About PhD Program,
The doctoral program of study is full-time and year-round; it generally requires four to five years to complete. To be successful in the program, a high level of commitment is necessary. Students are therefore expected to reside in Seattle and be full time participants in the program.
With guidance from faculty mentors, PhD students will create a personalized program of study that includes a major area of specialization and at least two minor areas of specialization. In addition to coursework, each department holds regular seminars where students and faculty review and critique current research in the field.
Upon satisfactory completion of coursework and the major area written exam, students are conferred a Master of Science in Business Administration (MSBA).
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Students are admitted to candidacy upon completion of the general examination. The supervisory committee administers this oral test after all area requirements are completed. In some cases, the general examination is a defense of the student’s dissertation proposal.
Admission to candidacy is a formal University process signifying that a student has completed certain degree requirements and that the faculty expects that the student will successfully complete the degree program. The student is designated as a Candidate (PhC) for the doctoral degree and awarded the Candidate’s certificate.
Each year, from an application pool of approximately 500, the Michael G. Foster School of Business PhD Program admits a class of approximately 15 highly qualified PhD students. In selecting applicants, we give primary consideration to academic potential and aspiration. Each applicant is evaluated in terms of the following:
- Academic accomplishments to date
- Institutions attended and graduate and undergraduate grades and courses taken
- Scholarships, awards, and honors earned
- Graduate Management Admission test (GMAT) scores, or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores
- TOEFL iBT and/or IELTS scores (if applicable)
- Academic and other references
- Relevant nonacademic experience
- Statement of Purpose: academic objectives and past or future experiences/contributions (including to advance the Foster School’s commitment to diversity and inclusion).
Admission decisions are also influenced by the availability of faculty, the number of students already in the program, and the availability of financial support in each major area of specialization.
Please keep in mind the following: A highly qualified incoming student will typically have a very high GMAT/GRE score (e.g., 90th percentile), a very high GPA (e.g., 3.9) often in both undergraduate and graduate level work at highly regarded institutions and they will have some, if not extensive, experience with research.
PhD Funding Coverage,
The School’s goal is to provide financial support for at least four years for all doctoral students who make satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree and maintain a high standard of performance in their assignments. Financial aid in the form of tuition waivers, teaching and research assistantships, fellowships and scholarships is available in the Ph.D. Program. The objectives of financial support packages are to help fund the student’s educational program and to provide the student with supervised professional experience in both teaching and research. The financial packages for more senior students are designed to allow them to focus on their own individual work (i.e., the dissertation). At this stage, many students also successfully compete for national fellowships and research grants.
Application Requirement,
Application Deadline
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
The nonrefundable application fee is $85.00 (USD) or $75.00 for Graduate Non-Matriculated applications, beginning with applications for Autumn 2025 the application fee will be $90.00 (USD) and remain $75.00 (USD) for Graduate Non-Matriculated applications,
