Business Administration (Smeal - Ph.D., M.S.)

The Master of Science in Business Administration program is highly flexible and designed for advanced study in a specialized field. The M.S. program is directed toward the development of competency within a defined area of management. Fields such as accounting and management science are examples of career opportunities requiring specialized knowledge and skill, including research.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Business Administration program offers advanced graduate education for students focused on research careers at leading business schools. The faculty of the college views the Ph.D. as evidencing scholarship at the highest level.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are required to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record of Examination (GRE). The program does not admit applicants for the terminal Master of Science (M.S.) degree.

Criteria for evaluating applicants for the Ph.D. program include professional and academic accomplishments, GMAT/GRE scores, recommendations, and personal data from application forms that provide indications of future academic and professional accomplishment.

Ph.D. candidates may begin either the fall or spring semester. However, only rarely are admissions for the Ph.D. programs granted for spring semester. Individuals from all undergraduate disciplines are encouraged to apply.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science (M.S.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

Admission to the M.S. program is only available to students previously admitted to the Ph.D. program, with the approval of the Director of the Ph.D. program. The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 credits at the 400, 500, 600, or 800 level in business administration or related areas, including a thesis or scholarly paper. Students who complete a thesis must take at least 18 credits at the 500 or 600 level, with a minimum of 6 credits in thesis research (BA 600 or BA 610). The thesis must be accepted by the committee members, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School. Students who choose the non-thesis option must take at least 18 credits at the 500 level, and complete a satisfactory scholarly paper while enrolled in BA 596.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

Competency Expectations

Entrance into the doctoral program in business administration does not require the completion of an undergraduate degree specifically in business. While almost any major at the undergraduate level may be acceptable, graduate study in business administration does presume a minimum level of competency in mathematics, statistics, and computing. No transcript credit is required for entering doctoral students in these areas, except where specified by particular fields of specialization. However, it must be emphasized that lack of minimum competency in mathematics, statistics and computing could be a significant disadvantage to the student.

Breadth Requirement

All students are expected to develop a broad understanding of the functions of the business organization. To achieve breadth, all Ph.D. students must show competency by completing 12 credits at the 400, 500, or 800 level in a minimum of two of the approved fields of study within the Smeal College of Business and/or in Economics in the College of the Liberal Arts. The 12 credits in the breadth requirement must be taken in fields outside or separate from a student's primary, supporting, and research competency fields.

Primary Field Requirements

All students are required to achieve competency in a primary field of business administration. The primary field is the sphere of scholarship that commands the most extensive and intensive portion of a program and is the area in which the student's dissertation research is conducted and the Ph.D. committee chair is selected. Primary fields may be selected from the following:

• accounting;
• finance;
• insurance and real estate;
• management and organization;
• marketing;
• supply chain and information systems.

Graduate work in a selected primary field may require competency in prerequisite areas, including undergraduate work in the field itself as well as prior work in mathematics, statistics, computer science, economics, and social and behavioral sciences. The prerequisite work will be specified by each primary field.

Supporting Field Requirements

All students must select a supporting field of study from business administration or related outside areas. Those spheres of scholarship complement the student's primary field. Supporting fields from business administration include all the primary fields. Outside supporting fields include, but are not limited to,

• anthropology,
• civil engineering,
• computer science,
• economics,
• industrial engineering,
• mathematics,
• political science,
• psychology,
• sociology,
• statistics.

Research Methods Field

All students must develop a broad understanding of the scientific research process and in-depth competency in the research methods used in the primary field. Each student's Ph.D. committee shall specify a minimum of 4 courses/12 credits at the 400, 500, or 800 level (beyond the M.B.A. core courses) to constitute a supporting field in research methods. These courses should cover specific methods and tools relevant for research in the primary fields. A member of the Ph.D. committee shall be designated to represent the research methods field and shall be responsible for evaluating the student's competence in the field.

Research Paper and Presentation Requirement

To introduce students early to the research process, each Ph.D. student must complete a written research paper within two years after admission to the Ph.D. program. The student must then present the paper at an open departmental workshop or seminar within one semester after the paper is approved by the department committee and chair. The student must work under the guidance of a Research Paper Supervisor (who may or may not later be the dissertation adviser). The research paper supervisor mentors the student, possibly suggesting the research topic, monitoring progress, providing ideas and feedback, and helping the student develop appropriate research, writing, and presentation skills. The paper must substantially represent the student's work, and must be written by the student. The paper must clearly define and motivate the problem being addressed, contain a comprehensive literature review, and present the research contributions and conclusions. Approval of written paper and presentation can be used as a means to satisfy the Graduate Council English competence and communication requirement (to be completed before the comprehensive examination).

Dissertation

To earn the Ph.D. degree, doctoral candidates must write a dissertation that is accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School, and the student must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense).

Dual-Titles

Dual-Title M.S. and Ph.D. in Business Administration and Operations Research

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

M.S. and Ph.D. students in Smeal College of Business can elect to participate in the Operations Research dual-title graduate program. Operations Research is the use of scientific methodology in the formulation, analysis, and solution of problems of decision making.

Admissions Requirements

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Business Administration and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Operations Research dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Operations Research Bulletin page. Doctoral students must be admitted into the dual-title degree program in Operations Research prior to taking the qualifying exam in their home department.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the dual-title degree, students must satisfy the degree requirements for the degree they are enrolled in Business Administration, listed on the Degree Requirements tab. In addition, students must complete the degree requirements for the dual-title in Operations Research, listed on the Operations Research Bulletin page.

For the dual-title M.S. degree in Business Administration and Operations Management, the thesis or scholarly paper must reflect the student’s education and interest in both Business Administration and Operations Research. The master’s committee must include at least one Graduate Faculty member from Operations Research. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role.

The qualifying examination committee for the dual-title Ph.D. degree will be composed of Graduate Faculty from Business Administration and must include at least one Graduate Faculty member from the Operations Research program. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. There will be a single qualifying examination, containing elements of both Business Administration and Operations Management. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable.

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee of a Business Administration and Operations Research dual-title Ph.D. student must include at least one member of the Operations Research Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Operations Research, the member of the committee representing Operations Research must be appointed as co-chair. The Operations Research representative on the student’s Ph.D. committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination.

Students in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that is approved in advance by their Ph.D. committee and reflects their original research and education in Business Administration and Operations Research. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Minor

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies and GCAC-700 Professional Degree Policies, depending on the type of degree the student is pursuing:

• GCAC-611 Minor - Research Doctorate
• GCAC-641 Minor - Research Master's
• GCAC-709 Minor - Professional Doctorate
• GCAC-741 Minor - Professional Master's

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of The Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by The Graduate School.

In addition to the fellowships, traineeships, graduate assistantships, and other forms of financial aid described on the Graduate School's website, other awards are available to graduate students in Smeal College of Business.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

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