Admission decisions are made based on past academic record, intellectual ability, GMAT or GRE scores, and career commitment. Applications are accepted from students who have baccalaureate or graduate degrees. Past graduate work may be credited toward degree requirements where appropriate. Applicants must submit:

• Official academic transcripts
• Official GMAT or GRE exam results in fields approved by the College of Business Administration. International students are required to document English proficiency by providing scores from an internationally accepted standardized examination before a decision is made on admission.
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation (at least one of which is from an individual with an earned doctorate).
• A statement of objectives for the course of study. See Requirements and Details.
• A current resume or CV.

Applications will be accepted for Fall enrollment beginning in the previous Fall. The application deadline for all materials is February 28.

Research and teaching assistantships (20 hours per week) are awarded to full-time Ph.D. students on a competitive basis. Ph.D. assistantships include a stipend and waiver of tuition. All full-time Ph.D. students are considered for an assistantship.

The Supply Chain & Analytics Ph.D. in the College of Business Administration requires a minimum of 62 course credit hours, including a minimum of 5 dissertation credit hours, beyond the baccalaureate degree. To ensure sufficient background for doctoral-level courses, students must demonstrate appropriate competence in quantitative reasoning, which is evidenced through completion of prior course work or equivalent to be determined by the Ph.D. Program Director. Students must also demonstrate appropriate competence in managerial communication, which is evidenced through completion of BUS AD 5100 or equivalent to be determined by the Ph.D. Program Director.

The Supply Chain & Analytics Ph.D. has required courses in four areas: Business & Research Foundations (Section I), Emphasis Area Foundations (Section II), Research Methods (Section III) and Doctoral Courses (Section IV). Electives in the program are included in Section V.

I. Business & Research Foundation Requirement: 15 credit hours (5 courses)

Students are required to take five Business & Research Foundations courses as advised by the emphasis area Ph.D. Director. These five courses may be waived if students have completed the courses as part of an UMSL program or had equivalent graduate course work at an institution approved by the Graduate Business Programs Office and the Ph.D. Director.

II. Emphasis Area Foundations (9 Credit Hours)

Students are required to take three foundational courses as advised by the Ph.D. Director.

III. Research Methods (9 credit hours)

Students are required to take three research methods courses as advised by the Ph.D. Director.

IV. Doctoral Courses (15 credit hours)

Students are required to take five Doctoral level courses as advised by the Ph.D. Director.

V. Electives (9 credit hours)

Students must take 9 credit hours of graduate-level elective courses, selected in consultation with the Ph.D. Director. If the three courses are selected in a thematic area outside the emphasis area, they are deemed to constitute a “Supporting Field” for the Ph.D.

• Upon completion of the coursework in Sections I-V, students enroll in BUS AD 7001 Doctoral Research, or BUS AD 7002 Dissertation Research. Students are advanced to candidacy by successfully completing a comprehensive examination. The format of the comprehensive examination generally consists of written and/or oral examinations. Students should take the comprehensive exam in the first semester after completing the coursework in Sections I-V.
• Students will be evaluated annually for satisfactory progress. Students deemed not to be making adequate progress are subject to the policies of the College of Business Administration regarding continuation of their assistantship. Students deemed not to be making adequate progress are subject to the policies of the Graduate School and the College of Business Administration regarding probation and dismissal from the program.
• Students are required to take a minimum of 5 credit hours total of BUS AD 7001 Doctoral Research, and BUS AD 7002 Dissertation Research and to orally defend a dissertation proposal within one year of advancement to candidacy.
• The following requirements are to be completed before or after admission to candidacy:
  • Students are required to present one paper at a regional, national, or international conference, approved by their dissertation advisor or program advisor.
  • Students are required to submit one paper, approved by their dissertation advisor or program advisor, to a refereed journal.
• At least two semesters of supervised teaching in the College of Business Administration are required of all doctoral students.