Application Checklist

Online Application
Transcripts
Application Fee
GMAT or GRE scores
TOEFL scores (International Applicants Only)
References
Essay
Resume or CV
Enrollment Commitment Deposit
Deadline

Online Application

Our PhD Program is full-time only. We do not offer a part-time course of study. The average completion time is five to six years.

All applicants must use the online application technology. Columbia Business School’s Doctoral Program does not distribute hard-copy applications or accept hard copy letters of recommendation.

Transcripts

A bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, representing a four-year course of study in an accredited college or university, is required for admission.

A master’s degree is not required, although many applicants have a master’s degree in such fields as economics, engineering, psychology, and statistics. Superior academic performance is expected. Those who hold American PhD or ScD degrees or their foreign equivalents are not normally eligible for admission. (Occasionally, an exception to this rule can be arranged.)

Application Fee

An application fee of $100 in the form of a credit or debit card must be submitted in tandem with your application. An application is not considered complete until the fee has been paid. You may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover when using our online application.

Fee waivers are available to active duty US military personnel, and members of the Peace Corps, Teach for America, Teach for China, or Teach for India who are currently in service. Proof of current service is required. Applicants who qualify for a fee waiver should email a fee waiver request, as well as proof of service, to [email protected]

GMAT or GRE

All applicants to all Divisions may take either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Test scores (GMAT,GRE, and TOEFL) should be self reported within the application by inputting them into the test score section of the application. When decisions are made we will ask admitted students for official copies of both their transcripts and test scores.  Decisions are not binding until these materials have been received.

Notes:

• The GRE is administered by Educational Testing Service at numerous centers throughout the United States and abroad.
• Further information about the GMAT is available from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). There is no a minimum test score requirement for the GRE or the GMAT.
• Test scores are only one component of the admission package, and all applications will be reviewed thoroughly.
• There are absolutely no waivers for the GRE or GMAT requirements.

TOEFL

All foreign applicants must also take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the IELTS unless they received a degree from an institution where English was the language of instruction. Test scores (GMAT,GRE, and TOEFL) should be self reported within the application by inputting them into the test score section of the application. When decisions are made we will ask admitted students for official copies of both their transcripts and test scores.  Decisions are not binding until these materials have been received. Do you need to take the TOEFL?

References

Two references willing to complete letters of recommendation are required, however a total of five may be submitted. We only accept letters of recommendation through our online system. .

Enrollment Commitment Deposit

Students admitted to the program are required to pay a deposit to reserve a place in the entering class. This commitment deposit can be waived for an applicant who is already a registered student at Columbia University. For those students receiving financial aid, this deposit is refunded after the successful completion of one term in the program; it is not refundable in the event that the admitted student fails to register at the School.

Application Deadline

A complete application containing all required components must be submitted no later than the deadline of December 31, 2020, for Fall 2021 entry. Applications received after this date will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. Fall is the only entrance date. Applications are not reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications are reviewed together after the December 31 deadline.