Program Overview

Business Administration PhD, Supply Chain and Analytics Emphasis

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the general graduate admission requirements of the Graduate School. Students are considered for admission to the Ph.D. in Business Administration only after they have formally applied for admission through the Graduate School. Admission decisions are based on past academic record, intellectual ability, GMAT or GRE scores, and career commitment. Applicants must submit:

• Official academic transcripts.
• Official GMAT or GRE results in fields approved by the College of Business Administration.
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation (at least one of which is from an individual with an earned doctorate).
• A statement of objectives for the course of study.
• A current resume or CV.

Applications will be accepted for Fall enrollment beginning in the previous Fall. The application deadline for all materials is the first week of February.

Graduate Assistantships

Stipends for research and teaching assistantships (20 hours per week) are awarded to full-time Ph.D. students on a competitive basis. Tuition is waived for graduate assistants.

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. in the College of Business Administration requires a minimum of 62 course credit hours, including a minimum of 5 dissertation credit hours, beyond the baccalaureate degree. Courses are determined according to the chosen Emphasis Area. To ensure sufficient background for doctoral-level courses, students must demonstrate appropriate competence in quantitative reasoning, which is evidenced through the completion of prior coursework or equivalent to be determined by the Ph.D. Program Director. Students must also demonstrate appropriate competence in managerial communication, which is evidenced through the completion of BUS AD 5100 or equivalent to be determined by the Ph.D. Program Director.

Course Requirements

Specific course requirements are determined based on the chosen Emphasis Area within the Ph.D. in Business Administration. The Ph.D. in Business Administration program has required courses in four areas: Business & Research Foundations, Emphasis Area Foundations, Research Methods, and Doctoral Courses. Electives in the program are included in Section V.

I. Business & Research Foundation Requirement: 15 credit hours (5 courses)

Students are required to take five Business & Research Foundations courses as advised by the emphasis area Ph.D. Coordinator. These five courses may be waived if students have completed the courses as part of an UMSL program or had equivalent graduate course work at an institution approved by the Graduate Business Programs Office and the emphasis area Ph.D. Coordinator.

• SCMA 5300: Business Analytics (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 5310: Supply Chain Strategies (3 credit hours)
• INFSYS 6860: Advanced Data Integration (3 credit hours)
• MKTG 5700: Integrated Marketing Strategies (3 credit hours)
• Choose one of the following courses: (3 credit hours)
  • MGMT 5600: Managing and Leading in Organizations
  • FINANCE 6500: Financial Management
  • ACCTNG 5400: Financial and Managerial Accounting
  • ECON 5100: Econometric Theory and Methods Total Hours: 15

II. Emphasis Area Foundation Courses (9 credit hours)

Students are required to take three emphasis area foundational courses as advised by the emphasis area Ph.D. Coordinator.

• SCMA 5320: Supply Chain and Operations Management (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 6321: Strategic Sourcing (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 6330: Business Logistics Systems (3 credit hours) Total Hours: 9

III. Research Methods (9 credit hours)

Students are required to take three research methods courses as advised by the emphasis area Ph.D. Coordinator.

• SCMA 6331: Supply Chain Modeling (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 6345: Business Analytics and Data Mining (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 6350: Management Science Methods (3 credit hours) Total Hours: 9

IV. Doctoral Courses (15 credit hours)

Students are required to take the following five courses.

• SCMA 7382: Empirical Research Methods (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 7380: Advanced Data Analysis (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 7383: Advanced Optimization (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 7390: Research Seminar in Supply Chain and Analytics (3 credit hours)
• SCMA 7393: Special Topics in Supply Chain & Analytics (3 credit hours) Total Hours: 15

V. Electives (9 credit hours)

Students must take 9 credit hours of graduate-level elective courses, selected in consultation with their emphasis area Ph.D. Coordinator. If the three courses are selected in a thematic area outside the emphasis area, they are deemed to constitute a “Supporting Field” for the Ph.D.

VI. Other Requirements

• Upon completion of the coursework in Sections I-V, students enroll in BUS AD 7001 Doctoral Research, or BUS AD 7002 Dissertation Research. Students are advanced to candidacy by successfully completing a comprehensive examination in their area of emphasis. Students should take the comprehensive exam in the first semester after completing the coursework in Sections I-V.
• Students will be evaluated annually for satisfactory progress. Students deemed not to be making adequate progress are subject to the policies of the College of Business Administration regarding continuation of their assistantship. Students deemed not to be making adequate progress are subject to the policies of the Graduate School and the College of Business Administration regarding probation and dismissal from the program.
• Students are required to take a minimum of 5 credit hours total of BUS AD 7001 Doctoral Research, and BUS AD 7002 Dissertation Research and to defend a dissertation proposal within one year of advancement to candidacy.
• The following requirements are to be completed before or after admission to candidacy:
  • Students are required to present one paper at a regional, national, or international conference, approved by the dissertation advisor or program advisor.
  • Students are required to submit one paper, approved by the dissertation advisor or program advisor, to a refereed journal.
• At least two semesters of supervised teaching in the College of Business Administration are required of all doctoral students.
• Students are required to demonstrate competency in teaching during the first year in which they teach in the College of Business Administration. This requirement may be met by successfully completing one or more courses/programs.
• The degree is awarded upon successful completion and defense of the Ph.D. dissertation and satisfaction of all Graduate School requirements. The dissertation must be defended within three years of approval of a Ph.D. dissertation proposal.