PhD Business Administration at University of Colorado Boulder

Programme overview

The Leeds PhD is a small, research-focused doctoral program with areas in finance, marketing, information systems, operations, organizational behavior and strategy and entrepreneurship. Students complete coursework, teaching apprenticeship, a comprehensive examination, a dissertation proposal and a public dissertation defense.

Faculty: Leeds School of Business | Department: Leeds PhD Program (Finance, Marketing, Information Systems, Operations, Organizational Behavior, Strategy and Entrepreneurship) | Duration: Typically about five years; six-year limit; at least 30 credit hours of coursework and 30 dissertation credit hours | Intake: Fall; application deadline December 15 | Location: Boulder, CO, United States

What you will study

Students take at least 30 credit hours of graduate coursework (mostly 7000- and 8000-level PhD seminars) and at least 30 dissertation hours, assume teaching apprentice roles for three course sections and independently teach two courses, attend four workshops or trainings, and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Career pathways

The program prepares graduates to teach at the university level and publish research.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Leeds PhD Program: undergraduate degree from an accredited institution (a master's and a business major are not required). Official GMAT or GRE scores (no minimum scores; average admitted scores for fall 2026 were GMAT 685 and GRE 328), three letters of recommendation, a 1-3 page personal statement on research interests and career objectives, resume or CV, and unofficial transcripts. International applicants need TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, PTE 58 or Cambridge 180 unless exempt. Application closes December 15 without exception.

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applications are submitted online to the Graduate School; the nonrefundable application fee is $60 for domestic applicants and $80 for international applicants. Deadlines are set per programme.

Apply through the official page: https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/admissions

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