Doctor of Business Administration

Admission to the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program requires:

  • Official transcripts indicating a completed master’s degree from an accredited institution. Doctoral degree admission requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0* on a 4.0 scale from the conferred master’s degree as well as in any subsequent graduate study.

  • GMAT or GRE is strongly encouraged*

  • Application and $75 application fee (waived for alumni)

  • Current resume or curriculum vitae

  • Two letters of reference discussing the ability of the applicant to complete a program of this nature

  • Personal interview

  • Statement of Commitment: Essay should be 2-3 pages in length and discuss the applicant’s plans to balance the time commitment required of the program (about 20 hours per week) with their work schedule and other demands, any foreseen obstacles/challenges which will need to be overcome in order to successfully finish the program in the 3 1/2-year time frame allotted for completion, and a plan to address these challenges.

  • Statement of Research Interest: Essay should be 3 to 5 pages in length and discuss (1) why you are interested in pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration and (2) key organizational problems you are facing that can be addressed by applied research. Included in this statement should be information pertaining to your career goals once you have received your degree, the area of business you are interested in studying and the specific research questions that are of interest to you.

For students entering the program who have a master’s degree in an area of study other than Business, up to 15 hours of prerequisites may be required.

These prerequisites include— 

  • 3-6 hours in accounting or finance
  • 3 hours in economics
  • 3 hours in statistics
  • 3 hours in marketing
  • 3 hours in either management or leadership

Prerequisites must be completed before the start of the first DBA course.

*Neither the GMAT nor the GRE is required, though strong scores are considered favorably.

International students interested in applying to the graduate program should consult the Dean of International Programs.

Students may transfer two courses (six credit hours) completed at a regionally accredited institution with a grade of “B” or better and not older than 7 years.