UMass Boston

Finance Track

Applicants need to submit a current résumé or CV, a statement of purpose, a writing sample, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts of all prior academic work, official GMAT or GRE scores, and, if appropriate, an official TOEFL or IELTS score. Provide these materials directly to the Graduate Admissions Office.

Writing Sample:

Please submit with your application one or two selected samples of prior academic writings. Such writings could include course papers from your master’s program, research papers, conference papers, or other types of manuscripts. Length is not important, but these typically range between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Please select papers written by you (solo-authored) that best showcase your ability to tackle a relevant research topic by using or developing analytical frameworks or theories, referencing other people’s work, and using empirical evidence (if applicable).

Information Systems for Data Science and Management Track (ISDS)

• Statement of purpose
• At least one writing sample
• Three (3) letters of recommendation
• A minimum, cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (or international equivalent) in all undergraduate work

Organizations and Social Change (OSC) Track

Applicants need to submit a current résumé or CV, a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts of all prior academic work, a writing sample, official GMAT or GRE scores, and, if appropriate an official TOEFL or IELTS score.

Statement of Purpose: With your application, please submit a statement of purpose, including a mini-research proposal on an OSC topic that reflects the goals of the program. Your mini- proposal should be about 5 pages long, and it should include the following elements:

• Why do you want to study for a PhD in Organizations and Social Change
• A specific research topic/problem and its significance
• A compelling research question
• A review of previous work relevant to the research question, i.e. what we know so far
• The methods you propose (data collection, analytical techniques) to answer your research question
• A summary of expected results/outcomes, and their potential significance

Note that you are not committing to a PhD topic at this point; your goal is to demonstrate your current thinking and capabilities in research. The mini-proposal will help us determine some of your potential interests and your aptitude for doing research.

Writing Sample:
Please submit with your application one or two selected samples of prior academic writings. Such writings could include course papers from your master’s program, research papers, conference papers, or other types of manuscripts. Length is not important, but these typically range between 2,000 and 10,000 words. Please select papers that are written by you (solo-authored), and which best showcase your ability to tackle a relevant research topic by using or developing analytical frameworks or theories, referencing other people’s work, and using empirical evidence (if applicable).

Finance: We are currently not accepting applications for this track. The next admittance for this track will be for Fall 2026.

Information Systems for Data Science and Management: February 1 (priority deadline) and February 15 (final deadline) for Fall 2025

Organizations and Social Change (OSC): February 1 (priority deadline) and February 15 (final deadline) for Fall 2025

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Program Cost Information: Please refer to Cost & Aid - Graduate Students for more information. For additional information regarding tuition and fees, please visit the Bursar’s Office or email bursar@umb.edu.

Core Courses (6 Credits)

• BUSADM 700 - Business in Context: Markets, Technologies, Societies 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 775 - Professional Development Workshop - Doctoral Teaching 3 Credit(s)

Track Courses (30 Credits)

• BUSADM 710 - Accounting for Finance I 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 711 - Accounting for Finance II 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 721 - Quantitative Financial Analysis II 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 722 - Cross-Section Analysis of Financial Data 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 723 - Time Series Analysis of Financial Data 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 730 - Seminar in Investment & Asset Valuation 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 731 - Seminar in Financial Economics 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 732 - Seminar in Corporate Finance 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 780 - Advanced Data Mining and Predictive Modeling 3 Credit(s)

Electives (9 Credits)

Complete three additional BUSADM courses.

At least one course must be from below.

• BUSADM 733 - Advanced Topics in Corporate Finance 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 734 - Topics in Investment Asset Pricing 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 736 - Accounting for Finance III 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 782 - Optimization for Data Science 3 Credit(s)

Dissertation Research (12 Credits)

• BUSADM 777 - Dissertation Seminar - Finance track 3 Credit(s)
  or
• BUSADM 899 - Dissertation Research 1-12 Credit(s)

Core Courses (6 Credits)

• BUSADM 700 - Business in Context: Markets, Technologies, Societies 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 775 - Professional Development Workshop - Doctoral Teaching 3 Credit(s)

Track Courses (27 Credits)

• BUSADM 740 - Information Systems Theory I: Behavioral and Group Perspectives 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 741 - Information Systems Theory II: Organizational and Economic Perspectives 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 742 - Regression Analysis 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 743 - Decision and Risk Analysis 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 744 - Quantitative Research Methods in Information Systems 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 745 - Multivariate Statistics 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 780 - Advanced Data Mining and Predictive Modeling 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 782 - Optimization for Data Science 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 785 - Big Data: Management, Analytics, and Applications 3 Credit(s)

Core Electives (9 Credits)

Complete three additional courses chosen with faculty advisor approval.

Dissertation Research (12 Credits)

• BUSADM 899 - Dissertation Research 1-12 Credit(s)

Core Courses (6 Credits)

• BUSADM 700 - Business in Context: Markets, Technologies, Societies 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 775 - Professional Development Workshop - Doctoral Teaching 3 Credit(s)

Track Courses (18 Credits)

• BUSADM 750 - Foundations of Organization Theory 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 751 - Contemporary Organization Theory 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 754 - Introduction to Organizations & Social Change 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 770 - Introduction to Research Methods for the Social Sciences 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 771 - Contemporary Research Practice on Management, Organizations, and Social Change 3 Credit(s)
• BUSADM 891 - Dissertation Proposal Course 3-6 Credit(s)

Electives (18 Credits)

Complete six additional courses chosen with approval of the faculty advisor.

Dissertation Research (12 Credits)

• BUSADM 899 - Dissertation Research 1-12 Credit(s)

Program Requirements - Finance Track

Complete a minimum of 57 credits from at least sixteen courses including two core courses, ten track courses, three electives, and twelve credits of dissertation research.

Doctoral candidacy: Pass qualifying exams at the end of the first and second years.
Dissertation: Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.
Project: Complete a summer project.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

Program Requirements - Information Systems for Data Science and Management Track

Complete a minimum of 54 credits from at least 15 courses including two core courses, nine track courses, three electives, and twelve credits of dissertation research.

Doctoral candidacy: Pass a qualifying exam taken at the end of the second year.
Dissertation: Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.
Project: Complete a summer project.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

Program Requirements - Organizations and Social Change Track

Complete a minimum of 54 credits from at least 15 courses including two core courses, six track courses, six electives, and twelve credits of dissertation research.

Doctoral candidacy: Pass a qualifying exam by the end of the second year.
Dissertation: Compose and defend a dissertation based on original research.
Project: Complete a summer project after the first year.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

As a candidate in the Business Administration PhD, you will:

• Develop a strong foundation in the theories and concepts of business administration
• Acquire advanced research skills to design and conduct original research in the field of business administration
• Build the ability to analyze complex business problems and develop innovative solutions
• Develop the capacity to effectively communicate research findings through scholarly writing and presentations

Learning Outcomes: OSC Track

The OSC PhD track will prepare students to pursue academic and research careers and have a broader impact on the world by engaging with the media and organizational practice. Students will learn how to:

• Apply theoretical frameworks to understand business and organizational practices, as well as their economic, social, cultural, environmental, and political impacts
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research and identify problems and solutions
• Critique policy and articulate recommendations on issues at the interface of business, government, and critical social issues
• Translate research into more practice-oriented articles, media coverage, and organizational interventions

Graduate Program Director Chi Wan (Finance)
Chi.Wan [at] umb.edu

Graduate Program Director Ehsan Elahi (Information Systems for Data Science and Management)
Ehsan.Elahi [at] umb.edu
(617) 287-7881

Graduate Program Director David Levy (Organizations and Social Change)
David.Levy [at] umb.edu
(617) 287-7860

Finance Faculty

• Mehran Azimi, Assistant Professor of Finance
• Arindam Bandopadhyaya, Professor of Finance, Chair of Accounting and Finance Department
• Atreya Chakraborty, Professor of Finance, Director of Partnerships and PhD Program
• Mine Ertugrul, Associate Professor of Finance
• James L. Grant, Associate Professor of Finance
• Tyler J. Hull, Assistant Professor of Finance
• Aditya Kashikar, Assistant Professor of Finance
• Rui Li, Associate Professor of Financial Economics
• Lucia Silva-Gao, Associate Professor of Finance
• Chi Wan, Associate Professor of Finance
• Yijia (Eddie) Zhao, Associate Professor of Finance

Accounting Faculty

• Ting Chen, Assistant Professor of Accounting
• Thomas J. Hogan, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Robert Kim, Assistant Professor of Accounting
• Sangwan Kim, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Jay Junghun Lee, Associate Professor of Accounting
• KoEun Park, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Yong-Chul Shin, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Surjit Tinaikar, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Kiran Verma, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Wan-Ting (Alexandra) Wu, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Xiaolu Xu, Associate Professor of Accounting
• Kun Yu, Associate Professor of Accounting

OSC Faculty

• Alessia Contu, Chair, Department of Management; Professor of Management
• Edward J. Carberry, Associate Professor of Management
• Silvia Dorado-Banacloche, Associate Professor of Management
• Samantha E. Erskine, Assistant Professor of Management
• Pacey C. Foster, Associate Professor of Management
• Janice Goldman, Senior Lecturer II in Management
• Mohsin Habib, Associate Professor of Management
• Marc Lavine, Associate Professor of Management
• David Levy, Professor of Management
• Benyamin B. Lichtenstein, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management
• J. Keith Motley, Professor of Management
• Jared M. Poole, Assistant Professor of Management
• Maureen A. Scully, Professor of Management
• Vesela Veleva, Senior Lecturer in Management

ISDS Faculty

• Ramakrishna Ayyagari, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems
• Pratyush Bharati, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems
• Roger Blake, Associate Chair, Management Science & Information Systems; Associate Professor of Management Information Systems
• Kui Du, Assistant Professor of Management Science and Information Systems
• Ehsan Elahi, Associate Professor of Management Science
• Davood Golmohammadi, Associate Professor of Management Science
• Shan Jiang, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
• Jeffrey Keisler, Professor of Management Information Systems
• Jonathan Kim, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
• Jean-Pierre Kuilboer, Associate Professor of Management Science and Information Systems
• Daniel Lee, Associate Professor of Management Information Systems
• Josephine Namayanja, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
• Romilla Syed, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
• Peng Xu, Chair of Management Science and Information Systems; Associate Professor of Management Information Systems
• Wei Zhang, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems