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Application Process

The Management for PhDs (formerly MSE) program is open to current doctoral students who are post-candidacy at the time of application. We will not accept applications from students attending other universities.

The application process requires two parts to be completed:

  1. Letter of recommendation request to Principal Investigator (PI)/Advisor
    • The system will directly email PI/Advisor to request the letter once the application is completed.
    • Applicants should inform their advisors of this request as soon as possible to provide advisors enough time to prepare and submit by the deadline.
  2. Application completion
    • See the "application dates" box for the application and PI/Advisor letter of recommendation due dates.
The application is comprised of the following:
  • Demographic information
  • Year in program
  • Current GPA
  • Current CV or Resume in PDF format (no other formats accepted)
  • Clear, concise answers to essay questions
    • Describe a business problem that interests you. (300 word maximum).
    • How does the program relate to your career goals? (300 words maximum).
Applications will be assessed on the following weighted criteria:
  • Quality of scholarly/academic achievements, as evidenced in CV, GPA, and letter of recommendation
  • Quality of leadership experience and community involvement, as evidenced in CV, letter of recommendation, and essays
  • Quality of professional development planning, as evidenced in CV and essays
  • Clarity and quality of communication, as evidenced in essays

Apply

The 2026 Management for PhDs (formerly MSE) certificate program will be held from June 23 – July 28, 2026. Apply Here by March 20, 2026 at 11:59PM CT.