Business Administration, PhD

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The PhD Program in Business Administration offers an academically challenging and rigorous program designed to prepare highly motivated and intellectually gifted students for a career in research, teaching, and service with a particular focus on Asia and the Pacific. This full-time program emphasizes a strong foundation in both methodological and theoretical training. A teaching opportunity supported by ongoing seminars in pedagogy will give students valuable experience in the classroom. Collaborative work with faculty will enhance research and learning opportunities. Students will also gain valuable computing, quantitative, and methodological skills vital to effective research.

Doctoral candidates work closely with Shidler College faculty in areas of specialization that often parallel the strengths of faculty members. These areas include International Accounting, Asian Finance, Global Information Technology Management, International Marketing, and International Organization and Strategy.

The program is small and individualized, which enables students to pursue their own areas of interest. Admission, for the fall semester only, is highly competitive, and only full-time study is allowed. The expected completion time for the doctoral degree is four to five years.

For admission to the PhD in Business Administration, the candidate applicant should meet the following criteria. The deadline for application is January 31. (Note that admission to the doctoral program is not automatic, and will be determined on a case-by-case basis by a faculty committee.)

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree. Subject matter of the foundation courses in business or accounting obtained at an accredited school.
GMAT or GRE in the top 25th percentile
GPA of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale
TOEFL (computer-based) of 250 or the equivalent score on the IELTS
3 letters of reference
Exceptions to the above requirements may be made by the PhD Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis.
Meeting the above minimum requirements is necessary for consideration, but does not automatically assure admission. Admission is granted on a case-by-case basis by the PhD Admissions Committee.

Recommended Qualification

Personal interview or telephone interview
Teaching potential as demonstrated by previous teaching performance, if available.
Research interests compatible with Shidler College faculty research
Example of previous research paper or essay written by candidate, if available.

Desirable Qualifications

International experience
Foreign language ability in area of desired specialization
International area academic studies, such as Japan or China area studies

For further detailed information, please contact the PhD Program in Business Administration at (808) 956-6723; email: phdbus@hawaii.edu; web: shidler.hawaii.edu/phd.