess your progress, strengths, weaknesses, preferences and challenges. This allows us to give you effective advice about which courses to choose, and how to validate your remaining requirements in the ways that suit you best.

ACADEMIC WRITING MODULES

If you need guidance, practice and feedback on your academic writing skills, we offer academic writing modules throughout the year. The modules are optional, non-credit bearing, and offered online.

FINAL PROJECT/THESIS AND DISSERTATION ADVISING

As an IMBA student, you will need to complete a Master's Final Project under the supervision of a department chair. Your project may be research oriented - a thesis, for instance - or focused on practice, such as a business project or business plan.

To complete our DBA or PhD, you must write a doctoral dissertation with supervision from the Director of Doctoral Research and an assigned Dissertation Chair. You will first write a 10-15 page proposal, which ISM faculty members will use to assess the feasibility of the dissertation's focus and direction, and to gauge its potential contribution to the academic and practitioner community.

Once your proposal is accepted, you'll be assigned a dissertation adviser. The adviser is chosen based on his/her academic background, experience and credentials, and they will mentor you throughout the dissertation process. Your dissertation will be submitted to a review committee, and you will defend it orally before final approval.