Program of Instruction
The Haas School program is strongly oriented toward discipline and research. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to evaluate the state of knowledge in their particular field and to advance it through the application of theory from the social sciences, mathematics, or statistics. The importance of quantitative skills varies by fields of study, but all students must attain sufficient proficiency to keep pace with increasingly mathematical literature. Students intending to specialize in accounting, business and public policy, finance, marketing, or real estate are strongly urged to complete an intermediate microeconomics class prior to enrolling.

Instruction in the program is separated into three general phases. The first encompasses formal coursework in basic and advanced subjects. The time devoted to these studies depends on a student's prior preparation, but generally requires two years. In the second phase, devoted to directed study, students work in close consultation with faculty members to prepare for research in their selected fields.

The final phase is individual research, when students undertake the work required for their dissertations. The second and third phases together usually require two to three years for completion. In addition to coursework, students without previous experience in either research or teaching will normally be expected to serve as either teaching or research assistants for one or more semesters.