BurgerKing

Hedgie58, I would think 3.1 undergrad cumulative is a bit low for a business PhD. I also think that a master's degree with a strong GPA would be helpful. For finance PhD, I would say finance/economics/accounting master's would be relevant. Again, I want to reiterate that I know little outside my narrow field (accounting). Perhaps you better post you full profile here (of course you don't need to disclose particulars like the names of the universities you attended), including your education, work history, age, and other factors you consider important, so more experienced people can give you a good advice. Thanks

Hedgie58, I am starting my PhD in accounting this September, however I know little about finance. Still, I would think undergrad or master's in accounting would be more relevant than those in CS if you want to go for finance PhD. You better consult with finance people on that. Again, I would not want to discourage you from planning to apply to PhD accounting. If you would be able to get say 720+ on your GMAT and achieve a GPA of 3.7 or so on your undergrad or master's, you have a shot. But you should understand that it is a very tough task. If you are in mid-thirties by the time you apply, your age is not a factor.

I am very skeptical that you would be able to gain admission to any decent PhD program in accounting, unless you would be lucky enough to establish a relationship with an influential professor at some accounting program. It is not like I am trying to discourage you from applying, but you should be realistic about the outcome of your applications to accounting PhD. This year, many schools had about 120 in their application pool (after GMAT and GPA cut-offs) for 2-3 places available. ADS pushed the intensity of the competition even further.

What is your GMAT? I would say you need a GMAT score of 720+ to be competitive at any of the top 25 schools for accounting PhD these days. Your choice of operations research for your MS seems a little off-beat if you aim for PhD in accounting. In my opinion, most helpful there would have been a master's in accounting, or at least in economics, if you decided to do a second master's. Burger King

What is the point of going for your PhD after you turned 40? I cannot imagine any school hiring someone above the age of 45 for a tenure-track position, unless you already taught at that school for a while as a lecturer/instructor before entering the PhD program. Are you aiming at a college position?