University of Louisville College of Business - Entrepreneurship PhD Admissions

Admissions

Entrepreneurship PhD ADMISSIONS

Q&A: (Click on question)

What are the qualifications for admission?

     An undergraduate degree is required. An MBA degree or similar degree is also required. A student who does not have a master’s degree must complete a set of courses equivalent to a “core” that is covered in an MBA program. We believe that an understanding of entrepreneurship requires an understanding of all the major facets of business, and this is typically satisfied with an MBA degree.
     Prior work experience is not required.
     We evaluate many characteristics of our applicants before we make our admissions decisions. These include:

GMAT score. The average GMAT score of the students we have admitted into the PhD program is 650. If you took the GRE exam in the past five years, we may accept it in lieu of a GMAT score.
Academic record at the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate institutions. There is no minimum grade point average. The institutions you attended, your major(s) and minor(s), and your GPA are all factors we consider.
Letters of recommendation.
Prior work experience.
An interview (either in person or via a phone call)
The applicant’s essay that explains why he/she is interested in pursuing a PhD and that provides other relevant information for us to make a decision.
Only 4 – 6 students are admitted in each biennial cohort. Admission is very competitive.

Must I take the GMAT or GRE exam?

Applicants must take the GMAT exam. The average GMAT score of the students we have admitted into the PhD program is 650. If you took the GRE exam in the past five years, we may accept it in lieu of a GMAT score.

How many students do you admit?

We typically admit 4-6 students every other year. Cohorts of students will begin their studies in August 2010 and August 2012.

Do I need prior work experience in order to be admitted?

No prior work experience is necessary for admission. Nonetheless, if you have prior work experience, we will consider it when making admission decisions.

How can I apply to the PhD program in Entrepreneurship?

Go to http://graduate.louisville.edu/apply , and follow the instructions for application.

What is the application deadline?

We urge you to apply by January 15 (in a year that we are accepting students; we accept students biennially). Outstanding students who apply by January 15 will be considered for the University Fellowship Program (see https://graduate.louisville.edu/pubs/university-fellowship-program.html#UFP ). When appropriate, we admit students on a rolling basis beginning January 15. Otherwise, we will evaluate applications beginning March 15, and try to make our admissions decisions by April 1. We have, in the past, admitted exceptional students after April 1 if space permitted.

What is the cost of the program?

All students receive a full tuition waiver while they are in the program. All of our students receive a stipend for four full academic years, as long as they are making progress towards their degree. Students work as graduate assistants in order to receive the stipend. The current stipend is $20,000 per year until you enter candidacy, and $21,000 after you are in candidacy. Students enter candidacy after successfully completing all of required coursework, passing the preliminary examination, and writing and presenting a required second year paper. Typically, students enter candidacy after two full years in the program.

I am an international student. Do I need to take the TSE or TOEFL test in order to be accepted? If so, what scores do I need to achieve to be accepted?

International students for whom English is not their primary language must show English language proficiency by either (1) taking the TOEFL test and scoring a paper-based TOEFL score of 550, computer-based TOEFL score of 213, or internet-based TOEFL score of 79, or (2) by successfully completing the exit examination for the advanced level of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program at the University of Louisville or (3) by demonstration of a degree award from an acceptable English language institution.