We place graduating students in top-ranked research universities, both internationally and in the United States, because of our commitment to developing each of our students into robust scholars.

Applications for Fall 2024 are now open

Application Deadlines:

  • September 1, 2023: Applications for Fall 2024 have opened
  • January 10, 2024: Accounting, Management, Marketing
  • March 31, 2024: Finance, Management Information Systems, Supply Chain Management

Fields of Study

The Ph.D. programs at the Bauer College of Business offer six fields of study. Click on the links below for details about each field.

Is a Ph.D. Right for you?

Our Ph.D. programs have a mission to cultivate stewards of the discipline. Our alumni have gone on to become university professors who generate new knowledge through research and educate a new generation of business students and executives.

Contrary to a common misconception, a Ph.D. in business administration is not a professional degree. It is not an “advanced MBA.” Our doctoral students are expected to engage in rigorous academic research using both quantitative and qualitative methods and to publish research articles in top-tier journals.

Most doctoral students graduate within 4-6 years, which is the norm for a business Ph.D. in the United States. The training received by our students is intensive. Therefore, all of our Ph.D. programs require a full-time commitment. Successfully meeting the requirements of a high-caliber Ph.D. program like ours on a part-time basis is impossible. We strongly discourage students from taking on part-time side gigs.

If you are seeking a professional degree, consider Bauer College’s nationally-ranked MBA and Master of Science degrees. If you possess extensive business experience and are looking for a degree orientated toward applying business theories and practices to real-world problems, Bauer’s part-time 3-year Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program could be the right choice for you.

Recent Events

Doctoral candidates participated in a Ph.D. Research Paper Competition on Nov. 10.

See photos from the event

Ph.D. Spotlight

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    ... I was fortunate to have had opportunities to work with many faculty while studying in the program. Some of them have become co-authors on research projects and others are good friends and mentors.”

    Zeyun Chen
    Zeyun Chen | Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder

    "The program has considerable research strengths in analytical and empirical paradigms, so I took advantage of it and learned to seek sound theoretical foundation for empirical tests. I was fortunate to have had opportunities to work with many faculty while studying in the program. Some of them have become co-authors on research projects and others are good friends and mentors."

    Zeyun Chen | Assistant Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder

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    ... The leadership is extremely supportive of the PhD program in ensuring that students are supported with ample resources and opportunities to present their work at conferences.”

    Tharindra Ranasinghe
    Tharindra Ranasinghe | Assistant Professor, Singapore Management University

    "The faculty is diverse and well recognized in their respective research areas. They are very approachable and willing to work with doctoral students on research projects. The department holds an active workshop series where reputed external scholars present their latest work. This workshop series, in which doctoral students are encouraged to actively participate in, exposes them to the cutting edge accounting research. The leadership is extremely supportive of the PhD program in ensuring that students are supported with ample resources and opportunities to present their work at conferences."

    Tharindra Ranasinghe | Assistant Professor, Singapore Management University

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    The University of Houston Ph.D. program in Marketing encourages students to pursue original and impactful academic research, and to think and act like aspiring scholars ...”

    Sonja Prokopec
    Sonja Prokopec | Associate Professor, ESSEC, Paris

    "The University of Houston Ph.D. program in Marketing encourages students to pursue original and impactful academic research, and to think and act like aspiring scholars. The support of the world-class research faculty provides an ideal environment to develop interesting research ideas while at the same time fostering intellectual rigor. What I really appreciated was the encouragement and kindness of the faculty members at the Marketing Department — they treat students as colleagues from the first day."

    Sonja Prokopec | Associate Professor, ESSEC, Paris

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    ... Bauer gives you the opportunities, resources, and training you need to succeed.”

    Jeff Boichuk
    Jeff Boichuk | Postdoctoral Fellow, Darden School of Business

    "No matter your area of interest, UH has a strong advisor for you. Mike Ahearne was my supervisor. I have learned over the years that Ph.D. students in our field are amazed when they hear about the Bauer experience. In Mike, I have a lifelong role model, a dedicated mentor, a close friend, and a titan in our field who is my biggest advocate. For these reasons, there isn't another institution in this world I would have rather attended. Bauer gives you the opportunities, resources, and training you need to succeed."

    Jeff Boichuk | Postdoctoral Fellow, Darden School of Business

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    The faculty members are genuinely invested in doctoral students. They adopt an open door policy, so during my program, I had the luxury of interacting with them very often ...”

    Son (Sonny) Lam
    Son (Sonny) Lam | Associate Professor, University of Georgia

    "The faculty members are genuinely invested in doctoral students. They adopt an open door policy, so during my program, I had the luxury of interacting with them very often. The Ph.D. students are very collegial. Our friendship extends beyond the Ph.D. program. The marketing department at Bauer has always been one of the most productive in many substantive areas. The department also runs Friday seminars and an annual doctoral student consortium, which offer its doctoral students valuable networking opportunities with outstanding researchers and cohorts from other universities."

    Son (Sonny) Lam | Associate Professor, University of Georgia

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    The Ph.D. program has been a very enriching experience ...”

    SusanaVelez-Castrillon
    Susana Velez-Castrillon | Assistant Professor, University of West Georgia

    "The Ph.D. program has been a very enriching experience. I am a biologist and did not have any interest in business when I graduated from college. I started working and became curious about the things that happened in the lab that had nothing to do with biochemistry. Why were we pursuing this or that alliance? How were the companies we worked with choosing which projects to fund? How did the entrepreneurs I worked with decide to enter such risky ventures? Even the daily interactions with my bosses and co-workers mystified me. This is how I became interested in business, and the Bauer Ph.D. in management program has been an excellent match for this curiosity."

    Susana Velez-Castrillon | Assistant Professor, University of West Georgia

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    Through guidance of faculty, I was empowered to choose my coursework, research topics, and even how to teach my classes ...”

    Zachary Hall
    Zachary Hall | Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University

    "If I could sum up my experience my Bauer Doctoral experience, I would do so in one word, empowering. Through guidance of faculty, I was empowered to choose my coursework, research topics, and even how to teach my classes. While this led to much frustration and many failures early in the program, I was able to develop my own identity as an academic very early in my career. As a result, I found a true passion for research, particularly for topics I never thought I would enjoy."

    Zachary Hall | Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University

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    I am especially grateful the Finance Department offers systematic PhD courses that helped me to form my knowledge foundation and gradually build up my intuition for future research ...”

    Bingxin Li
    Bingxin Li | Assistant Professor, West Virginia University

    "I joined the PhD program of Finance Department at Bauer College of Business in 2007. With a physics background, I am especially grateful the Finance Department offers systematic PhD courses that helped me to form my knowledge foundation and gradually build up my intuition for future research. I also benefit a lot from the weekly seminar and colloquium, which share research progresses and encourage discussion. The faculty at Finance department are strong both in their research abilities and advising students. They are productive, insightful, and always willing to help. I greatly appreciate that they set high standards for PhD students."

    Bingxin Li | Assistant Professor, West Virginia University

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    Finance professors at Bauer School sowed in me strong seeds of both learning and thinking that were essential for later growth, academic and otherwise ...”

    Madhu Kalimipalli
    Madhu Kalimipalli | Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

    "I cherish my rich four years spent at Bauer, at the Melcher Hall — where I first languished and later thrived — quickly became a home and its fellow inhabitants my family. Finance professors at Bauer School sowed in me strong seeds of both learning and thinking that were essential for later growth, academic and otherwise."

    Madhu Kalimipalli | Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

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    The Bauer Ph.D. program was a great opportunity for me to achieve my academic goals ...”

    Eunju Lee
    Eunju Lee | Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell

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    Eunju Lee | Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell

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    The Bauer doctoral program has enriched my life in so many ways, not only academically and professionally, but also personally as well with great friendships ...”

    Rachel Sturm
    Rachel Sturm | Assistant Professor, Wright State University

    "I feel privileged to have earned my doctorate in Business Administration from C. T. Bauer College of Business. The Bauer doctoral program has enriched my life in so many ways, not only academically and professionally, but also personally as well with great friendships. I am thankful for all that I learned in the program, especially the training I received to have a successful career in higher education."

    Rachel Sturm | Assistant Professor, Wright State University

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    In addition to the academic rigor supported by experienced and qualified faculty, the program taught me valuable life lessons — to stay committed, focused, and organized ...”

    Faiza Khoja
    Faiza Khoja | Associate Professor, University of Houston-Downtown

    "The Ph.D. program in Management at UH was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences for me. In addition to the academic rigor supported by experienced and qualified faculty, the program taught me valuable life lessons — to stay committed, focused, and organized. It provided me with several opportunities to self-learn and explore varying topics of interest. In my current position as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Houston-Downtown, I encounter new challenges and learning almost on a daily basis."

    Faiza Khoja | Associate Professor, University of Houston-Downtown

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    Kenneth was the first in his family to graduate from high school and a first-generation college student ...”

    Kenneth Sweet
    Kenneth Sweet | Assistant Professor, Angelo State University

    "Kenneth Sweet is an alum of the doctoral program in Management. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Management at Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX. Kenneth was the first in his family to graduate from high school and a first-generation college student. He has been a member of the U.S. Army and Texas Army National Guard for more than 18 years and is currently assigned as a Special Technical Operations Planner for 71st Theater Information Operations Group at Camp Mabry, TX."

    Kenneth Sweet | Assistant Professor, Angelo State University

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    (Bauer) faculty members mentored me and gave me great appreciation of the importance of research, teaching, and service ...”

    Ricky Griffin
    Ricky Griffin | Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University

    "I earned my doctorate from the Bauer College of Business back in 1978. During my Ph.D. program I had the great fortune to work with such outstanding faculty as Skip Szilagyi, Bob Keller, and the late Jack Ivancevich. These individuals, as well as several other and other faculty members, mentored me and gave me great appreciation of the importance of research, teaching, and service. The department equipped me with the skills necessary to perform at a high level across all three of these areas."

    Ricky Griffin | Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University

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    The doctoral program is challenging yet supportive. I never stopped working: reading, thinking and writing ... enjoying every minute ...”

    JeAnna Abbott
    JéAnna Abbott | Professor, University of Houston

    "When deciding between PhD programs, I was searching for both rigor and collegiality. I found both at the Bauer College of Business. The doctoral program is challenging yet supportive. I never stopped working: reading, thinking and writing … enjoying every minute. But, it’s the people, faculty and fellow students that made the difference."

    JéAnna Abbott | Professor, University of Houston

Application Information

Our website contains rich information regarding the admission process and financial aid. We also have a comprehensive FAQ page.