Admission Process | Ph.D. in Business Administration | SIU College of Business and Analytics

Admission Process

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have completed a master's degree or its equivalent. A grade-point average in all graduate-level work of 3.5 (A=4.0) is preferred, but no less than 3.0 is permitted for admission. A score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required for admission consideration. The College of Business and Analytics prefers a score of 600 or better. Your GMAT score should be no more than five years old. In rare instances there may be exceptions to the grade point and GMAT requirements when there are extenuating circumstances and where other factors indicate high potential for doctoral work.

Information on the GMAT test is available on line at http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam.aspx. Or by writing to:

Graduate Management Admission Test
Educational Testing Services
P.O. Box 6108
Princeton, NJ. 08541-6108 USA

Admission to the program and the awarding of assistantships are separate decisions. However, since most PhD applicants seek financial support and since there are a limited number of graduate assistantships available to the College of Business and Analytics, admission into the doctoral program is highly competitive. Simply meeting the minimum GPA and GMAT indices does not guarantee admission into the program. The College of Business and Analytics faculty in each department evaluates each candidate's background, letters of recommendation, and communication skills, among other things, when making an admission decision and a decision on a graduate assistantship.

Applicants must meet all admission requirements set forth by the Graduate School. These requirements are outlined at the Graduate School website.

• Domestic Student Admissions Requirements
• International Student Admissisions Requirements

Complete the Graduate Management Admission Test and have the results of the test mailed directly to graduate programs, College of Business and Analytics. Arrange to take the GMAT six to twelve months prior to the semester in which you plan to enroll. In addition, make sure to arrange with the Educational Testing Service to have your official GMAT scores forwarded to our office [ETS Code: 1745 (Ph.D.)]. The GMAT requirement cannot be waived or substituted. If you are in the Carbondale area, you can schedule to take the GMAT at Pearson Professional Centers, 103 Airway Drive, Marion, IL, -- however, you must register for the test online at www.mba.com.

The entire application process is now online. Please go to the SIU Graduate School Application to begin. You will start with the general Graduate School portion of the application, followed by a "departmental" portion. Please make sure to specify Business Administration as your "department."

At several points in the application process, you have the option of uploading supporting documents. Some helpful guidelines for preparing these supporting documents follow:

• We ask for your employment history. Please prepare a single page document listing all prior paid employment. Please use the following format and number each job listed: Job #, Position, Company, Location, Dates from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY.
• We ask 5 "supplemental questions" in the application process (see below). You may wish to answer these questions in a separate document prior to completing the application process. You will have the opportunity to upload your typed responses to the essays to the website. Please answer these questions thoroughly and thoughtfully; they will be used for consideration in the admissions process.
  1. What professional and personal goals have you established for the next 5-10 years and how do you see graduate education as a means to achieve those goals?
  2. Describe one or more personal achievements and discuss the qualities in you that made those achievements possible. How could those same qualities lead to success in your professional career?
  3. Are your grade-point average and GMAT score (if known) indicative of your abilities? Explain why or why not.
  4. List organizations and activities in which you have been involved. Indicate leadership roles.
  5. List all awards, honors, scholarships, and other recognitions you have received. Also mention any scholarly or creative works you have completed that are relevant.
• We request letters of recommendation from three individuals who can attest to your academic abilities and/or professional experiences. During the application process, you will be asked to submit the names and email addresses of your three recommenders. You can also write a personal message to your recommenders during the application process. Afterwards, those individuals will receive an email with one of two options: they can complete a recommendation form or they can upload a recommendation letter to the website.
• The College of Business and Analytics prefers to receive the recommendation letter as an uploaded document. Please communicate that preference in the personal message that you send to the recommenders.
• We request transcripts from all institutions where you have completed coursework. If you have unofficial copies of your transcripts, you can upload them during the application process. However, you still must request official transcripts to be sent to the following address:

Graduate Programs
College of Business and Analytics
Rehn Hall, Room 133 - Mail Code 4625
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL 62901

We recognize that the online application is a lengthy process. However, if you prepare your documents in advance, you can minimize the time needed to complete all required portions of the application.

We cannot consider your application for admission until all portions of the application are complete, including the "departmental" application portion. Make sure to hit the submit button once you complete each section. We will not be able to receive your application until this is done. Once you submit the application, you are no longer able to go into the application and make changes or upload additional information.

We will not evaluate your application until your application package is complete. Applications will be reviewed to ascertain the applicant's abilities and commitment to excel in doctoral work in business administration. A personal interview may be required before a final decision on admission is made.

A non-refundable application fee of $65.00 must be submitted with any application to the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration degree program. Attach your check or money order, payable to Southern Illinois University, to the top of the application form. Do not send cash. Only checks or money orders payable in U.S. funds cleared through a United States bank will be accepted.