Doctorate in Business Administration
The UIC Liautaud PhD program in Business Administration trains future scholars in business statistics, organizational behavior/human resource management, and marketing. While students are accepted into an area of specialization, they are given the flexibility to design an individual program of study and are encouraged to take a more interdisciplinary approach within the area of specialization.
The PhD in Business Administration prepares students for careers as professors in public and private universities or industry. The program helps students develop:
- A thorough grounding in research skills and the fundamental concepts of business and related social science disciplines
- Original knowledge in the specific area of research
- A spirit of inquiry and lifelong learning
Ideal candidates are bright and highly motivated individuals with outstanding verbal and quantitative aptitude seeking an academic research and teaching career within business administration.
Areas of Inquiry
The PhD program in Business Administration encompasses three Areas of Inquiry:
- Business statistics combines an advanced program in statistics and a variety of business applications including accounting, economics, finance, marketing, MIS, operations management and real estate. Students are trained to use state-of-the art computer hardware and software. A second area of support is chosen from departments within the college.
- Organizational behavior and human resources management emphasizes organizational behavior through an examination of the psychological and sociological determinants of employee behavior in public and private sector organizational settings around the world. Students actively engage in empirical research designed to make theoretical advancements in the understanding of human behavior in organizations.
- Marketing allows for in-depth study of a variety of areas, including consumer behavior, international marketing, entrepreneurship, innovation and product development, and marketing strategy. Students work closely with faculty mentors and develop their own research program to better understand marketplace phenomena and generate new knowledge about marketing processes and buyer and seller behavior.
Faculty
Applicants are advised to review the specific research interests of faculty in each area so they may become familiar with the range and scope of research activity and identify a potential adviser within the specialization or combined areas of study.
Business Statistics PhD Faculty Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management PhD Faculty Marketing PhD Faculty
PhD Requirements
Minimum Credits Required
96 for student entering the program directly from the baccalaureate.
64 entering the program from an MBA or a business-related master's degree.
A minimum of 32 hours of dissertation research is required. The typical time for a student with an MBA to complete the program is four or five years of full-time study. The maximum time allowed by the Graduate College for students with the MBA is six years.
Coursework
The first year of study includes two course requirements in mathematics, statistics, or computing, a four course breadth requirement (students without a prior MBA must take four MBA core courses*, no two of which are from the same functional area and none of which is from the Area of Inquiry), and a six-course depth requirement (advanced courses, at least two in the area of the qualifying exam). Students are also encouraged to take graduate coursework in related non-CBA departments such as psychology, sociology, and educational psychology (methods). The Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program (CMEP) also allows UIC doctoral students to take selected courses at Northwestern University and University of Chicago. Following the qualifying exam, additional course requirements are determined by the student's faculty adviser.
Advising
Students entering the program are advised by the PhD coordinator in their area of interest. Courses are approved in this way until the student passes the qualifying exam. At that stage, an adviser is selected to supervise research for the dissertation.
Required Exams
- Qualifying Exam: This exam is based primarily on the core and depth requirements. Students must take this exam within two years from time of admission. This exam may be taken a second time if the first attempt results in failure.
- Preliminary Exam: Within three months of completing the qualifying exam the student will begin coursework in their area of interest under the supervision of the faculty advisor. At least 32 hours of course work will take place at this stage (not counting dissertation research). The preliminary exam will be written or oral, at the discretion of the exam committee. A major purpose of the preliminary exam is ensure that the candidate possesses sufficient general and specialized knowledge to undertake dissertation research.
- Dissertation: The final stage of doctoral studies the dissertation defense. The dissertation must make an original contribution to knowledge in the chosen field. A dissertation may address theoretical or applied problems and is expected to take at least one year of full-time study. The Graduate College requires one year between the preliminary exam and the dissertation defense.
Other Requirements
Students receiving program funding must serve as a teaching and/or research assistant. The assistantship will last four years provided that the student is making sufficient progress toward their PhD as determined by the respective PhD coordinator.
How to Apply
Please refer to following links for further information about admission requirements to the PhD program in Business Administration:
Students are admitted into the doctoral program for the fall semester only. The application deadline is January 1.
Please be advised of the following additional information:
- Financing
PhD students receive a tuition waiver and stipend for four years in exchange for work as a graduate research or teaching assistant provided they are making satisfactory progress towards obtaining their degree as determined by the Program Director for the PhD program in which they are enrolled. - Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required. It is highly recommended that at least one be from a former professor or academic contact familiar with the requirements and skills necessary for a research-oriented doctoral program and academic career. - GMAT Scores and GRE Code
Please send your GMAT scores to University of Illinois at Chicago: Liautaud Graduate School of Business: Doctoral/PhD in Business Administration or Management. The GRE code is 1851.
Please note that in recent years, the average GMAT score for accepted students has been close to 700.