Admission Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
Doctoral Programs UIC Liautaud Graduate School of Business (MC 077)
Suite 220, Rice Building
815 West Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL 60607-2525

Campus Location: LGSB Office, Rice Building
Program Code: 20FS0079PHD
Telephone: (312) 996-4573
E-mail: lgsb@uic.edu
Web Site: www.lgsb.uic.edu
Director of PhD Program: Robert Liden

Admission is competitive. The Doctoral Studies Programs Office has its own application packets and procedures; all application materials, including transcripts and fees, must be submitted directly to this office. Transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted in a signed, sealed envelope. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Admission Requirements

Admission is competitive. The Doctoral Studies Programs Office has its own application packets and procedures; all application materials, including transcripts and fees, must be submitted directly to this office. Transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted in a signed, sealed envelope. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Doctor of Philosophy

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions. Prior academic work should include mathematics/statistics, computing/analysis, and business.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.0/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required GMAT or GRE. The score must be from a test administered within five years from the requested date of entry. The writing assessment is required.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
• TOEFL 600 (paper-based); 250 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required from persons familiar with the intellectual skills, perseverance, and integrity of the applicant. At least one recommendation should be from an academic familiar with the applicant’s work.
• Personal Statement Required; 500 words. The statement should address the applicant’s interests and qualifications, including research interests and the impact this work is expected to have on the applicant’s career.
• Other Requirements Interview with the faculty in the field of the degree, the PhD coordinator, the director of doctoral studies, or the department head is advised. Students are admitted only in the fall semester.
• Deadlines The application deadline for this program is earlier than the Graduate College deadline; contact the College of Business Administration’s Doctoral Studies Programs Office in the Liautaud Graduate School of Business for information on current deadlines.

Degree Requirements

Doctor of Philosophy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate, 64 from the MBA.
• Course Work Study will include a two-course requirement in mathematics, statistics, or computing; a four-course breadth requirement (four MBA core courses, no 2 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 of which are sufficiently rigorous to provide the basis for the qualifying exam). Following the qualifying exam, additional course requirements are determined by the student’s advisor.
• Examinations Qualifying Examination: A written exam, based upon courses used for the student’s depth requirement, is required and will be administered by faculty in the student’s area of inquiry.
• Preliminary Examination: A written and/or oral exam, addressing advanced material in the area of inquiry and/or the student’s plans for dissertation research, is required.
• Dissertation A dissertation demonstrating the ability to conduct original, scholarly research is required. No more than 32 hours of doctoral thesis research can be applied to the degree.
• Other Requirements Students must serve as a teaching assistant or research assistant. This requirement may be waived for students with appropriate teaching or research experience.