Admissions

Admissions, Application, and Financial Support

Admission Criteria

Admission to the PhD program is competitive and is completed in February each year for the following Fall Semester. Candidates are considered for admission based on the following criteria:

Achievements in prior academic work (transcripts).
Performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (GRE).
Demonstrated preparation in research skills such as mathematics, statistics, and computer programming.
Assessment of the applicant’s analytical capabilities.
Reasons for Graduate Study statement (please specify area of study).
Substantial evidence of scholarly potential and commitment and the ability to conduct independent research (2 letters of recommendation).

Although most of our students have earned a Masters degree, we do consider strongly qualified applicants with an undergraduate degree.

For more information on admissions requirements and to speak to our program director, we strongly encourage applicants to attend the Graduate School Virtual Information Session on Thursday, October 17, 2024, and/or the in-person Open House on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

How to Apply

Students apply online to the Lubar College of Business PhD in Management Science program via this link.

First, click on “How to Apply” and read the instructions
Then, click on “Apply Now.”
Select Lubar College of Business
Select Management Science PhD
We also recommend that you click on the “Frequently Asked Questions” link to print out important information that assists you with creating an online application account and provides further information regarding the application materials you are to submit.

Note to International Applicants: There is a different application process for international students. Please contact the UW-Milwaukee Center for International Education for complete information. To apply, please visit the Center for International Education page.

Required Application Materials

Applicants are required to submit the following materials as part of their application. Applications that do not include this information by the application deadline will not be considered.

Transcripts from all institutions attended (including UWM if applicable)
GMAT or GRE score from an exam taken within the last five years
Submission of official GMAT or GRE scores must be sent directly from GMAC or ETS. GMAT CODE: 1896
GRE CODE: Institution Code 1473, Dept. Code 4204
Graduate Study Statement (see application for details)
At least two letters of recommendation
Some International Applicants may be required to show Proof of English proficiency. If you are unsure if you need to provide proof, please visit the Center for International Education website.
If using TOEFL, applicants must send scores from ETS electronically to
School code 1473.

Application Deadlines

The deadline to complete the application is February 1 for admission to the following Fall semester. All additional application materials must be submitted by this deadline. Final admission decisions will be made in March for students applying for the following Fall semester.

Financial Support

All admitted doctoral students will receive assistantships (project, research, or teaching) as well as the Chancellor’s Award for a total funding package of $23,000 per year for four years. Students are eligible to appeal for a fifth year of funding.

Teaching assistants have direct classroom instructional responsibilities; research assistants perform work related to their degree requirements; and project assistants assist with research, training, or other academic projects or programs. Doctoral assistantships are a 50% appointment, the equivalent of 20 hours per week, and assistants are eligible for graduate assistant health insurance and tuition waivers. International students wishing to become teaching assistants must earn a minimum score of 23 or higher on the speaking portion of the Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL to qualify.

All doctoral students are also eligible to receive up to $2,000 of travel awards to attend conferences. After the first year, students can apply for Lubar scholarships worth up to $5,000.

Once a student has dissertator status, the Graduate School can assist students in applying for fellowships, Advanced Opportunity Program awards for minority and financially disadvantaged students, and Graduate and Professional Study fellowships. For more information, visit Graduate School’s financial support.