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John Chambers College of
Business and Economics
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Handbook for PhD in Business Administration

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

  • OVERVIEW
  • KEY PERSONNEL
  • ADMISSIONS
  • FINANCIAL SUPPORT
  • ONBOARDING AND ORIENTATION
    • UNIVERSITY ORIENTATION SESSIONS
    • JOHN CHAMBERS COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ORIENTATION 
    • DEPARTMENT ORIENTATIONS 
  • MAJOR PROGRAM COMPONENTS
    • PLAN OF STUDY
    • COURSEWORK
    • SUMMER/QUALIFYING PAPER(S) 
    • COMPREHENSIVE/QUALIFYING EXAM(S) 
    • DISSERTATION 
      • DISSERTATION COMMITTEE 
      • FORMAT 
      • PROPOSAL DEFENSE
      • DISSERTATION DEFENSE 
      • SUBMISSION
  • APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION 
  • ANNUAL REVIEW, PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, AND GA RENEWAL
  • TRAVEL
  • DOCTORAL DEGREE TIME LIMITS
  • LEAVE OF ABSENCE
  • TRAINING AND OTHER RESOURCES 
    • RESEARCH-RELATED
      • INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARDS
      • CITI/RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH
      • WVU+KC
    • TUTORING AND CONSULTING-RELATED SERVICES
      • EBERLY WRITING STUDIO
      • PLAGIARISM TRAINING
    • TEACHING-RELATED
    • UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS 
      • DIGITAL MEASURES 
      • OFFICE GRADUATE EDUCATION AND LIFE
      • International Students and Scholars Services

Overview

The purpose of this guide is to provide information for prospective and current doctoral students in West Virginia University’s Ph.D. in Business Administration degree program offered by the John Chambers College of Business and Economics. The information contained herein complements University academic rules and procedures. Where relevant, the latter are referenced herein. A complete listing of support services, policies, and procedures related to graduate education at West Virginia University can be found at https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/forms-procedures/academic-services-policies-and-procedures. Each major identified below also has its own policies and procedures that complement the information contained in this guide. Knowledge of rules, policies, and procedures at the University-, College-, and Department-level is each student’s responsibility.

The Ph.D. in Business Administration is intended to prepare individuals for careers as faculty members in business schools at research universities or, in some cases, in industry or government agencies. As such, training in each of the Ph.D. in Business Administration programs is focused predominately on developing research skills. These skills should allow graduates of the programs to, among other endeavors, conduct research that is publishable in respected peer-reviewed academic journals, disseminate such knowledge in written and presentation forms, and critique research. In most cases, and where applicable, training also will focus on developing effective teaching skills and reinforcing the importance of service to the institution and profession.

The John Chambers College of Business and Economics offers the Ph.D. in Business Administration with four different majors: Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing. Prospective students choose and apply to the major of interest to them. The four majors, each housed in a functional department, operate with a degree of independence, with overarching policies, procedures, and resources that offer a necessary degree of integration.

Key Personnel

The Associate Dean for Graduate Programs has oversight responsibility for all Ph.D. Programs offered in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics. The Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate is responsible for providing logistical support related to activities for each of the Ph.D. Programs, the Ph.D. Program Coordinators, associated faculty, and Ph.D. students. This includes managing compliance with University-, College-, and Department-level rules, policies, and procedures, maintaining student files including any required documentation, and serving as a resource for prospective and current Ph.D. students. Each Program Coordinator is responsible for the operation of their respective programs, including advising and supervising students, managing the curriculum, working with faculty in support of the program, coordinating with the Department Chair to ensure adequate resourcing of the Ph.D. Program, and maintaining and revising program-specific policies and procedures.

Admissions

Students are generally admitted to the Ph.D. in Business Administration program in the fall semester. Students apply directly to the specific major (Accounting, Finance, Management, or Marketing). For purposes of full funding consideration, a complete application must be received by February 1 for admission in the subsequent fall semester. Admission decisions are usually conveyed to the applicants by March 15 for applications submitted by the deadline. Prospective students are encouraged to carefully review the Ph.D. program website and contact the relevant Ph.D. Coordinator with specific questions about admissions procedures and timelines. Minimum graduate admissions requirements for the Ph.D. in Business Administration for all the majors include:

  • A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a properly recognized foreign institution.
  • A master’s degree or equivalent is normally preferred. Exceptions to this can be made by each program.
  • Official copies of all university transcripts. Note that students may use unofficial copies of their transcripts during the application process; however, official transcripts must be received by the Office of Admissions to be fully admitted to the Ph.D. program.
  • An official Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score, per department requirements, that is no more than five years old.
  • A current résumé.
  • A statement of purpose addressing the reasons for pursuing the Ph.D. and subsequent career aspirations.
  • Letters of reference.
  • Students whose native language is not English or who did not complete an undergraduate degree at an institution in an English-speaking country must demonstrate that they are able to perform successfully in university-level coursework where English is the language of instruction and assessment.
  • Such applicants must submit the appropriate test scores on either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The minimum acceptable scores are 600 on the TOEFL paper-based format, 250 on the computer-based format, 100 on the TOEFL-ib, or 7.0 on the IELTS. Note that the John Chambers College of Business and Economics requires higher TOEFL/IELTS scores than those of the University. Additionally, all admitted international students from non-English speaking countries who are assigned a graduate teaching assistant role must demonstrate oral English proficiency by attaining a score of 50 or better on West Virginia University's SPEAK Test before they can assume teaching responsibilities. Students who do not pass the SPEAK Test may register for the University's English fluency (ESL) classes, which are designed to help international students develop the skills necessary to pass the SPEAK Test.

*For GMAT, GRE, and TOEFL reporting, use 5904 as the Institution code and 1801 as the Department code.

These entrance requirements represent minimums for admission. As there is limited space in each year's class for each major, meeting these entrance requirements does not guarantee admission.

Financial Support

Graduate Assistantships 

Admission to a John Chambers College of Business and Economics Ph.D. program typically includes a 12-month graduate assistantship (GA) for a duration of four years. Students holding graduate assistantships are required to be enrolled full-time (9 credit hours) during the fall and spring terms, and at least one credit hour during the summer term. Any deviation from this must be approved by the student’s advisor/dissertation chair, the Ph.D. Program Coordinator, and the Department Chair.

Graduate assistantship benefits include waiver of University tuition, a college tuition scholarship, payment of student health insurance premiums, and a minimum annual stipend of $23,000. Payment of University fees is the responsibility of the student. Additionally, graduate assistantships may be renewed for up to three additional years, for a total of four years of financial support. Continuation in an assistantship is contingent upon 1) maintaining good standing in the Ph.D. Program, and 2) adequate performance of assistantship duties. Assistantships can be revoked for failure to perform adequately in that role, which could result in dismissal from the Ph.D. program.

Graduate assistants are expected to work an average of 20 hours per work week, and their duties fall into two general categories: research and teaching. A research assignment entails a student working for an individual faculty member to facilitate that faculty member’s research activity. The teaching assignment can range from a student assisting a faculty member with their class up to and including the student teaching, as the instructor-of-record, a stand-alone course. A teaching assignment involving a 3-credit hour course, where the student takes a significant role in the delivery of the course, counts for 10 hours per week. In any given semester, a student’s assistantship duties can include teaching duties, research duties, or some combination thereof. During the four years the student is on assistantship, the teaching obligation comprises a total of four teaching assignments. It is generally expected the student will not teach during the first year of the Ph.D. program. However, the specifics of when the student fulfills the teaching obligations carried by the assistantship is left to the discretion of the department and should be based on a combination of considerations including the student’s capabilities, the best interest of the student, and the department’s needs.

A fifth year of support in the form of an assistantship is possible, though not guaranteed. Providing a fifth year of support represents an investment by the relevant Department and College. As such, it should only be granted where such an investment is warranted. Typically, this requires that the student will be, to the benefit of the student and the program, more favorably positioned on the job market through that investment. Provision of a fifth year of support requires the student’s dissertation chair, with the explicit support of the department chair, submit a PhD funding continuation request to the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs. Students cannot be supported in an assistantship beyond five years.

The Ph.D. in Business Administration comprises full-time study. Students are generally not allowed to hold employment while enrolled. Any instance of outside employment must be authorized by the student’s advisor, the relevant department’s Ph.D. Program Coordinator and Chair, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Failure to obtain such authorization can result in a revocation of any assistantship and dismissal from the Ph.D. Program.

University guidance on assistantships is available at https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/funding-and-cost/graduate-assistantships.

Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities

Several fellowship opportunities are available for incoming Ph.D. students. The department will nominate eligible, incoming Ph.D. students for fellowships; students cannot apply for WVU fellowships. For more detailed information of each of the fellowships and other funding opportunities, including nomination/application procedures, visit https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/funding-and-cost/fellowships-and-scholarships.

Onboarding and Orientation

WVU’s Office of Graduate Admissions and Office of Graduate Education and Life provide a spectrum of resources for current and prospective doctoral students.

The University, College and Department offer various orientation sessions to help new students as they enter their Ph.D. program, new work environment, and profession. Incoming students will be contacted by the relevant offices in advance with information about these sessions. These sessions are generally held in the week preceding the start of the fall semester. Incoming students should plan to be in residence at least one week prior to the start of the Fall semester and should plan to attend all requisite orientation sessions.

Additionally, International GTAs should also plan on being in residence in time for the International GTA Orientation session, generally held one week prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

University Orientation Sessions

The university sessions are geared around fulfilling your role as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). More information about these sessions, including registration information, can be found at https://tlcommons.wvu.edu/iteach/gta-orientation.

International Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation – This session is for international GTAs and includes mentoring from experienced GTAs, cultural guidance to understand the U.S. college classroom, and the opportunity to practice teaching.

John Chambers College of Business and Economics Orientation

The College’s orientation is designed to introduce you to specific support, logistical and administrative functions, rules and procedures, as well as personnel that will help you navigate your Ph.D. program and assistantship responsibilities

Department Orientations

The Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing Departments each offer their own orientation sessions that are designed to introduce students to faculty, policies and procedures, expectations, and logistical details that will help you navigate the Ph.D. program and introduce you to the profession.

Registration Requirements

Ph.D. students must be enrolled full-time (minimum of 9 credit hours) during the fall and spring terms, and a minimum of one credit hour during the summer term to remain in good standing.

Additionally, it is the responsibility of each student to register by the established priority deadline. Note that failure to register by the established deadline may result in delayed GA stipend payment or non-payment of University and College tuition for that term.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Per the WVU Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, “West Virginia University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture by promoting diversity, inclusion, equality, and intercultural and inter-community outreach. Accordingly, the University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, marital or family status, pregnancy, veteran status, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or gender expression in the administration of any of its education program, activities or with respect to admission or employment.” To this end, all Chambers College Ph.D. students are expected to adhere to and bolster our institutional commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture as scholars, teachers, and as students.

All incoming Ph.D. students are required to complete trainings on the following topics by the end of their first semester:

  • Accessibility Services
  • Diversity
  • Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • Title IX

Major Program Components

Each department has a degree of autonomy to develop program components and timelines that best suit Ph.D. training in that field and best position students for success on the job market and in their career. Nonetheless, there are components to Ph.D. training that are common to each program. These components and the expectations around them are described below.

Plan of Study

Per University policy, “All graduate students must have a Plan of Study, which is a formal agreement between the student and their program or committee regarding the conditions the student must meet to earn the desired degree. The Plan of Study usually lists required courses and activities and may describe the timeline for these requirements. The Plan of Study may also include suggested or optional courses and activities. Each college or school determines the mechanisms for establishing, changing, and monitoring students’ progress on Plans of Study. The Plan of Study should be in place no later than the end of the student’s first semester.”

Incoming students must schedule an appointment with their Ph.D. program coordinator to complete a Plan of Study detailing specific course work, non-credit components, and timeline for degree completion. Note that the Plan of Study must be developed in conjunction with the relevant Ph.D. Program Coordinators or their designee (e.g., assigned faculty advisor or Ph.D. Committee) by the end of the first semester after matriculation. Upon completion, the Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate will enter the approved Plan of Study into the WVU Degree Works degree auditing system.

Plans of Study should be updated and amended regularly, as needed. Non-credit components should be recorded as they are fulfilled.

Coursework

Generally, students complete prescribed coursework within the first two years of the Ph.D. in Business Administration program. Coursework consists of a combination of content seminars and research methods and statistics-oriented courses. Students should consult with their respective program’s Ph.D. Coordinator and department documentation to understand the program’s requirements.

Summer/Qualifying Paper(s)

A research-oriented paper is required in the first and/or second summer in each program. The exact timing, procedures, and requirements can differ across programs. Because the assessed skills are deemed necessary to move forward in the program, the summer/qualifying paper(s) represents a “must pass” program component. Failure to pass this component will result in academic probation or dismissal from the program, per department standards.

Comprehensive/Qualifying Exam(s)

Each program employs a comprehensive exam after coursework has been completed, or nearly so. Generally, this exam is given in the second Summer or third Fall semester of the Ph.D. program. In some programs, a qualifying exam is also given at the end of the first year. In both cases, the exact timing, procedures, and requirements can differ across programs. Students should consult with their program’s Ph.D. Coordinator and department documentation to understand their program’s specifics around this component. The exam(s) serves as a means to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, command of the literature, and research and writing skills that allow a student to move forward. In the case of the comprehensive exam, this component serves as a check to ensure that the student is ready to move to the dissertation phase of Ph.D. training. Because the assessed knowledge and skills are deemed necessary to move forward in the program, the qualifying/comprehensive exam(s) represents a “must pass” program component. Per the College’s rule, students may make up to two independent attempts to pass this component. Each attempt is ultimately assessed as a “Pass” or “Fail.” Failure to pass this component after the second attempt will result in dismissal from the program.

Dissertation

The dissertation represents the culmination of Ph.D. training. The dissertation demonstrates a student’s efforts and abilities at leading and conducting scholarly research that contributes to the field’s knowledge base. The dissertation process officially begins once a student passes the comprehensive exam. The exact timing, procedures, and requirements can differ across programs. Students should consult with their program’s Ph.D. Coordinator and department documentation to understand their program’s specifics around this component.

Dissertation Committee

Dissertation committees must meet the membership requirements specified in the WVU Graduate Catalog. The dissertation committee must include at least four faculty members. At least one member must be from a department or program other than the one in which the student is seeking a degree. Programs can set their own standards for external committee members. This can, at a department’s discretion, include a member from a different college or university. A majority of committee members must hold regular Graduate Faculty status. One member shall serve as the Dissertation Chair. The Dissertation Chair must be from the student’s department/program and must hold regular Graduate Faculty status.

Format

The dissertation can take one of two forms:

  • A traditional format involving a single project.
  • A multi-paper format in which a student develops two or more independent papers.

The student must work with the dissertation committee to determine which format will be used. As the details of the process and the final project(s) can differ across programs, students should consult with their program’s Ph.D. Coordinator and department documentation to understand their program’s specific requirements and practices around this component.

Proposal defense

Working with the dissertation committee, the student will propose a project or multiple papers that represent, in the committee’s judgement, an appropriate demonstration of research competence and a contribution to the field’s literature. A successful proposal defense indicates that, if the research is conducted in the manner proposed, a successful dissertation defense will follow. All dissertation committee members must approve the proposal for it to be considered a pass. Once the proposal defense is passed, the proposal defense form must be completed and filed with the Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate and added to the student’s electronic file. Proposals must be successfully defended within five years of matriculation. Successful defense of the dissertation proposal officially admits the student to doctoral candidacy. Per University requirements, admission to doctoral candidacy must occur at least one semester prior to graduation.

Dissertation Defense

Once tentatively approved by the dissertation committee, the completed dissertation must be presented and defended in a public forum. All activity around the defense must conform to University regulations, which can be found at http://catalog.wvu.edu/graduate/advisingcoursesdegrees/degree_regulations/#Defense. The Dissertation Chair is responsible for scheduling the defense a minimum of two weeks in advance. The scheduling of the defense, including time and place, as well as its announcement and placement on the university calendar is coordinated through the Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate. All dissertation committee members must be in attendance and all must approve the dissertation for it to be considered successfully defended. Per University requirements, dissertations must be successfully defended within five years of admission to doctoral candidacy. Once successfully defended, either immediately after the presentation or after subsequent required work has been completed, the Dissertation Defense form must be completed and filed with the Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate. 

Submission

Once the dissertation has been successfully defended, the final version must be submitted electronically through the University Libraries. Information about formatting, submission, and approval of electronic dissertations is available at https://etd.lib.wvu.edu/.

Beyond internal policies and procedures surrounding the dissertation, the John Chambers College of Business and Economics is bound by and complies with University-level rules and procedures. These can be found at http://catalog.wvu.edu/graduate/advisingcoursesdegrees/degree_regulations/#thesesdissertationstext.

Application for Graduation

It is the student’s responsibility to apply for graduation, for the semester in which they will complete the successful defense and electronic filing of the dissertation, by the established deadlines. Information about applying for graduation, including deadlines and procedures, can be found at https://registrar.wvu.edu/graduation-diploma .

Annual Review, Performance Standards, and GA Renewal

Ph.D. students will be evaluated annually on their progress in the Ph.D. Program and their status relative to performance standards. Ph.D. training represents a substantial investment of time, money and other resources on the part of the University, College, the Department, and the faculty. As such, it is imperative that Ph.D. students show sustained progress in their training. The relevant Ph.D. Program Coordinator will oversee the review process each year. Information will be gathered from the student, faculty who have interacted with the student over the past year, and relevant records (e.g., course grades).

The annual performance review will include a meeting between the student and the Ph.D. Program Coordinator, or his/her designee. Students making unsatisfactory progress in their Ph.D. Program will be automatically placed on probationary status or, at the discretion of the relevant Ph.D. Program’s Committee, dismissed from the Ph.D. Program. Probation and/or dismissal letters, where relevant, will be sent to the student by the Ph.D. Program Coordinator, copying the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Annual performance reviews must be completed by June 15 th of each year. Completed reviews, as well as any probation or dismissal letters, are to be forwarded to the Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate and retained as part of the student’s electronic file.

The following criteria must be met for a student to remain in good standing:

  1. Maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in all graduate courses taken at WVU.*
  2. Earn grades of “A” or “B” in all graduate courses taken at WVU.*
  3. Earn no more than two incomplete grades per semester, barring exceptional circumstances in which a deferment is officially granted by the Ph.D. Program Coordinator.
  4. Resolve any incomplete grade in a timely manner.
  5. Successfully complete any qualifying/summer papers and/or qualifying exams within the prescribed timeframe.
  6. Successfully complete a comprehensive exam within four years of starting the program. Failure to pass the comprehensive exam after two attempts will result in dismissal from the program.
  7. Successfully defend a dissertation proposal within five years of matriculation.
  8. Successfully defend a dissertation within five years of advancement to doctoral candidacy.
  9. Attend scholarly presentations and interact as part of the community of scholars.
  10. Perform Graduate Assistantship duties in a satisfactory manner (if applicable).
  11. Observation of and adherence to the WVU Campus Student Code ( https://studentresponsibility.wvu.edu/files/d/f0ae69b9-1461-45cb-81ee-40e48e2d978b/main-campus-revised-final-student-conduct-code-8-21-15c.pdf).
  12. Observation of and adherence to WVU’s Academic and Professional Standards ( http://catalog.wvu.edu/graduate/enrollmentandregistration/#text).
  13. Observance of and adherence to the professional standards of the student’s home discipline, as defined by the recognized scholarly organization that governs the progression (as identified by the Program Ph.D. Committee).

*Where either of these conditions are not met, the student will be placed on probation and a remediation plan will be developed by the Ph.D. Program Coordinator. Where the conditions of the remediation plan are not met within the prescribed timeline, the student will be dismissed from the program.

In the event that a student’s progress is not deemed to be satisfactory and/or the student is not in good standing, one or more of the following consequences may result:

  1. The stipend support associated with the assistantship may be reduced or withdrawn.
  2. Tuition support may be reduced or withdrawn.
  3. A student placed on probation will be provided with the specific conditions to return to “good standing.” Failure to satisfy the conditions will lead to termination from the degree program.
  4. The student is terminated from the program.

In making decisions regarding probation and dismissal, a student’s record is considered in its entirety, and the number, type, and severity of academic concerns are considered. The determination of placing a student on probation or dismissing the student is based on the degree of failure to meet the above criteria. Students on probationary status have up to one year in which to achieve satisfactory progress on all criteria. The exact time frame allowed for meeting the conditions is to be determined by the department, though it may not exceed one year. Where such a time frame is not identified, it will be one year. Where conditions are met, students should be informed by letter that probationary status has been removed. Failure to meet the conditions will result in automatic dismissal from the Ph.D. program. Students who are dismissed from their Ph.D. program are not dismissed from the University; instead, the student is reclassified as a non-degree graduate student. Additional information about this University rule can be found in the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog.

Students have the right to appeal any decisions concerning course work, non-credit components of the Ph.D. Program, and standing in the Ph.D. Program. The rights, responsibilities, and procedures related to an appeal are described at http://catalog.wvu.edu/graduate/enrollmentandregistration/#appealstext.

Travel

Attending conferences and related activities constitutes an important aspect of a Ph.D. student’s training and professional development. At the same time, it can represent a significant investment of financial resources. These activities are supported by financial resources made available to the Ph.D. Program through the allocation of College funds to the Departments. Departments also typically supplement this activity with their own funds.

The decision about how best to support Ph.D. student training and professional development resides with the Department in which the Ph.D. Program is housed. The Department can best determine the conditions under which and to what degree student travel will be supported. However, as this represents an investment of College and Department financial resources, travel receiving funding support must be authorized in advance. Students are required to submit a formal funding request to the Department Chair indicating the purpose of the travel and the support for the request of the Ph.D. Program Coordinator and, where applicable, the student’s advisor or dissertation chair. Approval for funding to support the travel lies with the Department Chair. Students should consult with their advisor/dissertation chair, Ph.D. Coordinator, and Department Chair before engaging in actions (e.g., submitting a paper) that could result in a commitment to attend a conference.

All conference attendance and related activities should be forwarded to the Ph.D. Programs Administrative Associate so that it can be added to the student’s electronic file.

Doctoral Degree Time Limits

Doctoral candidates are allowed no more than five years in which to complete the remaining requirements of their program after being admitted to doctoral candidacy. The five-year time limit begins with the start of the semester following admission to candidacy. Completion of the requirements for admission to doctoral candidacy must precede the semester of graduation.

In the event a student anticipates failing to complete the doctorate within five years after admission to candidacy, an extension of up to 12 months may be requested. Prior to requesting an extension, the student must repeat the program’s candidacy examination or an alternate procedure (approved by the college or school dean or designee) for assessing the student’s academic competence and current knowledge in their field of study. If appropriate, the student may be expected to retake or revalidate courses (using the procedure described for master’s students) in order to ensure that the student’s subject knowledge is up-to-date. A request for an extension of time in order to complete degree requirements must be submitted by the college or school dean or designee to the Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs and must include the following:

  • A statement documenting the circumstances that justify the request, including information about any leaves of absence approved for the student.
  • A description of the procedures followed to ensure the student’s academic competence and up-to-date knowledge in the field of study (repetition of the candidacy examination or alternate procedure).
  • A timeline by which the student is expected to complete remaining degree requirements, including a final deadline by which all degree requirements must be completed. The extension may not exceed 12 months.
  • Evidence of endorsement of the request from the student’s advisory committee and the office of the dean.
  • If the initial candidacy period expires, a student will be changed to non-degree status and must be readmitted to the program before an extension can be requested.

Leave of Absence

Per the University policy, graduate students in good academic standing may take a leave of absence (LOA) from their academic program, upon approval from their academic program director or departmental chair. Formal, written approval must be received prior to the beginning of the semester for which the leave is desired. Students will be contacted within 10 business by their program coordinator, department chair, or designee, in writing, regarding the outcome of their LOA request. Approved LOAs will include length of time granted, as well as any conditions you must meet upon return to your academic program. A copy of the outcome will be retained in the departmental or program records.

Information concerning military deployments during a semester is available on the Deployment page of the Center for Veteran, Military and Family Programs webpage.

An initial leave of absence may be requested for up to two academic years. Note that students who fail to return to their academic program by the stated leave of absence return date must reapply to the program.

Voluntary Program Withdrawal

Ph.D. students who wish to voluntarily withdraw from their program should first consult with their program coordinator. Additionally, students must formally withdraw their registration with the Office of the University Registrar. Specifically, students must email the following information to registrar@mail.wvu from their WVU MIX account:

  • Full Name
  • WVUID number
  • Permanent Address
  • Telephone number
  • Reason for withdrawal

Visit https://registrar.wvu.edu/registration/withdrawal-policies for information about this process. Note: Students receiving federal financial aid are strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Financial Aid about their loan repayment options.

Training and Other Resources

Several training requirements and/or options related to research activity, teaching activity, and university systems are available. Students should work with their Ph.D. Program Coordinator and/or advisor/dissertation chair to determine which training opportunities might be relevant to them.

Research-related

Institutional Review Boards

Ph.D. students who will be engaged in research involving human subjects will need Institutional Research Boards (IRB) training, including research protocol submission. Information about WVU’s IRB system, requirements, and procedures, including training opportunities, can be found at http://oric.research.wvu.edu/services/human-subjects.

CITI/Responsible Conduct of Research

CITI training is concerned with the ethical conduct of research. CITI is a national collaborative. Completing your CITI training creates a profile and certification that can port with Ph.D. students to their job placement post Ph.D. training. Information about CITI, including training, can be found at http://oric.research.wvu.edu/services/responsible-conduct.

There are several modules under CITI training. The most relevant to John Chambers College of Business and Economics Ph.D. students are as follows:

  • Social and Behavioral Research Investigators (Human Subject Research)
  • Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course

*One of the above two courses are required. The first is the course relevant to most all Ph.D. students. The second is specifically required for those receiving NSF or NIH funding.

  • Conflicts of Interest (COIR)

WVU+kc

WVU+kc is an online system through which, among other things, research protocols are submitted and managed. Information about WVU+kc, including access and training, can be found at http://oric.research.wvu.edu/wvu-kc. Please note that Ph.D. students will not be able to submit a research protocol through WVU+kc until you have completed CITI and Conflict-of-Interest training.

Tutoring and consulting-related services

Eberly Writing Studio

The Eberly Writing Studio is available to Ph.D. students, among others, to aid them in developing their writing skills. The Studio offers a wide range of resources. Information about the Studio, including services and procedures for making an appointment, can be found at https://speakwrite.wvu.edu/writing-studio.

Plagiarism Training

The university provides plagiarism training via online modules which all students should complete. Ph.D. Program Coordinators should ensure that students complete this training.

Teaching-related

Opportunities to engage in training related to classroom instruction occur in many forms, some of which will materialize within the Ph.D. student’s home department and/or within the College. At the university-level, the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) serves as the main provider and clearinghouse of teaching-related training. Ph.D. students are encouraged to visit the TLC website ( https://tlcommons.wvu.edu) to explore opportunities, and to discuss these with their Ph.D. Program Coordinator, advisor/dissertation chair, and faculty.

University systems

Digital Measures

Digital Measures is the university-wide system that tracks instructional and intellectual activity. Ph.D. students are required to develop and manage a Digital Measures profile. More information about Digital Measures, including training videos concerning the creation and management of profiles, can be found at https://faculty.wvu.edu/policies-and-procedures/digital-measures. Internal to the College, questions can be directed to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Academic Affairs.

Office of Graduate Education and Life

Beyond the Department and College, Ph.D. students can find support and resources through Graduate Education and Life. Information about this office, including contact information and its various services, can be found at https://graduateeducation.wvu.edu/home.

International Students and Scholars Services

International Ph.D. students can find additional support and resources through the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISSS). Information about this office, including contact information and its various services, can be found at https://isss.wvu.edu/.

Go to Geek Prank and try the online Windows XP simulator, play with the classic Minesweeper and Tetris games or listen to some music.