Founded in 1914, Johnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with approximately 16,000 graduate, undergraduate and online students at its four campuses in Providence, Rhode Island; North Miami, Florida; Denver, Colorado; and Charlotte, North Carolina.

An innovative educational leader, the university offers degree programs in arts and sciences, business, culinary arts, education, health sciences, nutrition, hospitality, and technology. Its unique model integrates arts and sciences and industry-focused education with work experience and leadership opportunities, inspiring students to achieve professional success and lifelong personal growth.

The university’s impact is global, with over 90,000 alumni from 119 countries pursuing careers worldwide.

Our four 11-week terms start in:

• September
• December
• March
• June

Yes. JWU offers “prior learning assessment credit,” allowing you to earn credits for the knowledge or skills you’ve mastered through:

• Employment
• Volunteer work
• Travel programs
• Organizations
• Other comparable sources

Credit can be earned through portfolio development or with departmental challenge examinations (credit by examination).

JWU also accepts College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) examination credit.

No. The FAFSA is free to apply. If you need help, your designated JWU financial planner is available by phone and email.

When leaving a message, please include your student ID number, mention that you are an online student, and be as detailed as possible. During peak times, please allow 48-72 business hours for a response.

Undergraduate Students

Nancy Sterpis
401-598-1014
Hours: Mon-Thu, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (1pm in summer)

Graduate Students

Anne Wareham
401-598-1520
Hours: Mon-Thu, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (1 p.m. in summer)

Upon completion of your degree, you must complete an Exit Interview to ensure you are aware of your rights and responsibilities as a Federal Student Loan borrower.

You will then have a 6-month grace period before you have to begin payments.

Step 1: Submit an application for readmission. Once your application has been received and reviewed, an admissions officer will call you to discuss next steps for your enrollment.

Step 2: Submit a company reimbursement form (if applicable).

Step 3: Complete a FAFSA to apply for financial aid (be sure to include JWU’s school code on your application: 003404).

If you have questions about JWU online programs or the readmission process, please feel free to contact our admissions department.

We work with the following federal education benefit programs for veterans and active-duty personnel:

• GI Bill
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• Post-9/11 GI Bill

Our VA certifying official can help you through the process of applying and utilizing these funds.

We also work with veterans on vocational rehab. Learn more about military benefits at JWU.

If you plan to utilize veterans benefits, contact JWU’s VA certifying official at least 30 days prior to your first term:

Jaime Wager
401-598-1483

In online courses at Johnson & Wales University, the instructor and students are connected through ulearn, JWU’s online learning course platform (Blackboard).

Through ulearn, you receive instruction; review course content; submit assignments; ask questions of the instructor and other students; discuss issues; and actively participate in the class from your home, office, or wherever a computer and Internet connection is available.

Although you can participate in the course on your own time, you must stick to a course schedule and complete activities, assignments, exams and participation requirements according to their deadlines. Online courses are equivalent in content and rigor to JWU’s traditional face-to-face courses.

In order to fully participate and be successful in online courses, you'll need regular and reliable access to a computer with high-speed Internet access. As of February 2014, the minimum computer requirements are:

Operating System

PC: Windows XP or higher

Mac: Mac OS 10.5+

RAM

512 MB minimum; 1 GB recommended

Free Disk Space

4 GB or higher

CPU

PC: 1.7 GHz or higher

Mac: PowerMac or higher

Each course has a syllabus that outlines expectations and requirements for the course. Each online course has activities, assignments and assessments required throughout the course according to a schedule.

Participation requirements may include posting a certain number of original messages, responding to a certain number of other posts, or logging in and contributing a certain number of times each week.

It is important that you stick to the schedule for the course. The schedule exists to make sure you and your classmates are engaged in the same content and online discussions as the same time, which leads to a quality online learning experience.

Online courses are graded in much the same way as our face-to-face courses.

Assignments are turned in online and graded by faculty. Tests are created and delivered online. Fixed answer questions (true/false, multiple choice-style questions) are graded automatically, and open-ended questions (essay, long answer) are graded by the instructor.

Some faculty grade participation in discussion forums, blogs and journals. Collaborative work on group projects may also be graded.

In the course syllabus, each instructor outlines how she or he should be contacted and his/her expected response time. Many instructors check in to courses daily during the week to respond to emails, review discussions and assignments, and provide course input. Many instructors offer virtual office hours via phone during office hours.

Each course includes several required activities with deadlines for completion. The activities may include completion of assignments, taking exams, participating in discussions, etc.

The instructor is able to track whether or not each student has completed the activities through ulearn.

The university does not mail term grade reports. Although grades for online courses are available in ulearn, all official grades are available online via jwuLink, where you may access your grades securely and print them at your discretion.

You will receive a notification in your JWU email each term when the grades are available in jwuLink.

Students are urged to seek assistance from faculty if they need extra help. Faculty may determine appropriate steps for providing the student with the required assistance. Tutoring support is available online 24/7 via Smarthinking, which is accessed through jwuLink and ulearn.

The Center for Academic Support can help with accommodations for students with learning disabilities, physical challenges or chronic medical conditions.

If you have a question about using ulearn, support options are accessed through the Student Help link in each course site.

Textbooks for online learning courses are available from the JWU Bookstore.

When ordering, select “Books,” then choose “Downcity and Online Campus." Follow the prompts.

Textbooks for online sections may be different from on-campus classes – always double-check your course section code before placing your order.