Ph.D. Program

General Information

The program aims to train researchers who can integrate into both academic settings and a variety of roles in the corporate and business world.

The Ph.D. program is structured around the integration of three key competencies:

  1. A deep understanding of the disciplines relevant to research.
  2. A strong familiarity with business administration fields related to the candidate’s specialization and research.
  3. Advanced capabilities in designing, conducting, and presenting research (both orally and in written academic papers).

The school offers four areas of specialization and research: Finance, Marketing, Management and Organizational Behavior, and Information Systems.

 

Supervision

Given the limited number of faculty members and their specific research areas, the school does not accept Ph.D. candidates with the assumption that a supervisor will be assigned to them at a later stage (a process practiced at some universities). Consequently, the School’s Doctoral Committee's recommendation for admission is contingent upon the submission of a detailed letter of recommendation from an accredited faculty member confirming their willingness to supervise the student’s research in a specific field.

According to university regulations, a faculty member is authorized to supervise a doctoral dissertation only after attaining the rank of Senior Lecturer.

Therefore, prospective candidates must first submit their application, along with the required documents (detailed below), to the School’s Doctoral Committee Secretariat (Ms. Roni Zino) for an initial evaluation of their eligibility. Once the Secretariat confirms that the candidate meets the eligibility criteria, the candidate may approach potential supervisors. As stated, obtaining a recommendation letter from a faculty member confirming their willingness to supervise the candidate is a prerequisite for the Doctoral Committee to consider the application.

University and the School place great importance on publishing research in international academic journals. Accordingly, some faculty members require that doctoral dissertations be structured as a collection of research articles.

Eligibility Criteria for Prospective Candidates

  • Candidates who have completed a research-based master’s degree with a minimum course average of 85 and a thesis grade of at least 90 may apply to the School’s Doctoral Committee.
  • Candidates who have completed a non-thesis master’s degree and wish to pursue a doctoral degree must first complete a research thesis through the "Thesis Completion Track," provided they meet the following conditions:
    1. The candidate must have completed their master's degree with a minimum overall average of 85 and at least 90 in graduate-level seminars. If they do not meet the seminar grade requirement, an alternative is a quantitative GMAT score of 46.
    2. The candidate must submit a statement of intent and a brief research proposal to a potential supervisor, who has agreed in principle to supervise them. The supervisor must approve this proposal.
    3. The candidate must acknowledge that acceptance into the Thesis Completion Track does not guarantee automatic admission to the Ph.D. program. A separate application for the doctoral program must be submitted after completion of the thesis.

Upon successful completion of the Thesis Completion Track and fulfillment of all required criteria, including a sufficient quality thesis, the candidate may apply for Ph.D. admission as outlined above.

  • Candidates from disciplines such as Economics, Psychology, Statistics, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Sociology, Computer Science, and Humanities who meet the aforementioned criteria may also apply. If admitted, such candidates will be required to complete additional graduate-level coursework in Business Administration as determined by the Doctoral Committee. A minimum average of 85 must be achieved in these courses.

 

Application Process

Submission of Application

Application materials must be submitted to the School of Business Administration’s Student Secretariat, Room 115, to Ms. Roni Zino. Contact details:
Phone: 03-5318917
Email: roni.zino@biu.ac.il

The application package must include:

  1. A completed application form for Ph.D. admission.
  2. Official transcripts of all academic studies (internet-generated transcripts are not acceptable).
  3. A copy of the master's thesis.
  4. For non-thesis master’s degree holders who do not meet the Thesis Completion Track criteria: A quantitative GMAT score of at least 46.
  5. Two letters of recommendation from academic faculty members, at least one of whom must have supervised the candidate’s research work. These letters must explicitly address the candidate’s research abilities and motivation. Letters should be submitted directly by the referees to the Doctoral Committee Secretariat (Ms. Roni Zino), rather than by the candidate.
  6. A curriculum vitae detailing all previous employment, including job descriptions. A list of publications (if any), including submitted papers, unpublished scientific reports, conference presentations, and other relevant academic activities, should be attached.
  7. A one-page Statement of Intent outlining the candidate’s motivation for pursuing a Ph.D., relevant qualifications and experience, familiarity with the research field, and availability to dedicate time to the program.
  8. A signed declaration from the supervisor confirming their willingness to oversee the candidate’s research.
  9. A short description of the planned research project, approved by the supervisor.

The required forms can be found on the doctoral studies section of the School’s website.

The School’s Doctoral Committee convenes twice a year—at the beginning of May and mid-November—to review Ph.D. applications. The committee selects candidates with the highest potential for successful research. If necessary, some applicants may be invited for an interview.

It is explicitly stated that the final admission decision rests with the School of Graduate Studies, which has the authority to accept or reject applicants for doctoral studies at Bar-Ilan University. Applicants should review the Graduate School’s regulations for further details.

Admitted candidates must fulfill the coursework requirements as determined by their supervisor and the curriculum of their chosen specialization.

Doctoral Committee Members

The School’s Doctoral Committee consists of faculty members from various specializations. Its responsibilities include setting program policies, selecting new doctoral students, and managing scholarship-related matters.

Structure of the Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program comprises two main phases:

  1. The research proposal phase, which includes preparing a dissertation proposal and passing a proposal defense.
  2. The dissertation research phase spans from the approval of the research proposal (by the Graduate School) to the completion of the dissertation.

Student Responsibilities

  • The research proposal phase should not exceed one year.
  • The candidate must successfully defend their research proposal to continue in the program.
  • The dissertation research phase should be completed within three years.
  • Students must submit an annual progress report, including the supervisor’s assessment. Unsatisfactory evaluations or three consecutive reports indicating insufficient progress may result in termination of studies. The report must be submitted to Ms. Roni Zino each April.
  • Regular Ph.D. students must participate in doctoral seminars from their first semester until the completion of their dissertation or four years, whichever comes first. Thesis Completion Track students are exempt from these seminars during the completion year.
  • Regular Ph.D. students must attend departmental seminars for four years or until the dissertation is submitted. Thesis Completion Track students are exempt unless otherwise decided by the supervisor.
  • Candidates must complete five graduate-level courses/seminars (in addition to any required prerequisite courses) with a minimum average of 85.
  • Before submitting their dissertation for review, candidates must:
    • Prepare a research poster.
    • Write a summary paper in Hebrew.
    • Produce a short video explaining a key aspect of their research.
    • Submission of the dissertation is contingent on fulfilling all these requirements.
  • Candidates must meet the English and Jewish Studies requirements as per the Graduate School regulations. The university does not offer exemption exams in English.
  • Candidates must successfully defend their final dissertation orally.
  • If the dissertation follows a publication-based format, candidates must submit two or three articles (depending on journal ranking) for publication.

Termination of Doctoral Studies

The Doctoral Committee is committed to maintaining high academic standards and selecting candidates who demonstrate research excellence. If a student fails to meet their academic obligations, the committee reserves the right to terminate their studies.

The termination decision process includes:

  1. A meeting with the supervisor to assess the student’s academic progress.
  2. If concerns arise, the student will receive a written notice outlining the committee’s reservations.
  3. If the student is allowed to continue, specific conditions will be set.
  4. A termination decision requires a two-third majority of the committee, and a formal letter will be submitted to the Graduate School.