Thank you for your interest in doctoral study at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. We are pleased that you want to become a part of our research community, and we look forward to receiving an application from you.
Application Deadline
The deadline for applications for fall 2012 entry has passed. The next available entry is fall 2013 and the application deadline will be December 31, 2012. The online application form will open in September of 2012.
Online Application Form The online application for fall 2013 will be available through our vendor, ApplyYourself.
Questions For questions concerning the application process, please contact the Office of Doctoral Studies by telephone at 847.491.2832 or by e-mail:
kellogg-phd@kellogg.northwestern.edu.
Technical Support
For technical support for the online application, please contact ApplyYourself by telephone at 1.800.526.3313 or by e-mail:
i-support@applyyourself.com.
Below is information regarding the application requirements and document submission process. These materials will supplement the online application form. All supporting documents should be submitted online through ApplyYourself; therefore, no documents should be sent by hard copy through the mail.
Supporting Documents Checklist:
Academic Background. Please list all schools where you were registered for courses at the college level and beyond. This includes community colleges, studies abroad, and current registrations whether or not in a degree program. Please itemize these schools on your résumé as well.
We understand that many schools do not use a 4.0 GPA (grade point average system), especially international schools. You can leave that section blank. The admissions committee is more concerned with the individual classes taken and your performance itemized on your transcript, which are relevant to your preparation for PhD study.
Statement of Purpose. (two pages, single-spaced) The statement of purpose is an opportunity for you to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and to let them know a little bit about yourself and your reasons for seeking a PhD at the Kellogg School. You should briefly outline your background, education, and any research experience you have. In addition, you should briefly describe your research interests and how they fit within the overall research expertise of the Kellogg faculty. You should identify potential faculty you would like to work with, which is helpful in determining your research fit within the Kellogg community.
Diversity Statement. (optional) For those who choose to, you may explain how you would contribute to the diversity of the community of scholars at Northwestern University. You may enter your comments within the diversity statement section through the ApplyYourself application.
Transcripts. One official transcript documenting each course taken beyond high-school level, whether or not within a degree program. Northwestern must also receive certification of degrees received, including the date the degree was awarded. This information may be included on the final transcript or on the diploma.
When completing your online application, you will be required to submit one scanned copy of your transcript from each school you have attended. Scanned transcripts should be exact duplicates of the official transcripts issued by your institution (bearing the institution's seal). Please do not upload foreign language transcripts unless English language transcripts are impossible to obtain. If you only have access to foreign language transcripts, your foreign language transcripts must be accompanied by an official English translation bearing the original ink signature and seal of the issuing university.
Please make sure your scanned transcripts are legible before uploading them. Illegible transcripts will not be reviewed.
If you are recommended for admission and decide to enroll, you will be required to mail one official copy of each of your transcripts to The Graduate School Admission Office as soon the transcripts are available. Your transcripts should be sent in sealed, unopened envelopes, directly from the issuing institution. Please be sure that your official transcripts list all the degrees that you have earned prior to enrolling at Northwestern University. Failure to submit all your transcripts (including degree awarding transcripts) by the end of your first quarter of study will result in registration holds.
Please do not mail copies of your transcripts to The Graduate School before you have been admitted AND submitted your enrollment decision. Any transcript submitted prior to that point will not be kept and you will be required to submit those transcripts again.
Transcript Directions for International Students:
· The academic records we refer to as "transcripts" should provide a listing, year-by-year, of all courses taken and the grades or marks received for each one. It is helpful to have the grading scale of the institution and the student's rank in class included when such information is available.
· Do not submit secondary school (high school) records. Secondary school records will not be reviewed and will be discarded.
· To be considered, all documents not in English must be accompanied by official English translations.
· Northwestern requires literal, certified translations for all documents issued in a language other than English. We accept translations from the institution issuing the transcript, ATA certified translators, or from the consulate. You may find an ATA translator online: www.atanet.org/. Plain translations, notarized translations, and translations prepared by someone other than a certified translator are not acceptable.
· Northwestern will accept applications from international students earning a three-year bachelor's degree.
Two Recommendation Letters. (confidential) Two letters are required; however, ApplyYourself allows for three letters to be submitted online. Kellogg will accept three letters. All letters must be submitted online through ApplyYourself. Directions for uploading the letters are provided by ApplyYourself, and any technical questions should be directed to ApplyYourself. Northwestern does not provide evaluation forms for recommenders.
It is preferred to have letters from professors or instructors who are familiar with your work at an advanced level and who can provide information about your potential for success as a doctoral student. The professor/instructor should describe the nature of your relationship. If you took one or more classes with that professor, it is helpful if a ranking could be provided – how you compared to other students. If you collaborated on a research project or honor’s thesis, the professor could address the quality of the work produced – technical and writing skills, research methods used, data analysis, originality, depth of research undertaken, questions/problems raised, contribution to the field, etc.
Letters from employers and business associates are also accepted. It is preferred if they can address your academic abilities or provide some insight on your character and working style: ability to work on your own, self-starter, complete a project on time, etc. These are qualities needed by doctoral students. If you conducted any research or data analysis, this should be mentioned in the letter.
Official Test Scores. Test scores should be recorded within ApplyYourself. Official scores should be sent from the testing agency directly to Northwestern University.
Test Scores on either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are accepted if taken within the last five (5) years. Please note the following exceptions:
· The Managerial Economics & Strategy PhD Program prefers the GRE rather than the GMAT.
· The Management & Organizations & Sociology PhD Program requires the GRE. The Sociology Department does not accept the GMAT.
Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are required for those applicants whose native language is not English. Exceptions to this policy are outlined below in the section, "Certification of Proficiency in English."
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Institutional Codes |
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GMAT |
6WZ-3J-54 (PhD Program, Kellogg) |
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GRE |
1565 (Northwestern), no Department Code. Note: Please make sure to send GRE scores to The Graduate School, not Kellogg (which is for MBA study). |
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TOEFL |
1565 (Northwestern)
Paper-Based Exam: Department Code 01 (Graduate School)
Internet-Based Exam: Graduate Office; then select the program name that closely matches the program of interest. If no match, then choose option 99. |
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IELTS |
(IELTS -- There is no institution code. IELTS scores must be sent directly from IELTS, in a sealed envelope, to the Kellogg School of Management.) |
Certification of proficiency in English. All applicants whose native language is NOT English must certify their proficiency in the English language. An applicant may certify proficiency in the following ways:
· Providing official scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The test must be taken no more than two years before the intended quarter of entry (fall quarter). To be considered for admission, an applicant's TOEFL score must be 600 or higher on the paper-based exam, 250 or higher on the computer-based exam, or 100 or higher on the Internet-based exam. IELTS test takers should score 7.0 or higher. The Kellogg School does not require the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
· Earning an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English. This degree must be awarded BEFORE the student enrolls in doctoral classes in the upcoming fall quarter at Northwestern. In this case, the applicant will have satisfied the English proficiency requirement. Applicants should include record any TOEFL or IELTS scores they have within ApplyYourself, even if test scores have expired.
Application Fee. The application fee for fall 2012 is $75. Fees must be paid by credit card within the online application only. (Checks or money orders are not accepted.) This fee is NOT refundable and cannot be waived. If applicants do not submit the required fee, their applications will not be processed or reviewed by the Kellogg School.
Résumé. Applicants should upload their résumés within the ApplyYourself application. Because this section is designed as an upload, the résumé will print only if it is uploaded. A text box is not available where applicants can "type in" the résumé.
Applicants to the Marketing Program should visit the Marketing Department's Web site for additional information regarding the résumé requirements.
Writing Sample. (optional) Applicants may include a research paper (30-page maximum) with their application. A paper is not required for admission; however, one paper may be uploaded within the online application form through ApplyYourself. Please note:
· Papers submitted by mail or e-mail pdf will not be uploaded into the application; therefore, applicants should submit their paper online through ApplyYourself.
· Revised versions of this paper will not be uploaded by Kellogg.
· If there are technical difficulties with the paper upload, please contact the Kellogg PhD Program Office by e-mail: kellogg-phd@kellogg.northwestern.edu.
We encourage applicants to list this paper and any other papers they have on their resume with Web links to these papers.
Interviews. Due to the number of applications Kellogg receives each year, it is not feasible for our faculty to interview every applicant. Instead, each program initiates phone or campus interviews for only those candidates who are being strongly considered for admission or for candidates for whom additional information is needed. An applicant cannot request an interview. The program will contact the applicant to arrange an interview. Even candidates who are being strongly considered for admission may not be interviewed until late February or early March.
Joint Program in Management and Organizations and Sociology: The Sociology Department has an application deadline of December 15. Because of this deadline for Sociology applicants, those applying to the joint program should submit their application and supporting documents to Northwestern by December 15. Scores for the GRE rather than the GMAT should be provided.
Also, a writing sample of no more than 30 pages is required. Social-scientific papers are preferred but not required. Any questions concerning the Sociology PhD program should be directed to Murielle Harris.
Department/Program Code Numbers required on the application. Applicants must apply directly to one specific program/department within the Kellogg School. Below are the seven PhD programs available, accompanied by the program code number required on the application form:
· Accounting Information and Management (#A05PH)
· Finance (#F05PH)
· Managerial Economics and Strategy (#M10PH)
· Marketing (#M15PH)
· Management and Organizations (#O20PH)
· Management and Organizations and Sociology (#O15PH)
(A joint PhD Program offered by Kellogg's Management and
Organizations Department and the Weinberg College of Arts and
Sciences' Sociology Department)
· Operations Management (#O30PH)
© Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. 
