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 applications are received, applicants are vetted as they move through 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.
For security purposes, we ask that you submit your ID only through the following link. DO NOT SEND VIA FAX OR EMAIL.
Valid forms of government-issued photo identification include a state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or a government-issued passport.
Submit All Official Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts
After you submit your application, a Transcript Request Form(s) may be completed. This form authorizes JWU to request your transcript(s) on your behalf. If your school requires additional information to process the request, the Admissions team will contact you.
JWU must receive all official transcripts, diplomas, and/or certifications from all post-secondary institutions you have attended. As a result, you may receive more than one Transcript Request Form to complete.
Students are responsible for providing proof of secondary school completion. Failure to submit this documentation may prevent registration for the current term, impact continued enrollment, and jeopardize both admission to the university and eligibility for financial aid. For a list of acceptable verification documents, please refer to the Applying section of the JWU Online Catalog Admissions page.
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 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, 333 Harborside Dr. 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]