Applying to the Ph.D. Program
Students should submit a complete application package as early as possible, as decisions regarding admission and financial aid are made no later than March for fall admission. Applicants to the Ph.D. program in management sciences should apply online through the Graduate College at the University of Iowa. A GMAT or GRE score is required for admissions consideration. Foreign applicants also must take the TOEFL. Financial aid is administered by the Department of Management Sciences. The deadline for submitting an application to the Graduate College is February 1. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
All admitted Ph.D. students are guaranteed funding for their first year, including a 1/4-time research assistantship in which they will explore potential dissertation topics.
See also: Tippie College of Business Ph.D. Program website.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate solid and rigorous undergraduate training, although specific major or minor areas are not required. Applicants should have at least a B+ average (3.20 out of 4.00) in their previous course work and should take the Graduate Record Examination or the GMAT Examination. Minimum GRE scores (or their equivalent GMAT scores) for admission are: 550 verbal (450 for foreign applicants), 680 quantitative, and 680 analytical. Official GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL scores must be sent to the University of Iowa by the appropriate testing service.
Students for whom English is not their first language should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). These scores are used to predict the ability of students to function effectively in courses taught in English and the ability to effectively use the English language as a teaching assistant. A TOEFL score of 600 is required for admission.
Financial Assistance
Ph.D. students normally receive financial support for four years of study provided they continue to make reasonable, uninterrupted progress toward the Ph.D. degree. Types of financial assistance include teaching and research assistantships for up to half-time assignments (20 hours per week), tuition fellowships, summer merit fellowships, Ponder Fund scholarships, and externally funded research grants and fellowships. Exceptionally qualified students may be awarded University of Iowa Fellowships. The Graduate Opportunity Scholarship and Fellowship Programs offer valuable assistance for qualified minority students.
It is the current policy of the Department of Management Sciences to attempt to pay all tuition for qualified Ph.D. students for the first three years. A student making reasonable progress toward the Ph.D. degree should incur relatively minor tuition costs beyond the third year. It is also the policy to provide financial assistance for each summer following each of the first three academic years of residence. Financial support beyond four academic years of residence will be considered only in exceptional cases.
