BUSADM:PHD - Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration

Accounting Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration Program

The School of Accounting offers an Accounting concentration in the doctoral program in Business Administration. The degree is a 75-credit hour program.

The first two years of the PhD program are typically spent in coursework and the last two years are spent working on the dissertation.

Students will also take courses with other departments (e.g. Finance, Economics, and Statistics) offering courses relevant to individual doctoral student’s research needs.

Notes:

(1) This Accounting Ph.D. program of study is a sample guideline that can be adjusted depending on the availability of classes and students' needs.

2) Students can take additional seminar courses from other departments with the approval of the Accounting Doctoral Director. For example, the students pursuing financial accounting research may be interested in Investment seminar or Corporate Finance Seminar offered by the Finance Department.

(3) All Ph.D. students must register one credit hour for research colloquium in every semester until they have advanced to candidacy.

(4) Every Ph.D. student must present at least one summer paper in the SOA research colloquium before their proposal defense.

Finance Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration

Students in the Finance Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration are required to complete a minimum of 16 courses. Those concentrating in Finance must take six courses or seminars in Finance (as described below), a two-course sequence in advanced economic theory, and a two-course sequence in either advanced econometrics or an equivalent sequence of courses in advanced statistics. With the advice and consent of the departmental Ph.D. committee, students also select other supporting coursework.  The first year of study is regarded as “Tier I” in the Ph.D. program, and successful completion of this year of study is a prerequisite for enrollment in some of the more advanced courses.

Students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better in the six departmental courses that comprise the Finance concentration.  In addition, students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.3 or better in all of their coursework. The degree (Business Administration) is a 75-credit program.

A Sample Course of Study

The sample program of study below describes the schedule for a typical student.  Variations may be allowed for some students, and, of course, the requirements may be changed at the discretion of the Ph.D. Committee.

Management Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration Program

The Department of Global Leadership and Management and the Department of International Business jointly offer a Ph.D. concentration in Management. Students may focus their studies on Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship, International Business and International Management, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, and Hospitality Management.

The Management Concentration Doctoral Studies Program in Business Administration is a selective one leading to the Ph.D. degree.  The program emphasizes the development of research and teaching skills to ensure the graduates acquire the credentials necessary for placement in leading institutions.

Each doctoral student’s program of study is individually tailored to mesh faculty and student interests and to maintain a high level of interaction between the students and faculty.

The program generally requires three to four years of full-time study, including approximately one to one-and-one-half years of dissertation research.  A set of core, or “tool area” business courses, geared toward establishing the student’s breadth of knowledge, is required of all doctoral candidates during the first year of study. The second year of coursework focuses on a particular area of concentration to develop the student’s depth knowledge in a specific discipline.

The degree (Business Administration) is a 75-credit program.

Management Information Systems Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration Program

The Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics (ISBA) offers a Management Information Systems (MIS) concentration in the doctoral program in Business Administration. The degree (Business Administration) is a 75- credit program.

Please contact the Ph.D. Program Director at (305) 779-7981 for further requirements and details.

Marketing Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration

The Marketing Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration trains students to become marketing researchers and educators at universities.  This is a 75-credit program (including transferring in up to 3 credits from an applicable master’s degree).  The minimum coursework requirements described below provide the initial curriculum framework.  Admitted students should work with the Department Doctoral Program Director to determine the fulfillment of other degree requirements.  

To remain in the program, students are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better across all courses in the graduate degree program.

Summer Research Projects

Students are required to complete research projects during the summer semesters following their first and second years in the program.  The 12 credits of course taken over two summers will satisfy the College of Business doctoral program summer research requirement.

Comprehensive Examination

Upon successfully completing all required coursework (both quantitative courses and courses in their major field of study), students are required to take a comprehensive examination. Research Courses (course, course, and course) are not required to be completed before taking the comprehensive examination.

International Business Concentration in the Ph.D. Business Administration

The Department of International Business offers a Ph.D. concentration in International Business. The program emphasizes the development of research and teaching skills to ensure that the graduates acquire the credentials necessary for placement in leading institutions. Students may focus their studies on the broad field of International Business.

Each doctoral student’s program of study is individually tailored to mesh faculty and student interests and to maintain a high level of interaction between the students and faculty.

The program generally requires four years of full-time study, including approximately two years of dissertation research.  A set of core, or “tool area” business courses, geared toward establishing the student’s breadth of knowledge, is required of all doctoral candidates during the first year of study. The second year of coursework focuses on a particular area of concentration to develop the student’s depth knowledge in a specific discipline.

The degree (Business Administration) is a 75-credit program.

Admissions Requirements for the PhD in Business Administration

Applications are accepted from prospective students with a broad variety of educational backgrounds, including areas like business, liberal arts, and the sciences. Those students selected for the Ph.D. program must demonstrate strong evidence of ability, scholarly interest, and success.

Applicants should submit the following:

(1) A completed application form and processing fee.

(2) Three letters of recommendation. 

(3) Official transcripts from all institutions in which the applicant has completed any undergraduate and graduate course work.

(4) All applicants are required to have taken either the GMAT or GRE within five years of their application. A GMAT score (or its GRE equivalent) of 600 or higher and a 3.0 GPA or better in post-secondary education is desired, although some applicants falling short of these desired scores and grades have been accepted into our program. Those with GMAT score below 500 or its GRE equivalent score will NOT be considered for admission. For more information about how to covert a GRE score into its GMAT equivalent, go to: http://www.ets.org/gre/comparison.

(5) A formal statement of purpose for seeking the doctoral degree and specific reasons for applying to Florida International University.

(6) A curriculum vitae.

(7) International graduate student applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a score for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  A total score of 80 on the iBT TOEFL or 6.5 overall on the IELTS is required.  Such applicants also should review the “General Admission Requirements for Foreign Students” in the “Admission” section of this catalog.

The College admits a new class of doctoral students every year during the Fall semester.

Complete applications must be received by January 15. Acceptance decisions for fall admission are typically made not later than March. 

Applicants are considered once all the required documents have been received.

Financial Aid

Applicants to the doctoral program may request financial aid by completing the appropriate form. Stipends requiring a mixture of research and teaching are also available. These stipends may include both a cash award and a tuition waiver, depending upon the applicant’s qualifications. If you wish to apply for a stipend include this request with your application documents.

Degree Requirements

Students must be admitted into one of the five core concentrations:

--Accounting

--Finance

--Management

--Management Information Systems

--Marketing

General degree requirements for all candidates for a Ph.D. in Business Administration include:

(1) Successful completion of all required coursework.

(2) Successful completion of a comprehensive examination at the end of this coursework.

(3) Successful completion and defense of a doctoral dissertation (minimum 15 credits).

Note: The programs, policies, requirements, and regulations listed in this catalog are subject to continual review in order to meet the needs of the University’s various publics and to respond to the mandates of the State Board of Education and the Florida Legislature. Changes may be made without advance notice. Please refer to the “Policies and Processes” section of this catalog for the University’s policies, requirements, and regulations.

For more information please refer to our website: http://business.fiu.edu or call (305) 348-1746.

There are no majors associated with this program.