FOX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

Learn more about the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration.

About the Program

The PhD in Business Administration program, with a concentration in Tourism and Sport, prepares individuals for advanced research and scholarship. The primary emphasis of the program is to prepare future faculty members for successful academic careers.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Full-time study is required.

Affiliation(s): The Tourism and Sport faculty are conducting research for the following agencies: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Greater Reading (PA) Convention and Visitors Bureau, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, and Special Olympics of North America.

Accreditation: The PhD in Business Administration program, with a concentration in Tourism and Sport, is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Job Prospects: The program is primarily dedicated to preparing well-trained PhD graduates for faculty positions at universities that offer hospitality, recreation, sport and tourism degrees.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are not permitted to take doctoral courses.

Financing Opportunities: Typically, all PhD students receive financial assistantship in the form of full tuition remission and a stipend in return for offering services as a Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Assistant (TA). The level of support is based on the concentration, the applicant’s qualifications, and other competitive considerations. Students may also receive remuneration for conference travel, publications and academic achievement.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall:

Applications must be submitted AND complete (i.e., all required materials must be received and verified by Fox Staff) by Dec. 5 to be considered.  Applications received after this deadline are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and dependent on availability. 

APPLY ONLINE to this Fox graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators, typically college/university faculty or an immediate work supervisor, who can provide insight into your abilities and talents, as well as comment on your aptitude for graduate study.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree is not required, but preferred.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: The equivalent of a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college is required. For three-year degrees, mark sheets must be evaluated by WES or another NACES organization.

Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, describe your specific interest in Temple's program, research goals, career goals, and academic and research achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:
GMAT/GRE: Required. GMAT scores are preferred. Test results cannot be more than five years old. Although the applicant’s test score is an important factor in the admissions process, other factors, such as the ability to conduct research as demonstrated by academic research publications and whether your indicated research interests match with those of our faculty, are also taken into consideration.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree in a country where the language of instruction is English, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

  • TOEFL iBT: 90
  • IELTS Academic: 7.0
  • Duolingo: 110
  • PTE Academic: 68

Resume: Current resume or CV required.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 48

Required Courses:1

Core Tourism and Sport Courses
Math Preparation (August) non-credit0
STHM 9001Research Seminar3
STHM 9002Seminar in Theory Development: Tourism and Sport Concepts3
STHM 9090Special Topics in Tourism and Sport (2 terms)3
Theory and Research Methods Courses 227
Theoretical Foundations Courses
Select a minimum of four courses (12 credits) from the following:
Organizations and Management Theory
Scientific Inquiry-Management Research
Seminar in Organizational Behavior
Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the New Economy
Pro-Seminar in Human Resource Management and Organization Behavior
Current Readings in Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior
Proseminar in Management Information Systems
Behavioral Science Seminar
Seminar on Behavioral Research in Marketing
Seminar in Judgment and Decision Making
Methodological Foundations Courses
Select a minimum of three courses (9 credits) from the following:
Scientific Inquiry-Management Research
Business Econometrics I
Business Econometrics II
Quant Methods in Bus Res
Qualitative Research Methods
Doctoral Seminar in Meta-analysis and Research Synthesis Methods
Applied Multivariate Analysis I
Statistical Methods for Business Research I
Statistical Methods for Business Research II
Electives 36
Independent Study
Independent Research
Research Courses 46
Preliminary Examination Preparation
Pre-Dissertation Research
Dissertation Research
Total Credit Hours48
1

Students require approval from their mentor and the Concentration Director for all course selections, including those dropped and/or added.

2

The program of study may be individualized to a significant degree for the student's best professional and scholarly development. Students and their mentor work together to ensure students take coursework to match their research interests. Courses may be chosen from departments other than those listed with the approval of the Concentration Director and the Business Administration PhD Program Director. Potential courses are offered in such programs as Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Risk Management and Insurance, and Strategic Management.

3

Recommended courses include STHM 9482 and STHM 9982. With approval from the Concentration Director, students may take other electives to match their research interests.

4

Of the 6 required research credits, a minimum of 2 credits of BA 9999 must be taken. The other 4 credits may be taken in any combination of BA 9994BA 9998, and BA 9999. Given that 6 credits constitute the minimum requirement, additional credits may be needed to fulfill the degree program's culminating experiences. Doctoral students must maintain continuous enrollment from matriculation to graduation.

Culminating Events:
Screening Examination:
The screening exam ensures a student is making sufficient progress in theoretical and methodological development in the first year of study. A student must pass the screening exam in order to advance to the second year of the PhD program.

Preliminary Examination:
The preliminary exam is designed to test whether the student has a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the theories, methodologies and empirical findings in Tourism and Sport. Within six months of completing the required coursework, students must take and pass a preliminary examination. A Preliminary Examination Committee is formed based on the PhD-level Tourism and Sport courses and related cognate area of specialization that a student has taken. Students are encouraged to take the preliminary examination in the first academic term of the third year. Students who fail are allowed to sit for re-examination. A second failure results in automatic dismissal from the program. Third attempts are not allowed.

The preliminary exam for the Tourism and Sport concentration is formatted with four sections: Methodology, Primary Theory Area, Cognate Research, and Field/Discipline/Application. Written by members of the committee, the questions reflect an expectation that students are familiar with the broad base of the specific domain in Tourism and Sport and specific topics chosen by the committee.

Dissertation Proposal and Defense:
Within three months of successfully passing the preliminary examination, students are expected to select a dissertation advisor and their Dissertation Advisory Committee. Students must notify the Tourism and Sport Concentration Advisor of their choice for advisor and committee members prior to the proposal defense date.

The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The proposal should consist of the context and background surrounding a particular research problem, an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem, and a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem.

The proposal should be completed and approved no more than one year after completing coursework. Upon approval, a timeline for completing the investigation and writing process is established.

A Dissertation Advisory Committee must have a minimum of three faculty members, including a chairperson. The chairperson and at least one other member must be faculty from the Tourism and Sport concentration. One member may be from outside the concentration, and this is encouraged. The chairperson must be a member of the Temple University Graduate Faculty and must be approved by the Concentration Advisor and Fox PhD office. Students are encouraged to formally defend the proposal with the Dissertation Proposal Committee’s approval no later than the end of summer of the third year.

Contacts

Program Web Address:

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/business-administration-phd-bu-ba-phd

Department Information:

Fox School of Business and Management

1801 Liacouras Walk

701 Alter Hall (006-22)

Philadelphia, PA 19122

foxinfo@temple.edu

215-204-5890

215-204-7678

Fax: 215-204-1632

Submission Address for Application Materials:

https://apply.temple.edu/FOX/Account/Login

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Fox PhD Admissions

foxphdo@temple.edu

Concentration Director:

Dr. Chihyung Michael Ok

331 Speakman Hall

michael.ok@temple.edu

215-204-0361

PhD Managing Director:

Vinod Venkatraman, PhD

Associate Professor, Marketing

vinod.venkatraman@temple.edu

215-204-1409