
Introduction
The Faculty of Management Sciences at October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA) is committed to fostering academic excellence, innovative research, and leadership in the field of business. In line with this vision, the faculty proudly offers the Ph.D. in Business Administration (Academic Doctorate Degree), a rigorous and research-driven program designed to prepare scholars, educators, and professionals for advanced roles in academia and industry.
This program integrates advanced coursework with independent research, equipping candidates with the knowledge, analytical skills, and methodologies necessary to address complex business challenges. With a strong emphasis on global best practices, sustainable development, and emerging trends such as digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the Ph.D. in Business Administration provides a unique opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to both theory and practice.
Item 1: Conditions for joining the Ph.D. programme
- The applicant should have a Master of Science degree in commerce (Business Administration) with a specialisation from one of the universities of the Arab Republic of Egypt or an equivalent degree from another recognised scientific institute.
- Passing the English language level test (TOEFL) with a score of at least 500 or its equivalent, or (IELTS) with a grade of no less than 6, with the exception of those who obtained a Master’s degree in English language.
- The applicant should submit all required original documents and pay the required fees to start on the programme.
Item 2: The Ph.D. programme’s language
The Ph.D. programme’s language is English Language.
Item 3: The required credit hours for the Ph.D. Programme
The number of credit hours required for the Ph.D. Programme (course) is 60 credit hours, consisting of:
- 8 modules (units) worth 24 credit hours with 3 credit hours for each module (unit).
- 36 credit hours for preparing the
Item 4: The structure of the Ph.D. Programme
Modules of Study titles and code
Module (Unit) Title | Module (unit) Code | Credit Hours |
First Semester | ||
1. Research Seminar and Social Research Methods | BUS 801 | 3 |
2. Advanced Statistics and Quantitative Techniques | STAT 801 | 3 |
3. Economics of Sustainable Development | ECO801 | 3 |
4. Artificial Intelligence Systems in Business | MIS801 | 3 |
Second Semester | ||
5. Advanced Econometrics | ECO 901 | 3 |
6. Strategic Management Accounting | ACCT 901 | 3 |
7. Special Topics in Digital Marketing | MKT 901 | 3 |
8. Advanced Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management | MGT 901 | 3 |
The Program (Course) ILOs and LUNs (units) ILO’s
Curriculum Mapping of Modules to Program ILOs

Learning, Teaching and Assessment strategies
Lectures will be used to present the main theoretical topics. In-class discussions will be used to extend the scope of the lectures and to address practical cases pertaining to the unit of study and its applications.
Assessment will be in the form of:
- Unseen examination(s) 60%
- Module (Unit) work could be in the form of a research paper, project, case study, article criticism, or other form according to the nature of the module (unit) to best assess the learning outcomes of the module and the programme (course) 40%.
All the summative assessment tasks included in the module (unit) semester-work have to be submitted through “turn-it-in” with a similarity level up to 10% not more.
Grading System
Curriculum Mapping of Modules to Program ILOs
Grade | Range | GPA | Award |
A | ≥ 95 | 4.00 | EXCELLENT |
A- | ≥ 90 –to- < 95 | 3.67 | |
B+ | ≥ 85 –to- < 90 | 3.33 | VERY GOOD |
B | ≥ 80 –to- < 85 | 3.00 | |
B- | ≥ 75 –to- < 80 | 2.67 | GOOD |
C | ≥ 70 & < 75 | 2.00 | PASS |
F | < 70 | 0.00 |
FAIL |
F (1) | < 70 Deprived from final exam |
0.00 | |
F (2) | < 70 Absent in the final exam for any reason | 0.00 |
- If a student fails in one or more modules, he/she has to repeat the module in the following semester(s).
- The student has to pass all the 8 modules (units), a comprehensive written exam, and an oral exam before he/she can register the Ph.D. thesis.
- The Ph.D. Thesis: The student is required to prepare a thesis at the doctorate level. The Ph.D. thesis is an individual research, which should meet the general requirements of scientific/academic publication. The purpose of the Ph.D. thesis is to conduct a research within the field of business administration using the appropriate methodology aiming at providing a contribution to the field of study. The Ph.D. thesis should have a precise: research question, theoretical review, appropriate methods of study, analysis, findings and contribution.