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Business Administration, Ph.D.

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Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Business Administration is a full-time research-oriented program, designed to prepare graduates for academic teaching and research careers. The program includes core courses covering all business disciplines, combined with in-depth study in both theoretical and empirical aspects of finance. 

The Belk College of Business has offered a Ph.D. in Business Administration since fall 2006. UNC Charlotte is one of only three universities in North Carolina offering business administration degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral level — a distinction shared with Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The program currently offers one major, in finance. Students admitted to the finance program minor in economics and complete a research methods sequence through the Department of Mathematics. Students also teach undergraduate courses as part of their training. Faculty from the Departments of Finance and Economics in the Belk College of Business, and the Department of Mathematics in the College of Science, teach in the program.

Program Contact

David Mauer

Ph.D. in Business Administration Program Director

dmauer@charlotte.edu

704-687-7707

Business Administration, Ph.D. at a Glance

Students in the Ph.D. in Business Administration develop a plan of study in their first year, complete coursework and engage in significant research culminating in a dissertation.

delivery
On-campus
credit hours
72 post-baccalaureate credit hours (must contain at least 42 credit hours of doctoral coursework + a minimum 18 hours of dissertation credit)
plan of study
33 credit hours in finance and economics; 9 credit hours in research support courses
duration
5 years (median)
Curriculum

Key program milestones

Year One

Coursework + end-of-year diagnostic exam.

Year Two

Coursework + end-of-year qualifying exam paper requirement.

Year Three

Third-year students must present an original research paper in the regular faculty seminar in the fall or spring semester. The paper can be single-authored or joint with faculty and/or other students. This paper could be the dissertation proposal or an expanded version or extension of their second-summer paper requirement.

Years Four + Five

Students on the job market must interview at the Financial Management Association Meeting (FMA) in October and/or American Finance Association Meeting (AFA) in January, and they are required to present their job market paper in the regular faculty seminar prior to the FMA meeting (i.e., in August or September of their job market year).

Student Placement

Our Ph.D. students have accepted positions at high caliber universities and corporations around the world:

  • Bureau of Labor and Statistics
  • Citibank
  • Clemson University
  • Eastern Michigan University
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
  • Flagler College
  • Harvest Fund Management (China)
  • Horizon Investments
  • Illinois State University
  • Ithaca College
  • Kent State University
  • Lingnan College, Sun-Yat-Sen University (China)
  • Marquette University
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • North Dakota State University
  • Ontario Tech University
  • Queens University
  • Rutgers University
  • St. John’s University
  • Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
  • Southwestern University of Finance and Economics
  • Tulane University
  • University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • University of South Dakota
  • University of St. Thomas
  • US Bank
  • Valparaiso University
  • Washington State University
  • Washington University in Saint Louis
  • Wells Fargo
  • West Point, The United State Military Academy
  • Winthrop University

Ph.D. Admissions

The Belk College anticipates admitting two to three students each academic year, subject to budgetary conditions. The College offers each admitted student a competitive compensation package consisting of a graduate assistantship, full tuition remission, and medical insurance (medical insurance is available for dependents at an additional cost). Students are only admitted on a full-time basis.

Serious inquiries should reach out to Dr. David Mauer, Ph.D. Program Director and Torrence E. Hemby, Sr. Distinguished Professor of Finance, at dmauer@charlotte.edu.

The application deadline for Ph.D. admissions is January 15.

Accreditation

UNC Charlotte was the first university in the Charlotte region to earn accreditation by AACSB International, and has now held that distinction for more than 30 years. UNC Charlotte is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees.