Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Marketing

Recent Placements

Villanova University, University of Missouri - Kansas City, Auburn University, Clemson University, Dartmouth College, Georgia State University, Stony Brook University (SUNY System), University of Alabama, University of Connecticut, University of Kentucky, Washington State University.

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Recent Awards

Dan Bradbury, AMS Review-Sheth Foundation Annual Doctoral Competition for Conceptual Articles
Marina Cozac and Rachel Hochstein, Transformative Consumer Research Grant from the Association for Consumer Research
Rachel Hochstein, Outstanding College of Business Teaching Assistant Award; Best Paper, Consumer Culture Theory
Lane Peterson, Outstanding College of Business Teaching Assistant Award
Bryan Hochstein, finalist in Florida State’s Three-Minute Thesis Competition
Corinne Kelley, Organizational Frontlines Young Scholar Research Competition
Ilana Shanks, American Marketing Association Ph.D. Scholarship

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Illustrative Presentations

Marina Cozac, 2022 Association for Consumer Research (ACR) Conference
Lane Peterson, 2021 European Marketing Association Conference (EMAC)

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Illustrative Defended Dissertations

“Why is this “Green”? A Mixed Methods Extension of the Green Consumer Literature” by Daniel Bradbury; Dr. Jerome J. Cronin, major professor
“Three Essays on Consumer Well-Being: Exploring the Future of Food, Introducing Fuel Snacks, and Fighting Infodemics” by Marina Cozac; Dr. Maura  L. Scott & Dr. Martin Mende, major professors
“The Cultural Negotiation of Practice Boundaries Through New Rituals: The Case of Self-Care Consumption” by Rachel Elizabeth Hochstein; Dr. Colleen Harmeling, major professor
"The Influence of Marketing Tactics on Consumer Health and Well-Being" by Lane Peterson; Dr. Maura L. Scott & Dr. Martin Mende, major professors
"Toward a Theory of Intraorganizational Relations: Examining the Performance and Turnover Effects of Intraorganizational Social Relations" by Alec Pappas; Dr. Willy Bolander, major professor
"The Impacts of Customer Base Complexity on Firm Performance: The Moderating Role of Marketing Capability" by Kyuyeong Choi; Dr. Daekwan Kim, major professor

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Recent Student Publications

Graduates from the Florida State University PhD Program with a concentration in Marketing produce highly impactful research published in premier academic journals. A Web of Science report suggests the average number of citations on an academic article is 10.19. Many of the publications from the program produce award winning, seminal research based on this benchmark.

Some recent representative publications from current or former students:

“Toward a Theory of Consumer Digital Trust: Meta Analytic Evidence of its Role in the Effectiveness of User-Generated Content,” Rachel Hochstein, Colleen M. Harmeling, Taylor Perko. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, (2024).
“Moralization of Everyday Consumption Practices: The Case of Self-Care,” Rachel Hochstein, Ela Veresiu, Colleen M. Harmeling. Journal of Consumer Research (UTD, FT50) (2025).
“Friend or Foe? Can Anthropomorphizing Self-Tracking Devices Backfire on Marketers and Consumers?,” Lane Peterson Fronczek, Martin Mende, Maura Scott, Gergana Nenkov, and Anders Gustafsson (2023). Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.
“From Self‐Quantification to Self‐Objectification? Framework and Research Agenda on Consequences for Well‐Being, Lane Peterson Fronczek, with Martin Mende and Maura Scott (2022).
"Food Experience Design to Prevent Unintended Consequences and Improve Well-being," Lane Peterson with Michela Addis et al., Journal of Service Research, 25, 1 (2022): 143-159.
"Operationalizing Salesperson Performance with Secondary Data: Aligning Practice, Scholarship, and Theory," Willy Bolander, Nawar Chaker, Alec Pappas, and Daniel Bradbury, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49, 3, (2021): 462-481.
"Getting Personal in Public!? How Consumers Respond to Public Personalized Advertising in Retail Stores." Hess, Nicole J., Corinne M. Kelley, Maura L. Scott, Martin Mende, and Jan H. Schumann. Journal of Retailing 96, no. 3 (2020): 344-361

Prerequisites

All Marketing doctoral students are recommended to satisfy the following prerequisites, through completion of a master’s program prior to their first year in the doctoral program:

• ECP 5706 Managerial Economics
• EDF 5400 Introductory Statistics: Description and Inference
• EDF 5488 Computer Analysis of Educational Data
• MAC 2233 Business Calculus
• MAN 5716 Business Conditions Analysis
• MAN 5501 Production and Operations Management
• MAR 5816 Marketing Strategy

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Major Requirements

All Marketing doctoral students must complete courses in three areas: Methodology (known as Tools and Analytical Research or TAR), Marketing Theory and Professional Development.

I. Methodology (TAR) coursework

The purpose of the sequence of research tool courses is to provide the student with the technical skills to complete a dissertation and to conduct other high-quality, publishable research in the area of primary interest. 

All Marketing doctoral students must take the following six courses:

• MAR 5625 Marketing Research and Analytics
• MAR 6665 Seminar in Marketing Models
• MAR 6636 Quantitative Methods 1: Theory Building from Data 
• MAN 6917 Seminar in Research Design 
• STA 5207 Applied Regression Methods  
• STA 5206 Analysis of Variance and Design of Experiments 

Please note: ECO 5416 Econometrics I and ECO 5423 Econometrics II may substitute for STA 5207 or STA 5206. This would allow students to take ECO 5427 Limited Dependent Variables and ECO 5428 Time Series in the first-year summer. Students could then take ECO 5424 Panel Data in the fall of the second year. Students can also substitute ECO 5420 for either STA option.

Elective Courses:

• ECO 5114 Applied Microeconomics I
• ECO 5416 Econometrics I
• ECO 5420 Applied Econometrics
• ECO 5423 Econometrics II
• ECO 5424 Econometric Methods for Panel Data
• ECO 5427 Limited Dependent Variable Models
• ECO 5428 Time Series Models
• STA 5066 Data Management with SAS
• STA 5238 Applied Logistic Regression
• STA 5635 Applied Machine Learning

II. Marketing Theory Requirements

The theory courses and seminars provide opportunities for in-depth study. The following five doctoral seminars and courses are required in Marketing:

• MAR 6575 Seminar in Consumer Behavior Theory
• MAR 6817 Seminar in Services Marketing
• MAR 6828 Seminar in Business-to-Business Marketing
• MAR 6506 Seminar in Consumer Behavior Methods

Elective Courses:

• MAN 6275 Organizational Behavior I
• MAN 6306 Seminar in Human Resource Management
• MAN 6235 Seminar in Organizational Theory
• MAN 6795 Seminar in Strategic Management: Selected Topics
• MAN 6932 Seminar in Strategic Management I: Literature

In consultation with the student's primary-area adviser, additional courses may also be selected.

III. Professional Development Requirements

The purpose of this sequence of courses is to prepare each student for a successful career as a marketing academician. The course offerings are included below:

Required Courses:

• MAR 6918 DIS for Publication
• MAR 6919 Supervised Teaching
• GEB 6904 Readings for Examination

In addition to these courses, first-year and second-year students will participate in a professional development series that will be an additional registered course in each semester of the first two years of the program.

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Sample Course Sequence

Admission decisions are made by the college’s Doctoral Admissions Committee and are based on a combination of factors, including prior academic record from accepted universities; GRE or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT preferred) scores taken within the past five years; letters of recommendation; experience; record of accomplishments. Admission is competitive and focused on students with grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher and GMAT scores of at least 555 (600 on GMAT exams prior to 2024) or GRE scores of at least 155 on each section of the revised test.

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Application Checklist

I. The following items should be submitted through the Florida State Graduate Application portal, available exclusively online at admissions.fsu.edu/gradapp:

• Non-refundable $30 application fee.
• Statement of Purpose (2-3 pages).
• Submit a current resume or C.V.
• Three (3) required references included in your application portal. This will generate an automated email sent to your references by our system to request that they submit a recommendation for you and answer a series of standardized questions.

II. The following items should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office, 222 S. Copeland St./314 Westcott Building, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410 or to graduateadmissions@fsu.edu:

• One (1) official transcript from all colleges and universities attended (FSU transcripts are not necessary for FSU alumni, students). International applicants are required to submit an official NACES course-by-course transcript evaluation. Unofficial transcripts for U.S. institutions may be uploaded to your application for initial review. International transcripts must be an official NACES course-by-course transcript evaluation. Official test score. Please see the below section for International Applicants for more information.
• Request official GMAT or GRE scores. The code to send GMAT scores to Florida State is PN8K567, and the code to send GRE scores is 5219.
• English Language Proficiency scores are an FSU requirement for international applicants whose native language is not English or who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a U.S. institution or other institution where English is the required language of instruction; therefore, it cannot be waived). The code to send TOEFL scores to Florida State is 5219.

Test scores will only be considered official if sent directly from the testing service. The code for ETS to send (GRE and TOEFL) scores to FSU is 5219. The code to send GMAT scores to FSU is PN8K567. 

Transcripts and test scores should be sent to graduateadmissions@fsu.edu or: 
Graduate Admissions Office
222 S. Copeland St.
314 Westcott Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
USA

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International Applicants

International applicants should visit gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/international-admissions for information concerning financial responsibilities, degree equivalency, etc.

English Language Proficiency ExamInternational applicants whose native language is not English or who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a U.S. institution or other institution where English is the required language of instruction are required to take an English Language Proficiency exam and submit official test results in order to be admitted to Florida State University. The College of Business accepts all of the following examinations taken within the past two (2) years:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test and 100 on the internet-based test
• International English Language Testing System (Academic IELTS): minimum score of 7
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): minimum score of 66
• Duolingo: minimum score of 120 (Summer 2022 through Summer 2025)
• Cambridge C1 Advanced Level: minimum score of 180 (Fall 2022 and forward)
• Michigan Language Assessment: minimum score of 55 (Fall 2022 and forward)

In addition, international graduate applicants seeking teaching assistantships are required to pass a test of spoken English.

Transcript Evaluation Requirement
The Office of Graduate Admissions requires all international students to submit an official course-by-course evaluation of all academic records from non-U.S. institutions prior to application review. This verifies degree equivalency and serves in place of additional official or unofficial transcripts. This evaluation must be done by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES): www.naces.org. FSU offers a partnership with The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran), our preferred credential evaluation service, which allows a streamlined process at a discounted rate. More information about this process is available after you submit the first part of your graduate application.

Ph.D. students typically take 27-33 credit hours each year. Here are the estimated program costs for the 2025-2026 academic year:

• Florida residents: $479.32 (tuition plus fees) per credit hour. Total estimated program cost is $12,941.64 - $15,817.56 per year.
• Non-Florida residents: $1,173.86 (tuition plus fees) per credit hour. Total estimated program cost is $31,694.22 - $38,737.38 per year.

Note: These costs do not include required books, supplies for courses, or required health insurance. Costs are subject to change. Fees above do not include some per-term flat fees for FSUCard and facilities use. For a breakdown of on-campus student fees and their explanations, visit the university’s Tuition Rates page.

The doctoral program is a full-time program that lasts five years. Students should plan to live in the Tallahassee area year-round, including summers. Our program is not set up for individuals who wish to take courses part time or online.

The College of Business awards financial assistance to applicants based on academic criteria and performance. The goal of the college is to provide assistantships and/or fellowships to all of our admitted doctoral students, subject to overall enrollment and fiscal limitations. Most doctoral students who request funding, who maintain a satisfactory level of academic and work performance, and who are in residence receive financial assistance from the college. Annual stipends and supplementary assistance such as travel expenses for conference attendance will vary among cohorts and programs. Students who are not Florida residents (including international students) should note that tuition waivers associated with assistantships cover the out-of-state portion of their tuition for the duration of the program. U.S. residents have the option of changing residency, if so desired. Please note that waivers do not cover all fees.
 
Doctoral students on assistantship are supported for four full academic years, contingent upon satisfactory performance in the program. Eligibility for fifth-year support is considered for a student having made substantial progress toward placement at a research-oriented university. For a full list of Florida State University funding and awards, visit gradschool.fsu.edu. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all completed application materials before January 15 to be eligible for additional funding opportunities at the university level.

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Awards/Scholarships

The College of Business awards financial assistance to applicants based on academic criteria and performance. There are various scholarships available for graduate students. Visit our graduate scholarships page to learn more.

(Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all completed application materials before January 15 to be eligible for additional funding opportunities at the university level.)

• For a full list of Florida State University funding and awards, visit gradschool.fsu.edu
• For more information on Florida State University's research and research funding, visit research.fsu.edu
• For more information on Florida State University's graduate fellowships and awards, visit ogfa.fsu.edu