Learn more about pursuing a PhD at Kelley.
Find answers to questions by reviewing our list of Frequently Asked Questions from students interested in applying to PhD programs.
The priority deadline date of December 15 is provided as a guideline. We will continue receiving applications and various components of required application documents into early January.
The doctorate in business opens the opportunity to teach in the United States and foreign schools of business. A business school professor has a busy but remarkably rewarding professional life. He or she has the opportunity to help young people make their mark in the business world while at the same time engaging in academic research.
PhD students entering the Kelley School of Business Doctoral Program come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, with the most important distinguishing feature being an eagerness to discover new things and an aptitude for research methods in business. While the program is small relative to the size of the Kelley School as a whole, the PhD students do form a united, self-helping group. Close proximity to faculty mentors, advisors, and other PhD students creates an environment that is conducive to high levels of quality research.
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.
The number of completed applications is generally between 200 and 300, and we tend to admit approximately 12 students per year. The number of students admitted to each specific area of specialization varies from year to year depending on funding, faculty-student ratio, and quality of applicant pool.
The deadline for domestic students is December 15. The deadline for international students, regardless of visa type, is also December 15.
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.
No.
No. We only admit to the Doctoral Program in the fall semester each year.
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.
Currently, we are not offering courses for a DBA degree.
Each year we admit 10 to 20 new students.
No. The Kelley School of Business Doctoral Program is strictly a full-time program. There are no PhD level courses offered through distance learning at this time.
No. Each student in the program requires a large investment of faculty time, and we have no shortage of highly qualified applicants. So we do not admit marginal applicants on a trial basis.
The application fee is $70.
No, application fees are nonrefundable.
Application fees will only be waived for the following reasons. An attachment is normally required to show your eligibility in these programs:
- Big Ten Academic Alliance: Please attach a copy of your letter from Indiana University certifying your eligibility for this.
- McNair Scholar (MCNR): Please attach a copy of the McNair fee waiver form or a letter from your McNair Director certifying your eligibility for this.
- Military: Active duty or active within the past 12 months. Please attach documentation showing active duty.
If you do not have documentation or proof of this eligibility then you must pay an application fee.
If you applied last year and you are re-applying this year, you can have your application fee waived when modifying your previously submitted and paid application. Refer to tab four of the application instructions.
Unless you qualify for one of these fee waivers, your application will not be processed without application payment.
Yes. We are a proud participant. 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.
We must receive all required application materials in order for the application to be considered complete. We need to receive all transcripts, recommendation letters, and required materials no later than January in order for your application to be considered for review by department areas of study.
Yes, you may be contacted via email and reminded to submit missing materials.
You can either scan all of your transcript documentation together into one PDF document and upload the file on the fifth tab of the application under “Additional Upload,” or you can scan your transcripts separately and email them to KSBDOC@indiana.edu.
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.
Our program is completed in four to five years—two years of coursework, followed by two to three years writing a dissertation.
Not necessarily. A master's degree is not a required first step in pursuit of a PhD degree—the PhD is not master's work at a higher level. Master's and PhD course requirements are quite distinct.
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.
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.
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, 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.
An official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score is required for non-native speakers of English. Please note that participating in correspondence or online courses does not satisfy this requirement.
The final decision on admission is made after consultation with the faculty for the program of study.
Yes, permission of the instructor and the Program Chair is required and is normally given if the instructor feels that the presence of the potential student will strengthen the class for the other students.
Yes. All doctoral programs in business are small. They accept only a small fraction of their applicants each year, and the selection depends on many factors in addition to the applicant's qualifications (fit with faculty interests, availability of financial aid for the particular major, etc.). So you should apply to several programs. 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. (The PhD Project is devoted to recruiting minority applicants for business doctoral programs, but its web site is an important resource for all potential applicants.)
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.
Because of the severe shortage of well-qualified business professors, a student still working on his or her dissertation will often take a job as an acting assistant professor at another university, with the understanding that "acting" will be removed from the job title once the dissertation is completed. Prospects for one's subsequent career are much better if the dissertation is completed before one embarks on the demands of a newly minted professor.
No, there is no word limit to personal statement documents for Kelley School of Business PhD applications. Disregard the IU University Graduate School application notation pertaining to any limit.
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.