Doctoral Program Admissions

The Ph.D. program at The Paul Merage School of Business is a full-time program and the emphasis is on research and scholarship. The expected completion time for the doctoral degree is four years, and admission is for Fall quarter only. No part-time program is available.

To apply for our program, the applicant must specify an area of specialization. The areas of specialization in the Ph.D. program are: Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management Information Systems, Operations & Decision Technologies, Organization and Management and Strategy.

When to Apply

Application deadline: January 4

This is a firm deadline and complete Paul Merage School of Business applications to the doctoral program, including all required official score reports and supporting documents, must be received in The Paul Merage School of Business Ph.D. Program Office by the deadline stated above. Incomplete and late applications will not be reviewed.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their application is complete in all respects by the January 4 deadline. We are not obligated to contact the applicants in the case of incomplete applications received.

Students are admitted to the Ph.D. program to begin in the fall quarter only. Early application is strongly encouraged. A non-refundable application fee is required to process the application (U.S. $70.00 for domestic applicants, and U.S. $90.00 for international applicants).

How to Apply

To expedite the processing of your application, we strongly recommend that you apply online. If you apply online, please do not send a duplicate paper copy of your application by mail. All other required documentation should be mailed directly to the Paul Merage School of Business Ph.D. Program Office.

If you apply using the paper Application for Admission, please type or print clearly in ink. The application and all supporting documentation should be mailed to The Paul Merage School of Business Ph.D. Program Office in one envelope.

To provide applicants with greater control over the application process, applicants are asked to assemble and mail their own application and supporting documents except GMAT or GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if required). Online applicants should only mail their supporting documents. You are responsible for having your GMAT or GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if required), sent directly to UC Irvine/Paul Merage School of Business, by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Required application documentation for the Ph.D. program includes:

The Paul Merage School of Business Application for Admission
Application fee (U.S. $70.00 for domestic applicants; U.S. $90.00 for international applicants) to be paid by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. Online applicants may submit the fee online.
One copy of official transcripts from all colleges and universities. Envelopes must be sealed and signed by the Registrar across the flap. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) from the undergraduate institution is required.
One official degree certificate from each university or college from which you received a degree (if not a U.S. university), stating that the degree has been conferred and showing date of conferral
Three recommendations signed by the recommender and submitted in sealed envelopes or submitted online for applicants using the online application. For those not using the online recommendation system, please use the pre-formatted Recommendation forms in the application and be sure the recommender's signature also appears across the flap of the sealed envelope.
Official score on the GMAT or GRE sent directly from the ETS. You are also encouraged to submit an unofficial GMAT or GRE score copy if it is available. Test scores older than September 2004 are not accepted. A total GMAT score of 700/94% or above is strongly recommended for a competitive application. A total GRE score of 1300 or above for only the verbal and quantitative components is strongly recommended for a competitive application. [GRE institution code: 4859, department code: 4201]
Official score on the TOEFL sent directly from the ETS. The TOEFL is required for all applicants whose primary language is not English. Test scores older than September 2007 are not accepted. A minimum score of 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based) or 100 (internet based) is required.
In order to qualify for a financial support package all applicants whose primary language is not English are required to pass an oral English proficiency exam. Test scores older than September 2007 are not accepted. Applicants can fulfill this requirement by passing one of the following exams:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Testing (TOEFL iBT) is administered by ETS in U.S. centers and abroad. A score of 26 or above in the Speaking portion is required. [TOEFL institution code: 4988, department: Graduate Management]
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is available in over 120 countries. A score of 8 or above in the Speaking portion is required.
- Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) which is available at UC Irvine only after a student is admitted. A score of 50 or above is required.
Official score reports must be received in the Ph.D. Program Office, The Paul Merage School of Business, by the application deadline. Score reports generally take 6-8 weeks to reach us. Please note, this is in addition to the TOEFL requirement.
TOEFL iBT: Currently, we accept scores for both the previous TOEFL and the new TOEFL iBT. An overall minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT is required for admission. Applicants who qualify for admission by this criterion and also receive a score of 26 or higher on the Speaking component of the test, are eligible to be considered for a financial support package. TOEFL iBT test scores older than September 2007 are not acceptable.
IELTS: As an alternative to the TOEFL and TOEFL iBT you may submit scores from the Academic Modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). You must submit a Test Report Form (TRF) to: Ph.D. Program Office, The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3125 - Attention: Noel Negrete. Be sure to order the TRF when you register to take the IELTS. For admission, an overall minimum score of 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module, is required. Applicants who qualify for admission by these criteria, and also achieve a score of 8 or higher on the Speaking module will be eligible to be considered for a financial support package. IELTS test scores older than September 2007 are not acceptable.
If applicable, download, complete and return the Diversity Fellowship application form (http://www.rgs.uci.edu/grad/diversity/supp_div_app.htm)
Responses to the self-evaluation essay questions included in the application
Sample of writing skills (optional)

Important notice regarding TOEFL/IELTS Requirement: A student may receive a waiver to the TOEFL or IELTS requirement for the purposes of admission to a UC Irvine graduate program if the student completed all the requirements for their high school diploma, bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree in a country where the primary and/or dominant language is English and English was the language of instruction of the school were the requirements were completed.

The completed application form and all supporting documents, except GMAT or GRE scores, TOEFL, TOEFL iBT and IELTS scores, should be mailed in one package to the following address. Do not send a duplicate copy of your application if you apply online.

University of California, Irvine
The Paul Merage School of Business
Ph.D. Program Office, Suite 418
Irvine, CA 92697-3125

For reasons of confidentiality, we will not provide admission decisions via e-mail or by telephone. You will receive official notification by mail.