Ph.D. Program Advantages

The PhD program in business administration prepares you for a successful teaching- and research-focused career in higher education. Graduates of our program are faculty members at prestigious colleges and universities across the United States and around the world.

Academic concentrations are offered in the following disciplines within the PhD program:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Information Systems
• Management and Entrepreneurship
• Marketing
• Operations and Management Science

Take a closer look at the advantages of the program

• Individual attention. Small class sizes ensure you’ll have frequent opportunities to interact with faculty and excel in your studies. You’ll be mentored by faculty committed to preparing you for a successful teaching and research career in higher education.
• Learn from leaders. The professors who teach your courses are widely published and nationally recognized in their fields for their scholarship and research achievements.
• Highly rated programs. All of the Carson College degree programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB), putting the college among the exclusive 4% of colleges and universities worldwide similarly accredited.
• Outstanding career success. About 90% of our new PhD graduates go on to teach or conduct research at a university or college.
• Hands-on research opportunities. You’ll have multiple opportunities to hone your research skills by participating in faculty-sponsored research projects as a coinvestigator and/or coauthor.
• Comprehensive preparation. You’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of a career in academe—including teaching, research, and service.

Curriculum

The PhD in Business Administration program provides the in-depth knowledge required for you to become a successful scholar in higher education. The curriculum focuses on preparing you to contribute to the body of knowledge in your chosen area of emphasis and on your ability to communicate about your scholarship.

Learning goals

You’ll focus on achieving four learning goals as you earn your PhD

Goal 1: Students will acquire a comprehensive knowledge of theory and methods used in their chosen field and related disciplines

Goal 2: Students will produce quality research

Goal 3: Students will communicate their research clearly and professionally in both written and oral forms

Goal 4: Students will teach college courses effectively

Program highlights

• College-wide doctoral seminar on research and professional development for first-year students
• College-wide behavioral research methods seminar
• A minimum of three doctoral seminars offered in each area of concentration
• Structured program of study requirements with high-quality instruction in statistics and research methods
• Second year research paper requirement to promote research publication activity
• Graduate assistantships that provide tuition waivers and monthly stipends

College-wide doctoral seminar

BA 598: Research and Professional Development Seminar
Overview

This doctoral-level, 1 credit hour colloquium is designed to enhance your research and teaching skills and provide professional socialization for doctoral students from all fields within the Carson College of Business.

Grading

The course uses S/F grading. In order to pass the course, students must attend and actively participate in each session of the seminar.

Topics

• Orientation to WSU, the CB, and Business Scholarship
• The Doctoral Program, Your Committee and Dissertation
• Developing Research Topics, Ideas & Streams
• The Structure of Journal Articles & Presentations
• Working with Coauthors and Time Management
• Publishing in Tier I Journals
• Reviewing and the Review Process
• Research and Professional Ethics
• Human Subjects and the IRB
• Syllabi, Lectures, Evaluations and In-Class Discussions
• Exams, Test Questions, and Writing Assessment
• Class Projects
• The Vita and Job Search Process
• Managing Your Career Beyond the PhD

PhD Student Handbook 2023-2024

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