Education & CV

Our PhD Program is designed for candidates with a strong academic background.

In your application, we require that you provide information for each college and university you have attended full-time for one academic year or more. Do not separately list study-abroad programs you completed while enrolled at the home institution if grades for such programs are included on your transcript.

Reporting Your GPA

For each institution you have attended we ask that you provide your GPA using a four-point grading system. If you attended a school that does not use a four-point grading system:

• Provide your GPA using the four-point grading system (see sidebar for reference). Note, international applicants may want to use the free GPA calculator provided by World Education Services (WES)

Many schools add 0.3 for a “+” grade and subtract 0.3 for a “-” grade. A grade of A+ is usually assigned a value of 4.0 (equivalent to an A) , although 4.3 is awarded at some institutions. If you attended an institution with a maximum GPA of 4.3 on 4.0 scale, the maximum score you can enter is a 4.0 (see sidebar for reference).

Transcripts

Your transcript tells the admissions committee a great deal about who you are as a student. We require that you upload your official transcript from each institution that you list in your online application. Your uploaded transcripts must:

• Be an official transcript issued by your institution
• Include the front and back of each page of the transcript

You will be responsible for verifying that the uploaded transcript is readable and the institution’s name, the degree conferred, and conferral date (if applicable) are clearly visible. An illegible transcript will delay the review of your application.

If your transcript is in a language other than English, please include an English translation. Upload your transcripts with their accompanying translation as part of your application. We accept translations issued by the institution or a professional translation service. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

Do not:

• Mail a copy of your official transcript to our office.
• Provide separate transcripts for units that were transferred from a previous institution if the courses, units, and grades are included on the transcript your submit

If you are admitted we require official transcripts to be mailed to our office. Note that any discrepancy between the uploaded transcript and the official transcript could result in the denial of your application or withdrawal of your offer of admission.

Completed Coursework

In your online application, list:

• The three most advanced mathematics courses you have completed
• The three most advanced statistics or econometrics courses you have completed*
• The four most advanced courses you have completed in your planned field of study

*Applicants applying to the fields of Organizational Behavior-Micro or Marketing-Behavioral are welcome to include any courses that may be relevant to advanced math or statistics/econometrics but are not required.

Major Honors/Awards

In your online application list your single highest honor, award, fellowship, or nonacademic distinction you have received that reflects most clearly on your potential for doctoral study in your chosen field of study. Please list all other relevant honors and awards in your resume or CV. Examples of information to include regarding your highest honor or award are below:

Examples

1. One of the five students in my graduating class of 87 students majoring in psychology in 2015 who received distinguished research awards.
2. One of the 167 people who graduated magna cum laude (or with a higher honor) in my graduating class of 1,337 in 2016.

Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Your resume or CV serves as a good supplement to your statement of purpose and other application materials. In it, you can summarize all of your qualifications, honors, educational accomplishments, and interests. It provides the admissions committee with additional information to better evaluate your candidacy.