Business Administration PhD
Admission Requirements
- Master's degree or equivalent with high academic standing.
- Applicants must submit proof of satisfactory performance on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) within the previous five years.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the English language proficiency page for further information on requirements and exemptions.
- Concordia Comprehensive ESL Placement Test (ConCEPT). Applicants who have been admitted by a program and whose test results fall within the range requiring a language placement test must write the Concordia Comprehensive ESL Placement Test (ConCEPT).
- Language Requirement. The language of instruction at Concordia University is English. However, students who also have capacity in French will be able to best profit from the joint nature of the program. In particular, the ability to read technical material and to follow lectures and discussions in both languages is an asset. Students may write reports, examinations and the thesis in English or in French as they choose.
Additional Admission Requirements
Students are accepted only for full-time study.
Meritorious students enrolled in the Master of Science program at the John Molson School of Business who have completed all program requirements except for the thesis may apply for permission to proceed directly to doctoral studies in the same discipline without submitting a master's thesis. These students are expected to meet the same PhD program requirements as all other students. Applicants must select their area of specialization from the departments of Accountancy, Supply Chain and Business Technology Management, Finance, Management or Marketing, at the time of application. Enrolment in the program is strictly limited and applicants are selected on the basis of past academic record, letters of recommendation and the relevance of their proposed research to the areas of specialization of the department concerned.
Requests to transfer to another specialization are treated within the normal application process in the new area of specialization.
Degree Requirements
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
Please see the Business Administration PhD Courses for course descriptions.
Phase I
PhD in Business Administration Qualifying Courses (6 credits)
| 6 | credits:
|
Note: MSCA 602 and MSCA 683 may not be required depending on previous studies. | |
| The minimum number of credits is to be determined upon acceptance to the program. Students without a formal academic background in business administration will be required to take up to five (5) 3-credit courses, usually at the MBA, or MSc level, from among the following disciplines: business economics, organizational behaviour, decision sciences and management information systems, marketing, finance, business policy and strategy, accountancy and control. Up to two (2) of these courses may be in the student’s intended area of PhD specialization. Students may also be required to take Applied Linear Statistical Models and Multivariate Data Analysis depending on previous studies. Additional fees per credit will apply. |
Phases II and III Specialization and Thesis
The program of study is determined by the student’s Phase II supervisory committee. The minimum course requirement of this phase is 30 credits as outlined below.
Business Administration PhD (90 credits)
Phase II | |
| 12 | credits of Required Courses
|
| 18 | credits of Elective Courses with a minimum of 4 courses (12 credits) chosen from one of the following areas of specialization, plus a minimum of 1 additional course (3 credits).
The area of specialization can be organizational behaviour, decision sciences, management information, systems marketing finance, business policy and strategy, and accountancy and control. Students may also choose a related interdisciplinary field such as international business, or a significant subfield such as consumer behaviour. A minimum of one additional course (3 credits) may be chosen from the student’s area of specialization or in another area as determined by their supervisor. Directed Reading Courses may not be taken for credit. |
Phase III | |
| 60 | credits:
|
Business Administration PhD Elective Courses
Elective courses offered in the following disciplines vary in content from term to term and from year to year. PhD Seminars in Business Economics PhD Seminars in Organizational Behaviour PhD Seminars in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems |
PhD Seminars in Organizational Behaviour
PhD Seminars in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems
PhD Seminars in Marketing
PhD Seminars in Business Policy and Strategy
Additional Degree Requirements
Credits. A fully-qualified candidate entering the program with a Master of Business Administration or a Master of Science degree is required to complete a minimum of 90 credits. Candidates admitted with a Master’s degree in other disciplines will, in general, be required to complete more than the minimum number of credits. The program consists of three consecutive phases: qualification, specialization, and thesis.
Academic Regulations
- Credit Load. The normal course load for PhD students during Phase I and Phase II of the program is 9 credits in each of the fall and winter terms. In exceptional circumstances, a student in good standing may be granted permission to reduce their credit load.
- Academic Standing. Please refer to the Academic Standing section of the Calendar for a detailed review of the Academic Regulations.
- Time Limit. Please refer to the Academic Regulations page for further details regarding the Time Limits. Students will have a maximum of three years (nine semesters) in which to complete Phase I and Phase II requirements from the date of original registration in the program. Students with significant pre-requisite requirements may be granted a one-term extension. The Written and Oral Comprehensive Examinations must be completed within one term (four months) following completion of course work.
- Graduation Requirement. In order to graduate, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.
