PhD in Business Administration Specialization in Marketing

Completion of the program requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree, not including dissertation hours from BA 8000. Students with a limited background in business will also be required to take additional leveling courses. Required coursework includes core marketing seminars and research method courses/seminars.

Typically, students complete all credit hours in residence at Texas Tech. Twenty-one semester credit hours must be taken in residence during a 12-month period. Most students take nine semester credit hours in the fall and spring semesters and three semester credit hours in one of the two summer sessions. Generally, only nine credit hours from outside institutions (provided there is an equivalent course at Texas Tech) may be counted toward the required 60 credit hours, if approved by the area’s doctoral coordinator. There is no foreign language requirement.

As part of the required 60 credit hours, students must fulfill a mathematics competency requirement and complete Advanced Statistical Methods (ISQS 5347) and Practicum in Higher Education for Business (BA 5395).

With the consent of their faculty advisors, students can choose a content-area concentration that matches their interests and career aspirations, such as getting hired, promoted or tenured. Typical concentrations include marketing strategy and consumer behavior. Marketing seminar courses will touch each of these content areas depending on the particular specializations of each faculty member teaching the course.

To ensure advanced development of analytical and research skills, students must pursue research methods as a supporting field. A minimum of nine credit hours (three courses) of supporting field coursework in research methods is required.

ISQS 5349: Regression Analysis
ISQS 6348: Applied Multivariate Analysis
BA 6300: Advanced Business Research Methods; Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
MGT 6381: Qualitative Methods & the Philosophies of Science
MGT 6381: Publishing Empirical Research and Scholarly Writing
BA 7000: Special Topics on Research Methods and Analysis

To reach the 60-hour requirement, students will work with faculty to determine the appropriate mix of elective and/or independent research coursework. Enrollment in these courses is associated with a student’s preparation for their doctoral dissertation proposal or other research projects. Because doctoral proposals and other independent research require substantial faculty resources, enrollment will reflect the time required of faculty.

Students must complete and present two solo-authored summer research papers. The first paper is prepared during the summer following the first year of residence. Students prepare their second paper during the spring of their second full year of residence.

Faculty evaluate each student on how well their papers were developed and written (the manuscript grade), as well as how well they verbally presented their paper and answered questions (the presentation grade). Students must receive passing grades for both the manuscript portion and the presentation portion of the academic exercise.

Upon completion of coursework, students are prepared for intensive examinations. The Comprehensive Exam will cover material from all doctoral seminars, research seminar series and may also include material from the supporting fields. Students are expected to go beyond courses through intensive self-study of the research literature.

After successfully completing the comprehensive examination, students are admitted to candidacy.The dissertation represents the culmination of the doctoral program in which a student learns and demonstrates the ability to conduct independent research.

Students should select a Doctoral Dissertation Committee as early as possible during their studies. Generally, most dissertation committees are composed of three or four total faculty members. The committee must include a chair who is typically chosen before the completion of coursework once the student has identified an area of interest. The committee chair may assist in refining a topic, suggesting potential committee members, and establishing a timeline and structure for the dissertation. Additionally, the committee must include one additional tenured or tenure-track faculty member from the Area of Marketing and a tenured or tenure-track faculty member from another academic area.

Key milestones in the dissertation process, include the (1) formal selection of a dissertation chair and committee members, (2) selection of a research topic, (3) dissertation proposal defense (written document and oral presentation), (4) formal approval of dissertation proposal, (5) completion of dissertation research, (6) final dissertation defense (written document and oral presentation), and (7) final decision by dissertation committee (e.g., accepted as presented, accepted with minor changes, accepted with significant changes, or not accepted). The student’s dissertation chair and the Marketing PhD Program Advisor will guide the student through the process.