Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

No, while Kellogg admits students with master's degrees, the coursework undertaken in a master's program is not at the Ph.D. level. Master's and Ph.D. coursework requirements are different; therefore, you must satisfy the Ph.D. coursework requirements at Kellogg.

Yes, Kellogg offers a five-year financial aid package to all admitted doctoral students that includes a stipend, tuition scholarship, health insurance, moving allowance, and a subsidy to purchase a computer.

On average, students complete the requirements in five and a half years. Typically, students complete their coursework in years one and two. Years three through five are spent on research and writing of the dissertation.

Ph.D. study requires strong quantitative skills to develop theories and manage and analyze data. The Ph.D. Program is especially well suited to students who have previously studied social sciences (such as economics, political science, psychology, and sociology), mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering.

Economics-based Ph.D. programs which include Accounting Information & Management, Finance, Financial Economics, Managerial Economics & Strategy, Operations Management, and Marketing (quantitative area) require evidence of solid training in math, econometrics, and statistics within the application. Recommended math courses include calculus, linear algebra, probability, and mathematical statistics.

For those applying to Management & Organizations and Marketing (behavioral area), statistics for social scientists is recommended with evidence of quantitative thinking and a good understanding of central concepts of probability and statistics.

On average, we have approximately 150 Ph.D. students enrolled in our eight Ph.D. programs.

No, our Ph.D. program is a full-time commitment. You must be on our Evanston campus to attend classes and be an active member of our research community.

A non-refundable fee of $95 must be paid by credit card within the online application. The application fee is $175 for those applicants participating in the dual application option with the Economics Ph.D. program.

The Graduate School (TGS) at Northwestern University administers the fee waiver program. For those who wish to be considered for a fee waiver, please refer to the Graduate School’s website.

Kellogg programs participating in the dual application process are: Accounting Information & Management, Finance, Managerial Economics & Strategy, and Marketing (quantitative area).

Each year Kellogg receives over 900 applications to its eight Ph.D. programs. On average 20–25 students enroll each fall.

Contacting faculty is not necessary, however, prospective applicants are encouraged to review the Faculty & Research pages of our website to find out more about our faculty and the research happening at Kellogg.

Yes, all Fall 2026 applicants to the Kellogg Ph.D. Program must submit a GRE or GMAT test score depending on the area of study:

• Financial Economics, Management & Organizations & Sociology, and Managerial Economics & Strategy require the GRE.
• Accounting, Management & Organizations, Marketing, and Operations Management require either the GRE or GMAT.
• Finance prefers the GRE but will accept the GMAT.

There is no minimum test score required by each doctoral program. A holistic approach is taken with the application review process. Test scores are reviewed within the context of the entire application.

Northwestern University requires applicants whose native language is not English to certify their English language proficiency by providing either a score on the TOEFL or IELTS exam; or fulfilling the conditions of a TOEFL/IELTS waiver. For more information on TOEFL/IELTS waivers please refer to the Application Requirements page.

• GMAT: 6WZ-3J-54 (Ph.D. Program, Kellogg)
• GRE: 1565 (Northwestern's Graduate School), no Department Code
• TOEFL: 1565, Department Code 01 (Graduate School)
• IELTS: Select (Northwestern University-The Graduate School) when registering for the test. Scores will be sent directly from IELTS to Northwestern University.

We admit once a year, in the fall. We do not offer online or part-time programming. Our application for fall 2026 entry will open September of 2025.

As a policy, the admission committee does not share the results of the application decision. We understand the time commitment involved in preparing your application, but we are unable to provide any feedback to any applicant.

Northwestern allows an applicant to apply to only one program in a given year. For instance, you can apply to either Operations Management (Kellogg) or Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences (McCormick School of Engineering); you cannot submit an application to both.

For the fall 2026 admissions season, applicants seeking to enroll in the Economics-based doctoral program will have the option to submit a second Ph.D. application for review to the Economics Ph.D. program. Kellogg Ph.D. programs participating in this option are Accounting Information & Management, Finance, Managerial Economics & Strategy, and Marketing (quantitative area). More details about this option are available on The Graduate School website.

No, a master's degree is not required for admission into Kellogg's Ph.D. Program, just a bachelor's degree.

Kellogg's faculty selects qualified students based on evidence of outstanding intellectual ability and a strong commitment to a career in research. The student's research agenda, with its fit within the general research interests of the faculty, are evaluated. The strength of the recommendation letters, the academic record at the applicant's undergraduate/graduate institution, and performance on standardized tests are included in the review.

Yes, however, when reapplying, you must submit a new application, supporting documents, and application fee.