Program of Study - Business Administration (PhD)
Mission
The Ph.D. Program in business administration is designed primarily to prepare students for careers in research and teaching. Flexibility in the program design allows for students who seek career opportunities in the global business environment. The program seeks to create an intellectual climate that embraces rigorous scholarship, diversity and global awareness. The program prepares students to be highly effective researchers and business leaders by providing academically rigorous and state-of-the art training in business administration. The program is focused on developing scholars that contribute to the advancement of business and industry through the creation and dissemination of knowledge and innovation in business administration. Drawing from its strategic location as a “Gateway to the Americas” and strength of the University of Texas System, the program trains students of all backgrounds that transform businesses in Rio Grande Valley, Texas, the United States and the world.
Objectives
- To provide students with an intellectual environment conducive to the development of analytical and problem-solving skills;
- To provide students with wide array of theoretical and methodological tools required for conducting high quality research that creates innovation and discovery of knowledge among business organizations.
- To provide students, through a process of continuous review, a state-of-the-art curriculum that fosters critical thinking, ethical decision making and an understanding of the relationship between business and the global society;
- To cultivate a learning environment that fosters scholarly inquiry, exchange of ideas and the development of excellent research skills;
- To provide students with opportunities to utilize the bicultural environment in which the University is located to study diverse global business practices, interrelationships and interdependencies
Scope
The doctoral degree in business administration at a minimum consists of 63 academic hours. Each student selects a functional area major from finance, management, marketing, or information systems. In consultation with his or her advisory committee, the student selects courses to create an individual degree program. All students are expected to complete quantitative methods and major field courses designed to provide an understanding of the theoretical and empirical foundations of their discipline.
Students complete core course work requirements within the first two years of their training. Students complete core course work requirements within the first two years of their training. After required coursework is completed, students take comprehensive examinations followed by the writing and defending of the dissertation. Each dissertation is expected to make a significant contribution to the field of knowledge encompassing global business administration.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the doctoral program, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a recognized international equivalent in a similar or related field.
- Undergrad GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
- GMAT exam or GRE test with scores submitted by February 1st
- Three letters of recommendation from academic sources
- Personal statement describing goals, experiences, scholarly accomplishments, reasons for pursuing the degree, and possible research questions or topics of interest
- Resume or curriculum vitae
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply. The doctoral program admits in Management and Marketing concentrations every even years and Finance and Information Systems concentrations every odd years.
Admission decisions for the doctoral program are made by a college-level admissions committee. The committee members make a determination with respect to the probability of success. Thus, the student should provide materials that will be helpful in making this decision.
Applications are for entrance to the program in the fall semester. For fall admission, all documents should be received by the doctoral program by February 1st preceding the fall of entrance desired. No students are admitted to begin in spring or summer. Part-time admissions to the program are not allowed.
Admitted PhD students will be required to complete a non-credit online statistical training course prior to beginning their first semester QUMT 6303 Statistical Foundations will be required to be complete. Note, QUMT 6303 is the prerequisite for QUMT 6303 is the prerequisite for QUMT 8310 Applied Multivariate Data Analysis I. This step ensures that students have a good start to their doctoral studies, in terms of statistical training.
Minimum Leveling Courses by Concentrations
Finance
Information Systems
IT background deficiency
Students entering the Information Systems concentration that may be deficient in their IT background, may be required to take one or more of the following foundation courses:
Management
Marketing
Foundation (Leveling) Coursework
All students entering the Ph.D. Program are required to have a business administration foundation. The foundation may be achieved by holding an MBA degree, an MS in a business field or a selection of coursework designed to provide the foundation. Students joining the program without a business educational background must complete “leveling” or foundation courses before enrolling in PhD Seminars. Each concentration has a minimum of nine (9) hours of graduate leveling course requirements for incoming students without a graduate degree in business. During the first year of the doctoral program or subject to the advice of the student's program advisor for other time limits, a student will select from the following pool of graduate courses in determining their leveling courses:
QUMT 6303 is mandatory for all concentrations
Coursework Transfer and Substitution
Up to nine hours of doctoral course credit may be transferred toward the degree at UT Rio Grande Valley. However, hours are not automatically transferred. Students must apply to the Ph.D. Program director (PPD) to have specific courses evaluated for inclusion in their degree plans. In general, courses transferred must have been taken in a time frame that permits the student to complete degree requirements at UT Rio Grande Valley within a 10-year span from the date of first enrollment in transferred courses.
No substitutions of courses are permitted without authorization from the PhDACC committee. Any substitution request should be processed prior to taking a course. To process a substitution, a Request for Substitution form should be submitted to the Program Director.
Program Requirements
Accounting Concentration:
Required Courses (21 Credits)
| ACCT 8309 | Accounting Research Paradigms | 3 |
| ACCT 8310 | Capital Market Research in Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 8320 | Contemporary Issues in Accounting Research | 3 |
| ACCT 8330 | Accounting and Corporate Governance | 3 |
| ACCT 8340 | Auditing Research | 3 |
| ACCT 8350 | Accounting Theory - An Information Content Perspective | 3 |
| BADM 9313 | Teaching Preparedness and Professional Development | 3 |
Research Method Courses (15 Credits)
Electives (12 Credits)
| FINA 8360 | Theory of Finance | 3 |
| FINA 8375 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FINA 8380 | Financial Markets and Institutions | 3 |
| | Graduate course(s) as approved by academic advisor | |
Capstone Requirement Dissertation (15 Credits)
Information Systems Concentration:
Required Courses (21 Credits)
| BADM 9313 | Teaching Preparedness and Professional Development | 3 |
| INFS 8308 | Theories in Cognitive and Behavioral Information Systems Research | 3 |
| INFS 8318 | Theories in Managerial and Organizational Information Systems Research | 3 |
| INFS 8328 | Economics of Information Systems | 3 |
| INFS 8338 | Design Science Information Systems Research | 3 |
| INFS 8348 | Data Mining and Business Analytics | 3 |
| INFS 8358 | Digital Society | 3 |
Research Method Courses (15 Credits)
Electives (12 Credits)
| INFS 8368 | Selected Topics in Information Systems | 3 |
| INFS 8378 | Independent Study | 3 |
| QUMT 8315 | Advanced Quantitative Analysis | 3 |
| | Graduate course(s) as approved by academic advisor | |
INFS 8368: Can be taken 3 times for credit with varying topics.
Capstone Requirement Dissertation (15 Credits)
Finance Concentration:
Required Courses (21 Credits)
Research Method Courses (15 Credits)
Electives (12 Credits)
The following are suggested electives:
| ECON 8351 | Seminar in Economic Topics | 3 |
| ECON 8360 | Macroeconomic Theory | 3 |
| ECON 8365 | International Trade | 3 |
| FINA 8341 | Seminar in Finance Topics | 3 |
| | Graduate course(s) as approved by academic advisor | |
Capstone Requirement Dissertation (15 Credits)
Management Concentration:
Required Courses (21 Credits)
| BADM 9313 | Teaching Preparedness and Professional Development | 3 |
| MGMT 8333 | Seminar in Organization Theory | 3 |
| MGMT 8334 | Seminar in Operations Management | 3 |
| MGMT 8335 | Seminar in Strategic Management | 3 |
| MGMT 8336 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MGMT 8337 | Seminar in Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| MGMT 8338 | Seminar in International Management | 3 |
Research Method Courses (15 Credits)
Electives (12 Credits)
| MGMT 8339 | Special Topics in Management | 3 |
| | Graduate course(s) as approved by academic advisor | |
MGMT 8339: Not a required elective, but can be repeated as topic changes to fulfill 12 hours of elective.
Capstone Requirement Dissertation (15 Credits)
Marketing Concentration:
Required Courses (21 Credits)
Research Method Courses (15 Credits)
Electives (12 Credits)
The following are suggested electives:
| MARK 8371 | Seminar in Marketing Topics | 3 |
| MARK 8372 | Marketing Seminar | 3 |
| | Graduate course(s) as approved by academic advisor | |
Capstone Requirement Dissertation (15 Credits)
Total Credit Hours: 63
Scholarship Seminar
Upon completing the first two long semesters in their first year, students are required to begin working on their scholarship seminar research project. This is a 3 SCH seminar with the purpose of improving student competency in research and writing at a level to publish in top journals. The student will work with a faculty member of their choice starting at the beginning of the Summer following her/his second regular semester—regular semesters being the Fall and Spring semesters—to prepare a high quality publishable paper under the faculty member’s guidance. This paper will be presented to a group of doctoral faculty in her/his field during the student’s third regular semester. The area doctoral faculty attending the presentation will decide whether the student has produced a publishable paper. If yes, the student has completed the requirements for the 3 SCH. If not, the student will be given the chance to improve the paper and will present it again to a group of faculty during her/his fourth regular semester. The student will register for this seminar during the fourth regular semester and a grade of ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ will be assigned by the supervising instructor following the completion of the research paper.
Comprehensive Examinations
All students must take and pass a comprehensive examination (in their specialization area) prior to progression to the dissertation stage of the program. Students must take the written comprehensive exam as soon as they have completed the core coursework prescribed for the degree. The written exams will be scheduled in the month of June, right after the 4th semester of the student in the program. An oral examination may be required if the student's performance on the written exam is marginal and will be scheduled within three weeks after the written exam. Successful completion of the exam is required before the student may enroll in dissertation hours. The Comprehensive Examination will take place over two consecutive days for a total of twelve (12) hours. The first day will cover the major field exam questions in the candidate’s area for a period of eight (8) hours. The second day will cover the statistical analysis and research methods questions for a period of four (4) hours. If a student does not pass the exam in June, the student may retake another comprehensive exam in August. A failure for the second time results in the student’s expulsion from the program. Students should complete the comprehensive examination within 3 years of starting the program.
Dissertation
The dissertation is a report on original research that is a contribution to knowledge in the selected field. Upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Examinations, students must enroll for hours of Dissertation-Residency and Dissertation-Extension as needed over a period of time that will allow the student to complete the final defense of the dissertation within the 10 year time-to degree limit. The proposal defense process will be completed within 2 years of successful completion of the comprehensive exams. There are no extensions to the 2 year limit outside of a formal “leave of absence” that a doctoral student may take through regular procedures. The content and format of the proposal are determined by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee (DDC). Satisfactory defense of the proposal will authorize the student to complete the dissertation. Beyond 12 Dissertation-Residency hours, the student must enroll in a minimum of 3 hours of Dissertation-Extension in each semester until the dissertation is completed and defended or the student leaves the program or the student is suspended or dismissed. Each year the DDC will evaluate the progress of the candidate's dissertation. Upon judgment by the committee that the dissertation is complete and ready for defense, the DDC will schedule a public forum for the defense to which all doctoral students and graduate faculty are invited.
Academic Standing
Students are expected to make consistent, satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree. The PhD Program Director in consultation of with area doctoral faculty will conduct an annual student evaluation.
Upon receipt of a grade of “C” the student will be on academic probation. In such a case the student must make an appointment with his or her academic advisor and the PPD to discuss future courses and expectations. In collaboration with the advisor and the PPD, the student will develop a written plan for improvement. Upon successful execution of the terms of the plan, the student will be released from academic probation.
Upon receipt of a second grade of “C” the student will be suspended from the program for one full semester, effective immediately upon receipt of the grade. The student will be unable to participate in any part of the doctoral program, including comprehensive exams, unless approved by appeal. The suspension also includes forfeiture of any doctoral study financial aid. Returning to the program does not carry a guarantee of reinstatement of financial aid. The student may be asked to follow a program of improvement to be decided by the academic advisor in consultation with the PPD.
Receipt of a third “C” or a grade of “F”, will result in the student’s dismissal from the program. A student desiring to appeal such dismissal may first discuss his/her concern with the seminar instructor. If the concern is not satisfactorily addressed, he/she will then appeal to the department chair. If the student appeal is denied, he/she can then appeal to the PhDACC committee. The appeal must be in writing and should be received within 10 days of notification of dismissal. A final appeal may be made to the Dean of the College of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship.
If a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.25, he or she will forfeit any financial aid from the doctoral program. Raising the GPA to above 3.25 in subsequent semesters does not guarantee reinstatement of financial aid.
Maximum Period for Completion
A student has a maximum of 10 years from the date of first entry into doctoral-level courses to complete the degree. Under special circumstances, an extension for an additional year may be granted by the student’s Doctoral Dissertation Committee. If a student exceeds the 10-year limit, the Doctoral Dissertation Committee will determine if the student will be permitted to continue in the program and what additional coursework or activities will be required to complete the degree.
Assistantships
The college has limited funds available exclusively for Ph.D. students. Assistantships are assigned on a competitive basis, and the judgment of the admissions committee regarding distribution of assistantships is final. Incoming applicants requesting assistantships from the college should submit their request with their application materials. The allocation of graduate assistantship positions to newly admitted and existing PhD students is determined by PhDACC in consultation with the PhD Program Director (PPD).
In order to receive and maintain a graduate assistantship position, PhD students should have good academic standing and meet all requirements as specified in the PhD Student Handbook. Every admission cycle, each department admitting new PhD students submits to PhDACC a list of its recommended applicants eligible for the available graduate assistantships. PhDACC determines which applicants in each specialization will receive graduate assistantship and notifies PPD, who in turn allocates graduate assistantships. In the event there are eligible new (incoming admitted students) and existing (first, second and third year) applicants, the priority in graduate assistantship allocation will be with the former group. In cases where a graduate assistantship position becomes vacant and there is no eligible existing student requesting assistantship, the PPD will present the issue to PHDACC for decision as to whether to assign the assistantship to another program area. Academic performance will be reviewed each year to ensure that the student is making satisfactory progress. The Ph.D. Program director will notify continuing students of the time lines for renewing or applying for assistantships.
At a minimum the student must be in good academic standing, enrolled in nine hours as a graduate student during the fall and/or spring semester. The maximum amount of time allowed for assigned teaching and research duties is 20 hours per week. Assessment of student performance during the assistantship will be made by the PPD in consultation with the PhDACC committee. Students should contact Student Financial Services to determine if other sources of financial aid are available.
Professional Conduct Expectations
Doctoral students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional, collegial, and ethical manner. Students are here to develop as professionals and to learn to teach and conduct research. Behaviors that disrupt the learning process, create destructive conflict, or bring undeserved discredit to the program are considered to be unsatisfactory and may be grounds for consideration for dismissal from the program. The Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship faculty is committed to abiding by, teaching, and enforcing the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty of any type violates the UTRGV disciplinary codes and will not be tolerated. Students suspected of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Dean of Students for investigation and possible disciplinary action. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty may be suspended or expelled from the university.