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Applying to the PhD Program

Deadlines and Application Material

Thank you very much for your interest in the Ph D Program in Business Administration at the University of Rhode Island. To apply, complete the online application at the URI Graduate Applications Web site. You are able to complete the statement of purpose, address information, pay the application fee and ask your referees to submit their letters of recommendation online.

All other items will need to be sent as hard copies to the URI Graduate Admissions Office, Quinn Hall Room 204, 55 Lower College Road, Kingston, RI 02881.

Final applications must be completed by February 1 for consideration for the following Fall semester.

The application includes submission of the following items:

  • Statement of purpose (online)
  • $65 Non-refundable application fee submitted via online application as a credit card payment or as an electronic check
  • Three letters of recommendation (online or hard copy)
  • Current resume
  • Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts sealed and unopened by the student (also known as tested copy of mark sheet for international students)
  • Official score report for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or GRE taken within the last five years.
  • Residency Application or Certificate of Residency for in-state students. Applicants who have lived in Rhode Island for one year are considered in-state residents.
  • TOEFL or IELTS (taken within the last two years) scores are required for all international students who completed their degrees from a non-English speaking foreign University. A minimum score of 91 for TOEFL under the new IBT-Internet Based Test or 575 under the paper based testing, and minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS is required. The URI Designated Institution Code for TOEFL is 3919. For more information on the TOEFL visit www.toefl.org and www.ielts.org for the IELTS.

If you have any questions about the application process or your status, please contact the URI Business Graduate Programs Office at 401-874-5000 or email manni@uri.edu.

Supplemental Material

We recommend, but do not require, the following material be mailed to: Ms. Charlotte Manni, Office of Business Graduate Programs, 7 Lippitt Road, College of Business Administration, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 - 0802 USA

  • Samples of research writing or copies of theses;
  • Copies of scholarly publications;
  • Technical and work-related reports written solely by you;
  • Transcripts of post-baccalaureate courses not credited towards a degree.
Financial Aid

If you are interested in financial aid, please notify the College separately. International students must also fill out the Certificate of Financial Responsibility Form located at http://www.uri.edu/gsadmis/. The financial aid provided to doctoral students by the College of Business Administration is in the form of graduate assistantships in which graduate assistants will teach and support faculty in their own teaching and research. Currently, the annual value of a graduate assistantship (monthly stipends, tuition reimbursement, free individual health insurance, travel support, free parking, and reduced fee assessment) exceeds $35,000. We do not have many assistantships to award; thus, they are competitive. Although most admitted students who request financial aid are granted an assistantship, there is no guarantee that admission to the doctoral program is attached to financial assistance. Part of the reason for the competitive nature of the awards is that as long as a student remains in good academic standing, we expect that the student will maintain their annually awarded assistantship for four years. URI's graduate assistants are represented by the Graduate Assistants United union. For more information regarding graduate assistantships, please see the GAU contract at http://www.uri.edu/union/gau/content_uploads/contract.pdf

Minimum Requirements

To be considered for admission to the program, all applicants must have the following:

  • Completed application package submitted by the February 1 deadline;
  • Master's degree upon entering the program; an MBA is preferred but not required)
  • GMAT or GRE scores from within the last five years (we do not have minimum scores but accepted students averaged approximately 645 and accepted finance area applicants were approximately 690);
  • For international applicants either
    • TOEFL scores must be at least 576 (computer based), 233 (paper based), or 91 (new test)
    • IELTS scores must be at least 6.5
    • Masters degree from an English-speaking country (US preferred but not required)