Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Business and Economics

PhD applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and demonstrate working knowledge of college-level algebra, calculus, and intermediate microeconomics. The Accounting area requires a relevant master's degree. For all other areas, an MBA or master’s degree in an allied field may be helpful, but it is not required and will not shorten the time in the program. We especially invite applications from qualified students with nontraditional backgrounds, international students, women, and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Michigan Ross and the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan jointly administer the applications for the PhD programs through an online submission process. As part of the application, individuals must designate a single area of study from the seven areas offered. The statement of purpose should be a concise, well-written essay about your academic and professional experiences, your career goals, and how completing the Ross School's PhD program will help you progress toward the realization of these goals. The statement of purpose should be between three and five pages. The personal statement differs from the statement of purpose in that we ask you to write about how your background and life experiences — including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges — have motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. It should be limited to 500 words. Recent updates have been implemented and official transcripts are no longer required at the time of application. A scanned/electronic copy of the official transcript will be used for initial review by our admissions committee. You will be required to have your official transcript sent to the Rackham Graduate School only if you are recommended for admission. All applicants should report their Grade Point Average (GPA) on page 5 of the online application. The GPA should be reported using a standard U.S. four point scale. Applicants who attended an institution outside the United States should follow the instructions to convert their international average grade point to a U.S. four point GPA (see "How to Convert Grades to a U.S. GPA" here).