Prospective Student Profile

The prototypical candidate for Virginia Tech’s Ph.D. concentration in Executive Business Research is a working professional who holds a graduate degree in business or a related field. The candidate will have a minimum of seven years of experience in a position of responsibility in industry, consulting or government and demonstrate a record of organizational accomplishments and contributions reflecting strategic vision and superior conceptual and methodological skills.

The applicant should aspire to a career that emphasizes the creation and use of research, either in an academic setting or as a high-level professional in business or government.

Prospective students should also be prepared to make a four- to five-year commitment to build the credentials needed to earn this rigorous Ph.D. degree. Although this program is taken on a part-time basis, the curriculum demands match that of the full-time Ph.D. program.