Bentley Introduces Its First PhD Programs; Doctoral Programs in Accountancy and Business Address Rising Demand for PhDs

Business Wire, Nov 18, 2005

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Bentley, a national leader in business education, received approval on November 17 from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education to launch its first doctoral programs in Business and Accountancy, beginning in September 2006.

Addressing a growing demand for business PhDs, Bentley has designed two rigorous doctoral programs with an uncommon approach: flexible, personalized programs supported by a team of advisors from day one; research that crosses traditional disciplines -- drawing on expertise from business and the arts and sciences; access to state-of-the-art technological resources; and full tuition remission and an annual stipend for select applicants.

"Bentley launches these doctoral programs as the demand for business PhDs is exploding," says Robert D. Galliers, Bentley Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "Our research shows that business schools need specific talents in their new faculty members, including a publication record, teaching experience, and subject domain and methods expertise. The Bentley PhD programs will combine disciplinary rigor and a broad-based curriculum, directly responding to growing concerns about PhD programs that are too narrow in scope, too highly theoretical, or both. Our goal is to produce a new generation of scholar-teacher-practitioners who will be eminently prepared for rewarding careers in academia, business, or both."

A shortage of 1,142 business PhDs in the US is predicted by 2008, according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). By 2013, the gap will exceed 2,400.

A survey of business deans at AACSB member schools shows an increasingly competitive marketplace and a lack of PhD programs that produce qualified faculty are the key challenges for business schools in hiring top professors.

Bentley's two new PhD programs will have a thematic focus on business, technology and society, drawing from Bentley's key areas of expertise. These include global commerce and cultures, ethics and social responsibility, business and information technology, and the intersections of the arts and the sciences with business.

The two PhD degrees -- in Business and in Accountancy -- will share common methodology courses, with students in both programs also taking four specialized courses that fit with their particular research interests. Additionally, each candidate will pursue independent study to develop and refine their research proposal; present their research in regular seminars and, during the final two years of the program, teach up to one course per semester.