Introduction:

The College of Business Administration (CBA), established in 1959, was one of the pioneer colleges at KSU.  At time of establishment it was named College of Commerce, then renamed College of Administrative Sciences.  Later in 2006, the College went into major restructuring and named College of Business Administration. CBA composed of nine departments: Management, Marketing, Finance, Management Information System, Accounting, Public Administration, Health Administration, Economics, and Quantitative Analysis. In addition to Council of Graduate Programs in Business.  CBA offers the highest number of graduate programs in the Arab World.  It offers seven majors at the doctorate level and twelve at the master level.

During its more than five decades of prominence, CBA has educated many business professionals, managers, entrepreneurs, leaders and political figures; and has seen its graduates progress to prestigious appointments and positions in Saudi Arabia and around the world.  CBA now houses nine departments and offers over a dozen different graduate majors.  Our Ph.D. programs are the only doctorate of philosophy programs in the GCC region.

The restructuring of the College of Business Administration in 2006 necessitated the reconfiguration of the administration of the master degrees in business.  The College Council in 2007 created the Council of Graduate Programs in Business Administration (CGPB) to run graduate degrees in business that are interdisciplinary in nature and do not belong to a specific department.  The Deanship of Graduate Studies and the University Council approved this structure, which aligned with University regulations regarding the management of interdisciplinary graduate programs. All of them are geared to the needs of profit and not-for-profit organizations. These programs are interdisciplinary in nature: Master of Business Administration (MBA), both general track and several specific majors (general, marketing, finance and operations management); Master of Business (MBus); Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA);  and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Ph.D);  with majors in management, marketing, finance, accounting, and  management information systems.

KSU CBA is especially proud of the Ph.D. in Business Program, the first business doctoral program in the Arabian Peninsula.  Its rigorous course of study aims to prepare future faculty, researchers, and business leaders for challenging careers. The program offers four majors: management, marketing, finance, accounting, and  management information systems.

Degree Title:

The degree offered is Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Ph.D.) as follows:

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Management.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Marketing.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Finance.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Accounting.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Management Information Systems.

Language of Instruction:

The language of instruction is English.

Program Vision:

Excellence in the preparation of leaders in business education who will advance management theory and practice.

Program Mission:

Recruit, educate, train, and mentor talented students in a supportive research environment with the aid of our faculty so they can  teach, produce landmark research, and secure professional positions in prestigious academic and research institutions.

Program Objectives:

The doctoral program in business is designed to educate students for highly specialized careers in academe or business practice. The students are expected to demonstrate the ability to create knowledge through original research in their areas of specialization. The learning goals of the program include:

The acquisition of advanced knowledge in areas of specialization;

The development of advanced theoretical or practical research skills for the areas of specialization;

The explicit attention to the role of the specialization areas in managerial and organizational contexts;

The preparation for teaching responsibilities in higher education (for those students who expect to enter teaching careers);

The personal integration of, and original intellectual contributions to, a field of knowledge through a dissertation.

Program Outcomes:

Brilliant faculty for college of business who have the potential to become thought leaders in academia and practice.

Highest quality faculty who gain positions in prominent academic and research institutions.

Scholars and researchers who conduct landmark research that pushes the boundaries of theory and practice and publish their research in top academic journals.

Program’s Beneficiaries

The Program is targets faculty and lecturers in universities and business colleges, researchers in research institutions, and consultants in business consulting firms.

Employment Opportunities Available

The employment opportunities available for graduates are in colleges of business in Saudi Arabia and abroad, business research institutions, business consulting firms, and leadership positions in business firms, and public and not-for-profit organizations.

Admission Requirements:

To be announced later

Degree Requirements:

a). Passing of prerequisite courses, if any.

b). Passing 37 units of coursework.

c). Passing the comprehensive examination, which consists of two parts: written and oral, with the written exam taken first, and both are on the field of specialization.

Upon successful completion of the required courses and obtaining at least a class of “very good”, students are required to sit for and pass a comprehensive examination. This comprehensive examination is scheduled and administered by a committee selected by the Council of Graduate Programs in Business Administration and in accordance with the graduate studies regulations. The examination consists of two parts, a written first part, and an oral second one. Both, however, comprises the specialization field of the student. The student moves to candidacy status upon passing the two parts, otherwise he/she is subjected to the graduate studies regulations.

d). Successful completion of the PhD dissertation (12 Units).

After passing the comprehensive examination, the student registers his/her dissertation in one of the specialization fields of the program, under MGT 700 (Management), MKT 700 (Marketing), FIN 700 (Finance),  ACCT 700 (Accounting), or MIS 700 (Management Information Systems).

Program Specialization:

The Program offers 5 majors:

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Management.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Marketing.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Finance.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Accounting.

Ph.D. in Business Administration with a major in Management Information Systems.

Ph.D. Program Overview:

Program Courses:  Click Here

The Admission Process: Click Here

Procedure for doctoral students after completing the coursework: Click Here

Council of Graduate Programs in Business Administration: Click Here

Students Feedback:

Arwa Al Meflh

Rehab Trabulsi