Admission

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Solid training in mathematics confirmed by performance on calculus and algebra courses.
• Proficiency in English of at least intermediate level ratified by the TOEFL test or equivalent. A rapid option is to take the ETAAPP exam offered by the Chilean-North American Institute (Instituto Chileno Norteamericano).
• Successful completion of introductory courses in Management and Economics.
• Solid training background in statistics ratified by performance on undergraduate or graduate statistics courses.
• Submission of transcript of undergraduate and graduate grades, as appropriate, with certificate of graduate ranking in both cases.
• A written Statement of Purpose of no more than 500 words.
• Although not mandatory for admission, students who have GRE or GMAT scores may submit their official test scores.

Application Period

From July 1 to October 7, 2024, inclusive. The admission decision and scholarships will be announced in early November.

Documents to be submitted for application

• Original degree certificate or notarized photocopy. If the applicant is a foreigner, his/her certificates must be legalized according to the Apostille Agreement
• (http://apostilla.gob.cl).
• Transcripts of undergraduate and/or graduate university studies with graduation ranking. Likewise, if the applicant is a foreigner, the certificates must be legalized by the Chilean Consulate in the country of origin.
• Curriculum vitae (standard format: Curriculum Vitae).
• Two recommendation letters from suitable individuals for a doctorate program (Doctor or PhD, either national or foreign), (standard format: Recommendation
• Letter). Letters should be sent directly by the authors by October 7, 2024, to the e-mail address of the Doctorate Program Coordinator, Ms. Catalina Ceballos ([email protected]).
• A letter with the Statement of Purpose, where the applicant indicates the previous training that has prepared them to apply to this Doctoral Program, their personal motivations, and how this Doctorate can prepare them for their future aspirations (Standard format: Personal Motivation Letter).
• Results on the TOEFL test or an equivalent exam that certifies English proficiency at an advanced or intermediate level. An equivalent test accepted by the program is the ETAAPP exam administered by the Chilean-North American Institute (Instituto Chileno Norteamericano).
• Legalized photocopy of front and back of identity card or passport for foreign students.
• Birth certificate.
• Identity card-size photograph with name and ID number.

Selection Process

All of the required documents must be sent in digital format to the program coordinator at: [email protected]. The Academic Committee will evaluate the background information submitted by the applicants and will make a pre-selection based on the match between the information submitted and the objectives, characteristics, and requirements of the program. The pre-selected applicants will be interviewed by all or part of the Academic Committee.

Admission Itinerary

Students can apply until October 7, 2024.

1. The Academic Committee carries out a pre-selection of the candidates who meet the admission requirements and fit the profile of the program.
2. The pre-selected candidates are called to attend an interview with part or all of the Admission Committee.
3. Academic Committee prepares a ranking with the selected candidates.
4. Admission offers are sent to the best candidates, that is, those candidates whom the committee considers to have the highest probability of successfully completing the demanding doctoral studies. The best candidates are offered scholarships.

For more information about the selection process for our Doctorate, please see the Evaluation Form for Applicants to the Doctorate in Business Economics.

Program Costs

Tuition Fee: CLP 20,000,000 (8 semesters).

Enrolment: CLP 500,000

Sponsorships

Students accepted for the Doctorate in Business Economics should apply for ANID National Doctoral Scholarships, 2023 academic year. In addition, for those students who do not obtain an ANID scholarship, Universidad del Desarrollo offers scholarships for a monthly maintenance grant, lunch scholarship, and program tuition fees for all those accepted.
Application to the ANID scholarship is a requirement for admission to the program.

–ANID Scholarship: Those who are admitted to the program with the ANID National Doctoral Scholarship (which provides tuition and enrolment fees, and maintenance grant) will receive a complementary UDD monthly maintenance scholarship, plus lunch vouchers for the university, in addition to the benefits provided by ANID.

– UDD Doctorate Excellence Scholarship: Consists of liberation from tuition and enrolment fees, a monthly maintenance grant of CLP 1,240,011 and lunch vouchers to use at the university facilities.

As a counterpart to the monthly maintenance grant, the student must provide services as a research assistant, undergraduate teaching assistant, and undergraduate and graduate course assistant, among others. The monthly maintenance grant will be paid for the duration of the doctoral program (8 semesters) and its annual renewal is subject to good academic performance.

If the student has other maintenance funds, UDD will reduce the amount of the monthly grant in order to reach the amount stated above.

Is the Doctorate in Business Economics a part-time program?
No. The doctorate program is full-time. Classes are given from Monday to Friday.

If my employer gives me leave of absence during class hours, can I study my doctorate and continue working at my job?
The doctorate requires exclusive dedication. During the week, students attend classes, solve exercises, attend seminars, and study. Given the high workload, it is incompatible with other activities. This is why the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) grants scholarships that cover the cost of the program and provide monthly support for the 4-year duration of the program.

Once I finish the teaching stage of the program, can I return to my job and prepare my thesis at the same time?
No. The doctorate requires exclusive dedication. If the student devotes their full time to the preparation of their doctoral thesis, they should complete the program in 4 years. It is difficult for professors to want to supervise the thesis of a student who will not devote their full time to preparing it.

I have good math training, but I have never taken an economics course. Can I be admitted to the program?
No. The doctoral courses assume that the student has, among other things, good mathematical training and understands economics at the undergraduate level. We do not have remedial measures for this.

Does being accepted to the PhD in Business Economics guarantee that I will be able to prepare my thesis with joint supervision at Macquarie University?
No. In order to prepare the doctoral thesis under the joint supervision format at Macquarie University, the student has to comply with the requirements of that university and be accepted by them.

To apply for a scholarship in my home country I need a letter of acceptance. Can I obtain this letter?
No. Letters of acceptance are only granted by the University’s Doctoral Directorate to those who have been selected by the Academic Committee.

If I have a Master’s degree in economics or administration, can I validate any of my doctorate courses?
Master’s level courses are not validated for doctoral courses, except in exceptional circumstances.

Can I apply for a doctorate if I do not have a Master’s degree?
Yes. Although having a Master’s degree in economics, administration, or a related area in which you performed well academically may help you to perform better in first-year courses, it is not a requirement to apply and be accepted to the doctorate program.

Does having a Master’s degree increase my chances of being accepted to the doctorate program?
Not necessarily. The admissions committee makes its decision by evaluating all of the background information of the applicant and attempting to predict whether the student will be able to pass the doctoral courses, pass the preliminary or comprehensive exams, and finally write a thesis that will result in publications. In other words, the committee attempts to predict, based on the applicant’s background, whether he/she will be able to successfully complete the doctoral program. In some cases, having a Master’s degree may help a student to succeed in the doctoral program, but in others it may not.

Is there a separate process to apply for admission and for the scholarship granted by UDD?
No. Application to the program also serves as a scholarship application. The only exception to this is when the applicant expressly states in a letter included in the application that he/she does not need a scholarship to study the program.

Does it increase my chances of being accepted if I have external financial support and therefore do not apply for the UDD scholarship?
No. Acceptance to the program is based exclusively on academic aspects.

How will I have to repay the UDD scholarship?
Scholarship students are required to work for 10 hours per week with the UDD Faculty of Economics and Business. This work may consist of being a proofreading assistant, research assistant, teaching an undergraduate course, etc.

What are the minimum requirements to continue receiving the scholarship?
To continue receiving the scholarship, the student must demonstrate satisfactory progress in the program. This consists of not failing any courses, passing the preliminary exams at the end of the first year, and preparing the doctoral thesis and having it approved.

How long does the scholarship last?
The scholarship lasts 4 years and cannot be extended beyond that period. If a student takes more than 4 years to obtain the doctorate, he/she must seek other sources of funding to continue.

Why is it important to have at least an intermediate level of English to apply to the program?
English is the language of research in economics and business (as in many other areas). The bibliography of the program’s courses is in English, the tests and exercises are in English, English and Spanish are spoken interchangeably during classes, students will attend workshops in Spanish and English, most of our visiting professors communicate in English, and the thesis will have to be written in English. If you wish to opt for a life of research in this area, then English will be the language you must master.

Is the academic degree a Ph.D in Business Economics?
No, the diploma awarded by UDD will state Doctor in Business Economics. On the website we include an English translation next to that title, which, in this case, is Ph.D in Business Economics. The reason why it is included is because this program is similar, but not identical, to the doctorates with this title in the United States.