Program Description

The PhD in Business, with specialization in Management, Finance, Human Resource Management, Marketing, or Accounting, is a 66-credit doctoral program designed for high caliber and self-motivated students who wish to acquire top research, leadership and analytical skills in business. It is primarily designed for students seeking jobs in academia, but it is also for professionals and consultants seeking to serve multinational companies, government agencies, financial institutions, consulting firms and international agencies. 

Program Length

37-45 months

When to Begin

August or January

Admission Requirements

All students must meet the following, in addition to the general AIIAS admission criteria:

1. Hold a master’s degree, with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above (on a four-point scale).
2. Have satisfactory work experience (normally three years), as certified by a letter from an employer. Students otherwise eligible for regular admission with less than three years of work experience may be admitted to the program, but will be required to enroll in Advanced Fieldwork in Business for a minimum of 3 credits per year (or fraction thereof) of lacking experience.
3. Provide a statement (500-750 words), describing (a) why they desire to pursue a PhD in Business at AIIAS, and (b) the topic or topics they would like to pursue for their dissertation research.
4. Meet the requirements of a selection interview by demonstrating readiness to undertake a doctoral problem. The preparedness of a student for doctoral studies will be determined in terms of thinking skills, inquiring mind, self-directed learning, motivation, leadership potential, research aptitude and writing skills.
5. Demonstrated English proficiency.

Prerequisites

1. Have a master’s degree in a business area or a minimum of 36 semester credits of graduate coursework in business.

2. Provide evidence of preparation in each of the following areas:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Information Systems
• Academic Writing
• Management
• Strategic Planning
• Research Methods
• Marketing

The department will evaluate each student’s application and make the final determination as to whether a prerequisite has been met.

Curriculum

The curriculum of the PhD in Business degree is made up of 66 semester hours of coursework as explained below. To be awarded the degree the student must satisfactorily meet the following requirements:

Business Core

Education Cognate: 6

Electives for Emphasis*: 12

Electives may be chosen from Management, Finance, HRM, IT, or Accounting.

*Consult the program director

Research Cognate: 12

Dissertation: 15

Total semester hours: 66