Business Administration (PhD)

University of Memphis

The mission of the PhD program in Business Administration is to prepare students primarily for academic careers in research-oriented institutions of higher education and secondarily for research careers in organizations. Program objectives are: (1) an acquisition of an advanced level of knowledge in one or more functional areas of business or in applied economics and an expert level of knowledge in one or more subfields of a business function or economics (2) ability to conduct significant, independent research that extends the knowledge base in a business function or economics (3) capacity to teach effectively within the business or economics discipline (4) capacity to communicate advanced-level knowledge to others in the academic and professional community and (5) ability to compete effectively for faculty positions in respected colleges and universities or other high-level professional positions. Students with master’s or professional degrees in business administration, public administration, economics, law, engineering, mathematics, computer science, psychology, sociology, and the physical sciences will find this background provides important preparation for entering the PhD program. The University has the academic resources to provide the doctoral applicant with a balanced education that provides both the qualitative and quantitative skills required of the modern business education professional.Program RequirementsA minimum of 72 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree is required. A minimum of 39 hours of the curriculum below must be completed at the University of Memphis after admission to the program. Most concentrations require more than 39 hours.Course RequirementsResearch Core (at least 12 semester hours): Includes courses designed to develop and improve research skills. Students may be required to acquire competence using research tools and techniques beyond and above what is required with the research core. Courses in the Research Core must be approved by the student’s departmental PhD coordinator.Concentration (at least 30 semester hours): A minimum of 12 hours of 7/8000 level courses is required in the student’s chosen concentration. Possible concentrations are Accountancy, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, or Marketing. Additional supporting coursework may be selected from these concentrations or from approved areas outside the college. Courses graded an S or U may not be used to satisfy the minimum hours required for Research Core or Concentration.Dissertation (minimum of 6 but not more than 18 semester hours): Major research of an original and creative nature is required and must meet the requirements of the Graduate School. The dissertation is the research capstone of the PhD program and must be a significant contribution to the study of Business Administration.

Fogelman College of Business & Economics