Program Director Dwayne Godwin
Overview
In addition to intensive doctoral training, the PhD/MBA program incorporates core knowledge of business and managerial skills to provide the student with a marketable, competitive advantage, whether the student finds employment in industry or academia. Graduates choosing to pursue a traditional tenure-track faculty position will have the managerial and business training to initiate and operate their own research laboratories and to collaborate more effectively with the private sector. Graduates choosing a non-traditional career path will be prepared to exercise their research training in management positions in the pharmaceutical industry, private foundations, government agencies, or university research and technology transfer offices.
The program is a synthesis of curricula from the Graduate School and the Evening MBA Program of the Wake Forest University School of Business, with specialized coursework and opportunities for industrial and business internships. The joint program is open to all PhD-granting programs across all Wake Forest campuses. It has taken students approximately 5 years to complete the joint program, depending on the nature of the graduate research undertaken in the home program. The first year of the curriculum provides students with a core base of knowledge in biomedical sciences and includes training in the core competencies of the home graduate program. At the same time students begin to be exposed to issues related to research and design, career development, and journal clubs. Laboratory rotations usually occur in this first year in accord with Program or Track requirements, depending on program and campus. The students typically begin their dissertation research during the second year. At the end of the second year and before beginning MBA coursework, the student is required to take and pass a qualifying exam that will admit him or her to candidacy for the PhD.
A student enrolling in the PhD/MBA program will have 5-6 semesters of evening MBA courses added to his or her graduate degree requirements. Opportunities for industrial projects and internships are possible after as-cent to PhD candidacy and during the MBA coursework phase. The PhD and MBA degrees are awarded simultaneously at the completion of all requirements for both degrees.
Admissions are administered through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Students wishing to enroll in the program must apply to both programs and meet the respective admissions requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Wake Forest University School of Business. Admission to the MBA portion of the program can occur separately after gaining admission to the home graduate program and after securing appropriate release from the home program for participation in the joint program (this is in the form of a letter from the thesis advisor cosigned by the program director). In addition to the application a copy of the letter should be submitted to Dr. Dwayne Godwin, Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Director, PhD/MBA program. The Graduate Record Exam is accepted for admission to the MBA program. Prospective students should also submit a one-page statement of interest indicating future plans for use of the dual degree, official transcripts from each college or university attended, and three completed recommendation forms.
Before admission to the program, the applicants are required to complete a personal interview with the PhD/MBA program director and the Wake Forest University School of Business. After the interview phase, the top applicants may be offered admission to the joint program.
