Learn more about pursuing a PhD in business at Kelley

A doctorate in business opens the opportunity to conduct research and teach at business schools in the United States and around the world. Business school professors have busy but remarkably rewarding professional lives. They have the opportunity to help young people make their mark in the business world while at the same time engaging in academic research.

As is typical in doctoral programs in business, Kelley doctoral students do not pay tuition. Moreover, all doctoral students at Kelley receive a basic financial aid package that provides a stipend for living expenses  and health insurance through Indiana University's student health and dental insurance plan. Additional information about our competitive financial aid package is here.

We typically receive approximately 300 applications and we admit about 12-15 students in a typical year. The number of students admitted to each specific area of specialization varies from year to year depending on various factors including the quality of applicant pool, faculty-student ratio, and availability of funds.

It is expected that students who enter the Kelley School of Business Doctoral Program will assume a faculty position at an academic/research institution upon completing the program.

No, but because admission is so competitive, many of our students do come to the program with a master’s degree. However, each year we admit a few students with no previous graduate study.

Our program is typically completed in five years—two years of coursework, followed by three years to complete the dissertation.

Not necessarily. A master’s degree is not a required first step in pursuit of a PhD degree. A PhD is not master’s work at a higher level, and master's and PhD course requirements are quite distinct

No. We welcome applicants who have previously earned an MBA, but does not necessarily make an applicant more competitive. A master’s degree in other programs (e.g. mathematical sciences, engineering, and sociology) is also strongly welcomed.

No. By accepting admission as full-time students, applicants commit themselves not to take or continue paid employment, even self-employment, outside the university. Our faculty have the highest standards of performance at the doctoral level, and in order to meet those standards, students must study and engage in research full-time.

No.

We are not currently offering courses for a DBA degree.

Yes, we are proud members. We share the Project's goal of increasing the proportion of business school faculty in the United States who are from under-represented minority groups. We participate each November in the annual recruiting fair at the conference that The PhD Project holds in Chicago for potential minority applicants to business school doctoral programs. Qualified applicants can go to the Big Ten Academic Alliance to complete an application to receive an application fee waiver.

Maturity, wherever gained, is a valuable asset in any doctoral program, and business experience may guide students in the selection of research topics. However, it is important to note that business experience cannot substitute for skills needed in academic research.

Yes. All doctoral programs in business are relatively small, and accept only a small fraction of their applicants each year. The selection depends on many factors in addition to the applicant's qualifications, such as fit with faculty interests, availability of financial aid for the particular area of study, etc. While we encourage you to include the Kelley School among your applications, it is assumed that all applicants will have applied broadly to peer institutions. Links to the web sites for all the doctoral programs in business in the United States can be found at the web site for The PhD Project, an organization devoted to recruiting minority applicants for business doctoral programs, although its web site is an excellent resource for all potential applicants.

The priority deadline for all domestic and international students is December 15. Applications received by this date are guaranteed to receive close consideration. Applications may be submitted beyond this date, but departments begin considering candidates in December and applications submitted after the priority date may not be considered. Generally, missing documents may be added to an application by early January.

A nonrefundable application fee of $70 must be received in order for your application to be processed.

Application fees will only be waived for applicants with the following documentation:

• Big Ten Academic Alliance: Please attach a copy of your letter from Indiana University certifying your eligibility for this.
• McNair Scholar: Please attach a copy of the McNair fee waiver form or a letter from your McNair Director certifying your eligibility for this.
• S. military: Active duty or active within the past 12 months. Please attach documentation showing active duty.
• If you are reapplying after applying last year, you can have your application fee waived when modifying your previously submitted and paid application. Refer to tab four of the application instructions.

If you do not have proof of this eligibility then you must pay the application fee.

Unless you qualify for one of these fee waivers, your application will not be processed without the application fee.

No. We only admit students in the fall semester each year.

No. The evaluation of the details of each applicant's record requires consultation with several faculty members in the particular major, and we normally undertake this consultation only when the application is complete and the application fee has been paid. We have tried to answer, on this web site, all the general questions that do not relate to the evaluation of a particular applicant's record. We will be glad, however, to talk with outstanding applicants, by e-mail, by telephone, or in person, when they do have questions not answered here.

Because academic ability and skill is so important in the program, at least one or two letters should be from people familiar with your academic or research work.

No, there is no word limit to personal statement documents for Kelley School of Business PhD applications. You may disregard the IU University Graduate School application notation pertaining to any limit.

The final decision on admission is made after consultation with the faculty for the program of study.

The admissions committee meets throughout the months of January, February and March to identify their choices for admission. The departmental programs begin making decisions starting at the end of February and continue doing so until spaces are filled.

Yes, you may be contacted via email and reminded to submit missing materials. Please ensure that emails from ksbdoc@iu.edu will not go to your spam folder.

No. You only need to complete the steps in the Office of International Services email notification if you are OFFERED and ACCEPT admission to the Kelley School of Business PhD Program.

No, either test is acceptable.

Yes. We require GMAT or GRE scores no more than 5 years old before admitting any applicant. We sometimes accept students with low GMAT scores because of the strength of their grades or their letters of recommendation, but we need to know how applicants compare on recent GMAT or GRE scores. Please do not contact the program office asking for a waiver of this requirement.

No general answer can be given to this question. Admission is competitive. We weigh all aspects of each applicant's record, and the applicant who is admitted may not be the one with the highest GMAT score.

Yes. All international students must submit one of the following tests. (Minimum score requirements are in parentheses.)

• TOEFL (100)
• IELTS (Band 7)
• Duolingo English Test (130)

Please note that we will not review applications from applicants with scores below these minimum scores. Applicants who have previously earned a four-year degree in a country where the primary spoken language is English may request a waiver.