Ph.D. Program Office
831 RCB Building
404/413-7070
Program website: www.robinson.gsu.edu/phd/
E-mail address: rcbphd@gsu.edu
Detmar W. Straub, PhD., Director of the Ph.D. Program
Adenike Brewington, BA., Associate Director of the Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. program of J. Mack Robinson College of Business will develop in graduates a high level of competence in conducting research and in teaching business disciplines by requiring: (1) education in theory; (2) education in general research techniques as well as research techniques specific to a discipline; (3) research experience with faculty members on contemporary research problems and issues; and (4) training on teaching methodology reinforced with active classroom teaching experience.
The Ph.D. program requires that the student demonstrate mastery of a large and complex body of knowledge and a high degree of proficiency in the techniques of teaching and research. This is evidenced by the successful completion of coursework and examinations, effective performance in classroom instruction, participation with faculty members in research, presentation of papers and reports, and the writing of a dissertation of high quality. Given the substantial commitment of intellectual effort and time required to achieve these competencies, students are required to enroll on a full-time basis.
All Ph.D. students must assume full responsibility for knowledge of the rules and regulations concerning their studies. Moreover, students are expected to abide by generally accepted standards of conduct. The university reserves the right to exclude any student whose conduct is prejudicial or injurious to the university, faculty, or other students. Students should review the "University Code of Conduct" in the General Information chapter of this catalog for explicit information on this topic.
Ph.D. studies are fundamentally different from undergraduate or master's programs. The Ph.D. student must be self motivated and work well independently. The program is academically rigorous and students must have exceptional quantitative and verbal skills. Coursework is but one facet of the program. The research component is the heart of the Ph.D. program. The student must be highly motivated to work on research projects independently and with faculty. Most students take five years to complete the degree. Students are encouraged to present research papers at national and regional meetings. The college provides partial funding to help defray costs. The successful student is one who not only has excellent academic skills, but a passion for scholarly research.
The Robinson College of Business offers the Ph.D. in Business Administration with major fields in:
The doctoral program of the Robinson College of Business is governed and administered as follows:
Applications for the Ph.D. programs will be accepted for once-a-year admission in the fall semester. The deadline for receipt of all required application materials is February 1.
There are two options for applying to the Ph.D. program. The preferred method is to apply online using the link on the website. Alternatively, a hard copy of the application can be printed from the website and submitted. Information about the application can be found at http://robinson.gsu.edu/phd/admissions.html or by emailing the Ph.D. Program Office at rcbphd@gsu.edu. The office phone number is 404-413-7070.
All documents and other materials submitted by or for applicants for admission to the Ph.D. program become the property of Georgia State University and cannot be returned. It is the responsibility of each applicant to follow the application procedures completely and correctly and to be certain that all materials have been submitted to the Ph.D. Program Office by the deadline for receipt of materials. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Admission is for entry in a specific major. A student may enter a different major only if, and after formal approval has been given by the Ph.D. admissions committee of that major. Not all majors admit students yearly.
Admission decisions are based on a careful review of the applicant's scholastic record, admission test score(s), letters of recommendation, and the other information submitted in support of the application (including an interview, if required by the academic unit). In making the decision, each academic unit must consider at all times the optimum number of students in the program. This could result in the denial or deferral of otherwise qualified applicants.
Applicants are not required to submit a certification of their state of health but must submit an immunization certification. The college reserves the right to investigate the health, character, and personality of each applicant.
Listed below are the materials which all applicants must submit to the Ph.D. Program Office to be considered for admission.
Applicants must submit all application forms, including a statement of purpose the narrative section.
An application fee of $50 must be submitted by applicants who have never applied to the Ph.D. program of the Georgia State University Robinson College of Business and paid the fee in the past. The online application allows applicants to pay by credit card. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Georgia State University in U.S. currency. Do not send cash. The application fee cannot be waived, is nonrefundable, and does not apply toward registration fees.
Applicants either must request that two official copies of all transcripts be sent directly from each institution to the Ph.D. Program Office or submit the official transcripts unopened with the application. An applicant who has previously attended Georgia State University is permitted to submit only one copy of transcripts from each institution attended prior to entering the university; two copies are required from all institutions attended after having last been registered at Georgia State University.
Three letters of recommendation are required from persons who are able to evaluate the applicant's intellectual capacity for advanced study, independent research, analytical thinking, and the potential for effective teaching at the collegiate level. Applicants and students are not permitted to have access to letters of recommendation.
All applicants to the Ph.D. in business administration program must submit official scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) of the Educational Testing Service.* GMAT scores will not be considered if they are more than seven years old at the time of application to the Ph.D. program. The school code is QCK-ZW-59.
A GMAT Information Bulletin may be obtained by contacting the Educational Testing Service:
Graduate Management Admission Test
Educational Testing Service
P. O. Box 6103
Princeton, NJ 08541-6013
Phone: 1-609-771-7330
Fax: 1-609-883-4349
E-mail: gmat@ets.org
www.gmac.com
* The following units —Computer Information Systems, Marketing, Organizational Behavior/Human Resource Management, Real Estate, and Risk Management and Insurance—will accept scores on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) as a substitute for the GMAT from applicants.. Other academic units may consider GRE scores on a case-by-case basis, but an applicant to any program other than those previously mentioned may lessen the probability of acceptance by not submitting GMAT scores. The GRE school code is 5251. Applicants are advised to enclose a copy of their test scores with the hard copy materials that they send to the admissions office to facilitate the office in locating the official score report.
As part of the review of an applicant's file by faculty representatives in the academic unit, an interview or additional information may be required. In such cases, the applicant will be notified.
TOEFL: An international applicant whose native language is not English must submit official scores from the Educational Testing Service on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). An international applicant who has received a degree from an accredited U.S. institution is exempt from this requirement. However, international applicants who have taken the TOEFL within two years of application to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to submit official scores even if the exemption applies. The school code is 5251.
Financial Requirements: Georgia State University reserves the right to admit only those international applicants who are academically qualified and who have documented their ability to meet the financial requirements while in attendance. Although the Ph.D. program does award assistantships to the majority of accepted applicants, this funding is not always adequate to meet all living expenses. Applicants who are requesting a student (F-1) visa might be required to have some independent sources of funding, depending on the amount of their award. For the 2010-2011 year, an unmarried student coming to the U.S. without dependents was required to show resources totaling approximately $47,000 a year for tuition and living expenses. Applicants with dependents will be required to document additional funds. This documentation will be requested of applicants who are offered admission. The estimated living expenses do not include owning a car.
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia Requires that all accepted applicants who have never attended Georgia State University submit proof of immunization from measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) before being allowed to register. The Ph.D. program will consider applicants for admission without this documentation. However, in order to matriculate, an applicant must have fulfilled this requirement. A form for providing this certification will be provided to an applicant upon acceptance. Applicants born before January 1, 1957, are considered to be immune to measles and mumps, but must have the rubella immunization.
Admission to the Ph.D. program is for the specific semester and year stated in the acceptance letter. Any accepted applicant who does not enroll for the semester and year for which acceptance was granted must notify the associate director of the Ph.D. program so his or her records may be updated for fall of the next year. Admission for the next year is not guaranteed. Applicants should be aware that assistantships, instructorships, or fellowships could be affected by such a change. All application files of nonmatriculated applicants, regardless of admissions decision, will be kept on file for two years. An applicant who wishes to reactivate an application after that period may need to resubmit application materials and official documentation.
Ph.D. students in the Robinson College of Business are eligible for graduate research assistantships (GRA) and graduate teaching assistantships (GTA). The college also awards temporary instructorships to select Ph.D. students who have passed the dissertation proposal defense. In addition, there are various fellowships and scholarships awarded on a competitive basis to Ph.D. students. No separate application is required for applicants to be considered for funding.
Newly admitted Ph.D. students. Soon after admission to the Ph.D. program, the Ph.D. Program Office will inform newly admitted students of the type and number of appointments, if any, which they have been allocated by their academic unit. All accepted applicants are automatically considered for assistantships.
Students in their second and successive years of Ph.D. studies. Each academic unit will determine the assistantship appointment level to be allocated to its continuing Ph.D. students based on the students' performance in the program and on the unit's assistantship budget.
The teaching assignment of a graduate teaching assistant is usually a basic undergraduate course in the student's area of interest. Advanced Ph.D. students may be permitted to teach advanced-level courses. Only Ph.D. students who have completed the requirements for a master's degree, or the equivalent amount of graduate coursework, can be considered for appointment as a GTA.
Prior to the actual appointment as a GTA, a student must be recommended for hiring by the academic unit and receive approval to teach from the University. The student is responsible for completing all paperwork involved in this process well in advance of the semester for which approval is sought.
Any Ph.D. student appointed as a GTA must take BA 9200, Seminar in University Teaching, during his or her first or second semester of teaching. Prior teaching experience does not exempt a student from this requirement. Nonnative speakers of English must demonstrate adequate proficiency in their language skills to the satisfaction of their academic unit prior to being hired as a GTA.
A student hired as a GRA or GTA receives a tuition waiver. A registration fee assessed each semester includes the health clinic, student activity, student athletics, recreation and transportation fees. International students and all graduate students who have a full tuition waiver (as defined by the university) must pay a mandatory health insurance fee or provide proof of health insurance. Submission of proof of insurance does not automatically exempt a student from this requirement. Approval is contingent on verification of coverage. For further information, students should visit University Health Clinic website at: www2.gsu.edu/~wwwuhs/.
A temporary instructor is appointed for one academic year. Appointment as a temporary instructor benefits Ph.D. students who have passed the dissertation proposal defense and have demonstrated satisfactory classroom teaching ability over a period of two or more semesters by providing them with a significant level of income and other university employee benefits during the year in which they are working full time on their dissertation.
The Robinson College of Business has a number of fellowships and scholarships available, ranging from $500 to $10,000 per year. Such fellowship and scholarship stipends are awarded in addition to the amounts received by Ph.D. students who are appointed as GRAs or GTAs. Information on specific fellowships and scholarships is available from the Ph.D. coordinator of the student's academic unit.
I. Program of Study
The Ph.D. Coordinator is the faculty member in the student’s academic unit who advises students on courses to be taken and on other degree requirements. As a function of, and implicit in course selection for the student’s program of study the academic unit will consider how the discipline fits into managerial and organizational contexts and will select courses accordingly.
A program of study indicating how the student will fulfill each of the degree requirements must be approved by the student’s Ph.D. Coordinator and the Director of the Ph.D. Programs by the end of the second semester of enrollment. This program of study is filed in the RCB Ph.D. Program Office; it may be revised, as appropriate, but must be kept current, as it will be a key factor in determining satisfactory progress in the program.
Forty-two (42) semester hours of coursework, as a minimum, must be completed successfully for graduation. The major field requirement is a minimum of 18 credit hours; the research methods requirement is a minimum of 15 credit hours; and free elective or secondary area courses are a minimum of 9 credit hours for a total of 42 semester hours. Students are expected to complete the courses on their program of study on a timely basis. When feasible, registration for a full load (as defined by the college) each semester is encouraged, including courses for research and dissertation credit (BA 9000 or BA 9500). At a minimum, students who do not hold an assistantship must register for six hours per semester (excluding summer semester unless the student holds a GRA/GTA).
II. Quantitative and Research Foundations (15 semester hours)
Students entering the Ph.D. program are presumed to have background and current knowledge in the following additional areas:
Students can remedy a deficiency in any or all of these areas by taking credit or noncredit courses, auditing appropriate graduate or undergraduate classes, and/or attending tutorial sessions. Students who feel their background is not adequate may consult with the Associate Director of the Ph.D. programs and their Ph.D. Coordinator for recommendations on overcoming deficiencies.
III. Major Field (18 semester hours)
Hours of Coursework. The satisfactory completion of no fewer than 18 graduate-level semester hours constitutes minimum preparation in the major field.
Students must have satisfactorily completed all courses on the program of study in the major field and in the research methods requirement to be eligible to take the preliminary examination. Requests to take the preliminary examination are made through the Ph.D. Coordinator. The Ph.D. Coordinator will notify the Office of Ph.D. Programs with the names of the student(s) prepared to take the examination.
Students will not be permitted a second attempt to pass the preliminary examination except upon recommendation, by majority vote, of the group of faculty members who graded the examination. A maximum of two attempts is permitted to pass the preliminary examination.
IV. Research Methods Requirements (15 semester hours)
The satisfactory completion of no fewer than 15 graduate-level semester hours constitutes minimum preparation in research methods. The Ph.D. Coordinator may approve substitutions for any of the following research methods requirements.
V. Free Electives or Secondary Area (9 semester hours)
A maximum of 15 semester hours may be transferred from other institutions or from other programs at Georgia State University. Transfer credit, whether from other institutions or from Georgia State, must have been completed within five years of the semester of entry to the Ph.D. program. The course must have been limited to graduate students only, and a grade of A or B must have been received.
At the time the program of study is planned with the Ph.D. coordinator, the student who requests transfer credit must submit a course description from the catalog of the institution, a syllabus or course outline, and written justification stating why the course is relevant to the program of study. Requests for transfer credit are approved at the discretion of the unit coordinator in consultation with Ph.D. faculty. Final approval for the acceptance of transfer credit rests with the director of the Ph.D. program at the time the program of study is submitted to the Ph.D. Program Office.
In order to earn a graduate degree at Georgia State University, students must earn the majority of their graduate program credit hours from Georgia State University. All transfer hours are subject to unit/college level approval. The Robinson College of Business defines residency in the Ph.D. program as being enrolled in approved coursework that is appropriate for the program, and that have not been counted toward another graduate degree of this college. The minimum residency requirement is 18 semester hours.
The Ph.D. grade-point average (GPA) is defined as the GPA for all courses numbered 6000 or higher taken after admission to the Ph.D. program. Each student must maintain a 3.0 Ph.D. GPA ("B" average). A student whose Ph.D. GPA falls below 3.0 is on "scholastic warning." After being placed on scholastic warning, a student must attain a 3.0 Ph.D. GPA within two consecutive calendar semesters; otherwise the individual will be terminated from Ph.D. studies in the Robinson College of Business.
The Ph.D. GPA could differ from the GPA calculated by the university and reported on the student's official transcript, since the university GPA would also include the grades from all courses taken at Georgia State taken at Georgia State University before admission to the Ph.D. program.
No student will be permitted to sit for any examination required for the Ph.D. degree, other than course examinations, without having a minimum 3.00 Ph.D. GPA at the time the examination is to be taken. A student with a Ph.D. GPA below 3.00 is ineligible for graduate assistantship appointments as either a GRA or GTA. Students must have at least a 3.0 Ph.D. GPA in order to graduate.
A student who has been terminated from the Ph.D. program will not be permitted to reapply to or reenter the program.
The requirements and regulations listed in this catalog refer to minimum standards of performance. The student's academic unit may have additional requirements, as set forth in writing, that exceed the minimum standards published in this catalog. If a student fails to meet these additional requirements, either the chair of the student's major academic unit or the director of the Ph.D. program may require that the student withdraw from Ph.D. study.
To continue in the program, a student must make reasonable and timely progress toward the degree in terms of coursework completed and examinations. Students who fail to adhere to the minimum standards published in the catalog or to any higher standards established by the academic unit will be terminated from the program.
When a student feels that unusual circumstances invalidate any of the regulations or requirements relating to the degree in his or her particular case, the student may write to the Ph.D. coordinator and request exemption from or change in the policy. The petition by the student must be submitted with accompanying justifications. If the Ph.D. coordinator and academic unit support the request, the Ph.D. coordinator will write a letter of support for the student and submit the material to the director of the Ph.D. program for a decision.
Beginning with the semester of acceptance, a Ph.D. student must register for a full load each semester (excluding summer semester unless the student holds a GRA/GTA) until graduation. Students who are visa-holders may need to register for more hours and should discuss their status with the Office of International Student and Scholar Services. BA 9000, Doctoral Research, may be used to satisfy this requirement until the student has passed the dissertation proposal defense. BA 9500, Dissertation Research, may be used to satisfy the minimum hours requirement once the student has passed the dissertation proposal defense. Students who fail to meet the continuous registration requirement are subject to withdrawal from Ph.D. studies in the Robinson College.
As was stated in the previous section concerning continuous registration, students must enroll for a full course load each semester (excluding summers). Any absence from the program must be approved through the petition procedure (see section regarding petitions). Students who leave the program without an approved petition or who do not fulfill the terms of an approved petition for an absence, may not be allowed to reenter the program. Any student who is not registered for one calendar year must file a reentry application with the Registrar's Office. Students must be mindful of the deadline for this application. There is a charge to file a reentry application. As previously state, reentry approval is not automatic and the student should check with the Ph.D. Program Office if considering reentry.
The purpose of the preliminary examination is to determine student mastery of the body of knowledge in their area of specialization and their readiness for dissertation research. Students are encouraged to confer with their Ph.D. coordinator regarding the areas the examination will encompass. The preliminary examination is a written examination, supplemented in some cases by an oral examination. The preliminary exam may have several parts and students must have successfully completed all parts before being designated, informally, as ABD (“All-But-Dissertation”). The units offering doctoral programs will determine how many parts there will be to their preliminary exam and when these will be offered.
Students must have satisfactorily completed all required courses in the program of study in the major field to be eligible to take the preliminary examination (or the first part in the event of a multi-part exam). Requests to take the preliminary examination are made through their Ph.D. coordinator. The Ph.D. coordinator will notify the Ph.D. Program Office which student(s) are prepared to take the examination.
Students will not be permitted a second attempt to pass the preliminary examination except upon recommendation, by majority vote, of the group of faculty members who graded the examination. A maximum of two attempts is permitted to pass the preliminary examination.
The purpose of the dissertation is for the Ph.D. candidate to demonstrate his or her ability to conduct a research program leading to a significant contribution to the candidate's discipline. Before a student begins to collect any primary data from human subjects, s/he must make sure that all data collection, including surveys, are in compliance with the guidelines set out by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Included among these requirements is certification via an online test on ethical treatment of subjects. The IRB's Human Subjects Manual is accessible online at http://www.gsu.edu/research/human_subjects.html.
Dissertations may be a single study or they may be composed of multiple essays or papers. In the latter case, these papers make up separate chapters of the overall dissertation or they are summarized within the dissertation and attached in full text. Guidelines for the traditional single study dissertation need not be articulated here since they are well understood and are part of the socialization of each business Ph.D. student. Guidelines for multi-paper studies, though, are articulated next since this model is not as familiar within U.S. schools of business.
Whereas the essays or papers that are included in the dissertation may be co-authored, it is critical that the student provide evidence of leadership in the majority of these to demonstrate ability to conduct independent research. Committee members can and should exercise their own judgment as to the quality of the dissertation, irrespective of any prior publication history of the papers. Unit standards for multi-paper dissertations may be formulated and distributed to students to equal or exceed the guidelines expressed here.
The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus a minimum of three members. The committee, and any subsequent change in its membership, is appointed by the director of the Ph.D. program upon the recommendation of the Ph.D. coordinator. Faculty from institutions other than GSU may serve as members of the committee, but at the time of the initial formation of the committee, there must be at least three GSU faculty members on the committee. At least two committee members must be in good standing with respect to GSU graduate faculty status. Co-chair arrangements are not only acceptable, but even encouraged, especially in cases where one of the co-chairs is an assistant professor. Unit standards for committee membership may be formulated and distributed to students to equal or exceed the policies expressed here.
As the student develops an interest in a potential dissertation topic, he or she should discuss the topic with individual faculty members both to determine the topic's feasibility and merit and the faculty members' interest and expertise in that area. When the student is ready to begin the initial work on the dissertation, he or she should first discuss with the Ph.D. coordinator names of potential faculty who would be the most appropriate chair of the Dissertation Committee. Only after the Ph.D. coordinator has agreed with the student as to the choice of a particular faculty member should the student then invite the faculty member to be chair of the committee.
Once the dissertation chair has been chosen, the chair, in consultation with the student, will recommend the selection of the three remaining committee members to the Ph.D. coordinator. Normally, one of the committee members is from outside the academic unit. The final committee membership is then sent to the unit Ph.D. coordinator and the director of the Ph.D. program for their approval. Should either of these managers disapprove a particular committee member(s), the chair will work with the student to find a suitable replacement(s).
Prior to admission to candidacy for the degree, a dissertation proposal defense must be held. After the student completes a written proposal that the Dissertation Committee deems to be ready for final defense, a dissertation proposal defense will be held before the Dissertation Committee.
The student's dissertation proposal should include a summary of the following: the purpose of the study; the nature of the subject to be investigated and its importance; a brief review of the literature; the theory, if any, to be developed; the empirical methodology, techniques, and data sources, if any, to be used; the nature of the hypotheses to be developed or tested, where appropriate; and a time frame for completion of the dissertation.
The proposal defense will be open to all interested faculty and Ph.D. students. After the proposal defense has been held, the members of the committee will vote to determine if the student is deemed to have a satisfactory research topic. A unanimous decision by the student's Dissertation Committee is required. The members of the committee will sign the dissertation proposal defense approval form.
Submission of the approval form does not constitute a contractual agreement between the student and the Dissertation Committee. It is within the scope and function of the Dissertation Committee to recommend modifications to the research as it proceeds. Upon submission of the proposal defense approval form to the Ph.D. Program Office, the student is admitted to candidacy for the degree.
Committee members should be given a draft of the proposal (and also the final dissertation) at least a month before the proposed defense date. This will permit a revision cycle to both improve the work before the defense and ensure that committee members have adequate time to comment and raise substantive issues, should this be the case. It will also allow the defense date to be postponed in the event that required changes could not be completed before the proposed defense date.
When the candidate's Dissertation Committee judges that the dissertation is complete, it must be defended orally in a final dissertation defense. At least two weeks in advance of the final dissertation defense, the Ph.D. coordinator will inform the Ph.D. Program Office of the candidate's date of defense and an announcement will be made to all academic units. While any interested faculty member or graduate student may attend the examination and participate in the discussion, only those individuals who are members of the candidate's Dissertation Committee will vote to approve or disapprove the dissertation. Upon successful defense of the dissertation, a dissertation defense approval form will be signed by the members of the Dissertation Committee and submitted to the Ph.D. Program Office. Unanimous approval is required. Guidelines for the dissertation are available from the Ph.D. Program Office and on the Ph.D. website at robinson.gsu.edu/phd/1611.html. Click on "Information for Current Students," then click on "The Dissertation."
Students must apply for graduation through the Office of Graduation. The deadline for applying for graduation is usually several months before the anticipated graduation date, so students need to apply in a timely manner. There is no summer commencement. More information concerning applying for graduation can be found at www.gsu.edu/es/applying_for_graduation.html. The associate director of the Ph.D. program will provide the candidate with information regarding clearance for graduation. An electronic copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Ph.D. Program Office two weeks prior to the anticipated date of graduation.
These time limits should be interpreted as the maximum amount of time students may take to complete each of the degree requirements. It is anticipated that most students will complete the requirements much earlier than the maximum time limits specified below: