This article was originally reported in August 2025. Program details are updated to the current admission cycle.
In August 2025, the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University graduated the first cohort of its Executive Leadership Ph.D. program. Nine executives completed the three-year program, which Clemson launched in 2022 for senior leaders who want to earn a research doctorate without leaving their careers (Clemson News, August 8, 2025).
Program director Kristin Scott, a professor of management, called the first graduating class a milestone that showed “strong demand for rigorous, research-driven education” among senior leaders, and said the college would keep admitting new cohorts. The graduates’ dissertations covered topics such as burnout and leader-member relationships, remote work and succession planning, founders’ nonverbal communication, adopting disruptive technologies, AI and hybrid human-AI organizations, gender and risk in entrepreneurship, and spirituality and well-being at work. Several graduates already taught business at universities, including at Clemson, while others were corporate executives and company owners.
How the program works
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Degree | Ph.D. in Business Administration, Executive Leadership concentration |
| Format | Hybrid: virtual class meetings plus three-day in-person residencies (Thursday to Saturday) three times per semester, nine per year, at Powers Hall on Clemson’s main campus |
| Length | Three years over nine consecutive semesters (fall, spring and summer); full time, no part-time option |
| Admission requirements | Master’s degree or higher from an accredited university; extensive industry and managerial experience; resume, statement of purpose, transcripts and two recommendation letters; a required research workshop. GMAT/GRE not required. |
| Deadlines | Fall entry only: priority deadline October 1, regular deadline February 1 (later applications considered if space remains) |
| Cost | $167,000 for the three-year program (subject to change), plus books, conferences, travel, lodging and most meals during residencies |
| Funding | Student loans available; no scholarships or assistantships |
Source: Clemson Powers College of Business: Executive Leadership Ph.D.
Is it a fit for international students?
- Different from a traditional Ph.D.: unlike research Ph.D. programs that fund students with assistantships, the Executive Leadership Ph.D. is self-funded and designed for experienced managers who keep working while they study.
- Visa status is not addressed: Clemson’s program page does not say whether it can issue an I-20 for F-1 status. Because most teaching is virtual with periodic campus residencies, applicants who would need a student visa should ask the program directly before applying.
- Alternatives: international students who want a business doctorate with funding usually apply to traditional full-time Ph.D. programs. Clemson is No. 80 in Forward Pathway’s 2027 U.S. News national university rankings; see the Clemson University school profile for admission and cost data.