Business Administration, PhD

The mission of the doctoral program is to prepare students for successful academic careers at institutions of higher learning within the USA and internationally. To accomplish this mission, the program prepares graduates to comprehend and evaluate research, to perform research which advances knowledge and to provide effective instruction, all within a business-related discipline and in a supportive collegial environment. Specifically, the program is designed to provide: 

• An academic understanding of the philosophies and basic methodological issues of academic inquiry  
• An understanding of the theoretical state-of-the-art research methods in a specific discipline  
• The ability to design and execute substantive research projects  
• The ability to communicate research findings to diverse audiences.   

Research Interests/Programs - Accounting; Finance & Quantitative Methods; Management; Marketing 

Admission Requirements

• Copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions attended and self-reported cumulative GPAs for each institution. All previous graduate credits must show a minimum grade-point average 3.0 out of 4.0. 

• TOEFL - (International students)  minimum 79 (internet-based) or for the IELTS a minimum mean band score of 6.5 is required. Note: Permanent residents, graduating from US institution or schools outside the US in English-speaking countries such as Australia, Great Britain and English-speaking Canadian provinces, are not required to take the TOEFL.  

Degree Requirements  

Minimum requirements for the doctoral degree are 40 hours of graduate level course work and successful completion of the Qualifying Examination followed by registration for a minimum of two consecutive semesters for dissertation residence credit and a successful defense of the dissertation. Registration for dissertation residence credit is required until the dissertation is defended and the degree awarded. 

Post Qualifying Examination Requirements

• A dissertation based on original research on a significant topic is required. The dissertation is defended in an oral examination.  

• 2 consecutive semesters (4 credit hours minimum) of dissertation research residence credit.  

Maintenance of Good Standing

• A minimum average grade of B for graduate credit in all courses after being admitted to the Graduate School must be maintained.  

• Doctoral students obtaining two grades of C are subject to dismissal from the program regardless of the number of offsetting A’s.  

• Doctoral students obtaining an E grade are subject to dismissal from the program.  

• A student failing the Qualifying Exam is subject to dismissal.  

• A student may be dismissed from the program after successfully passing the Qualifying Examination if in the judgment of the student’s Advisory Committee he/she is not making satisfactory progress toward the completion of a dissertation.  

Program Website: Gatton Business Administration PhD Program