Program Highlights
Our Marketing PhD program is designed to prepare students for a career in academia. It has a 100% placement rate, and most graduates accept initial positions as tenure-track marketing faculty members at research universities. Students typically complete the program in five years.
Students are admitted to the PhD program in Marketing on a full-time, residential basis only. Students typically work 20 hours per week as a research assistant or teaching assistant during the academic year. They receive a financial package that includes a stipend, full tuition waiver, health insurance subsidy, and professional development funds. The stipend is no less than $35,000 annually, conditional on satisfactory student progress as determined by the department.
The PhD in marketing offers small class sizes, marketing doctoral seminars, and a collaborative environment. Students develop skills by working with faculty on research projects and from faculty mentoring. Students also gain valuable experience by teaching undergraduate courses.
Applications received by December 15 will receive maximum consideration. We will continue to accept applications until February 1.
What to Expect in the PhD Program
A marketing PhD student develops a program of study through discussion with, and subject to the approval of, the student's doctoral advisor and program committee. Enrolled coursework in the program includes:
- Business Foundation - at least 15 hours. This requirement typically is waived for students with an MBA or prior applicable coursework.
- Marketing Concentration - An in-depth major concentration including 15 hours of 8000/9000-level courses in Marketing.
- Support Area(s) and Research Methodology and Statistics – total of at least 30 hours. Students often take additional support area, research methodology and statistics courses. The combination of support area(s), research methods and statistics will vary depending on the interests and needs of the student, but one of the following configurations must be achieved:
- Two 9-hour support areas plus 12 hours in research methodology and statistics -- or
- One 12-hour support area plus 18 hours in research methodology and statistics.
- Collateral Requirement & Analytical Tools - research methods and analysis sequence of at least 12 - 18 hours, including appropriate courses in economics, mathematics, psychology, sociology, statistics or other areas deemed appropriate by the doctoral program committee.
- Required Professional Development Seminars – at least 4 hours (enrolled). An ongoing seminar experience (each semester until successful completion of comprehensive examinations) that acquaints the student with the current literature and research in his/her major area of interest.
- Dissertation Research – at least 12 hours.
The requirements listed above are independent of one another; courses taken to satisfy one requirement may not be used to satisfy any other requirement. The combination of coursework, seminar experience, and dissertation experience is designed to provide students with a sound foundation for a productive career as an academic in marketing.
Annual Reviews of Satisfactory Performance and Progress
All PhD students are evaluated annually to assess their progress in the program. The evaluations for first- and second-year students are conducted by the PhD program coordinator. The evaluations for dissertation-stage students are conducted by their dissertation committee chairs.
Research and Teaching Assistantships
During the academic year, students are assigned to work as research assistants for faculty members in the department. These assignments allow students to develop proficiency in research methods and often lead to coauthored projects with faculty.
Another important objective of the PhD program is to provide candidates with the opportunity to develop classroom instructional skills. To achieve this objective, doctoral students are assigned to teach undergraduate courses. To achieve this objective, beginning in their third year, doctoral students are assigned to teach undergraduate courses. During their time in the PhD program, students typically have the opportunity to teach multiple times. In preparation for the teaching experience, doctoral students are encouraged to attend various teaching-related events sponsored by the Department of Marketing, the Trulaske College of Business, and the University of Missouri.
Why MIZZOU?
World-Class Faculty
Students in our program learn from, and work with, some of the top scholars in the field of marketing. Our faculty’s research has been published in leading marketing journals including Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science and Journal of Consumer Research. Indeed, the University of Missouri is one of the top 20 universities in research productivity at the Journal of Marketing. Students also benefit from the experience our faculty has in serving as co-editors, area editors and reviewers in leading marketing journals.
Our faculty is also passionate about leveraging their research expertise to train PhD students. With our low student-to-faculty ratio, you’ll have an opportunity to work with faculty on research projects and learn about theories and state-of-the-art methods that are required for publishing in leading marketing journals. You’ll also connect with a network of marketing scholars outside Mizzou. For example, in 2018, we launched the Marketing Strategy Consortium to connect PhD students and early-stage faculty with mentors from several leading universities.
Strong Alumni Network
Students in our program also learn from, and work with, current and past students from our program. Our program’s alumni include current and past editors, area editors, and reviewers in leading marketing journals. Several of our program’s alumni are now top scholars at institutions such as Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Virginia and Washington.