MBA Online

Graduate Admission Entrance Examination

PhD Program
A PhD program is available for those students intending to become researchers after completing the Master’s program. There is no special entrance examination for foreign students for the PhD program. All applicants are required to take the general examination.

Applications for the entrance examination for the PhD program should be completed by the beginning of January. The examination will be conducted towards the beginning of February.

Exam SubjectsForeign Language, Interview (Oral Exam)
1. The interview (Oral Exam) will primarily involve questions on the “Master’s Thesis.”
2. The foreign language will be selected at the time of application.
3. Foreign students will take a language exam on either English or Japanese.

Special Doctoral Program for Graduates of Partner Universities:

The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, offers a 3-year special doctoral program, leading to the degree PhD in Economics. Teaching and supervision are conducted in English.

Important note for potential candidates: your home institution must be a Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Economics partner under our cooperation and exchange agreement. In other words, we only accept applications from universities currently in cooperation with the Graduate School of Economics within the student exchange programs.
Application Requirements for Admission to the INTERNATIONAL DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN ECONOMICS (October 2005 - September 2008) †
1. INTRODUCTION †

The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, offers a doctoral program (hereafter referred to as “the Program”) in Economics for foreign students. Teaching and supervision are conducted in English, but students are strongly encouraged to study Japanese for practical purposes.
1.1 Scholarship †

Students admitted to the Program receive the Japanese Government (Ministry of Education and Science) scholarship.
1.2 Number of applicants to be admitted †

Two students are admitted every year.
2. ELIGIBILITY †
2.1 University education †

Applicants must be graduates of universities that have international academic exchange agreements with Kyoto University.
2.2 Nationality †

Applicants must be citizens of countries that have official diplomatic relations with Japan. If an applicant has previously studied at a Japanese university as a recipient of the Japanese Government Scholarship (or under any other status), three years (respectively, one year) must have passed since he/she left Japan. Students who are currently studying in Japan are not eligible to apply.
2.3 Age †

Applicants must be under thirty-five years old as of October 1, 2005.
2.4 Academic qualifications †

Applicants must satisfy one of the following conditions at the end of September, 2005.
They hold a Master’s degree.
They have been engaged in research for at least two years at a university or a research institute after university graduation or after the completion of 16-year education.
They are over twenty-four years old and demonstrate the equivalent or higher level of scholastic aptitude as that of a Master’s degree holder as evaluated by the Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University.
2.5 Health †

Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy.
2.6 Language ability †

Applicants must have TOEFL score higher than 550 (for the paper-based test) or 213 (for the computer-based test).
2.7 Other conditions †
Applicants who are doing their military service at the time the Program begins are not eligible to apply.
Applicants whose spouses receive the Japanese Government Scholarship are not eligible to apply.
Applicants who are receiving a scholarship from any other source are not eligible to apply.
3. FINANCIAL SUPPORT †

The following financial support will be offered to the students admitted to the Program:
The Japanese Government Scholarship of 175,000 yen per month (the amount may be subject to revision) for at most thirty-six months.
Economy class, return ticket from the international airport closest to the student’s home address to Kansai International Airport. The ticket will not be offered unless he/she leaves Japan immediately after the scholarship expires.
Waiver of the application, matriculation, and tuition fees.
Reimbursement of 80% of all medical expenses by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO).
4. SELECTION AND ADMISSION †
4.1 Selection process at Kyoto University †

The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, examines the documents submitted by the applicants. Those selected are recommended to the Japanese Government as candidates for the Scholarship. The applicants will be informed of the selection process results by the end of May 2005.
4.2 Selection process by the Japanese Government †

The Japanese Government examines the documents of the applicants recommended by Kyoto University and selects the recipients of the Japanese Government Scholarship. Those selected will be informed of this decision by the end of August 2005. The Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, will send the selected candidates a certificate of admission to the International Doctoral Program in Economics. Students admitted to the Program must arrive in Kyoto between October 1 and October 31, 2005.
5. ACADEMIC Advisers †

During their 3-year study period, the students admitted to the Program will be supervised by a selected academic adviser.
ACADEMIC ADVISERS’ NAMES AND RESEARCH FIELDS †Fujii, Hideki International accounting, Financial accounting
Hikino, Takashi Business and industrial organization
Hisamoto, Norio Employment system and social policy
Mizobata, Satoshi Transition economies, Russian economy
Morimune, Kimio Econometrics, Time series analysis
Nariu, Tatsuhiko Marketing system, Economics of internal organization
Nishimuta, Yuji Business history, Economic history
Nishimura, Shuzo Health economics
Onishi, Hiroshi Economic statistics, Pacific rim economy
Shimotani, Masahiro Japanese Economy, Keiretsu and corporate groups
Sugiyama, Yasuo Strategic management, International management
Tachibanaki, Toshiaki Capital and labor in Japan
Tanaka, Hideo, History of social thought, History of political economy
Ueta, Kazuhiro Environmental economics, Public finance
Wakabayashi, Yasunaga Marketing management, Retailing
Yagi, Kiichiro Theory of political economy, History of economics
Yamamoto, Hiromi Development economics, East Asian economy

6. APPLICATION REQUIRED DOCUMENTS †

Applicants must submit the following documents by mail no later than January 31, 2005 to:
School Affairs Office
The Graduate School of Economics
Kyoto University,
Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo-ku
Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
Application Form (pdf)
Application for Japanese Government Scholarship (attached)
Health Examination Report issued within the last 2 months prior to the application date (attached)
Master’s degree diploma, or a certificate of expected completion of a Master program
Transcripts of undergraduate and graduate study
Letter of recommendation from an adviser of the graduate school attended
Letter of recommendation from the Dean or the head of the graduate school attended
Letter of recommendation from the employer if the applicant is currently working
Research plan at Kyoto University (about 1,500words)
Master’s thesis or an equivalent paper
Summary of the Master’s thesis (about 1,500words)
List of academic publications (if any) with brief abstracts
Photocopy of a passport that indicates nationality
Official score of the TOEFL exam taken within the last twelve months prior to the application date

The above documents must be in English. Please note that they will not be returned.

The University of Hong Kong

Programme Details

The research postgraduate programme of the Faculty of Business and Economics is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the key aspects of business and economics. Students are introduced to basic research tools in their field and are expected to be able to conduct independent research relevant to their specialty. Through regular interactions with faculty, students also acquire a broader perspective on management and economic issues of the region and beyond.

Both the School of Business and the School of Economics and Finance offer three-year and four-year PhD. A successful PhD thesis should be an original contribution to knowledge and be worthy of publication.

Candidates will conduct research work under the supervision of at least one member of the University’s teaching staff. Candidates without a research master’s degrees shall be considered for admission to a four-year PhD programme, and those who hold research master’s degrees shall be considered for admission to a three-year PhD programme. Candidates pursuing PhD

studies are first required to register provisionally for the degree. Their registration is subject to a probationary period specified below. At the end of the probationary period and after submission of a detailed scheme of research, the candidature shall be confirmed or terminated.

Marketing

The Marketing Department continuously strives to achieve excellence in research. The faculty members are renowned for high-quality, cutting-edge research, publishing their work in the top international marketing journals, such as Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) and Marketing Science (MS). The Marketing faculty is ranked seventh in the world in terms of the number of papers published in JMR and JCR in 2000-2006 (ahead of Berkeley, Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, INSEAD, MIT, Stanford and Yale).

The goal of the PhD program is to develop outstanding scholars who are able to secure academic jobs at top international universities and to become first-rate contributors to marketing knowledge.

Our program provides solid training in the theory and methods of various subfields of marketing such as consumer behavior and marketing models. Apart from gaining in-depth knowledge, students gain hands-on experience in the research process from the very early stages of the program.

The faculty is highly committed to the PhD program. State-of-the art courses are offered on themes such as information processing, behavioral game theory, experimental designs, judgment and decision making, choice modeling, and analytical marketing science. These courses and the research training are very demanding but at the same time highly rewarding.

A well-equipped behavioral lab and many opportunities for research collaboration with the faculty contribute to the learning experience. In addition, students benefit from two research centers housed in the Marketing Department – the Center for Experimental Business Research and the Center for Marketing and Distribution. Some of our students have published papers in top research journals. The program offers students a very good intellectual environment and enables them to become outstanding researchers. One recent graduate was selected for the Marketing Science Institute’s Young Scholar Program, one of the highest accolades a young researcher in the field can receive.

Management of Organizations

The mission of the department is to be a leading intellectual center for management and organization research in the Asia-Pacific region. To this end it continues to recruit and retain the brightest minds from around the world. It provides its students with the necessary training and preparation for them to become responsible and responsive professionals. It also works with local business leaders to identify and address pressing management problems through research, consultation and involvement in community activities.

Recognizing its unique position in the region where the notion of East meets West is epitomized, the department adopts a two-pronged strategy to develop global business knowledge and also accentuate its edge in building local expertise. First, the department encourages and supports its faculty to pursue their diverse research interests. Second, the department also makes concerted efforts to develop its strength in research on management and organization in the Chinese context.

The department’s faculty members are renowned for high-quality, cutting-edge research, and have published their work in the best management journals, such as the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), the Administrative Science Quarterly (ASQ), the Academy of Management Review (AMR), the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP), Organization Science (OS), and the Strategic Management Journal (SMJ).

The goal of the department’s PhD program is to develop outstanding scholars who are able to teach in major research universities in Asia and around the world, and who are able to become major contributors to the frontiers of management knowledge by publishing their work in the best management journals.

Our program provides solid training in the theory and methods of various fields of management such as human resource management and strategic management. Apart from rigorous course work, students gain hands-on experience in the research process through working with faculty members on research projects from the early stages of their study. Thus, the program offers students a highly stimulating learning environment and enables them to cultivate first-tier research skills to pursue academic excellence.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Operations Management is a division of the Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management. The department was ranked 12th worldwide by INFORMS in research productivity based on publications in Information Systems and Operations Management journals. The division includes two research areas: Operations Management and Statistics.

The PhD program in Operations Management emphasizes model-based methodology and practice-motivated research. The program trains students to use quantitative tools and analytical frameworks from operations research, economics, and other disciplines to study managerial problems in business processes, such as supply chains, manufacturing, and service systems.

Faculty members in this area have PhD degrees from top universities such as Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, MIT, Stanford and UBC. They are frequent contributors to top academic journals, such as Operations Research, Management Science, Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, and IIE Transactions. Several of them have served or are currently serving on the editorial boards of these journals.

The research foci of the Operations Management area are supply chain contracting, information sharing in supply chains, supply chain coordination, interface of marketing and supply chain management, production and inventory management, incentives in operations, and quality management.

The PhD program in Statistics emphasizes both the theoretical development of statistical methodologies and applications to the real business world. The program trains students to have a solid theoretical foundation and statistical expertise in applications to various areas like finance, economics and marketing, and statistical consulting.

Faculty members in this area have PhD degrees from top universities such as Stanford and UC Berkeley. Their works appear in top journals like Annals of Statistics, Journal of the American Statistical Association and Biometrika. The research foci of the Statistics area are Bayesian statistics, missing data problems, cluster analysis, semiparameteric models, data mining, sequential analysis, stochastic control, financial time series modeling, statistical methods for risk management and nonlinear time series.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
Information Systems

The Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management (ISOM) consists of two divisions: Information Systems and Operations Management. The Department was ranked 12th in research productivity worldwide based on publications in the top Information Systems and Operations Management journals by INFORMS.

Faculty members of the Information Systems (IS) division are on the editorial boards of the top IS journals and hold prominent positions on the Councils of the Association for Information Systems and the International Telecommunications Society. Our students have gone on to academic positions in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, and the USA.

The research foci of the IS division are:

Behavioral Research: The primary interest is in studying the management of information technology (IT) and the use of IT for managerial and organizational purposes. The research examines more than just the technological system or just the social system; it investigates the phenomena that emerge when the two interact. Examples include human-computer interaction, user acceptance of IT innovations, IT strategy, electronic communities, e-government, e-commerce, and telecommunications policy. The methodologies employed are surveys, experiments, and field studies. PhD students will need to take courses in psychology, organizational behavior, survey design, experimental design, multivariate statistics, etc. Prospective students with excellent analytical ability and good proficiency in English are preferred.

Analytical and Empirical Modeling: Economics has contributed to the theoretical richness and methodological rigor of IS research. Examples include information economics, the economics of electronic commerce, economic models for the impact of IT on organizations and markets, and supply and demand of IT. This interdisciplinary collaboration will help resolve many difficult IS issues. The research methodologies are analytical and empirical modeling. PhD students interested in the area need to take courses in game theory, industrial organization, price theory, econometrics, etc. Prospective students with a strong quantitative academic background are preferred.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Finance

The mission of the Finance department is to teach and conduct research on the financial markets and on the investment and financial decisions made by individuals and corporations. While striving to be one of the top finance programs in the world, the Department places special emphasis on developing expertise on Asian financial markets. The Center for Asian Financial Markets specializes in basic and applied research related to the Asian financial markets.

In a study on finance research output in Financial Management, the official journal of the Financial Management Association International, HKUST was named the top university in the Asia-Pacific region. Arizona State University’s research ranking of finance departments throughout the world (based on publications in the top four journals in finance during 1991-2005) ranked HKUST 23rd in the world.

Because of the quality of its faculty, the Department has quickly gained an international reputation for its research, as well as a local reputation for its expertise in corporate finance, derivatives, and the local and regional financial markets.

The teaching in the department is both current and relevant, and its programs in corporate finance, derivatives and risk management are highly regarded by local industry. This recognition has transformed into favorable placement of its students and repeated recruitment from major firms. PhD graduates are well sought after by universities and research organizations.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

Economics

The Department of Economics emphasizes both teaching and research, and sees them as mutually reinforcing. Faculty members are encouraged to engage in important research that leads to publication in leading international journals. Faculty members are also encouraged to apply rigorous methodologies to local economic issues that are of high academic value.

The Department’s research effort is focused on four specific areas in addition to the common core of microeconomics and macroeconomics. They are (1) econometrics; (2) economic growth and development; (3) industrial organization and theory of the firm; (4) international economics; and (5) China’s Economy.

Faculty members in the Department are highly regarded and their accomplishments are formally recognized in several studies of productivity in economics research. In a study of East Asian universities published in Economic Inquiry (October 1999), HKUST was ranked number one in East Asia. In a study commissioned by the European Economic Association (2001), HKUST was ranked first in Asia and 37th in the world. In a study of publications in econometrics published in Econometric Theory (2003), HKUST was ranked 17th in the world for its publications in three core econometrics journals and 26th in all theoretical econometrics publications.

The Center for Economic Development was established in 1995 with support from the Department. Its goals are to support research on the process of economic development, with emphasis on economic development in Greater China and the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the department’s members are active in the School’s multidisciplinary Center for Experimental Business Research.

Prior Educational Background

Applicants for admission to PhD programs must possess a good first degree from a recognized university or an approved institution. An applicant’s undergraduate background is not a precondition for admission. We encourage students outside business majors, such as science, engineering, arts and other areas to apply.

The Application Date

Admission to PhD programs is for the beginning of the fall semester. The Admissions Committee begins review applications from January. Applicants are urged to submit all application materials (including copies of GMAT and TOEFL scores) by early February. Applications submitted after this date will be considered only if spaces are available. As not every department will consider admission to the PhD programs for each year, applicants should check with individual departments before they apply. Applicants will be notified of the decisions no later than May.

The GMAT or the GRE

An applicant must demonstrate his/her capability for graduate studies by obtaining a satisfactory score in the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), or other equivalent means. The test score is not the primary deciding factor for admission to doctoral studies. However, applicants with a GMAT score below 600 must have a strong academic record and/or extensive experience in their chosen field to demonstrate their potential. Registration forms for the test may be obtained by writing to:

Graduate Management Admission Council
1600 Tysons Blvd., Ste. 1400
McLean, VA 22102
USA

Tel: (703) 749-0131 Fax: (703) 749-0169 E-mail: webmaster1@gmac.com URL : http://www.gmat.org

TOEFL

For applicants who attended educational institutions where the language of instruction was not English and whose first language is not English, a satisfactory score in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.

Study Costs
1. Application Fees
Online application HK$150
Paper form application HK$300/US$40

2. Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are payable in two equal installments at the beginning of each semester. For local and non-local research postgraduate students:
Full-time HK$42,100 p.a.

3. Some Other Fees

Student Visa/Entry Permit Handling Fees (for non-local applicants applying for a student visa/entry permit through HKUST Admissions, Registration and Records Office. This is inclusive of the visa/entry permit application fee and the cost for forwarding the visa/ permit label.) HK$400
Caution Money HK$300
Students’ Union Fee - Initial entry fee HK$100

- annual subscription HK$100
Graduation Fee HK$300