Business Ph.D. Will Enhance Research Productivity, Attract Quality Researchers to West Virginia University

MORGANTOWN, W.Va., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A recently approved doctoral program for the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics will be phased in over four different majors, beginning with fall 2011.

The new Ph.D. program in business administration, approved by the WVU Board of Governors at its February 4 meeting, will provide candidates the opportunity to major in accounting, finance, management and marketing. The management area will be the first to be phased in beginning this fall, followed by accounting, finance and marketing in the fall of 2012.

"Adding a doctoral program in business administration is an important step as we continue to strengthen WVU's research scope and reputation, one of the key goals of the 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future," said WVU Provost Michele Wheatly. "The new Ph.D. program will complement an existing vibrant Ph.D. in Economics. Broadening the Ph.D. option in the college will enable us to provide business graduate students with doctoral training as well as to recruit research active faculty in business."

Dr. Jose V. Sartarelli, Milan Puskar dean, said the approval of the doctoral program by the WVU Board of Governors aligns with goals to enhance research productivity at the university, providing additional opportunities to attract high quality faculty and students.

"WVU President James P. Clements has outlined goals that include significant productivity in the area of research, and those goals are for the university-wide community," Sartarelli said. "The approval of our Ph.D. program will assist in increasing research within the College of Business and Economics, but will also help us attract top-notch faculty and graduate students while helping our faculty stay current in their respective fields."

"The approval also comes at a key time, as the WVU College of Business and Economics has been ranked in the top 100 Best Undergraduate Business Schools of 2011 in the nation, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. We are graduating students that are very prepared for the next step in their lives, whether that next step is high-quality job placement or seeking post-graduate degrees," he said.

The first two years of the four-year, full-time residency program will include course work and the last two will include the development and writing of a dissertation. The program will be extremely competitive, with the College seeking highly qualified students with minimum Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores of 625.

"This does much to increase our reputation among our academic peers and, coupled with our AACSB International accreditation, the standards and expectations of the College will be higher. As we look at a number of ways to raise the standards of our already highly respected business school, the establishment of the doctoral program will play a major part," Sartarelli said.

Website: http://www.be.wvu.edu

CONTACT: Dr. Joyce Heames, WVU College of Business and Economics, 304-293-7936, [email protected]

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SOURCE West Virginia University College of Business and Economics