PhD in Business Administration/FAQ

PhD in Business Administration

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PhD in Business Administration Program is designed for students who aspire to become faculty members at leading academic institutions or conduct business research in relevant organizations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Full package of documents is accepted online. Applicants must register on the admission portal admissions.nu.edu.kz. Detailed instructions provided in the admissions section.

Yes. You will be asked to pay an application fee at the time of submission.
The application fee is KZT 10,000 for local applicants.

The fee can be paid online by credit card. Cash is not accepted. Your payment is non-refundable, even if you withdraw the application or if the application is denied. The fee can be applied only to the admission term indicated on your submitted application.

A duly completed online application form (https://admissions.nu.edu.kz)
Scanned copy of a national ID or passport.
Scanned copy of official document confirming name change (if applicable).
Scanned copy of official degree diplomas/certificates with transcripts.
Verified score report of valid Academic IELTS or TOEFL certificate.
Verified score report of valid GMAT or GRE test certificate valid as of date of online documents submission and its scanned copy.
Scanned notarized copy of Labor card with English translation or another documented proof of work experience.
Two (2) confidential academic letters of recommendation written within the last two years (to be provided by referees via University system).
Personal statement (300-500 words).
Preliminary research proposal (1500-2000 words).
CV/resume.

For IELTS, a minimum overall score of 6.5 with sub-score requirements no less than 6.0 in each component or the equivalent TOEFL(except Home Edition) score as posted on the ETS website.

Applicants to the PhD in Business Administration program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

one of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English. Applicants must provide an official document confirming English as the language of instruction;
the applicant is a graduate of Nazarbayev University.

In order to demonstrate strong quantitative skills, candidates should take the GRE or GMAT standardized test. To learn more about each test please visit GMAT/GRE Guide here. All applicants have to provide the GRE or GMAT test results before the deadline.

We require a minimum GPA score of 3.00 out of 4.00.

We require 2 (two) academic references. We prefer that recommendation letters come from a current or former academic adviser. An applicant can request letters from individuals with whom they have had significant professional/academic interaction such as a supervisor, professor or a major client. It is important for referees to be able to reflect/describe applicant’s value as an researcher, his/her professional accomplishments, and personal qualities and interpersonal skills in an academic context. We do not accept recommendation letters from friends, family members or any other personal contacts. An applicant should indicate contact details (name, corporate email, phone numbers) of their referees in the application form. The recommendation forms are automatically generated by the admissions system and sent to the referees via email.

A Statement of Purpose (300-500 words) should explain the motivation to enroll in the PhD program, and the tentative choice of the research subject.

Preliminary research proposal (1500-2000) should demonstrate applicant’s relevant research interest and knowledge of research subject.

The program does not require having work experience.

Interviews are conducted online or offline, lasting 15 minutes or more.

At the interview, members of the Admissions Committee may ask questions to check the following:

- Your intellectual level. Whether you can successfully complete your program of study and handle the academic requirements of your chosen program of study.
- Competitiveness. Admissions Committee members will assess your ability to compete with other applicants.
- Whether you are able to make a contribution to the University. It is very essential that students take an active part in the life of the University and contribute as much as possible to its development.
- Potential. It is also important for Admissions Committee members to know whether you will be a good student in the future and stay interested in the chosen profession, and what motivates you to succeed in your studies.
As you can see, the topics in the interview correspond closely with your motivation letter.

An applicant can apply up to 2 (two) PhD programs at Nazarbayev University at the same time.

The program comprises the following major aspects:
1. 12 courses:
1) 7 Foundational Core Courses
2) 3 Subject Specific Core Courses
3) 2 Elective Courses
2. Submission and presentation of 2 Research Papers (in Year 1
and Year 2 Summer Semesters) as part of the requirements of the Core
Research Skills I and II courses.
3. PhD Qualifying Examination (Summer of Year 2).
4. Submission of an Annual Progress Review at the end of
Years 1, 2, and 3.
5. Presentation of a Thesis proposal (Fall of Year 3).
6. Defence and submission of a Thesis in Year 4.
The overall 4-year program equates to 240 ECTS.

Before the start of Year 2, during the summer of year 1, each student will choose a primary PhD advisor. The choice of a primary PhD advisor will reflect both mutual research interests and agreement of the PhD advisor to supervise the development of a student's Research Papers and Thesis work.

The start of the Program is scheduled for August 2023.

You may contact us by phone or email:

Email: phd.gsb.admissions@nu.edu.kz.
Phone: +7 (7172) 70 90 28, 70 93 32, 70 65 67.

Hours for consultation:

Monday from 10.00 to 12.00,
Tuesday from 11.00 to 12.00 and from 16.00 to 17.00,
Wednesday from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00,
Thursday from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00,
Friday from 10.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 16.00.