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Ph.D. Business Administration

Frequently Asked Questions


Frequently Asked Questions about the Ph.D. in Business Administration

1.  What is the application deadline?
To have full consideration for university-wide fellowships, all application materials must be received by January 15.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials prior to the deadline because some departments may start making offers earlier if they see an attractive candidate.  Some departments will accept applications after this deadline.  Interested individuals should check with the Managing Director of the PhD program for more details.

2.  Is a master's degree required for admission to the Ph.D. program?
No.  However, students who have a master's degree are more competitive for admission.  The Ph.D. program requires a total of 60 hours beyond the bachelor's, which can include no more than 12 hours of dissertation preparation.

3.  Are foreign national applicants considered for financial aid awards?
Yes.  All financial aid awards decisions are made on a merit basis.

4.  What is the amount of doctoral assistantship awards? 
Actual stipend amounts vary for each department.  To determine the stipend amount for your intended department, please contact the appropriate Faculty Coordinator. Stipends are guaranteed for four years as long as a student shows satisfactory academic progress.  Students receive 85 percent of their total stipend during the academic year.  The remaining 15 percent is paid over one summer session.  

5.  Is a tuition waiver included with the assistantship?
Yes, with satisfactory academic progress students can expect to receive a 100% tuition waiver for four years.

6.  Can a foreign national student meet all necessary expenses based on the assistantship?
Yes, students receiving graduate assistantships are issued an I-20 form without any additional financial certification. 
 
7.  Can the doctoral degree be pursued on a part-time basis?
The program is structured to be completed on a full-time basis and takes four-five years.

8.  What are the admission criteria for the Ph.D. in Business Administration program?
Students are considered for admission based on previous academic performance, GMAT/GRE scores, letters of reference, and work experience.  The weight given to these individual criteria varies according to the area of concentration (i.e., accounting, marketing, finance, etc.).  Average test scores and grade point ratios also vary from year to year, depending on the applicant pool.

9.  What is the Educational Testing Service institutional code to use for submission of GMAT/GRE/TOEFL scores?
The correct institutional code is 5818.  It is not necessary to include a departmental code.

10.  Can the TOEFL examination be waived for international applicants?
International applicants are exempted from TOEFL if they have completed a degree program in the United States.

11.  Does each department admit an incoming class every year? 
No.  Different departments will admit students each year.  The departments currently accepting applications for the Fall 2008 term are Accounting, Management (Organizational Behavior/Human Resources), and Management Science (Production/Operations Management).

For a complete profile of our current students click here.