General Information
The faculty of the Department of Marketing has research and teaching interests that span the breadth of the discipline. Faculty and doctoral students conduct research in areas ranging from the application of complex methodological techniques to marketing problems to the impact on public policy of marketing strategies.

While marketing has traditionally been regarded as an important functional variable in business, recent empirical evidence has also indicated its strategic importance to organizations in both the profit and not-for-profit sectors of the economy. Those receiving the Ph.D. in business administration with an emphasis in marketing ordinarily conduct scholarly research on one or both of these sectors.

The Department of Marketing is relatively small -- about 12 permanent, active faculty. The Department combines a very active and productive research environment with the openness and congeniality of a small program. Our faculty members serve or have served on editorial boards for the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Retailing, the Journal of Direct Marketing, and the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. The Department also organizes a seminar series that features both internal and external speakers in the profession throughout the academic year.

General Program Information
There are generally 10-15 Ph.D. students in residence at any time. The low student-faculty ratio assures students greater faculty attention than in larger programs. Students also are quickly integrated into teaching and research. The Ph.D. program in marketing is flexible and adaptable to individual student interests and circumstances. The program is intended to prepare students for teaching or research position in academia, the government sector, or private industry.

The University requires 72 semester hours of graduate credit for the Ph.D. degree. Assuming a normal academic load of nine hours per semester and no credit for previous graduate work, the usual time required to complete the degree is four years.

Teaching and Research
All Ph.D. students are required to serve as teaching or research assistants during the course of their graduate work at Iowa. These assistantships are critical parts of the graduate education and it is expected that doctoral students make a major contribution to the accomplishment of the University's primary missions.

Admission Requirements and Procedures
Students need not have an undergraduate degree in marketing to enter and successfully complete the Ph.D. program, nor is a foreign language required. All applicants to the Ph.D. program must have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum overall grade-point average (GPA) of 2.7. Historically, all students have an M.B.A. or other master’s degree prior to admission. In keeping with the important role of mathematical tools in modern marketing management, the Ph.D. program in marketing maintains a heavy emphasis on quantitative skills. Entering students must have at least two semesters of calculus and one semester of linear algebra.

Admission decisions are determined competitively and do not employ fixed rules. Application requirements and factors affecting admission decisions include overall undergraduate GPA, overall graduate GPA, work experience, scores on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), particularly the quantitative score, and three letters of reference from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic performance. Applicants are advised to take the GMAT early, as there normally is a four- to six-week delay from completion of the exam until receipt of the scores. Students admitted to the program in the last few years have average GMAT scores that total above 650, with quantitative subscores exceeding the 90th percentile.

Our program accepts only fall admissions. To be guaranteed consideration for fall admission, your application file - including transcripts and letters of recommendation should be completed and received by the University's Admissions Office by January 15. Our admissions committee generally begins reviewing applications and starts making admission decisions, including financial aid commitments, shortly thereafter. Application forms for admission and financial aid can be obtained by writing to the Office of Admissions, The University of Iowa, 116 Calvin Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1396; or the Office of International Admissions, The University of Iowa, 115 Calvin Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1396. Two copies of the application and supporting documentation should be sent: one to the Ph.D. Program Coordinator, Department of Marketing, College of Business Administration, University of Iowa, 108 Pappajohn Business Bldg., Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, and the other to the Admissions Office.

Applicants whose native language is not English must complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and arrange for submission of the official scores to the University. The Department of Marketing requires a TOEFL score of at least 600.

Alternative to the TOEFL
An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) total score of 7.0, with no sub-score less than 6.0, may be used to satisfy the TOEFL requirement. All IELTS test-takers will be required to take the on-campus English Proficiency Evaluation.

Students’ experience as both teaching and research assistants are considered to be an integral part of the Ph.D. program. As a result of University-wide graduate student teaching requirements, international students will need to pass a two-part English proficiency examination. In addition, if the faculty feel it is necessary, students may be asked to take oral and/or written communication courses to prepare them for their teaching responsibilities.

Financial Support
The department offers financial support in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships. Most Ph.D. students are supported throughout four years of study. Contingent on satisfactory academic progress, support continues for subsequent years at similar or higher levels, though the nature of the service required may vary. Upon successful completion of the first year in the program, students receive a tuition scholarship to cover the costs of one course for the following summer. Although not guaranteed, the department has been able to provide tuition scholarships for summer courses in succeeding years in the program. Other summer support is available on a limited and competitive basis.

Iowa Fellowship Program
Outstanding applicants are eligible to be nominated by the department for the Iowa Fellowship Program. This is a competitive four-year award that includes two years of fellowship, two years of teaching or research assistantships, full summer support, and full tuition remission.

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