How and when to apply

Admission to the PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in management is granted to applicants who present convincing evidence of high-order analytical skills, intellectual curiosity and the ability to work independently in pursuing scholarly research. Applicants should possess the discipline and passion required for original inquiry.

Application deadlines

The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship PhD Admissions Committee reviews applications each spring for those students selected to begin their doctoral studies each fall semester.

  • Admission is granted for the fall term only and applications can be submitted beginning in the fall of the preceding year after September 1st. Fall 2025 applications can be submitted beginning September 1, 2024.
  • The application deadline for Fall 2025 admissions is December 31, 2024.
  • The supporting documents deadline for Fall 2025 admissions is December 31, 2024.

The ASU Graduate College will notify all applicants in writing of the W. P. Carey School of Business admission decisions. The ASU Graduate College cannot guarantee you will receive a response on or before a specific date. Offers of financial assistance cannot be deferred. Applications and supporting materials remain on file for two years.

Application materials

Prospective PhD students must submit an application online to the ASU Graduate College. Please note that the university maintains minimum standards for consideration for admission to graduate degree programs. Beyond the online application, applicants must submit additional materials. Beyond reviewing the W. P. Carey-specific requirements delineated below, be sure to review the full list of additional materials required as part of your application to ASU.

Contact information of recommenders will need to be provided by applicant and uploaded through the ASU Graduate College's online application supplemental tab.

The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship requires three letters of recommendation as part of your application. Letters should address your motivation, commitment, work experience, skills and potential for success in graduate study. Our preference is that one letter come from your current employer and two letters from former professors of yours. However, if your situation requires a different mix of letters, our interest is in hearing from those individuals who are best able to appraise the likelihood that you will succeed in our PhD program. If applying in confidence, please inform us by sending notification to our doctoral support staff, Zakiya Hawkins.

When completing the ASU Graduate College's online application, you will be asked for the names and email addresses of the three recommenders. This information will be entered through the tab titled "Supplemental" in the application. Your recommenders will receive an email with a web link that will provide them with instructions how to submit their letters of recommendation electronically to the ASU Graduate College for your application file. Please inform your recommenders in advance that the online submission process is the only method for providing letters of recommendation.

Please prepare your personal statement off-line and then upload your file as a Word, PDF, or text document through the Graduate College's Online Application. Please limit your statement to no more than four single-spaced pages. Please include your name as it will appear on the graduate application and your ASU graduate application reference number assigned to you upon creation of your application.

The personal statement provides the opportunity to highlight the unique qualities and experiences that distinguish you as an applicant to the W. P. Carey management PhD program. It should address your career objectives and specify how the W. P. Carey PhD will assist in achieving your goals. The statement should also include your reasons for interest in the W. P. Carey PhD program, your research interests (in so far as you know them at this stage), work experiences, honors, etc. Be concise, yet thorough.

Please prepare your resume/vita offline and then upload your file as a Word, PDF, or text document through the online application. The resume/vita should provide details of your academic and work experiences (both paid and unpaid) to date. Please include your name as it will appear on the graduate application and your ASU graduate application reference number assigned to you upon creation of your application.

The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is a computer-adaptive test that measures general verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills. The test serves as a uniform standard of measurement for applicants. It is non-business specific and tests general verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills. The GMAT is given entirely in English, and all instructions are provided in English.

If you are applying for admission into the W. P. Carey School's doctoral program for fall, you should plan to take the test no later than two weeks prior to the supporting materials submission deadline of December 31. Official GMAT scores must be sent to the ASU Graduate College and may take a minimum of two weeks during peak periods to be received. GMAT scores are valid for a period of five years. Review detailed information regarding how to prepare for or register to take the GMAT.

The W. P. Carey School of Business GMAT doctoral program code is 0GZ-1R-18. The Department of Management and Entrepreneurship will also consider GRE scores, again using the five-year eligibility rule. The ASU institutional code for GRE is 4007.

Please note that ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home. Please click here for acceptable exams for English proficiency requirements.