Business Administration (PhD)

Mission

The PhD of Business Administration at Louisiana Tech University is a full-time, in-residence program of study which primarily prepares its graduates for careers in colleges and schools of business that emphasize outstanding teaching and research relevant to private and public organizations.

Our students are expected to attain a strategic perspective on business, a command of the theoretical, technical and pedagogical aspects of their chosen field of study and develop a research agenda emphasizing both contributions to practice  and discipline based scholarship.

Program Objectives

Our PhD program is designed to meet the following learning goals:

·      Graduates will possess the necessary skills to become effective teachers.

After completing their qualifying exams, PhD candidates are provided the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses in their chosen field of study.  In preparation for teaching, each student completes a 3-hour seminar on pedagogical methods. Students also receive feedback through student teaching evaluations and guidance from their faculty mentors.

·      Graduates will possess the necessary communication skills to be successful in academic positions.

Written and oral communication skills are essential for business faculty.  Students in the PhD program are assessed on both of these skills when they deliver dissertation proposals, research presentations and their dissertation defense. Doctoral candidates must also pass a communications skills assessment prior to working with our undergraduates.

·      Graduates will possess the tools necessary to be proficient in conceptualizing and conducting original research.

The ability to conduct original research is crucial for successful business faculty.  Students are expected to demonstrate this ability through the development of their dissertation and their participation in regional, national and international conference presentations in their chosen field.

·      Graduates will possess comprehensive knowledge of leading edge theory and methods used in their chosen field.

Students are expected to gain expertise in their chosen field of study.  This requires knowledge of both leading edge statistical techniques as well as leading edge theory in their chosen discipline.  This will be assessed via the Statistical Tools Qualifying Exam as well as the qualifying exam in their chosen field.

Study Program

Incoming students work with the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research and their departmental doctoral faculty advisor to develop an individualized formal plan of study. Each plan of study must include the following:

• 24 hours of business core course work to acquaint the student with the functional areas of business. These courses can be waived if the student has satisfactorily completed equivalent graduate level course work at an AACSB-accredited school of business.
• An in-depth major concentration (minimum of 18 hours) in Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Finance, Marketing, or Management
• Quantitative Analysis (minimum of 9 hours) in applied empirical methodologies
• BUSN 600 , which is taught only in the Fall quarter.  This course offers students an orientation to topics in teaching.  BUSN 600  is required by all current doctoral students and has zero (0) credit hours.
• Research and dissertation hours (minimum of 15 hours)

The program of study requirements listed above are independent of each other; courses taken to satisfy one requirement may not be used to satisfy any other requirement. Previous graduate work taken prior to admission to the Louisiana Tech PhD program may be used to satisfy these requirements if it is deemed appropriate by the student’s program committee and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. In compliance with University regulations, the PhD degree requires the completion of 60 hours of graduate work beyond the baccalaureate degree. Within the credit hour requirement is the residency requirement. To satisfy the residency requirement, a student must complete at least three consecutive quarters and a minimum of 24 semester credit hours, exclusive of research and dissertation credit, beyond the master’s degree or its equivalent, on the Louisiana Tech campus. The student’s advisory committee typically specifies additional coursework well beyond the 24 hour minimum residency requirement.

Major Advisor and Doctoral Committees

Upon matriculation, the Program Doctoral Coordinator will serve as the primary academic advisor to the doctoral student. The Coordinator provides guidance on required or recommended courses and helps the student to prepare a Plan of Study. 

In the student’s second year of the doctoral program - after passing the Quantitative Analysis qualifier exam but prior to sitting for the program Comprehensive Exam - the Coordinator and student will formulate, by mutual consent of all parties, a Doctoral Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is comprised of the Coordinator and two other doctoral faculty members, at least one of whom must also be a member of the department of the student’s program. The Coordinator is the Chair of the Advisory Committee. Faculty serving on the Advisory Committee should be familiar with the student’s areas of research and interest and be able and willing to evaluate the student’s work.

The Doctoral Advisory Committee will review the student’s body of work and determine if and when the student is ready to sit for the Comprehensive Exam. If the Committee agrees that the student’s progress is sufficient, the student will be invited to sit for the program Comprehensive Exam. Approval by the Chair of the Advisory Committee (the Coordinator) is required for enrollment in the Comprehensive Exam. 

If the student passes the Comprehensive Exam to the satisfaction of the faculty, the student will be admitted to Candidacy. The Candidate will have six (6) months from the date of admission to Candidacy to formulate, by mutual consent of all parties, a Dissertation Committee. The Chair of the Dissertation Committee will replace the program Coordinator as primary advisor to the Candidate for the remainder of the program, and the Advisory Committee will disband in favor of the Dissertation Committee. It is assumed, but not mandatory, that at least one faculty member on the Advisory Committee will continue on the Dissertation Committee. 

Examinations and Dissertation

A written comprehensive examination covering the major area and a statistical tools qualifying exam are administered after the candidate has completed the relevant coursework in his/her official plan of study. Additional examinations and other requirements (such as a second year summer paper) may be required by the major. These requirements will be specified in the student’s formal plan of study. All examinations are to be taken on the main campus under the direct supervision of appropriate faculty members.

Candidacy and Time Limitation

After the student has successfully passed all examinations and requirements in their plan of study, the student will be admitted to candidacy. The student must complete his/her dissertation and pass the final oral examination (dissertation defense) within a maximum of three calendar years after being admitted to candidacy, with up to two one-year extensions (not guaranteed). Students must request an extension of the three-year time limit in writing. Such a request must include a discussion of the reasons for the extension, a description of the work completed to date, and a projected timetable for completion of the dissertation.

Admission to the PhD Program

To qualify for admission to the PhD program, applicants must meet the graduate admissions requirements of the Graduate School and the doctoral admissions requirements of the College. If these requirements have been or can be met, the application will be reviewed by a doctoral admissions committee to determine personal characteristics, research interests and capability, motivation and perseverance, and promise of success in high level advanced study.

The applicant’s academic record and score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the equivalent GRE must demonstrate sufficient promise to indicate that s/he is qualified to perform successfully in the PhD program. More emphasis will be placed on an applicants’ graduate record than on his/her undergraduate record if he/she have already earned his/her master’s degree.

Admission Procedure

1. Contact the College of Business to determine if your area of interest is accepting students in this particular year. Some programs accept students biannually.
2. Take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Arrangements can be made by visiting gmat.com.  Request that your test score be sent to the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research, College of Business (code 6372), Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA 71272.
3. Complete a Graduate School application online at latech.edu/study-with-us/graduate/admission-apply and pay application fee. Along with your application, you will be asked to provide three references and their contact information.
4. Request official transcripts from all prior colleges and universities be sent to the Graduate School.
5. After your application is complete, you may be invited to participate in an interview with selected doctoral faculty. The admission decision will be made by the PhD Admissions Committee after this interview. All of an applicant’s credentials will be used in making this decision.

CIP Code = 520201