How To Apply

Step 1 - Online Application and Fee

Complete the University of Hawaii at Manoa graduate division Online Application. Select Business Administration - PhD as Planned Course of Study.

Pay the application fee (USD $100.00). "No application fee waivers or deferments are granted." Applicants may pay either online or by sending a check or money order to the address below:
Graduate Division, Admissions Office
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2540 Maile Way, Spalding Hall #354
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 USA

DO NOT SEND your application or your application fee to the PhD office.

Step 2 - Supporting Materials

Submit the following supporting materials in a pdf format online at the Graduate Application Supplemental Documents Upload Website.

  • A current resume
  • A statement of purpose that refers to specific Shidler Faculty members and your interest in their research area/s
  • A copy of a previous research paper you have written (optional)
  • An unofficial copy of the GRE/GMAT scores
  • Unofficial copy of transcripts
  • Three recommendation letters from academic or professional references

To enable your referees to submit the recommendation letter online, please also send the request to your referees through the Graduate Application Supplemental Documents Upload Website. The system will generate a link for referees to upload the recommendation letter.

Step 3 - GMAT/GRE and TOEFL/IELTS Scores

Contact the Graduate Management Admissions Council (for GMAT test: school code PBQ-5926) or the Educational Testing Service (for GRE test: school code 4867) to send the university your official scores. The University of Hawaii requires that scores be no more than 5 years old.

Admitted applicants have an average GMAT score of 690 and GRE of 320.

For international applicants, send results of an English Proficiency Exam directly from the testing center to the Graduate Admissions Office. Test results must be from the last two years. For TOEFL, the school code is 4867. IELTS does not use school code.

"Applicants are exempt from the TOEFL or IELTS if they are native speakers of English or have received within the last five years a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited/recognized college or university in the Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, or the United States." For more information see: English Language Institute (ELI) web page.

Step 4 - Official University Transcripts

Contact all your undergraduate, graduate, and any other higher education institutions that you have attended to request one copy of your official transcripts to be sent directly to the University of Hawaii at Manoa Graduate Division (see the address above). International students will need to send the transcript in English or in its original language accompanied by an English translation. If you have completed any courses at other universities, either as part of your bachelor’s degree or graduate courses after your bachelor’s degree, you will need to order transcripts of that work as well. If you received your undergraduate/graduate degree from the University of Hawaii, no transcripts are needed.

Applicants should have at least a 3.0 GPA from their undergraduate and/or advanced degree.

Step 5 - Status Check

After you have submitted all of your application materials you may contact our office to check on the status of your application. We may be reached through email at phdbus@hawaii.edu.