Admission Criteria
Students are admitted to the doctoral program in marketing only for a fall semester start and on a full-time basis. For admission to the program, an applicant must have:
- At least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized educational institution (master’s degree is preferred)
- Superior academic record
- Minimum GMAT score of 640 (must be less than five years old)
- For applicants whose first language is not English, minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper), 250 (computer) or 100 (internet), with the test score being less than two years old
- Personal qualifications of sound character, perseverance, intellectual curiosity and an interest in scholarly research.
The admissions committee evaluates the applicant’s quantitative and communication skills and background, the applicant’s statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, previous work experience and an invited interview.
Only qualified applicants will be invited to participate in an interview. The preferred venue is to have the candidate visit MSU. In those cases where the distance is too great, a telephone/Skype interview will be scheduled.
International Transcripts
Please have official transcripts and an attested degree copy (both in English and original language) sent directly from your university to MSU to have your application reviewed for admission.
Note: Additional resources and helpful information for international transfer students and applicants can be obtained on the MSU Office of Admissions International Application Checklist Page.
Application Requirements
An application to the Marketing program requires the following materials:
- A completed online application for admission to graduate studies at Michigan State University with associated fees paid. Please note that we will only consider those applications that are both complete and paid.
- Three letters of recommendation. Please include letters from past instructors who can assess your capabilities as a potential researcher.
- Official copies of college transcripts showing grades received.
- A well-thought-out statement of purpose.
- Current CV/resume
- GMAT score
- TOEFL score if necessary (institution code 1465)
If you are interested, you should apply online, pay your application fee and send your documentation to the following address:
Official transcripts of all academic coursework completed in colleges and universities other than MSU must be provided to us directly from the institution(s) you attended and received before the application deadline.
Transcripts that can be sent electronically (from U.S. institutions only) can be emailed directly from your academic institution to the Office of Admissions at admis@msu.edu. Hard copy transcripts can be mailed to the address below:
Michigan State University
Office of Admissions
426 Auditorium Road
East Lansing, MI 48824
For answers to questions that you might have, please contact Erin Johnson via email at broad.msc.inquiries@msu.edu or via phone at (517) 355-2241. You can also learn more about the program by downloading our program viewbook.
Application Deadline
We strongly recommend that you submit your application in early fall, but no later than December 9 for consideration for admission the following fall. Well-qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible since, for such candidates, there is a possibility of submitting their applications for consideration for doctoral fellowships at either the university or college levels.
Take the next step to become a leader in business scholarship and research. Apply to the marketing doctoral program at Michigan State University.
