Business Administration, Ph.D.

Application

Requests for application material should be sent to the attention of the Program Administrator, Business Administration PhD Program, DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4M4 or by email to phdinfo@mcmaster.ca. Information is also available on the website: http://phd.degroote.mcmaster.ca. Admission decisions are based on previous academic performance, Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) results, references, research interests and other relevant information.

Applicants whose native language is not English will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency by providing a valid TOEFL test score at the time of application. Successful applicants will normally achieve a score of at least 100 and a minimum of 22 in the reading component, 22 in the listening component, 26 in the speaking component and 24 in the writing component on the Internet-Based Test (IBT); or 600 on the Paper-Based Test (PBT); or 250 on the Computer-Based Test (CBT). We may also consider the equivalent score on other recognized tests.

Applicants may be exempted from this requirement if they have completed a university degree where English was the language of instruction.

Applicants are responsible for making all arrangements regarding writing of the TOEFL test or other recognized tests and for ensuring the official score report is forwarded to the DeGroote School of Business in a timely manner.

Qualification Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program will be granted in accordance with the general regulations of the School of Graduate Studies as specified in the front of this calendar. Applicants normally must have a Master’s degree with at least B+ standing and a minimum GMAT score of 600. In lieu of a GMAT score, a comparable GRE score will be considered as long as a minimum of 80% below is achieved in the quantitative score. Admission decisions are based on past academic performance, GMAT or GRE score, the strength of reference letters, the quality of the applicant’s statement of research interests and goals, and matching of the applicants’ research interests with the research expertise and interests of the faculty members.

Accounting candidates must demonstrate proficiency in various subject areas of business management, including accounting and economics. They must also possess strong quantitative skills, including calculus and linear algebra. Highly qualified candidates with background in other fields such as economics, finance, mathematics, engineering, engineering and management, or computer science are encouraged to apply.

Finance candidates must demonstrate competence in business management, finance, mathematics and economics.

HM candidates must hold a related Master’s degree, demonstrate competence in one or more functional areas of management, and possess strong communication skills. The most competitive candidates will have at least two years of management experience and will also have experience conducting business, social sciences, humanities or health sciences related research.

IS candidates must demonstrate proficiency in business management and information systems. Students must also demonstrate proficiency in statistics at a level sufficient for study and research in the IS field.

MOBHR candidates must demonstrate competence in at least one of the following related subject areas in business management: organizational behaviour, human resources management, labour relations, industrial and organizational psychology and economics.

MS candidates must demonstrate proficiency in various subject areas in business management, including operations management and economics. They must also demonstrate proficiency in calculus, probability, matrix algebra, statistics and computer programming at a level sufficient for study and research in the MS field.

Marketing candidates must have demonstrated proficiency in any area of the natural sciences, social sciences or humanities. They are encouraged to demonstrate some competence in areas of business management and marketing. Students must also have demonstrated proficiency in mathematics or statistics at a level sufficient for study and research in the Marketing field.

Strategic Management candidates must demonstrate competence in one or more of the following fields general strategy, business policy, economics, psychology, sociology, knowledge management, governance, international business, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and organizational behaviour among others.

Program Requirements

Because of the differing backgrounds of students entering the program and the differing areas of dissertation research, there will be variations in the course programs that students follow. A program of study will be chosen by the student with the approval of the student’s supervisor and the Area Chair. This program will be chosen to prepare the student for the comprehensive examinations and to provide appropriate background for the planned dissertation research.

Most of the courses and seminars will be taken within the School of Business. Where appropriate, and with the approval of the student’s supervisor, courses from other departments within the University or from other universities may be taken; such courses normally will be graduate courses. Graduate courses offered in other university departments are described elsewhere in this calendar.

Students must take a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 12 one-term courses. The exact number and mix of courses will depend on the background and research interests of the student as assessed by the student’s supervisor. Students can receive exemptions for courses (if qualified) or take additional courses as long as the total number does not exceed 12 courses.

In order to remain in the program, students must maintain a grade point average of at least B+ in their course work with no more than one failing grade (below B-) in a prescribed course. The student will be required to withdraw from the program if he/she receives a second failing grade.

All students in the program, regardless of field of study, take one common seminar course (BUSINESS B790 / Theory Building in Management ).

Comprehensive Examination

All doctoral candidates must pass a comprehensive examination in their chosen field of study to demonstrate knowledge of the field and preparation for research. The comprehensive examination will test each student’s knowledge of core material, familiarity with the relevant literature and knowledge of methodology required to do research in the field. The comprehensive examinations in the Accounting, MOBHR, Management Science and Marketing fields include a written examination followed by an oral examination. The comprehensive exam in Finance consists of a written exam (in two parts) and a research paper proposal. The comprehensive examination in all other fields includes only a written examination.

In addition to the comprehensive examination, students must pass an oral defence of their dissertation proposals before they can proceed to the final oral defence of their dissertation. The dissertation examination will take place in accordance with the regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.

PhD students receiving two failures in Comprehensive Examinations will be withdrawn from their degree program. These students are not allowed to switch to another Business PhD field of Specialization.