Saint Mary's University offers PhD in Business Administration, a doctorate in Business Administration programme in Halifax, Canada. Tuition for international students is CAD 14,607 per year (CAD 7,879 per year for local students).
Also offered as: Master of Business Administration, Professional Doctorate
Saint Mary's University's Sobey School of Business offers a PhD in Business Administration that has run for more than 25 years, training doctoral candidates for research careers in business academia. Students pursue research in one of three streams, management, finance, or accounting, working toward original scholarly contributions in their chosen area. The program emphasizes research training and publication, with graduates intended to emerge as research-experienced scholars prepared for academic and research-focused careers. It is based at Atlantic Canada's largest business school, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a described application deadline of February 15 for a September start. The program suits candidates who want to become business researchers and future faculty members rather than practitioners seeking applied management skills, and who are prepared for a multi-year, research-intensive course of doctoral study. Comprehensive support services are described as available to admitted students, and prospective applicants are directed to a program brochure and a dedicated admissions contact for further detail on specific requirements, coursework, and supervision arrangements. The degree is aimed squarely at academic and research career paths rather than executive or applied business roles.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.60 / 4.0
Admission Requirements: Applicants need a master's degree from a recognized university, normally with a grade point average of at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale (B+ to A-), and must submit GMAT or GRE scores, with a GMAT equivalent above 600 expected. Saint Mary's Sobey PhD programme sets its own English-proficiency bar above the university minimum: TOEFL iBT 100 overall, with at least 22 in Writing, 21 in Reading, 27 in Speaking and 20 in Listening (paper-based TOEFL 600), or CanTest or another recognized equivalent test of written and oral English proficiency. Applicants also submit a personal statement of up to four pages covering research interests and potential supervisors; the page does not state an interview requirement.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Saint Mary's University applies directly, not through a provincial service. For the currently posted cycle, Winter Term 2027 domestic applications close 1 December 2026 and international applications for the same term close 15 October 2026; Entrance Award and Admissions Scholarship consideration requires applying by 15 February 2027. Applications for the following 2027-2028 academic year (Fall 2027 and Winter 2028) opened 1 October 2026, but SMU has not yet published a Fall 2027 closing date for either domestic or international applicants -- the prior cycle's Fall Term domestic deadline was 1 August 2026. Admission is not described as rolling; each term carries a fixed posted deadline, released roughly a year ahead of the term. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
