PhD MIS or Info Sys (No GMAT)

[lisa99]

Hello,

I am currently doing my master degree (Management Information Systems  - MIS). Due to some circumstances, I was unable to pursue a thesis option, but I certainly want to apply for MIS PhD programs in 2019 (Mainly in Canada, and US). 

- Experience: 3 Years (Project Management)
- GMAT: 360/ AW: 6.0 (low, and I won't use it for my application - also can't invest further in preparing/ attending tests etc. )
- Publications: 1 conference paper + presentation (Australia)
- Age/gender: 29 - female

However, in my master now, I have the opportunity to enrol in 3 courses that deals with:  Research Methods, Survey Data Analysis, and and Reading Topic (a course where we select a topic of interest and produce Lit Review on it).

Do research-related courses would be sufficient to satisfy  PhD admission committee on my research skills & background? Or does a thesis publication sounds much more competitive?