Doctoral Admissions
Earning your doctoral degree is achievable and accessible with the 100% online option through Johnson & Wales University. JWU offers doctoral students dedicated advising, engaged faculty, and practical learning, all geared toward building the skills needed for career success.
To be considered for admission into the DBA degree program, applicants must have:
- A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in a management position involving direct responsibility for leading and supervising people (e.g., managing teams, departments, or projects with subordinates reporting to you)
- A business-related master’s degree (or equivalent graduate degree) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
- If an applicant’s master’s level program is not in a business-related field, an additional three years of people management experience in industry is required
How to Apply
Your first important step is to complete the online doctoral application. Cohort sizes can be limited, so we encourage you apply as early as possible.
After your application is received, you’ll be required to complete the following steps:
Submit Your Government-Issued ID
In order to complete your application, it is required that you provide a government-issued photo ID to validate your identity. Please upload your government-issued photo ID through the JWU Secure Document Upload Form.
Valid forms of government-issued photo identification include a state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or a government-issued passport.
For security purposes, we ask that you submit your ID only through the link above and DO NOT SEND via fax or email.
Submit all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
Upon application, your Online Admissions Associate will send you a Transcript Request Form(s) to sign, which will allow JWU to request your transcript(s) on your behalf. (If your school requires additional information to process the request, you will be notified by the admissions team). JWU must receive all transcripts, diplomas, and/or certifications from all postsecondary schools, so you may receive more than one Transcript Request Form to complete. It is the student’s responsibility to provide verification of secondary school completion. Without verification, the student may not be allowed to register for the current term or continue enrollment and will be in jeopardy of losing their acceptance to the university as well as all financial aid. Refer to the Applying link in the Admissions section of the JWU Online catalog for information on verification documents.
Complete essay requirements
Complete all three of the following essay requirements and submit them in one document.
- Write a personal statement, demonstrating clear, succinct, and well-reasoned writing that discusses (a) how your educational and personal experiences influenced the decision to pursue a DBA; (b) career goals and how this degree will help to achieve those goals (150-300 words).
- Explain your managerial experience throughout your career with a specific focus on your people-management experience. Any experience with training and development, organizational behavior, and organization development should be highlighted (100-150 words).
- Discuss a problem, issue, or concern, related to your profession/industry or workplace, that you are interested in addressing or improving during your doctoral study. (100-150 words).
Email your materials to [email protected] or mail to JWU Online Admissions, 333 Harborside Blvd. Providence, RI 02905
Submit a résumé, tailored to DBA application specifications
Submit a résumé that includes employment dates, job responsibilities, relevant experience, achievements, and education history. You can also email your résumé to [email protected] or mail it to JWU Online Admissions, 333 Harborside Blvd. Providence, RI 02905
Submit two letters of recommendation
Applicants must submit two recommendations. At least one recommendation should be from a current or former supervisor. The other should be from a mentor, academic professor, or professional colleague. Recommendations from friends or family members will not be accepted.
JWU Online offers the ability for references to complete their recommendation via a brief online survey. Your recommender will be asked to evaluate your ability on several various criteria; it is encouraged that this person includes further comments or a letter to support the numeric assessment. To submit your recommendations, you can choose from the following options:
- Online form: Complete a reference contact information form. Your Online Admissions Associate will then send a recommendation form directly to your recommender.
- Mail: JWU Online Admissions, Johnson & Wales University, 333 Harborside Blvd., Providence, RI 02905
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 401-598-4553, Attn: JWU Online Admissions
Participate in a video-conference interview
If selected, DBA applicants are interviewed by the program director and one faculty member via video conference (Zoom or Microsoft Teams) as the final step in the application process.
Online Doctoral Degree Programs
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) – Organization Development
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) – Hospitality Leadership Concentration
For more details and application deadlines, visit the DBA program page.
Contact Us
Call 401-598-4400 or email [email protected]