Students seeking a PhD must be recommended for acceptance by the Haslam College of Business to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Actual admission is based on the applicant's overall standing compared with other applicants and with the number of vacancies in each department.
The Graduate Council requires the
The online Graduate Admissions Application
Transcripts from all previous college work
Additional information from international students (as specified by the Office of Graduate Admissions)
The college requires
The PhD application
Scores from the GMAT
Four written recommendations.
Complete applications will be reviewed beginning March 1. Late applications are considered only if space is available.
Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be considered for acceptance into the PhD program without having a master's degree. An applicant in this situation should have an outstanding undergraduate background and should represent a deep and sincere commitment to the pursuit of a career in research and instruction.

For admission to a graduate program, an international student must have an equivalent 4-year bachelor's degree with at least a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale on all previous coursework or a 3.30 on a 4.00 scale on all previous graduate work. Grading systems other than the 4.00 scale are evaluated, upon receipt of transcripts, in accordance with standard practice. Programs may require a higher average GPA for admission. Applicants with work experience or who are entering graduate study after a number of years away from an educational institution, usually five years, will be given consideration with greater flexibility relative to GPA.

Minimum score requirements for admission to the Graduate School are:
a total score of 80 on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT),
a total score of 550 or equivalent on the paper-based TOEFL (PBT), or
a 6.5 overall band score on the IELTS.