Program Description
The College of Business Administration, through the departments of
Accounting, Economics and Finance, Information and Decision Sciences, and
Marketing and Management, offers a Ph.D. Degree in International Business. One
of only about 25 such programs worldwide accredited by AACSB International, the
program prepares new generations of faculty from diverse backgrounds to meet
critical challenges projected in international business and business education
across the State of Texas, Mexico, and abroad. The objective of the Ph.D.
program is to provide opportunities to develop student competencies in
research and teaching and to prepare our graduates for academic careers in the
business disciplines.
With course work divided between advanced research methods, substantive
international business core, and research specialization sequences, the
curriculum also offers opportunities for secondary international research
specializations in accounting, finance, information systems, management, and
marketing. The resulting curriculum provides graduates with the strong
theoretical knowledge base and state of the art methodological skills necessary
for success in today's academic environment.
Research Projects
Graduates of the program are trained to plan and execute high-quality
research publishable in major scholarly journals. Results of their
research are expected to advance both the theory and practice of international
business. Ph.D. students develop research competencies by completing
course requirements and working with faculty advisors on
research projects.
Teaching
Graduates of the program will enthuse and educate future business leaders by
teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in international business and the
traditional business disciplines. Ph.D. students gain invaluable classroom
experience by teaching courses under the close supervision of a faculty advisor.
As a result, they develop the requisite knowledge to prepare new courses and to
become outstanding teachers.
Completing a PHD
Early in the program, each student is matched to a faculty advisor. The
advisor serves as the student’s mentor by helping the student develop a course
of study, working with the student in the conduct of scholarly research,
supervising the student’s teaching activities and developing the student’s
understanding of academic life.
During the first two to three years of the program, students enroll in
coursework
designed to develop the conceptual and empirical skills necessary to undertake
high-quality research. Students take a minimum of four quantitative and
research methods courses, four international business substantive core courses,
and four research specialization seminars.
Additional courses and/or
independent studies are customized to each student’s individual interest.
The normal course load is nine hours per semester. Students are also
encouraged to develop computer proficiency. Expertise in a foreign
language is also highly desired.
A student achieves candidacy status after completing all coursework and
passing two comprehensive exams. Comprehensive exam questions are developed
and evaluated by the Ph.D. faculty. Admission into the Ph.D. program does not
guarantee advancement to candidacy.
Once admitted into candidacy, students must demonstrate their ability to
independently conduct research by completing and defending an original
dissertation. Together with the dissertation chair, each student selects a
dissertation committee. The dissertation chair and committee guide the
student through the dissertation process by helping the student select an
appropriate research topic; develop, write and defend a dissertation proposal;
conduct the research and defend the final dissertation.
Students Raul Tapia, Cassy Henderson, Syed Zaidi and Denise Bowen in NYC attending the American Accounting Association annual meeting.
Ph.D. students Jagadish Dandu of India and Masha Barulina of Russia with visiting Fulbright Scholar Dr. Rafael Ciloci from the Republic of Moldova at the UTEP-NMSU game.
