Business

The Jones Graduate School of Business PhD program is designed for candidates with outstanding intellectual abilities and a strong commitment to research. The goal of the PhD program is to train students for academic careers focused on cutting-edge, rigorous research and teaching in a business school environment. Applicants to the PhD program must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. A masters degree and work experience are not required for PhD admission.*  The Jones Graduate School of Business does not have an MA program, although during the course of the PhD program a masters degree (MA) will be awarded after students have achieved doctoral candidacy and are in the process of completing the doctorate

Upon completing the PhD degree, students majoring in Business will be able to:

1. Summarize major themes and current research problems in their area of specialization.
2. Explain and identify open problems and areas needing development in their discipline.
3. Execute and present original research in their discipline.
4. Effectively communicate, orally and in writing, their research and the major tenets of their discipline.

A student is expected to be in residence throughout the calendar year (exceptions to this requirement must be approved by the student's dissertation chairperson, area advsior, and the director of the JGS PhD program).
 
Year One

• Complete course work during Fall and Spring semesters.
• Begin working on research with area faculty.

Year Two

• Complete course work during Fall and Spring semesters.
• Continue working on research with area faculty through the year.
• Take comprehensive exam (if needed by area).

Year Three

• Take specialized courses as needed during Fall and/or Spring semesters.
• Produce working paper(s) on research with area faculty.
• Work on dissertation research.
• Defend dissertation research proposal by summer.

Year Four and Beyond

• Finish work on dissertation research.
• Defend dissertation.

The student’s coursework over the first two years, which should cover a minimum of 9 courses, will be determined by the student in consultation with the area faculty advisor.

All PhD students in the Jones Graduate School of Business doctoral program must maintain at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average. 

If the student’s area faculty so desire, the student must also successfully complete the comprehensive exam requirement in an area – economics, psychology, statistics – that supports the student’s area as part of the Ph.D. degree requirements.
 
A student may pass the comprehensive exam in his/her area either unconditionally or conditionally (as determined by area faculty). In the latter case, the area faculty advisor will stipulate the conditions that must be satisfied by the student in order to achieve an unconditional pass. If the student fails the comprehensive exam for the first time, the student may take the exam again during the following year at the discretion of area faculty. If the student fails the exam again, the student will be required to leave the Ph.D. program.
 
Students will be expected to attend periodic research seminars in their area, where faculty and Ph.D. students, as well as invited faculty members from other business schools, present their research. The research seminar participation requirements will vary by area. The student’s summer paper presentation, if the area requires it (as explained in the next paragraph), will also take place at these research seminars. These seminars provide a transition in emphasis for the student from courses to research and also afford a testing ground for dissertation proposals. They also provide an opportunity for the student to gain experience in critiquing and presenting material before a critical group.
 
Some areas may require doctoral students to write a summer research paper during the first (and possibly even the second) summer of study. There are multiple, sometimes competing, motivations for such a summer paper: (1) It develops a student’s research skills, (2) It enables a student to develop joint research with faculty for publication purposes, (3) It serves as a mechanism for faculty to evaluate a student’s ability to conduct independent research. The student’s summer paper, for an area requiring it, must be approved by the faculty member with whom he or she works during the summer before the student can present it at the research seminar.

Online Application: Using the online application, you will create a user account for the creation and submission of your application, and from which you may check the status of your submitted application and receipt of your supplemental documentation.

Application Requirements: To be considered for admission, the following documents must be received no later than the posted application deadline: 

• Completed online Jones Graduate School Ph.D. application including a Personal Statement Essay and CV/Résumé.
• Three confidential evaluations. Evaluations may be submitted using the online application recommendation feature, or mailed separately in an envelope sealed and signed across the seal by the evaluator.
• Official transcripts from all institutions you have attended. Transcripts must be received in envelopes sealed and signed across the seal by the issuing institution registrar. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable. To be considered, all documents not in English must be accompanied by official English translations. These translations must bear an original ink signature and seal, and translations alone will not be acceptable.
• Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score report, or GRE score report. (Test taker copy not acceptable.)
• To send your official GMAT score report, log on to http://www.mba.com/mba/, click “The GMAT” then “GMAT Scores and Score Reports”. The “Rice University Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business – PhD Program” code is 3WS-WD-54.
• To send your official GRE score report, log on to http://www.ets.org, under “Tests” click “GRE”. Under “Test Takers” click “Order Additional Score Reports”. The “Rice U Mgmt PhD Program” code is 6618.

If you did not earn your undergraduate degree in the U.S., English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom, an official score report of your TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) taken within 2 years of your application date is required (test-taker copy not acceptable).  This requirement is waived for international applicants who have received a Master's degree or a Doctorate from an institution within the U.S., English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom by the application deadline.

• To send your official TOEFL score report, log on to http://www.ets.org, under “Tests” click “TOEFL” and then “Test Scores.” The “Rice University-Management PhD Program” code is 6618. 

A non-refundable application fee of $40 payable via credit card or check. Please make checks payable to Rice University. Applications will not be processed without the required application fee.

Please note that applicants may not apply for, or be considered for, more than one program at a time within the Jones Graduate School.

Minimum GMAT/GRE Score Requirements: While our program is highly competitive, we do not have a minimum GMAT/GRE score requirement.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

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Scholarships

Full financial assistance will be offered to each admitted student in the Ph.D. program in the form of a research assistantship, where the student must work as a research assistant for assigned faculty members. The financial assistance is merit-based and is contingent on continued satisfactory progress (which includes prior satisfactory performance as a research assistant).

Tuition Grants

Full tuition support is available for each year of full-time study, conditional on satisfactory progress in the doctoral program.

Stipends

Admitted students will be offered stipend support of $35,000 per fiscal year6. This stipend is available for each year of full-time study, conditional on satisfactory progress in the doctoral program.

Research and Academic Support

Each student will be provided with a workspace, a personal computer with office software7 including all necessary (as determined by area faculty) statistical packages and access to the Rice University network, library access, online academic journals access and e-mail. Each student will also have available $1000 per year for miscellaneous research and academic expenses such as text books required for classes, computer upgrades, conference travel etc. Students may roll over unused monies from one year to the next.

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6A condition for such stipend support is that the student must not engage in outside work for pay without prior permission from the Ph.D. program director. An incoming student bringing outside financial support in the form of a merit-based or fellowship will still be eligible to receive the stipend in full in addition to such outside support. If a student in the third year or beyond generates such outside support, the JGS stipend will be decreased by 50% of the outside support.        

7The computer will be refreshed after successful defense of the dissertation proposal. Instead, students completing their third year of study may be eligible for a computer refresh if needed and with the recommendation of their advisor.