Philosophy

Doctoral study in business is structured to challenge individuals who possess the ability to analyze complex problems and synthesize solutions.

Objectives

The doctoral program in business is designed to prepare individuals of outstanding ability for careers in teaching and research at the university level. The program has enough flexibility, however, to accommodate individuals whose career objectives lie outside academia. Individuals who undertake doctoral study are expected to achieve excellence in command of a business discipline’s technical aspects and develop expertise in research.

PhD Admissions Process

Admission to the University through the Graduate Admission Office

Admission to the University through the Graduate Admission Office requires submitting an application, transcripts, official GMAT/GRE scores, an application fee, and additional application material (Upload to GradCAS).

Additional Application Material consists of (Upload to GradCAS):

1. Three letters of recommendation from college professors or professional colleagues who are familiar with your academic record – Provide recommender information in GradCAS.
2. A short “Statement of Purpose” setting forth your reasons for pursuing doctoral study, personal objectives, and career plans.
3. A current vita (resume).
4. Research topics:

• Provide one topic/idea that you would like to research (in less than 50 words).
•  Why do you find this topic interesting (in less than 150 words)?
•  Without getting into technical/statistical details, provide some general thoughts on how you would go about conducting research on this topic (in less than 200 words).

To be admitted to the Graduate Admission Office, a minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 for a bachelor’s degree and 3.5 for a Master’s degree.

Application

How to Apply

Please apply with the UNT GradCAS (Centralized Application System) online at UNT GradCAS. The application fee is $75 non-refundable.

Transcripts

Official transcripts are required from every college or university you have attended and they must arrive by the application deadline.

Questions? Contact the UNT Graduate Admission Office at Scrappy Says.

Official GMAT/GRE Scores

The G. Brint Ryan College of Business prefers the GMAT be taken but will accept the GRE if it has already been taken. There is no minimum score required, although successful applicants tend to have competitive scores. Test scores must be less than five (5) years old.

Official GMAT or GRE scores must be sent to the UNT Graduate Admission Office. The UNT code for the GRE is 6481. The UNT for the GMAT is 6DP-8M-55. Allow at least 4 weeks for scores to arrive at the Graduate Admission Office.

You can learn more about GMAT or GRE, view sample test questions, and register for the test at https://www.mba.com or https://www.ets.org/gre

Deadlines

The admission process begins December 1 and continues until the program is filled.

Admission to the Department

Admission to each major area is based on the student’s academic record, work experience, and expressed “Statement of Purpose” or personal objectives. Only students who, in the judgment of the Graduate Faculty of each major area, show high promise of academic achievement will be admitted. Satisfying the quantitative criteria does not guarantee admission. The Graduate Faculty of each major area may establish additional and/or higher requirements specific to their department.

The appropriate departmental committee will evaluate the student’s application for admission on the basis of the department standards, indicate on the CoB Admission Form whether the student is Approved for Admission, Denied Admission (with reason) or Recommended for Provisional Admission and return the completed form to the Ph.D. Program & Research Office, BLB 201.

The Associate Dean for Academic Programs will send an admission decision letter to those students selected by the appropriate departmental committee. A copy of the letter will also be sent to the respective departmental Ph.D. Coordinator. UNT Ryan College of Business, as a member of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and in accordance with the CGS April 15 resolution, will honor offers until April 15. Although selected students are not obligated to accept their offer before April 15, we request them to kindly let us know as soon as they have decided in case we need to make offers to other students. If we do not receive an acceptance from selected students by April 15, the offer will automatically be rescinded after the April 15 deadline.

If an admission decision letter is issued after April 15, the student has 10 calendar days from the mailing date of the offer letter to accept the offer, after which the offer will automatically be rescinded.

International applicants should review information about submitting academic documents here.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

UNT degree program applicants must demonstrate English Language Proficiency. The minimum TOEFL score requirement is 79; the minimum IELTS score is 6.0. UNT-International provides a complete list of ways to demonstrate English language proficiency.

Retention policy for doctoral programs in business

If during any long term/semester (fall or spring) a PhD student does not enroll in any approved course work, the student must file a leave of absence form (Form E); otherwise, the student will be placed on inactive status. After two long terms/semesters in sequence in inactive status, the student will be removed from the PhD program.

Residence requirement

While completing course work, every student is required to complete a minimum residency requirement consisting of two consecutive terms/semesters with a minimum course load of 9 hours each term/semester. This can consist of spring and fall, fall and spring, spring and summer, or summer and fall.

Research tool requirement

The doctoral program in business requires satisfactory completion of a research tool requirement.

Program requirements

The doctoral student must select a concentration in one of the following program areas: accounting, business computer information systems, business information assurance, finance, management, supply chain management, marketing, or management science. With the approval of the PhD coordinator, the student will select courses in a supporting area. These courses may come from more than one business program area.

The program requirements for the doctoral program in business consist of course work, satisfactory performance on the qualifying examinations, and dissertation research. The total program requires a minimum of 60 hours of graduate credit beyond the master’s degree or 90 hours of graduate credit beyond the bachelor’s degree.

The minimum course work consists of the following:

• Research track, 12–18 hours
• Concentration and supporting minor areas, 27–33 hours
• Dissertation, 12 hours

In addition, all students must demonstrate calculus proficiency.

The above may include no more than 9 semester hours of 5900, 5910 or 6900 credit prior to dissertation research.

The two research tracks consist of 12–18 hours of course work designed to develop the research capabilities of the student and to prepare the student for conducting research of dissertation quality. The student’s choice of track must be approved by the major area PhD coordinator. The required courses for each track are described below: