Doctoral Program in Business

The program includes four essential learning outcomes, requiring students to demonstrate: research skills, communication skills (oral & written), functional specific knowledge, and ethical skills. Progress through the program can be broken down into four distinct stages:

• Completion of core courses and first-year summer paper
• Completion of concentration courses and comprehensive exams
• Completion of dissertation proposal
• Completion of dissertation defense.

Core Courses and First-Year Summer Paper

Upon admittance into the program, students will focus on core courses. In addition, certain advanced-level research method courses are required of specific concentrations. After completing the majority of the core courses, typically at the end of the first year for full-time students, students will complete an original research paper in the summer of the first year. The first-year summer paper provides an excellent introduction to research, and adequate quality of the summer paper is required for advancement in the program.

Concentration Courses & Comprehensive Exam

Our top admitted full-time students (usually up to two students per concentration in each new cohort) will be automatically considered for a financial aid package including a tuition waiver and monthly stipends (for 9 months) for up to 4 years. In return for such support, these full-time Ph.D. students work as research assistants and teaching assistants. This financial support is conditional upon Ph.D. students’ satisfactory academic performance and TA/RA evaluations. Each academic department also typically provides a summer stipend through TA/RA arrangements for the first summer. Additional TA/RA or adjunct faculty teaching positions may also be available in future summers, though they are not guaranteed. The Manning School Dean’s Office will provide some conference travel support each year for all Ph.D. students admitted as TA/RAs. The academic departments and the Graduate Students Association may have additional conference travel support for the Ph.D. students.

We may also admit full-time and/or part-time students on a self-funded basis.

Admission Requirements

Admission into the Manning School of Business doctoral program is highly competitive. Applicants must be graduates of an accredited U.S. college or university or an approved foreign equivalent institution, with earned grade point averages of 3.000 or better in all prior undergraduate and graduate studies. See the “Apply online” button below for the list of admissions materials needed with your application. 

Our Ph.D. program requires all applicants to submit either the GRE or GMAT score. A minimum of four years full-time relevant work experience is preferred. In addition, students are expected to have successfully demonstrated graduate level knowledge in seven functional areas: Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, Management Information Systems, Operations Management and Strategic Management. Additionally, they will demonstrate undergraduate competency in Calculus, Statistics and Micro/Macro Economics. Students without such knowledge will be required to take the appropriate course(s) for consideration into the program.

Application Process

Applying to the Manning School of Business doctoral program is done through UMass Lowell Graduate Admissions (see “Apply online” button below). When the Ph.D. applicant has successfully submitted all material, the Ph.D. Program Director will review the application in conjunction with a team of faculty members. Final recommendations are conducted by the Director. UMass Lowell Graduate Admissions will notify applicants of the final decision.

Application Timing

The Ph.D. Program admits students every other year. The next cohort begins in Fall 2025 with an application deadline of March 1, 2025. You are also welcome to contact the Manning School of Business Ph.D. Program Director, Tao (Tony) Gao, Ph.D., with any questions.

Apply Online