gauravsabnis

Business school professor here (marketing). Got an undergrad and MBA from India. Worked in industry for 2 years, then came to the US for a PhD. Either of the 3 options you are exploring will work. If you decide to apply for a PhD right now, there is nothing that stands against you as such. Most business schools in the US are technically open to students joining right after undergrad. The only question is, how will you stack up against other applicants. Remember that the class size for a business PhD is quite small (on average 2-3). So your chances depend on your score, your grades, and the reputation of your school. I know a guy who got into a good PhD business program straight out of IIT Delhi, with great grades. But then that was IIT Delhi. And IIT's do have "that" reputation, so someone who got a great GPA at an IIT is seen in a favorable light. How you will be viewed as an undergrad with a 3.9 GPA depends on how reputed your local university is in US circles. It also depends on how high you are aiming. If you are gunning for Harvard, Wharton, Columbia etc, every edge you can get counts. If you are okay with mid-level programs....which are still very good....like state universities....it might be slightly easier. One thing I can tell you for sure. An MBA in no way adds to your chances of a business PhD admit. It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't add anything either. Because the nature of a PhD in business (academic research oriented) is VERY different from an MBA (industry oriented). It is easy to think about getting involved in a research project while doing an MBA, but honestly, an MBA is very demanding by itself, and few people have the efficiency and bandwidth to do that. So if your personal situation makes an M.S. an easier/cheaper option, go for it. Whether you got an MBA from North America or an MS, will have no real impact on your eventual PhD application.