Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Information Systems)
About This Program
The objective of the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Information Systems) is primarily to develop scholars with an ability to teach and conduct independent research in the field of information systems. The program prepares students for careers as researchers and teachers by providing thorough preparation in the theory of business administration and developing the skills needed to conduct high quality research in this area. The curriculum emphasizes and develops the rigorous analytical skills needed to make significant scholarly contributions in fields of business. Graduates of the program will assume significant roles in the world’s educational and research institutions.
To support the Business Administration PhD, the College of Business offers graduate coursework in the following areas: accounting, banking and finance, business economics, business policy/strategic management, business statistics, research design, human resource management, insurance and risk management, international business management, investments and securities, management information systems, management sciences, marketing management and research, organizational behavior, organizational theory, production/operations management, real estate, entrepreneurship, and taxation.
Competencies
- Upon completion, students will be able to design and conduct original research that contributes to theoretical and empirical advancements in information systems.
- Upon completion, students will demonstrate mastery of core disciplinary knowledge and advanced scholarship in the field of information systems.
- Upon completion, students will be able to apply appropriate research methods and analytical techniques to develop and test marketing-related theories and hypotheses with scientific rigor.
- Upon completion, students will be able to communicate scholarly findings effectively through academic publications, conference presentations, and university-level teaching in information systems.
- Upon completion, students will be able to critically evaluate and synthesize marketing literature to generate novel insights and guide future research agendas in the discipline.
Admissions Criteria
Applicants who hold only an undergraduate degree, or fewer than 30 hours of graduate coursework, may be considered for admission. Such applicants should contact the PhD coordinator in Information Systems prior to applying. Based on the coordinator’s assessment, bachelor’s entry students may be required to take up to 30 additional credit hours of coursework and dissertation-related credits to ensure they possess the competencies needed to successfully complete the program.
Admission to the PhD program is based upon the completion of the general admission requirements of Graduate Admissions. For PhD program admission, a score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and a record of undergraduate and master's (if applicable) level academic performance are required. Students for whom English is not their native language must achieve a TOEFL score of at least 550. The TOEFL cannot be waived, even for students holding a master's degree from a U.S. university. International applicants who score below minimum acceptable levels on the verbal portion of entrance examinations may be admitted under the condition that they pass an English proficiency exam or complete UT Arlington’s Graduate English Skills Program prior to beginning graduate coursework. Applicants are encouraged to submit a résumé with their application that highlights professional and personal accomplishments, linguistic abilities, computer expertise, and leadership experience. A statement of purpose, which describes the applicant's academic and work background, research interests, and reasons for applying to the UTA PhD program, is required as part of the application.
Multiple criteria are used to make admission decisions. Quantitative measures include an applicant’s GMAT or GRE score and grade point averages on undergraduate and master level courses as calculated by the Graduate Admissions. No formula is used, nor are weights assigned to these factors. There are no set minimum scores for the GMAT or GRE required for admission, and no cutoff scores are applied to grade point averages. A standardized test score (GMAT or GRE) is not used as the sole criterion for an applicant’s admission decision.
PhD admission decisions are made by a committee headed by the major field coordinator for the track that an applicant wishes to specialize in (Management, Finance, etc.). These committees typically consider multiple factors, including educational objectives, letters of recommendation, and other relevant criteria, in addition to quantitative metrics, to arrive at a decision. All students who wish to have a strong application for a PhD program are encouraged to gain research experience through activities such as working as a research assistant for a faculty member, writing a master's thesis, and/or presenting papers at academic conferences. Strong performance in courses in research methods and advanced statistics is also viewed positively. Students interested in learning more about the admission process for a specific area of business administration are encouraged to contact the major field coordinator for that area.
Categories of Admission Decisions
An applicant is unconditionally admitted when all factors for consideration indicate very strong potential for academic success as a business doctoral student. When multiple factors indicate a lack of potential, admission will be denied. Probationary admission is not available for the doctoral program.
A provisional decision to admit may be granted when the applicant meets the criteria for unconditional admission, but an item of applicant information has not been received by the Graduate Admissions (e.g., official test scores have not arrived). A deferred decision may be made when an applicant’s file is not sufficiently complete to make an admit or deny decision.
University and College Fellowship/Scholarship Awards
Doctoral students who are newly admitted, have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 as calculated by Graduate Admissions (and 3.0 at the graduate level), and enroll for nine semester credit hours will be eligible for available Dean's Doctoral Assistantship (DDA), fellowship and/or scholarship support. A standardized test score (GMAT or GRE) is not used as the sole criterion for determining fellowship and/or scholarship eligibility.
Curriculum
All students must complete work in a major area field and a research field. Some major courses may be external to the College of Business, if deemed appropriate by the student's advisor. Examples include industrial engineering, mathematics, computer science, sociology, and psychology. Students admitted to the PhD program will choose courses in consultation with their major field coordinator, who serves as their academic advisor for the first two years of the program.
| Foundations | ||
| INSY 6301 | SEMINAR IN RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS | 3 |
| INSY 6306 | SEMINAR IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES | 3 |
| INSY 6307 | SEMINAR IN IS MANAGEMENT | 3 |
| INSY 6392 | SELECTED TOPICS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 3 |
| Major Field | ||
| Select 12 graduate hours in consultation with advisor. | 12 | |
| Research Field | ||
| Select 12 additional graduate hours in consultation with advisor. | 12 | |
| Disseratation | ||
| Select at least 18 hours from the following: | 18 | |
| DISSERTATION | ||
| DISSERTATION | ||
| DISSERTATION | ||
| DOCTORAL DEGREE COMPLETION | ||
| Total Hours | 54 | |
Program Completion
Annual Progress Evaluations
All doctoral students are expected to show steady progress toward their degree and to demonstrate satisfactory advances in their ability and motivation to conduct independent research throughout their program. During a student’s program, a progress evaluation will be conducted near the end of the first year, but no later than 24 credit hours. After the first year, an annual progress evaluation will take place each subsequent year. The evaluation will be conducted by the major field coordinator/PhD advisor in consultation with a faculty committee. If the student has not yet passed all comprehensive examinations or does not have a formal dissertation committee, the faculty committee will consist of the PhD Committee for the major area. If the student has passed all comprehensive examinations and has a formal dissertation committee, the faculty committee will consist of the Dissertation Committee.
Upon completion of the evaluation, a recommendation of continuation or discontinuation in the program is made to the College of Business PhD program director for a final decision. When a discontinuation decision is made as a result of the first-year diagnostic evaluation, the student will be immediately discontinued from the PhD program. For a discontinuation decision in the annual progress review in the second year and beyond, the student will be placed on probation for one regular semester (Fall or Spring) during which he or she must demonstrate satisfactory improvement in his/her performance. At that time, the major field coordinator/PhD advisor, in consultation with the faculty committee and the PhD program director, will make a final decision on whether the improvements are satisfactory. An unsatisfactory decision at that time will result in the immediate discontinuation of the student from the PhD program.
During the annual progress reviews, reasons for poor performance include: grade point averages below minimum GPA requirements, unsatisfactory progress in completing coursework, unsatisfactory progress in completing the dissertation, and inadequate demonstration of ability and motivation to conduct independent research.
All students must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher to remain in good standing in the PhD program. Students whose GPA falls below 3.25 will be given a one-semester probationary period to raise their GPA to the 3.25 level or above. If, after one semester has passed, the student's GPA remains below 3.25, the student will be dismissed from the program. Any student who earns three grades of C or lower in the PhD program will be immediately dismissed from the program.
Comprehensive Examinations
Students must demonstrate competence in their fields of study by the successful completion of comprehensive examinations. Written comprehensive examinations in each field will be administered at the start of each fall and spring semester of each year and may also be administered during the summer term. A student is eligible for a written comprehensive examination when that student has completed:
- Any Business Foundation courses with a GPA of at least 3.25 and
- prescribed coursework in the field with a GPA of at least 3.25.
If a student fails a written comprehensive examination and continues in that field, the examination must be retaken by the end of the next long semester. If a student fails a second comprehensive examination, that student will not be permitted to continue in the PhD program.
When a student successfully completes the written comprehensive examination, that student should schedule a comprehensive oral examination, which is administered by the student’s Supervisory Committee. A student who fails the comprehensive oral examination is given a second oral examination within 12 months of the date of the first examination. If a student fails the second comprehensive oral examination, that student will not be permitted to continue in the PhD program.
Upon successful completion of written and oral comprehensive examinations, the student is admitted to candidacy.
Dissertation
The Dissertation Committee consists of a minimum of three members, at least two of whom must be from the major field. There is no maximum number of faculty members that can serve on a committee, although committees of more than five are unusual. The chair of the Dissertation Committee must be from the major field. At least one member of the committee must be from outside the department, either from outside the major field at UTA or a nationally or internationally recognized scholar not affiliated with UTA. Any committee member from outside UTA must receive approval from the Graduate Dean.
The dissertation must be completed within four years of the oral comprehensive examination.