PhD Program Application Process | The University Of Chicago Booth ...

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PhD How to Apply

We’re delighted that you’re interested in applying to the Stevens Doctoral Program Chicago Booth.

Admission is highly competitive. About 20-25 outstanding students enter the Stevens Program each year. In evaluating applications, we consider a wide range of factors, including your academic background and performance, essays, research interest and potential, prior exposure to academic research, strength of recommendations, and standardized test scores. You may only apply to one dissertation area per year. Applications open in the Fall and close on December 15. The application for Fall 2026 admission is now closed.

Applicants to the Stevens Doctoral Program must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university (or expect to receive one by the time they enter the program).

Applicants to Stevens Doctoral Program, regardless of citizenship, must either meet one of our waiver criteria (more information below) or submit proof of English language proficiency. Non-US residents should also consult the International Applicants page to learn more about eligibility requirements. Chicago Booth prides itself on a fair and impartial selection process. To find out more, read the Nondiscrimination Statement.

Admissions FAQ

Admissions Timeline

🠊 Early September: The application for the next academic year will become available. 🠊 December: The application deadline is December 15.

• After submitting, you can log into your online application to monitor the receipt of your test scores and letters of recommendation. You can also upload updated transcripts via your applicant status page.
• The Stevens Doctoral Program will process test scores validation and waiver requests after an application has been submitted.
• The timeline for application review varies by dissertation area, but can begin immediately after the deadline. Your application will be reviewed by the admissions committee of the dissertation area to which you applied.
• We recommend all materials (including test scores and recommendations) be submitted on time in order to guarantee they are considered along with the rest of your application.

🠊 January through early March: Applicants will receive invitations to interview and/or offers of admission directly via email. On your application, please enter a contact email that you use regularly.

• Dissertation area committees may invite applicants for virtual interviews. The areas that conduct interviews are: Accounting, Behavioral Science, Econometrics & Statistics, Finance, and Management Science/Operations Management.
• Because each dissertation area has its own admissions committee and review process, decisions are not released simultaneously for all applicants. Until you receive a decision from the program, you are still under consideration.
• Generally speaking, all applicants should have their decisions by March.

🠊 April 15: Admitted applicants are required to return their responses. Offers not acknowledged by April 15 may be rescinded. 🠊 May: The Stevens Doctoral Program will contact incoming students with information on matriculation, international student visas, and other items of interest. 🠊 September: All admitted students will need to be in residence for the program.

Application Checklist

Application for admission

Applications open in the Fall and close on December 15. The application for Fall 2026 admission is now closed.

Nonrefundable application fee ($80)

If you're interested in applying for a fee waiver, please see below for eligibility requirements and instructions.

Transcripts from all institutions attended after high school

Please upload all academic records to the online application system. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit official academic records and official copies of degrees awarded (and official English translations where applicable). Photocopies and facsimiles of the documents are not acceptable. International applicants can learn more about appropriate documentation here.

Two letters of recommendation

• We require all applicants to submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation (preferably from academic sources) as part of their application, although we will accept up to four.
• Letters can be submitted after the deadline, but we cannot guarantee your application will still be in review by the time they arrive.

Resume/CV

Please provide a current resume/CV of 1 to 2 pages.

Statement of Purpose

For reference, you can find the application instructions:

• Please write a short essay (typically 2-4 pages) that describes your basic research interests. Describe your exposure, if any, to research in your field of interest. Include non-academic personal or work experiences only if they are directly relevant to the formation of your research interests. You may also use this space to briefly detail your long-term professional objectives.

Optional writing sample

If you wish, you may upload one (1) research-related paper or abstract. Writing samples are recommended to be no longer than 30 pages. Applicants who would like to submit longer samples, such as an B.A/M.A. thesis, are strongly encouraged to provide an excerpt shorter than 30 pages and include a one-page coversheet contextualizing the excerpt within the larger body of work.

Official GMAT or GRE scores

The GRE or GMAT is required of every applicant for admission to the Stevens Doctoral Program. There are no exceptions to this policy. It is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure that test scores are submitted to the Stevens Doctoral Program by December 15. While we accept test scores received after the application deadline, we cannot ensure your application will still be in review by the time they arrive. To meet the application deadline, we recommend that you take the required test by early October. GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years. Prior coursework or degrees at the graduate level do not exempt applicants from submitting the GRE/GMAT as part of their application.

• Please see below for area-specific score requirements:
  • Accounting: GRE or GMAT
  • Behavioral Science: GRE or GMAT
  • Economics: GRE is required.
  • Finance: GRE is strongly preferred, but GMAT is acceptable.
  • Management Science and Operations Management: GRE or GMAT
  • Marketing: GRE or GMAT
  • Joint Program in Financial Economics: GRE is required.
• Scores should be sent directly to the Chicago Booth Stevens Doctoral Program by listing the institutional codes below when taking the exam:
  • GMAT: H9X-9F-05
  • GRE: 1501
  • TOEFL (if applicable): 1819
  • IELTS (if applicable): send TRF number to [email protected]

You may apply for a hardship request for delayed test scores if you are in an area where disruptions may be taking place. You'll still need to submit your application by the deadline regardless of if you've been granted more time to submit individual scores. You can find more information below in the section titled "Hardship Requests for Delayed Test Scores."

Proof of English proficiency

Applicants to Stevens Doctoral Program, regardless of citizenship, must either meet one of our waiver criteria (below) or submit proof of English language proficiency. Only the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic tests are accepted as proof of proficiency.

Waiver Criteria There are two ways to receive a waiver from the proof of proficiency requirement:

• Primary Language Waiver: If English has been a primary language of communication and schooling for you since childhood, you may attest to this on the application. We cannot assist you in determining if this is the case for you. Falsifying this information, as with any other information on the application, may lead to revocation of an offer of admission.
• Education Waiver: If you were enrolled for at least one full academic year in the last ten years, as a full-time, degree-seeking student at an accredited English-medium post-secondary institution in one of the following countries or territories:
  • Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States.
  • Education in English-medium institutions in any countries or territories not listed here does not qualify for the exemption.
  • Only full-time coursework in a degree program at a college or university in one of these countries or territories qualifies. Remote study, lab or research work, non-degree programs, intensive English language courses, or high school/secondary school do not qualify. The qualifying academic year must be completed – i.e., if you are now in a program and are planning to have completed a year by the time you enroll, it will not meet the requirement.

Please do not email us regarding your qualifications for a waiver. If you meet the criteria, we will process the waiver after you have submitted your application.

Acceptable Tests: In order to meet the proof of proficiency requirement, students may submit either:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test (iBT), including tests taken online at-home, or in a testing center
  • The minimum test score requirement for the TOEFL is 100 overall score, no subsection requirements.
  • We do not currently accept aggregate scores such as the TOEFL MyBest scores.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic
  • The minimum test score requirements for the IELTS is an overall score of at least 7, with sub scores of at least 7 each.
  • We do not accept any other proficiency tests, exams, equivalent coursework, certificate/certifications, endorsement from faculty, and/or other measurement other than the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic. This includes the IELTS “Indicator” test and the TOEFL ITP Plus as well as Duolingo.
  • We do not currently accept aggregate scores such as the IELTS One Skill Retake.

Validity:

• TOEFL or IELTS score reports are valid for two years; scores will be considered expired if the test was taken more than two years prior to the application deadline. If you send us a score and it expires prior to the deadline you are applying under, you will need to send a more recent score.
• Photocopies or PDFs of TOEFL or IELTS Score Reports will not be considered valid or accepted in lieu of an official score report from the agency. An offer admission cannot be made without an official score report on file.

It is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure that test scores are submitted to the Stevens Doctoral Program by December 15. While we accept test scores received after the application deadline, we cannot ensure your application will still be in review by the time they arrive.

Hardship Requests for Delayed Test Scores:

Applicants for whom a recent natural disaster or other major, widespread disruption has affected their ability to submit required components may submit a Hardship Request as described below. Please note all applicants have to submit their application by the deadline regardless of if they've been granted more time to fulfill an individual component. If the impact of the incident or disruption makes it difficult for you to submit one or more required components – such as GRE scores,TOEFL scores, transcripts, etc.– by the deadline, please complete your application to the best of your ability and then submit a formal hardship request. If deemed eligible, we may approve a temporary delay of test scores and allow you to submit your application without one or more required application materials (e.g. GRE or TOEFL scores), although it does not waive the requirement(s). You will still be required to submit the missing item(s) as soon as circumstances allow. Please note we cannot extend an offer of admission before all materials (including official test scores) have been submitted.

Application Fee: Waiver Eligibility Requirements and Instructions

Upon submission of an application, applicants will be prompted to pay the $80 processing fee. You may be eligible to receive an application fee waiver if you meet at least one of the below requirements. Note that you'll only be able to submit a waiver request and supplementary documentation within the application. You can find more information about the approval and notification process on our FAQ page.

Fee Waiver Categories:

• Category A: Current University of Chicago student or University of Chicago alumni from degree programs (includes current non-degree visiting students and past non-degree visiting students). You'll be instructed to upload your transcripts as verification.
• Category B: Current University of Chicago Staff (including full-time research professionals).

• Category C: Current undergraduates receiving need-based financial aid from a U.S. institution: If you are currently (as of the date of the application deadline for this program, i.e. December 15, 2024) enrolled as an undergraduate student at an institution within the United States and are receiving need-based financial aid from your current institution, you may be eligible for an application fee waiver. A copy of the institution’s financial aid letter or a letter from the institution’s financial aid office is required.
• Category D: Individuals experiencing financial hardship: Applicants who are experiencing financial hardship and are not eligible for a fee waiver under any of the other categories may be considered for a fee waiver. Applicants requesting an application fee waiver on the basis of financial hardship must upload a brief written statement which explains their financial hardship and how they intend to cover their pre-matriculation expenses (e.g. moving expenses) if admitted.

Application fees are non-refundable. If you are requesting an application fee waiver, do not pay the application fee while your request is under review. You should only pay the fee if you receive an email from us indicating that your request has been denied. If your request is approved, we will manually waive the fee once we have determined your eligibility. Application fee payment will not be refunded if:

• You pay the application fee before receiving our fee waiver request decision, and later have your waiver request approved.
• You do not complete the fee waiver request form inside the application and pay the fee, then later realize you were eligible for a fee waiver.

Fee Waiver Decision Notification We will not be reaching out to applicants whose request for a fee waiver has been approved. You will only be notified via email if your request has been denied. We do not make any determinations before your application to the Stevens Doctoral Program has been submitted, so please make sure to do so by the application deadline. You can find more information about the eligibility and notification process on our FAQ page.

Admission to Joint PhD Programs

Joint Program in Financial Economics

Admission to the Joint Program in Financial Economics requires admission to both the doctoral program in the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics and to the doctoral program at Chicago Booth, but interested parties need only apply to one or the other program. Students may enter the joint program at the beginning of their doctoral studies. Those seeking admission to the joint program should apply online to either the PhD program in the Department of Economics or Chicago Booth. The GRE is required for all applicants to this program.

Students enrolled in doctoral studies in either the Department of Economics or Chicago Booth may apply to the joint program at any time within their first two years in residence. Such students will still have to meet all of the requirements of both programs.

Enrollment and financial aid throughout a student's matriculation in the joint program will be administered by either the Division of the Social Sciences or Chicago Booth, as arranged by the two units. This designation will be for administrative purposes only and will not have programmatic implications. If a student's interests change, the director of the Stevens Program at Chicago Booth and the dean of students for the social sciences will facilitate transfers out of the joint program and into the doctoral program in economics or business.

Joint Program in Psychology and Business

Students interested in applying to the Joint Program in Psychology and Business through Chicago Booth should apply online for admission to the Behavioral Science dissertation area. Once admitted, students seek a faculty research sponsor in the Department of Psychology. After a faculty sponsor in psychology has been identified, admission to the Joint Program is generally automatic. Entry into the Joint Program in Psychology and Business normally occurs during the first year of study. Applicants should state their interest in the joint program as part of the application process so they can be given advice in making the connection to faculty in the Department of Psychology.

Joint PhD/JD Program

To earn the joint PhD/JD degree, you must be admitted to both the Law School and Booth’s Stevens Program. You may apply to both programs at the same time, or you may begin one program and then apply to the other at a later date. Please visit the Law School's website for more information.

US Military Personnel

Admitted students who are called to active duty prior to matriculation will be granted a deferral of admission and Chicago Booth financial aid to the following year. Deferrals will be reviewed/extended on an annual basis.

The Stevens Program at Chicago Booth accepts up to three courses in transfer credit from other approved institutions. These credits can only be used toward the coordinated sequence requirement. The Stevens Program does not grant credit for experiential learning or online courses.

For details on readmission, taking a leave of absence, resuming studies, academic grievance policies, and add/drop requirements, please see this Guidebook.

Contact Us

If you still have questions after reviewing our doctorate in business FAQ, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Phone: 773.702.7298 Email Us

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