PhD in International Business

Application Procedure

The Southern Hampshire University Admission Office and the School of Business PhD in International Business application review committee govern the application procedure. All material should be submitted online through the portal or Admission Office.

• Online Application
• Official Bachelor’s degree transcript(s)
• Official master's degree transcript(s)
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant's academic record and potential for doctoral work in International Business.

International Students (in addition to domestic student requirements):

Proof of English proficiency as evidenced by:

• TOEFL score of 71 or higher
• IELTS score of 6.0 or higher (sub scores: ≥ 5.5)
• Duolingo score of 105
• Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by NACES or AICE approved evaluators

Application Deadline

The International Business PhD programs only have a fall intake term. Both programs admit applicants for the Fall Semester ONCE a year. The application cycle will open in August each year, and the priority application deadline is the February 20.

The Director of the Program will inform the applicants for the final interview if they pass the initial application materials screening. All the interviews will be scheduled in early March. Applicants will receive the final decision from the committee by the end of March.

Questions?

Campus Admissions – Domestic Students
Doctoral@snhu.edu
603.645.9688

Campus Admissions – International Students
International@snhu.edu
603.645.9629

The International Business Doctoral program consists of three major stages.

• Stage 1: Coursework
• Stage 2: The comprehensive examination
• Stage 3: Dissertation research and writing

Prospective students who are admitted to the program are doctoral students. Doctoral students achieve candidacy status upon the successful completion of the comprehensive examination and successfully defending the dissertation proposal. Doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy are required to maintain continuous enrollment until all degree requirements have been completed, and the student has graduated. 

The admitted students must complete all degree requirements within eight years of the start date. All students need to fulfill the following requirement: 

• Minimum of 46 graduate credits (including 42 graduate credits of coursework, 3 graduate credits of dissertation work, and 1 credit comprehensive exam)
• Minimum enrollment of 6 graduate credits each fall and spring semester for campus program students, and 6 graduate credits each fall, spring, and summer semester for Low-residency students during the coursework stage.
• Low-residency students must attend in-person instruction one weekend each month (four times each semester) and summer residency as long as in the coursework stage.
• All students (campus based and low residency) who successfully complete the comprehensive exam must attend the doctoral research day in the Fall and Spring semesters.
• All students must maintain an accumulative GPA 3.0 and above. No more than two grades of “C” or “C+”. Students receiving a 3rd grade of “C” or “C+” must re-take one of these courses before the comprehensive examinations.

PhD Campus Program:

• Year 1: coursework, 4 courses (12 credits)
• Year 2: coursework, 4 courses (12 credits)
• Year 3: coursework, 6 courses (18 credits)
• Year 4: Comps + First Colloquium: (2 credits)
• Year 5: Second Colloquium + Final Defense: (1 credit)

PhD Low-Residency (LR) Program (Note: this program will be on pause starting Fall 2024):

• Year 1: coursework, 6 courses (18 credits)
• Year 2: coursework, 6 courses (18 credits)
• Year 3: coursework, 2 courses + Comps (7 credits)
• Year 4: First colloquium + Second colloquium (2 credits)
• Year 5: Final Defense (1 credit)

Required Courses | Credits

• INT800 - Foreign Direct Investment (3)
• INT801 - Foundations for Advanced International Business Study (3)
• INT810 - Privatization, Economic Reform and Globalization in Emerging Markets (3)
• INT820 - Seminar in Multinational Finance (3)
• INT830 - Theories of Globalization (3)
• INT840 - Seminar in Multinational Marketing (3)
• INT850 - Seminar in Global Business Strategy (3)
• INT880 - Advanced Quantitative Methods/ International Business I (3)
• INT881 - Advanced Quantitative Methods/ International Business II (3)
• INT889 - Comprehensive Exam (1)
• INT890 - Doctoral Colloquium (1)
• DOC950 - Dissertation Status (1)

Electives: 15 credit(s) from the subject(s): BUS CIS, DAT, DOC, FIN, INT, IT, MBA, MKT, OL, or QSO within the range of the course numbers 500 - 999As part of the PhD in International Business, you will have the opportunity to focus your doctoral work on a specialized area of personal and professional interest. SNHU professors take an interest in the success of all those enrolled in the program. An emphasis is on one-on-one interactions to facilitate the development of scholars and scholarship.

The current specialization areas offered by International Business PhD Program:

• Business Strategy & Management
• Finance
• Marketing
• Information Technology

Requirements for the minor field include FIVE courses at the 500 - 700 level. Course selection should be developed under the guidance of coordinating faculty. Minor fields are coordinated by the program faculty and the Program Director.

Representative Schedule for PhD in International Business – Example based on availability.

Additional years in the Program may be needed to complete the dissertation (INT-890) but must not exceed eight years in total.

Comprehensive Exam

Students will be permitted to take the comprehensive exam after completing all coursework and satisfying the requirements. Comprehensive exams are offered in both fall and spring semesters. To take the comprehensive exam, students must register for INT 889 in the respective semester. Students are required to take the exam in person on the New Hampshire Campus regardless of the modality. The comprehensive examination will take place in the 8th week of the respective semester, and the makeup examinations will take place in the 16th week of the respective semester. Low-Residency Students should arrange their travel accordingly.

Comprehensive Examinations are designed to test comprehensive knowledge. Doctoral students are expected to demonstrate mastery and competence. The Assessments test student knowledge in several domains, including but not limited to: theory and relevant literature --including students' capacity to utilize and integrate this knowledge base; research design and methods --the theory of research and the practice of research, including students' ability to engage in analytical research critique, and apply the appropriate methodology to typical research questions; and statistical analysis --including students' ability to apply appropriate statistical procedures to typical research questions, engage in focused analysis, and interpret research findings.

For more information, please refer to Doctoral Program Guidebook.

Dissertation 

Upon successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, doctoral students become designated as doctoral candidates and ABD (All but Dissertation). At this point in the degree process, each student should have a reasonably firm idea about the subject on which they would like to write their dissertation.

Research and writing are the most intensive part of the Doctoral Program. The Program requires every ABD candidate to complete three related courses while students are registered for PhD - Colloquium INT 890 and dissertation defense DOC 950.

• Approval of the dissertation topic (INT 890) after which IRB approval must be obtained (if applicable to the type of research)
• Approval of the dissertation proposal (INT 890)
• Approval of the final dissertation itself (DOC 950)

The Program requires every ABD candidate to complete these three courses sequentially. Thus, a candidate cannot proceed to the dissertation (DOC 950) until their committee has approved their topic and they have successfully defended their proposal (again to their committee). 

Students must present their topic and dissertation proposals and updates during the International Business Doctoral Students Research Day in Fall and Spring Semester to faculty and fellow students in addition to their prior presentations to their respective committees. Similarly, upon the final defense of their dissertation, candidates may offer a public presentation of the final version of their dissertation to a large audience during the International Business Doctoral Students Research Day.

The process is designed so that students will not pursue a particular research avenue without the clear guidance of their committee. For more information, please refer to Doctoral Program Guidebook.

Is Southern New Hampshire University accredited?

SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, which means that your degree carries with it international recognition. The International Business PhD program is also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which means that your degree also carries with it Global Business recognition.

Who can apply?

This program is for individuals who want to earn a PhD with a focus on doctoral-level scholarship in international business and research. Applicants are expected to hold a Master’s degree and may come from a variety of related fields. The campus-based program is designed for domestic and international students who wish to engage in learning alongside faculty as full-time students. Classes are typically held in the evenings and during the week.

The executive low-residency program is designed to support professionals who wish to further develop their ability to provide leadership within their organization or field while working full-time. At this time, the executive low-residency program is only available to domestic United States students. International students interested in the PhD in International Business are encouraged to apply as an on-campus student.

When is the application deadline?

This program has one admittance date which is the Fall term. The application deadline for this is the February 20. Applications received in full after the deadline may be considered for admission into the program on a case-by-case basis.

Applications are typically reviewed by a committee of faculty. If approved in this initial review, applicants may be invited to an interview for acceptance into the program.

Are test scores (GRE, GMAT) required?

Test scores (GER,GMAT) are optional. Prospective students can be offered conditional acceptance without test scores, converting to full acceptance upon successful demonstration of academic ability.

Can I transfer credits from other programs?

Due to the nature of the program, transfer credits are not accepted.

Is financial aid available?

Yes, financial aid is available if a student is taking three (3) credits or more per term. A graduate student must be accepted to our program to be eligible for financial aid.

Note: International applicants must provide documentation of their ability to meet the costs of the program. These costs are indicated on the I-20 form. The costs may appear to be somewhat higher than the total of tuition and room and board because they also include such general expenses as health insurance, textbooks, pocket money, etc.

What areas of specialization are available?

Within the program, there are opportunities to focus on specific topics of personal and professional interest. Examples include specialization such as Business Strategy & Management, Finance, Marketing, and Information Technology.

What is the dissertation and colloquium process like?

After successfully completing comprehensive exams, students enroll each term in the doctoral dissertation colloquium. The dissertation is based on a student's research and is expected to contribute to their area of study. Each student has a dissertation committee, normally consisting of a minimum of four faculty members.

Doctoral colloquiums provide a forum for students to discuss their dissertation research and help monitor their progress in completing their dissertations. Once a student completes the research and the final draft and receives approval, they will give an oral presentation. A student must receive approval from all members of their dissertation committee in order to successfully complete the doctoral program.

How long does it take to complete the program?

The program is designed to take approximately 5 years. You have maximum 8 years to complete your program from the time you begin the first course. This includes the completion of the required course of study, comprehensive exams, and the dissertation.

What is the structure of the classes based on the format I choose?

Conventional On-campus Program: Classes typically meet during the day but may be scheduled during late afternoon periods. All classes are structured to meet face-to-face with faculty members of Southern New Hampshire University who hold a terminal degree.

Executive Low-Residency Program: Students participate in class meetings held once a month on a Saturday during the Fall and Spring academic semesters (four times a semester). These classes are facilitated on campus face-to-face at the Southern New Hampshire University Manchester Campus. In addition, some courses may involve weekly synchronous remote meetings at the discretion of the faculty. Students are also required to attend a week-long summer residency each year while they are in the coursework stage. These courses are also conducted by faculty members of SNHU who hold a terminal degree. (Note: Low Residency program will be on pause starting Fall 2024)

What does “Low-Residency” mean?

Low-residency means on-site, face-to-face meeting times are kept to a minimum. This format is specifically designed to accommodate students who wish to earn their Ph.D. while they work full-time. By emphasizing online coursework, it’s a perfect fit for students trying to balance professional or personal commitments. (Note: Low Residency program will be on pause starting Fall 2024)

How many classes may students take a semester?

During most academic terms, students in this doctoral program will take two to three 3-credit courses. After the successful completion of comprehensive exams, students enroll in dissertation colloquium courses each term.

Where else can I find information about the field of international business?

Applicants are encouraged to learn about the international business field prior to applying for the program. Reviewing articles published in journals such as the Journal of International Business Studies, International Business Review, and Journal of World Business as well as visiting the website of the Academy of International Business may provide ample insights about the discipline and main areas of research. 

Should you earn a PhD in International Business or a DBA?

The answer depends on your interests and your career goals. Both degrees represent the highest level of academic achievement, and both degrees are highly respected in both the academic and business worlds. Additionally, both the PhD and DBA are advanced research degrees that involve conducting original research, analyzing data, and producing important findings.

But there are differences. The DBA is considered a professional doctorate, and the PhD is an academic doctorate.

PhD research is focused on developing theories, addressing a gap between theories, or addressing a gap in the general body of knowledge. The PhD may be more appropriate if you are focused on a faculty career in higher education or a career as a researcher in a research center.

In contrast, DBAs focus on real-world organizational and business problems and involve original and secondary research to explore, examine, and address those problems. The DBA is primarily for those focused on a career in business and consulting. However, many DBAs do teach in colleges and universities.

It’s important to note that students in either program can study real-world problems.  PhD students might use a different set of methodologies or look at the problem from a broader scope in contrast to DBA students who may focus their research on a particular industry or company with a narrower lens.  However, any topic of interest in the international business field including but not limited to, multinational companies or managers engaged in international business is likely to be a viable research area for a SNHU PhD student.

Many of SNHU PhD graduates are enjoying careers in both business and academia.  Make sure you give serious consideration to which degree best suits your needs and career aspirations.  SNHU does not currently offer a DBA.