PhD in Entrepreneurship
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Develop New Knowledge in Entrepreneuship
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.
Program Highlights
The curriculum aims to produce academic scholars who will present papers at professional conferences, publish papers in academic journals, and teach at the university level. We anticipate that students will be successful academics at leading universities. Because of this, students serve as research assistants during two of their four years in the program. Students teach during the last two years in the program.
After passing qualifying exams, required courses, and writing required papers, students proceed to candidacy and write their doctoral dissertations in their remaining program years.
Median Starting Salary
with top placements earning up to $175,000.
The Lifetime Career Support Promise
At the UofL College of Business, you earn more than a degree. We’ll be here every step of the way as you pursue your dreams. Free for life for alumni, learn more about the resources available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
View the tuition and costs of our programs on the Cost & Aid page.
We seek students who are passionate about performing academic research in the field of entrepreneurship, and who plan to become academics engaged in teaching and scholarship.
No.
Typically, our students serve as Research Assistants for two years. In their third or fourth years, our students teach a total of four classes while they are completing their dissertations. A fifth year may be spent either as a research assistant or a graduate teaching assistant. Approval for a fifth year of study may be granted on an individual basis but is expected not to be the norm.
We offer only a full-time program that requires your residency on campus—which does not allow outside employment.
It should normally take four full years to complete the program. Students take courses in their first two years in the program and write their dissertations and complete other papers in years three and four. Some students may require a fifth year, which could be granted as an exception.
Student cohorts begin their studies in August of even years. i.e., new cohorts of students will begin the program in August 2026. Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort will be open in Fall 2025 and accepted through December 31, 2025.
How to Apply
Outstanding students will be considered for the University Fellowship Program. We will admit students on a rolling basis with an application deadline of December 31, 2025. If space permits, exceptional students can be admitted through April.
PhD in Entrepreneurship Students
Michael Araki – University of New South Wales
Sadek Showkat – Loyola University Chicago
Juliana Binhote – Florida State University
Lauren Atkinson Zettel – Central Michigan University
Kirsten Bullock – Valparaiso University
Malcolm Muhammad – Georgia State University
Alireza Aghaey – The University of Central Oklahoma
Cole Crider – University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
Yuhan Hua – Milikin University
Mahshid Jessri – California State University, Los Angeles
Vasiliki Kosmidou – University of New Haven
Shankar Naskar – The University of Virgina at Wise
Michael Crum – Assistant Professor, University of Northern Michigan
Rodney D’Souza – Associate Professor, Northern Kentucky University
Bill Meek – Associate Professor, University of Dayton
Cheryl Mitteness – Assistant Professor, Northeastern University
Pankaj Patel – Endowed Chairholder in Innovation and Associate Professor, Villanova University
Rob Sinclair – Associate Professor, Governors State University
Qian Ye – Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin – Parkside
Tom Nelson – Director, Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Assistant Professor, University of South Alabama
Krishna Poudel – Assistant Professor, Southern University
Chris Crawford – Assistant Professor, Ohio University
Tae Jun Bae – Assistant Professor, Hofstra University
Jason D’Mello – Assistant Professor, Loyola-Marymount University
Trayan Kushev – Assistant Professor, Cal Poly Pomona University
E. Shaunn Mattingly – Assistant Professor, Boise State University
Dalong Ma – Assistant Professor, Missouri Western State University
Shanshan Qian – Assistant Professor, Towson State University
John Mueller – Assistant Professor, California State University, Fresno
- Jackson Akor
- Bereket Buli
- Nicholas Gibben
- David Sharma
- John Trimble
- John Aiyede
- Kai Cher Tay
- Michael Araki
- Juliana Binhote
- Sadek Showkat