Doctoral Programs

For many graduate study in business means pursuit of the MBA or, more generally, the master's degree. The idea that graduate study in business can extend to the terminal level has occurred to few and even fewer have seen themselves moving beyond the first post-baccalaureate stage. Vast and urgent opportunities for doctoral study in business exist and students who are inclined toward scholarly endeavors are urged to consider these opportunities.

Terminal degrees in business school usually refer to the doctor of philosophy (PhD) or the doctor of business administration (DBA). The PhD as universally defined is the research degree which is favored by those desiring to contribute to the production of business knowledge, either in a research group or academic institutions. DBA are scholars, too, who act as intermediaries between the world of research and that of practice. Both degrees require a high commitment to the field as well as to concentrated and specialized study.

There is a national need for holders of the doctorate in business. Efforts to increase the supply are undertaken by all sectors concerned: schools, businesses, and business and educational organizations.

The PH.D. Project seeks to increase the number of minorities in doctoral programs in business. Through a variety of methods, it identifies these individuals who will be prepared to pursue careers in academia. The Project is sponsored by a group of companies and organizations and has a record of success since its beginning in 1994. A conference is held each November where prospects are invited to meet Ph.D's in the field as well as representatives from programs offering the degree. The Web site is at the following:www.phdproject.org.

If interested in doctoral programs, consider the suggestions of an alumnus who was successful in being admitted to several programs and awarded one of 20 fellowships by a national fellowship program:

  • Visiting with the schools and meeting with as many professors and students as possible are a must . The quality of a Ph.D. program is determined solely by the professors and their research interests.
  • Try to identify early the different sub-disciplines within a discipline (e.g., Accounting research is typically divided into Capital Markets, Behavioral, and Theoretical strains) and which sub-disciplines interest you. Then ask people in the field which schools specialize in which sup-disciplines, and strongly consider those schools which have faculty researching in your sub-discipline of interest.
  • Business Week / US News & World Report top 10/20 rankings mean nothing when looking at PhD programs. The quality of the professors and the rapport you build with them mean everything . You will be working closely with only two or three faculty members in your program.
  • Ask questions about the following areas:
    • Faculty research interests
    • Seminars and workshops at the school - how frequent?
    • Research assistant vs teaching assistant, which is required?
    • Flexibility of the program to meet your needs and interests
    • Funding - stability & availability
    • Depth of the faculty & recruiting services
    • Mission and direction of the program
    • Recent placements
  • Don't make any enemies; every school you talk to/correspond with is a potential employer after you finish the program! Try to establish as many contacts as possible during the application process as the PhD/Professor community is fairly small and close-knit, and you'll never know who you may end up working with.

The following is a list of U.S. schools with doctoral programs in business that have been recognized by the AACSB. When seeking information, please make inquiries to the director of the doctoral program.

University of Alabama-Birmingham
University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
University of Arizona
Arizona State University
University of Arkansas
Auburn University
Baruch College
Binghampton University
Boston College
Boston University
University of California-Berkeley
University of California-Irvine
University of California-Los Angeles
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
Claremont Graduate University
Clemson University
Cleveland State University
University of Colorado at Boulder
Columbia University
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
Drexel University
Duke University
Emory University
University of Florida
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Florida State University
George Institute of Technology
George Washington University
University of Georgia
Georgia State University
Harvard University
University of Houston
University of Illinois-Chicago
University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign
Indiana University
University of Iowa
Jackson State University
University of Kansas
Kent State University
University of Kentucky
Lehigh University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana Tech University
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Michigan State University
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
Mississippi State University
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of New Orleans
New Mexico State University
New York University
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of North Texas
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University
Old Dominion University
University of Oregon
Pace University
University of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University
University of Pittsburgh
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Rhode Island
University of Rochester
Rutgers University
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
St. Louis University
Stanford University
SUNY-Albany
SUNY-Buffalo
Syracuse University
Temple University
University of Texas-Arlington
University of Texas-Austin
University of Texas-Dallas
University of Texas-Pan American
Texas A & M University
Texas Tech University
University of Toledo
Tulane University
University of Utah
Vanderbilt University
University of Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
University of Washington
Washington State University
Washington University
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee