The PhD Program in Marketing prepares students for an intellectually challenging career in academia. Our program has a strong emphasis on conducting original research along with preparing students to publish in academic journals at the highest level. Over the course of the program, students will be exposed to a broad range of topics in the field of marketing, and we encourage students to find a research area that best fits their interests.
Our program is purposely small and very selective, so we are able to have a one-on-one relationship with our doctoral students, thus providing a richer academic experience. MSU's PhD program is built around a mentor/apprentice relationship where students have ample opportunity to be involved in research projects with faculty. Along with our research focus, MSU is committed to educating doctoral students to excel in teaching and instruction. Our objective is for students to be fully prepared to handle the research and teaching requirements in a university setting.
Program Overview
The minimum course requirements for completing the Marketing PhD program consist of the following:
- 24 semester hours of marketing course work
- 18 semester hours of quantitative analysis
- Nine semester hours in a minor area
Up to six graduate credit hours of prior coursework can be applied to your program of study with the consent of the PhD program coordinator. Typically, students should expect to spend the first two years completing academic coursework and developing a required, independent research paper. At the beginning of the third year, students must pass a written comprehensive exam covering the content of their coursework. The student will then be responsible for developing a research idea for a dissertation. The proposal of the dissertation idea will need the approval of a student's dissertation committee. Finally, the student will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data to satisfy the requirements for the final dissertation defense. The length of a student's program is usually four years.
Admission
We typically admit two highly qualified students a year. Admission to the PhD program takes place only in the fall semester. The deadline to submit an application is January 15th each year. Criteria for admission is based on the applicant's previous GPA, GMAT (or GRE) score, previous work history, letters of recommendation, and the number of qualified applicants received. We prefer students to have a 3.2 GPA in their last 60 hours of coursework completed. International applicants that do not hold a degree from an English-speaking country must also submit a TOEFL score.
Contact
For specific information about the Marketing PhD program at Mississippi State University, please contact the coordinator, Dr. Mike Breazeale.
Visit MSU's Office of the Graduate School website for information on admission requirements for US students and International students.