Entrepreneurship, Ph.D.
Program Description
The Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship is a research-based degree drawing on classic and modern literature in economics, sociology, psychology, political science, history, statistics, and other disciplines. It equips students to investigate the great questions confronting entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other actors. Students work closely with faculty mentors in developing an appreciation for theory, research methods, and the publication process. The doctoral program is personalized to reflect the intellectual interests of the students while capitalizing on the strengths of Baylor’s entrepreneurship faculty. Students work directly with faculty mentors to produce and publish research, and the program aims to place graduates in faculty positions at highly ranked universities and similar institutions. The Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship uniquely emphasizes excellence in teaching and does so in a way that is consistent with Christian principles of stewardship. This includes required courses in pedagogy along with a mentorship plan that builds teaching skills. While the primary focus is entrepreneurship, students also receive training in strategic management and organization theory. The Department of Entrepreneurship is also home to the Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise, which studies the effects of public policy and institutions on entrepreneurship. Baylor University provides tuition remission for all admitted students. The Hankamer School of Business and the Department of Entrepreneurship provide a competitive annual stipend to doctoral students, as well as support in attending key conferences in entrepreneurship. Competitive summer research grants are available from the Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship to support research interests of doctoral students.
Admission Requirements for the PhD in Entrepreneurship
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college. A Masters Degree from an accredited university or college is preferred. An acceptable score on the GMAT or GRE is required. Applicants must adhere to the general admissions requirements of Baylor’s Graduate School for admission to Ph.D. level graduate studies. In general, applicants should meet the common body of knowledge (CBK) requirements for business degrees. CBK is sometimes referred to as business core courses. Students not meeting the CBK requirements can satisfy this requirement by satisfactorily completing the Integrated Management Seminars (BUS 5401 Business Frameworks and BUS 5602 Business Foundations II) and by completing MGT 5310 Management of Organizational Behavior.
Curriculum
The Entrepreneurship Ph.D. is a full-time, four-year, residential program. The first two years involve 36 hours of formal coursework, with the rest comprising independent research, teaching, and other activities. Besides required courses in entrepreneurship theory and research methods students take EDL 6302 Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Besides required courses in entrepreneurship theory and research methods students take EDL 6302, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, to develop an understanding of curricular issues, course development and content,teaching techniques, and learning theories. Upon completion of this course, students undergo a teaching apprenticeship during the second year of the program. During the third year in the program, students transition from apprentice to instructor of record for one course per semester. Admission to doctoral candidacy requires passing a comprehensive qualifying examination. Students also enroll in summer research practicums (6 hours) and complete three hours of prospectus research. After admission to candidacy, students complete nine hours of dissertation work. Completion of the program requires the production and defense of a dissertation on an important issue in entrepreneurship theory, history, policy, or practice, under the supervision of a faculty advisor and committee.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship Required Courses | ||
| ECO 5349 | Causal Inference and Research Design | 3 |
| EDL 6302 | Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 3 |
| EDP 6362 | Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis in Education | 3 |
| ENT 6310 | Seminar in Strategic Management | 3 |
| ENT 6320 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENT 6330 | Theoretical Perspectives in Strategy and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENT 6340 | Seminar in Research Methods | 3 |
| ENT 6350 | Seminar in Organization Theory | 3 |
| MIS 6320 | Quantitative Methods in Information Systems Research | 3 |
| MIS 6340 | Qualitative Methods in Information Systems Research | 3 |
| Research Practicum | ||
| ENT 6V98 | Entrepreneurship Research Practicum | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Dissertation Credit | ||
| ENT 6V00 | Dissertation Proposal and Prospectus | 3 |
| ENT 6V99 | Dissertation | 9 |
| Total Hours | 51 | |
Degree Plan
A formal degree plan will be developed in consultation with the advisor/committee. The recommended course sequence (conditional on course availability) is as follows:
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| ENT 6320 | Seminar in Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| EDL 6302 | Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 3 |
| ENT 6340 | Seminar in Research Methods | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENT 6350 | Seminar in Organization Theory | 3 |
| MIS 6320 | Quantitative Methods in Information Systems Research | 3 |
| EDP 6362 | Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis in Education | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| ENT 6V98 | Entrepreneurship Research Practicum | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENT 6310 | Seminar in Strategic Management | 3 |
| ECO 5349 | Causal Inference and Research Design | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENT 6330 | Theoretical Perspectives in Strategy and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MIS 6340 | Qualitative Methods in Information Systems Research | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| ENT 6V98 | Entrepreneurship Research Practicum | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENT 6V00 | Dissertation Proposal and Prospectus | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENT 6V99 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENT 6V99 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENT 6V99 | Dissertation | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 54 | |
Program Completion Requirement
Students will be recognized as candidates for the doctoral degree only after having
- passed the written comprehensive exam,
- completed all residence and departmental requirements except the dissertation and
- received approval by the Dean of the Graduate School of their formal application for admission to candidacy for the degree.
The comprehensive exam will take place during the summer following each student’s second year of study. The comprehensive exam is written and will cover material from the five core ENT required courses (ENT 6310 Seminar in Strategic Management, ENT 6320 Seminar in Entrepreneurship, ENT 6330 Theoretical Perspectives in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, ENT 6340 Seminar in Research Methods, and ENT 6350 Seminar in Organization Theory) and the approved quantitative and/or qualitative methods courses. The candidate must also complete and defend successfully the dissertation at an oral examination.