On completion candidates would have gone through vigorous problem solving experiences systematically in at least five areas that existed and related to their respective working environment. This will enable the candidates to be an effective and efficient problem solver as a manager/officer or consultant.

The following table uses ‘management courses’ to illustrate the sequence of subjects for the 5 semesters. The first semester is management, followed by finance, marketing, operations and strategic management. Not all academics are capable of handling many subject areas and thus most likely a different person will be assigned as supervisors in different semesters.

One Case Study a Semester:

Doctoral students doing the industrial Ph.D. will work on six-semester programme, (each of 4-month duration) at their own premises. They need to handle and solve 5 significant problems faced by the organisation using a case study approach per semester. The suggested solution (written as a case study report) will be presented orally (viva voce) to the organisation at the end of the 4^th month of each semester and if accepted will be recognised as a pass. The student can then proceed to handle the next issue/case the following semester.

Thesis a Collation of 5 cases

Cumulatively, a candidate will be handling 4 cases in 4 semesters and the 5^thwill be a comprehensive case and is expected to need more than 1 semester to complete (about 1.5 semesters).  At the end of the programme, the student needs to collate all the 5 cases and bind them as one volume to be the thesis as well as undergo and pass the sixth oral presentation scheduled at the end of the sixth semester. This dissertation will have an added chapter on Introduction and an ending chapter on Summary and Conclusion.

Monthly meetings:

During each semester, the students will meet once a month for the first three months with the fourth month scheduled for the case presentation. The meeting will be on a colloquium basis between the students (in groups of 5 students) and their respective supervisors and at the students’ premise (perhaps different venue in the three meetings). The discussion will be on the issues identified, exchange of ideas, experiences, knowledge, and generation of innovative ideas. For every colloquium, each student is also expected to have read and will present a summary of one “bestseller” practical/professional book in the area identified for that semester.  Thus in a batch of 5 students per colloquium, 5 books would have been summarised, presented and shared in the group. After three meetings, 15 books would have been discussed. This is the knowledge sharing and acquisition part of the programme. The other contribution of the colloquium will result in the generation and enrichment of knowledge and of high value-add to the individuals involved.

Supervisors:

For each case/industrial research area, a student will be assigned one academic (perhaps more), to discuss and be a ’knowledge content partner’ to facilitate him solve the identified problem. Together with four other supervisors (assuming 5 candidates per cohort), the team of supervisors will also collectively decide on the 15 professional books to be read, summarised and discussed during the first three monthly meetings. For the next semester, the candidates may have a different supervisor as the semester subject area has been changed.

Readings of Professional books:

The rigor and depth of research in a philosophical doctorate mode is the literature review. But in industrial Ph.D the knowledge contents are the practicality of the issues to be solved and the sharing of experiences of all those involved. Thus professional books are the source of such content and discussion of such books at the rate of one a month per student or three per semester (and 15 per semester if there is a cohort of 5) will be able to fulfill this requirement.

Tuition Fees:

Total cost of the fee will be based on credit hour and will be charged at RM 500.00 per credit hour and RM 5,000.00 for administrative and graduation fee.

Total Fees: RM50,000.00