Ph.D. by way of MBA?

Graduate School Business School - MBA
1

<p>I am an undergraduate student with about three semesters left before I graduate. I defiately want to go on to work in academia. I have thought about the two-year level, but the four-year level is very appealing, though I do not know what exaclty a business professor would do besides teach (I imagine you cannot conduct nearly the amount of research in business as you can in, say, biology or physics), but I love business and business theory/philosophy. </p>

<p>Here is my problem: I do not know where to start. I use to believe that an MBA was a stepping stone into a Ph.D., i.e. instead of a four-year Ph.D., one could finish a two-year MBA then spend two years in a doctoral program to finish up the Ph.D. Now I do not believe this is true, though I am so confused I honestly cannot say one way or another if anything like this exists. (Any help clearing this up would be great!)</p>

<p>I have attended primarily a two-year school. I am Phi Theta Kappa member, co-founder of the investment club, have experience as an RA, carry a 3.82 GPA and can get some pretty sturdy letters of recommendation, though it is all from a junior college up to this point. I do not, however, have any work experience to speak of and have not taken the GMAT yet (I am not worried at all, I really think I will do very well). I do plan on certifying as a state-licensed insurance and real estate sales person, if certifications carry any weight, and I own two very, very small business that I have just started.</p>

<p>My request is for some advice/guidance/answers. Does an MBA every help reduce the number of years one will spend in a doctoral program? How difficult is it for a new graduate to earn acceptance into a doctoral program without an MBA? What exactly do business professors do? What about assistantships, can they pay enough to live on without having to eat noodles every night?</p>

<p>Thanks for any help you guys can give. I have one more request, though. If, along with your answer you could put where your experience comes from - if you are a professor, student, etc - I sure would appreciate it. </p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

<p>Rowdy</p>

2

<p>You are correct that an MBA would not lead directly to a doctoral program. No doctoral program worth attending can be completed in two years anyway.</p>

<p>An MBA is a terminal professional degree designed to provide advanced training for business managers. A Ph.D is a terminal research degree designed to provide advanced training for business researchers. There really isn’t much overlap there.</p>

<p>The most time-consuming part of a doctoral program is not classwork at all. Ph.D students design, execute and analyze an independent research project to (theoretically, at least) contribute new knowledge to the field in the form of a dissertation. The process generally takes at least four to five years.</p>

<p>You might be able to knock off one year’s worth of coursework, but you’re still looking at probably a four-year track.</p>