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Business Administration

Areas of Study and Research

The Leeds School of Business PhD Program is a full-time program, intended for those who desire careers in university research and teaching. The program focuses on developing the necessary skills for the design and execution of original, innovative research and for the dissemination of knowledge through teaching and writing.

In any year, there are approximately 45 doctoral students in our program majoring in accounting; finance; marketing; information systems; operations management; and strategic, organizational, and entrepreneurial studies.

Degrees Offered

PhD
The PhD requires at least 30 credit hours of approved graduate coursework and 30 dissertation credit hours. All students are required to successfully complete a comprehensive examination, a dissertation proposal defense, and a final dissertation defense. Attendance at Graduate Teacher Program teaching workshops is also required. Please see our website for more information about our teaching requirements.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

  1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
  2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
  3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
  4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.

Business Administration Admissions Requirements
Applicants must:

  1. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
  2. Preferably have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 (out of 4.0).
  3. Have GMAT scores of 650 or higher. The GRE is accepted in lieu of the GMAT.
  4. Be proficient in English. Scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required unless 1) your native language is English; or 2) at the time you apply, and within two years of your desired admission term, you have completed at least one year of full-time study at a U.S. institution, or at an institution in a country where English is the native language. A minimum score of 620 on the paper-based test or 105 on the internet-based test is required.
  5. Provide a current vita.
  6. Provide a minimum of three letters of recommendation.
  7. Provide a personal statement that explicitly addresses the applicant's academic interests, including research interests and career objectives.
  8. Complete and submit a Leeds PhD Program Applicant Information Sheet (available on our website).

Minimum Standards for Applicants
The Leeds School of Business does not require pre-application. All business applicants must meet Graduate School guidelines for application. All application materials must be received by the application deadline.

Financial Support Available
The Leeds School of Business funds all of its PhD students. Each student receives a tuition waiver and monthly stipend in exchange for a teaching assistantship (TA) or research assistantship (RA) position during both semesters of the academic year. Teaching assignments and research fellowships are also available during summer semester.

There is no separate financial assistance application form. All applicants who submit a complete application for admission by the application deadline are considered for financial assistance.


Application Information and Deadlines
Fall admission Yes
Application deadline January 31
International application deadline January 31
Financial assistance application deadline January 31
 
Spring admission No
 
Summer admission No

Contact Information

Leeds School of Business: PhD Program
University of Colorado at Boulder
419 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0419
Phone: 303-492-4984
Fax: 303-492-7676
E-mail: LeedsPhD@colorado.edu
Website: leeds.colorado.edu/phdprog