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

Placements

American University; Auburn University; University of Colorado - Colorado Springs; Georgia Southern University; Georgia State University; Mississippi State University; Old Dominion University; University of Richmond; Samford University; West Virginia University

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Awards

Rich Devine, Strategic Management Society Best Conference Paper nomination
Janice Gordon, Southern Management Association Best Doctoral Student Paper in Track Finalist
Andréa Hodge, Strategic Management Society Research Methods Prize nomination
Gonzalo Molina-Sieiro, Best Ph.D. Student Paper in Track, OT/IB track, Southern Management Association Annual Meeting; Best Reviewer (International Management Division, Academy of Management Annual Meeting)
Trey Sutton, Strategic Management Society Best Conference Paper nomination

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Defended Dissertations

• Holmes, R. M., Klein, P. G., Foss, N. J., Terjesen, S. A., & Pepe, J. A. in press. Government and cronyism: A reply to Chalmers. Academy of Management Perspectives.
• Galdino, K.M., Gordon, J.M., King, D. in press. The impact of distance on acquisition performance. European Management Journal.
• Holmes, R. M., Waldman, D. A., Siegel, D. S., & Pepe, J. A. 2022. Declining trust in capitalism: Managerial, research, and public policy implications. Academy of Management Perspectives. 36: 984-1006.
• Klein, P. G., Holmes, R. M., Foss, N. J., Terjesen, S. A., & Pepe, J. A. 2021. Capitalism, cronyism, and management scholarship: A call for clarity. Academy of Management Perspectives, 36: 6-29.
• Holmes, R. M., Hitt, M. A., Perrewé, P. L., Palmer, J., & Molina-Sieiro, G. 2021. Building cross-disciplinary bridges in leadership: Integrating top executive personality and leadership theory and research. The Leadership Quarterly, 32, 101490.
• Devine, R. A., Molina-Sieiro, G., Holmes, R. M., & Terjesen, S. A. 2019. Female-led high growth: Examining the role of human and financial resource management. Journal of Small Business Management, 57: 81-109.
• Gordon, J., Molina-Sieiro, G., Ellis, K., Lamont. 2019. M&A Advisors: Padding Their Pockets or Source of Expertise. in C. Cooper and S. Finkelstein (Eds.). Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions, 18: 27-50.
• Lamont, B. and Molina-Sieiro, G.  2019.  Are your results really robust?  In Clark, T., Wright, M. and Ketchen, D. (Eds.)  How to Publish in the Best Management Journals, 2nd edition. Edward Elgar Publishing.

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Selected Recent Student Publications

Some recent representative publications from current or former students:

• Holmes, R. M., Klein, P. G., Foss, N. J., Terjesen, S. A., & Pepe, J. A. in press. Government and cronyism: A reply to Chalmers. Academy of Management Perspectives
• Galdino, K.M., Gordon, J.M., King, D. in press. The impact of distance on acquisition performance. European Management Journal.
• Holmes, R. M., Waldman, D. A., Siegel, D. S., & Pepe, J. A. 2022. Declining trust in capitalism: Managerial, research, and public policy implications. Academy of Management Perspectives. 36: 984-1006.
• Klein, P. G., Holmes, R. M., Foss, N. J., Terjesen, S. A., & Pepe, J. A. 2021. Capitalism, cronyism, and management scholarship: A call for clarity. Academy of Management Perspectives, 36: 6-29.
• Holmes, R. M., Hitt, M. A., Perrewé, P. L., Palmer, J., & Molina-Sieiro, G. 2021. Building cross-disciplinary bridges in leadership: Integrating top executive personality and leadership theory and research. The Leadership Quarterly, 32, 101490.
• Devine, R. A., Molina-Sieiro, G., Holmes, R. M., & Terjesen, S. A. 2019. Female-led high growth: Examining the role of human and financial resource management. Journal of Small Business Management, 57: 81-109.
• Gordon, J., Molina-Sieiro, G., Ellis, K., Lamont. 2019. M&A Advisors: Padding Their Pockets or Source of Expertise. in C. Cooper and S. Finkelstein (Eds.). Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions, 18: 27-50.
• Lamont, B. and Molina-Sieiro, G.  2019.  Are your results really robust?  In Clark, T., Wright, M. and Ketchen, D. (Eds.)  How to Publish in the Best Management Journals, 2nd edition. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Prerequisites

Strategy doctoral students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Although many students also have a master's degree in business or a related field (e.g., organizational sociology or economics), it is not a requirement.

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Major Requirements

All strategy doctoral students must complete courses in three areas: Tools and Analytical Research (TAR), Primary Strategy and Support.

I. Primary Strategy Coursework

The primary area courses and seminars provide opportunities for in-depth study. The following doctoral seminars and courses are required in Strategy:

MAN 6275 Organizational Behavior 
MAN 6235 Organizational Theory
MAN 6917 Research Design
MAN 6932 Strategic Management: Literature Overview
MAN 6931 Strategy Microfoundations
MAN 6795 Strategy II (focus on entrepreneurship) or MAN 6235 Strategy III (focus on international business) or MAN 6933 Special Topics

Additional primary area courses may be selected in consultation with the student's advisor and the Strategy doctoral program coordinator.

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. The development series is designed to introduce doctoral students to the roles and responsibilities of faculty, including research ethics, communication with faculty at other universities, the research review process, balancing research, teaching and service, among other topics.

II. Tools and Analytical Research (TAR) area

All strategy doctoral students must take four (4) Tools and Analytical Research (TAR) courses. 

Three (3) Required:
MAN 6934 Data Analysis
PSY 6919r Research Analysis and Design I
PSY 6919r Research Analysis and Design II

Select one (1) elective:
EDF 5464 Qualitative Methods
MAR 6655 Causal Models
EDF 5406 Multivariate Analysis
PSY 5916 Modern Psychometrics
PSY 5916 Meta-analysis
PSY 5916 Multilevel Modeling
PSY 5916 Structural Equation Modeling

III. Support Area Coursework

The support area provides students an opportunity to concentrate in a field of study complementary to their primary area and career objectives. Typically, the support area will consist of supervised teaching, plus two courses in one of the following fields: finance, management information systems, marketing, human resources and organizational behavior, public administration, sociology or research methods. The students’ advisor, the doctoral program coordinator, and appropriate faculty from the chosen area must approve support area selections. Examples include: 

GEB 6897 Applied Econometrics for Bus Res I
GEB 6### Applied Econometrics for Bus Res II
 

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Tentative Program Sequence and Activities

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) 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 four to 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