About This Program
The Ph.D. degree in Business Administration offers rigorous coursework and research opportunities to prepare graduates for success in academia or industry. With top-notch faculty and cutting-edge resources, our program develops critical thinking skills, innovative problem-solving abilities and advanced research methods to equip graduates with the tools they need to make a significant impact in the world of business. Read more...
Contact Information
- Adam Cooke | crawfordgrad@kent.edu |
330-672-1280 - Jen Wiggins, Ph.D. | jwiggin2@kent.edu | 330-672-1259
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus
Applications to the Human Resource Management concentration are not being accepted at this time.
Examples of Possible Careers
- Assistant Professor of Accounting
- Assistant Professor of Finance
- Assistant Professor of Information Systems
- Assistant Professor of Management
- Assistant Professor of Marketing
Accreditation
AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.
Admission Requirements
Applications to the Human Resource Management concentration are not being accepted at this time.
Admission to all concentrations are dependent on available funding.
- Master's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
- Official transcript(s)
- Minimum 600 GMAT or 315 GRE score
- Résumé
- Goal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
- Minimum 100 TOEFL iBT score (starting with fall 2026 admission term, minimum score is 94)
- Minimum 7.0 IELTS score
- Minimum 68 PTE score (starting with fall 2026 admission term, minimum score is 65)
- Minimum 120 DET score
- 1
International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may not be considered for admission.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester
- Application deadline: January 1 (international student) and February 1 (domestic student)
Applications submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| BUS 71094 | COLLEGE TEACHING | 1-2 |
| Major Electives | 12 | |
| Department Electives 1 | 0-9 | |
| Econometrics or Psychometrics Track, choose from the following: 2 | 12 | |
Econometrics Track: | ||
| DATA ACQUISITION AND PREPARATION FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH | ||
| ECONOMETRICS I | ||
| ECONOMETRICS II | ||
| TIME SERIES ANALYSIS | ||
Psychometrics Track: | ||
| RESEARCH DESIGN | ||
| REGRESSION ANALYSIS | ||
| ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE | ||
| STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING | ||
| Culminating Requirement | ||
| BUS 80199 | DISSERTATION I 3 | 30 |
| Concentrations | ||
| Choose from the following: | 12 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 67 | |
- 1
Department elective need is determined by department. MKTG 85098 is the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship selected elective.
- 2
It is recommended that students complete either the Econometrics Track or the Psychometrics Track in its entirety; however, substitutions may be made with the permission of the concentration coordinator.
- 3
Successful completion of the comprehensive examinations and approval of a dissertation topic shall constitute admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The final phase of the Ph.D. program is the preparation of the Ph.D. dissertation. Upon completion, the dissertation is defended before a committee of the graduate faculty. Each doctoral candidate must register for BUS 80199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter BUS 80299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.
Accounting Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| Concentration Electives, choose from the following: | 12 | |
| AUDITING ISSUES | ||
| MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING ISSUES | ||
| FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING ISSUES | ||
| BASIC ACCOUNTING RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | ||
| RESEARCH IN ACCOUNTING | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 12 | |
Finance Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| Concentration Electives, choose from the following: | 12 | |
| THEORIES OF FINANCIAL DECISION-MAKING | ||
| SEMINAR IN CORPORATE FINANCE | ||
| SEMINAR IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS | ||
| SEMINAR IN INVESTMENTS | ||
| SEMINAR IN FINANCIAL TOPICS | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 12 | |
Human Resource Management Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| HRM 84108 | ACQUIRING HUMAN RESOURCES | 3 |
| HRM 84191 | SEMINAR IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| HRM 84263 | OPTIMIZING HUMAN RESOURCES | 3 |
| MGMT 84277 | ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND THEORY | 3 |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 12 | |
Information Systems Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| CIS 84008 | THEORY DEVELOPMENT IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH | 3 |
| CIS 84009 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CYBERSECURITY MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| CIS 84083 | THE BRIGHT AND DARK SIDES OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES | 3 |
| CIS 84084 | BUSINESS VALUE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION | 3 |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 12 | |
Marketing Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| Concentration Electives, choose from the following: | 12 | |
| MARKETING STRATEGY | ||
| BUYER BEHAVIOR | ||
| MARKETING THEORY | ||
| CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| SEMINAR IN MARKETING | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 12 | |
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of their interest area and display a high degree of mastery in appropriate theories, analytical skills, research design and methodologies.
- Conduct original research by integrating knowledge of specific areas of interest and successfully articulating their research in written form.
- Effectively plan and deliver undergraduate business courses and reliably evaluate the undergraduate students.
Full Description
The Ph.D. degree in Business Administration prepares doctoral students to conduct high-quality, scholarly research and teach effectively in the field of business administration. The degree's purpose is to develop the intellectual potential of the student through the emphasis on specific areas of concentration within the framework of the general field of business administration. Academic objectives are accomplished through close student-faculty working relationships. The program provides the flexibility to allow for a considerable degree of individual design, based upon the career needs and objectives of the student.
The Business Administration major comprises the following concentrations:
- The Accounting concentration prepares highly qualified candidates for faculty positions in colleges and universities. In addition to completing doctoral-level coursework and a dissertation, students conduct scholarly research and become effective teachers.
- The Finance concentration prepares students for finance faculty positions in colleges and universities. Students complete courses in business and finance, learn how to conduct high-quality, scholarly research and become effective teachers.
- The Human Resource Management concentration prepares students for academic positions in the field of human resource management. Students are trained to be researchers and teachers.
- The Information Systems concentration creates a strong grounding in areas of behavioral, strategic, analytical and economic aspects of the impact of digital technologies; digitalization; and digital transformation on individuals, organizations and society. Students are trained to become world-class scholars and passionate and effective teachers.
- The Marketing concentration prepares highly qualified candidates for positions of professional responsibility in university teaching and research. The program offers a solid balance of teaching experience and preparation for conducting scientific research.