doctoral student smiling at graduation ceremony

Ph.D. in Business Administration

The Ph.D. program in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Kent State University prepares students to conduct high-quality, scholarly research and become effective educators in their field of study.

Students in the Crawford College Ph.D. Program work closely with renowned faculty to develop their independent research agenda, present work at leading academic conferences and contribute to advancing the knowledge of their discipline.

The goal of the Ph.D program is to prepare students for academic careers in Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management*, Information Systems, or Marketing.

*We are not accepting applications for the Human Resource Management concentration at this time. 

Apply Now | Ph.D. Program

 

WHY KENT STATE?

 

HIGHLY ENGAGED RESEARCH ECOSYSTEM

As a Ph.D. student at Kent State, you will be an integral part of a highly engaged research ecosystem.

Kent State is a Carnegie Research 1 institution with a strong emphasis on high quality research. Our faculty publish in top journals in their fields, including:

  • Academy of Management Review
  • Accounting, Organizations and Society
  • Accounting Review
  • American Economic Review
  • Contemporary Accounting Research
  • Information Systems Research
  • Journal of Accounting and Economics
  • Journal of Applied Psychology
  • Journal of Business Venturing
  • Journal of Consumer Psychology
  • Journal of Consumer Research
  • Journal of Finance
  • Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
  • Journal of Financial Economics
  • Journal of International Business Studies
  • Journal of Management
  • Journal of Management Information Systems
  • Journal of Management Studies
  • Journal of Marketing
  • Journal of Marketing Research
  • Journal of the Association for Information Systems
  • Management Science
  • Management Information Systems Quarterly
  • Personnel Psychology
  • Review of Finance
  • Strategic Management Journal
RESEARCH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Our Ph.D. students have a unique opportunity to be part of this high quality research through our Research Mentorship Program. Beginning in their first year, students work closely with faculty on research projects that have the potential to be publishable in high quality journals. Students are given multiple opportunities to develop their own research ideas in collaboration with faculty mentors.

The goal of the Research Mentorship Program is for students to have multiple research projects in their pipeline by the time they complete their dissertations. Recent publications co-authored by Ph.D. students and faculty have appeared in journals including:

  • Journal of Business Research
  • Accounting Horizons
  • Accounting and Finance
  • European Financial Management
  • Finance Research Letters
  • European Journal of Information Systems
  • Journal of Information Technology
  • Journal of Advertising
  • Journal of Interactive Marketing

Students also have the opportunity to interact with leading researchers in their field through conference travel and research presentations at Kent State. 

TEACHING MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Doctoral students at KSU also participate in a Teaching Mentorship Program. All students take a semester-long workshop in learning theory and teaching methods, and students are given multiple opportunities to teach beginning in their third year in the program.

The combination of ongoing research mentorship, multiple projects in a pipeline, and a variety of teaching experience and training makes our students highly marketable for faculty positions. Recent alumni placements have included:

  • Arkansas State University
  • Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
  • Western Carolina University
  • University of Texas at Tyler
  • John Carroll University
  • Northeastern University
  • North Dakota State University
  • University of Illinois Springfield
  • Metropolitan State University of Denver
  • Heidelberg University
  • Louisiana State University
  • Saint Bonaventure University
  • SUNY Oswego
  • University of South Dakota
  • University of Northern Colorado
  • University of Minnesota-Duluth
  • Bentley University

 

Our Program

Our Ph.D. in Business Administration is a full-time, on-campus program to maximize students' opportunity to interact with faculty members and benefit from our mentorship program. We offer concentrations in Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, Information Systems, and Marketing.

Students complete two years of coursework, followed by a comprehensive exam and dissertation. The typical time to complete the program is five years.

Our coursework consists of four core courses in either Econometric or Psychometric methods, four courses in your concentration, and four elective courses to pursue your individual interests. These courses complement our Research Mentorship Program to prepare the student with the skills they need to become a successful researcher.

Students also complete an Ethics Training Program that addresses a variety of areas of ethical concern in research, teaching, and university citizenship, including the use of human subjects in research, plagiarism and academic honesty, preventing discrimination and sexual harassment, and general ethics in the workplace.

 

VIEW THE PROGRAM CATALOG

Featured Podcast

We utilized the latest in AI technology to create short (10-15 minute) podcasts about graduate and undergraduate degrees and programs at the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. Listen to the Ph.D. in Business podcast below to learn more about the degree!

#3: Level Up Your Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration at Kent State

 

REQUEST INFORMATION

Contact us today to learn more about our program.

Loading...
© 2025 Kent State University All rights reserved.