PhD in Entrepreneurship

The UofL College of Business is the home to the nation’s longest-running entrepreneurship PhD program, consistently ranked among the top graduate entrepreneurship programs in the U.S. by the Princeton Review.

Our full-time residential program trains the next generation of entrepreneurship scholars and educators, preparing them for faculty positions at leading business schools. With an exclusive focus on entrepreneurship, the program provides students with a deep intellectual journey through entrepreneurship theory and research. Students also gain rigorous, hands-on training in research design and methods, equipping them to produce cutting-edge entrepreneurship research.

PhD students work closely with our world-class faculty, whose research is regularly published in top journals, including FT50-listed publications such as Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Research Policy, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Several faculty also serve as Associate Editors and sit on the editorial review boards of leadings journals.

The program is structured as a cohort model and is designed to be completed in four years. During the first two years, students complete a series of doctoral seminars while initiating individual and collaborative research projects with faculty. Upon successful completion of coursework and qualifying requirements, students advance to candidacy in the third and fourth years, dedicating their efforts to dissertation research and acquiring valuable teaching experience to prepare for the academic job market.

During their time as doctoral students, Entrepreneurship Ph.D. students receive:

• A highly competitive annual stipend, health insurance subsidy, and tuition remission
• Annual financial support to attend leading academic conferences.
• Mentorship and opportunity to collaborate on research with our renowned faculty.
• Pedagogical training and university teaching experience.
• Collaboration opportunities with several university centers housed within the College of Business 

Cohorts are admitted to this program every two years, and our next cohort will begin in Fall 2026.  We invite interested individuals to prepare their applications, which can submitted through the following link and will be accepted through December 31, 2025.

Admissions Information APPLY HERE

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