APPLICATION PROCESS
Steps To Apply
Please Note:
- For the computer information systems concentration, a program track selection is required.
- For the management concentration, select organizational behavior/human resource management as the specialization.
Follow these steps to apply to the Ph.D. program. Otherwise, start your application now ».
Complete the online application along with the $50 application fee.
Select the following to locate the Ph.D. in Business Administration online application:
Application Type: Graduate Programs
College: J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Program: Business Administration; Doctor of Philosophy
Concentration: Select the concentration you are applying for
Please Note:
- For the computer information systems concentration, a program track selection is required.
All concentrations, except strategy, require the submission of the GMAT or GRE taken within the last five years. Applicants to strategy are required to submit the GMAT taken within the last five years. GMAT or GRE test score waivers are not granted.
Test Codes
GMAT: QCK-ZW-59
GRE: 5251
Unofficial transcripts may be submitted at the time of application.
One official copy of the transcript of all college work is required from each previously attended institution if you are subsequently offered admission.
Each transcript must be closed with the institution's official seal across the flap. If an institution's policies do not permit sending official transcripts to applicants for use with self-managed applications, the transcripts may be sent directly to the Office of Admissions – Graduate Programs.
The eSCRIP-SAFE System
Electronic transcripts from eSCRIP-SAFE are acceptable if your institution is listed as a “sender” (not receiver) of transcripts. “Sender” must be selected for the member type. If a school does not utilize eSCRIP, we will accept official transcripts electronically as long as they are sent by the institution directly to our email address:
Transcript Email: [email protected]
Transcript Order Site Name: Georgia State University – Graduate Programs
Mailing Address (U.S. Postal Service)
Office of Admissions – Graduate Programs
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4018
Atlanta, GA 30302
Delivery Address (FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.)
Office of Admission – Graduate Programs
Georgia State University – Sparks Hall 200
33 Gilmer Street SE
Atlanta, GA 30302
This portion of the Ph.D. application is your opportunity to highlight qualities relevant to your success that may not be evident in test scores and past academic performance. This statement also should address your research and career interests.
All applicants must submit an updated résumé. Please include the following: names of employers, dates of employment, job title, job responsibilities, number of hours worked per week, title of supervisor, approximate number of employees in organization, professional affiliations and awards.
Three letters of recommendation are required from people who are able to evaluate your intellectual capacity for advanced study, independent research and analytical thinking as well as your potential for effective teaching at the collegiate level. Recommendation letters may be submitted through the online application process or in sealed envelopes from the recommender; recommenders must sign their names across the sealed portion of the back of the envelope.
If an interview or additional information is required, applicants will be notified.
Immunization forms should be sent directly to the Immunization Office after an offer of admission is accepted by the applicant.
Admitted students receive a research and teaching assistantship, which includes a full tuition waiver and a stipend. This financial package is renewable contingent upon satisfactory progress in the program. Students are required to pay for health insurance and mandatory fees as well as living expenses.
The Ph.D. program requires full-time attendance in person. Students attend courses for the PhD program in-person and on a full-time basis. The coursework phase of the program is 2-3 years. Courses may be scheduled Monday-Friday in the mornings, afternoons, and early evenings. In addition to coursework, students are actively engaged in research throughout the program.
The majority of our graduates become tenure-track, research-oriented professors at universities. Recent placements at research institutions (R1) include:
Auburn University
Baylor University
Florida International University
Texas Tech University
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
University of New Mexico - Albuquerque
University of Oklahoma
University of Texas - El Paso
Application fee waivers are not available.
The faculty committee for the PhD program concentrations require the submission of a test score. Accountancy and Strategy will only accept the GMAT, and other concentrations will accept the GMAT or GRE taken within the last five years. The faculty will accept the online or home-based versions of the test. The test score is only one factor taken into consideration. The faculty use a holistic review process and all documents submitted in support of the application are reviewed. GMAT or GRE test score waivers are not granted.
The average GMAT score for accepted students for fall 2024 was 698 and the average GRE score was 324. The average four-year undergraduate GPA was 3.57 and the average graduate GPA was 3.78. Students were admitted with scores and GPAs above and below those mentioned here. Other factors such as letters of recommendation and the applicant's statement of purpose are taken into consideration.
For English Proficiency, graduate admissions will accept the TOEFL, IELTS, an approved ESL program, or a degree from an accredited U.S. institution. There is also an exemption given for those whose county of birth is on the approved exemption list. Visit this webpage for details https://graduate.gsu.edu/how-to-apply/#international. Also, applicants who receive a 50% or higher on the verbal section of the GMAT or GRE can have their English Proficiency requirement waived by the PhD program.
GRE: 5251
GMAT: Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business
TOEFL: Select Institution Code 5251
IELTS: Select E-Delivery Account Name Georgia State University Graduate Admissions
Departments accept an average of one to four students per year. Some areas of study do not accept students each year. Please check with the Ph.D. program office for a list of programs that currently are accepting students.
Our Ph.D. program prepares students to conduct research and teach at the university level.
accountancy
data science and analytics
digital innovation
finance
health analytics
information systems
international business
management (organizational behavior and strategy)
marketing
real estate
risk management and insurance
Students take seminars in research methodology and statistics as well as their area of study during their first two years. Some departments have a third year of coursework. Students are required to pass a comprehensive exam. Once it is passed, students devote their time to the development of their dissertation. Both the dissertation proposal and the final dissertation product must be defended orally before a group of faculty and students. Additional requirements vary by department.
On average, students take five years to complete the program.
Want to know the status of your application? Log in to your graduate application to view your program checklist. Once all of the required admission items have been received, your application will be reviewed for minimum admission requirements before being routed to the program faculty for an admission decision.
If you already have submitted an application and are looking for a status update or are following up with supplemental documents, please contact the Georgia State Office of Admissions – Graduate Programs:
Phone: 404-413-2444
Email: [email protected]
Please send digital transcripts to our transcript email: [email protected]
Application Deadlines
The Ph.D. program admits students once a year for the fall semester. We will begin accepting applications for fall 2026 on September 15, 2025. For fullest consideration, the application and all required materials should be submitted by January 8, 2026.
After the application deadline, some departments may consider high-quality, late applicants. Contact the Ph.D. faculty coordinator in the following departments for approval to apply after the deadline:
- Accountancy
- Digital Innovation
- Finance
- Information Systems
- International Business
- Management (not admitting for strategy for fall 2025)
- Marketing
- Real Estate
- Risk Management & Insurance
In making admissions decisions, each academic unit must consider the optimum number of students in the program. This could result in the denial or deferral of otherwise qualified applicants.
Application Questions
Phone: 404-413-2444
Email: [email protected]
Please send digital transcripts to our transcript email: [email protected]
Mailing/Delivery Addresses
Office of Admissions - Graduate Programs
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 4018
Atlanta, GA 30302
Delivery Address (FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.)
Office of Admission - Graduate Programs
Georgia State University - Sparks Hall 200
33 Gilmer Street SE
Atlanta, GA 30303