DBA Application Process & Admission

On Friday, November 20th I was accepted to the Doctorate of Business Administration program at George Fox University! Earning my doctorate has always been a long term goal and I am so excited to begin in 2021 BUT before I even applied, I did a LOT of research on doctorate programs including which was right for the career path I wanted so I wanted to share everything that I learned during the application process.

Important things to keep in mind:

Do your research. Make sure you know everything about the school, curriculum and program you are applying to. This also will help during the interview process because they will ask questions on that.

Make sure the program is accredited. For some schools, all of their programs are accredited and for other some programs might now be. For business programs, ACBSP accreditation focuses on teaching and applied knowledge and AACSB accreditation has a focus on research excellence. I chose to look for a ACBSP because the curriculum is focused on applicable concepts that you can use to further you career. If you are more interested in conducting research, getting published, or becoming a researcher you may want to look at AACSB accreditation. Either way, make sure its accredited or you may have to start your program over.

Prepare. You will have to interview for all of the programs that you apply to and competition for doctorate programs are very tough because most business programs select anywhere between 8-15 people a cohort or year (based on the school/program). So ensure that you have done your research to ensure that you are prepared to answer questions about what you will contribute to the school, how you are an asset, past experiences/successes, etc.

What to Look at:

Format: How often will you be in the classroom? Will this program be online or have online components?
Residency
Accreditation
Curriculum: What courses will you be taking? Will you have to complete a dissertation, exam or long therm project at the end of the program?
Credit Hours & Cost Per Credit Hour
Tuition Cost for Entire Program

I chose George Fox after learning about the format, accreditation, and curriculum. The DBA program is a four year program. Coursework is completed in the first three years and you complete your dissertation in year four (but you are working on your dissertation throughout the program). The coursework begins in the late spring and continues year-round through summer and fall semesters. The coursework is entirely online except for on-campus residency twice per year. Residency dates are 4 days so I will have to travel to the campus two weeks of the year but I am looking forward to it! The best part about this program is that you can complete the program while working full time.

Application Process & Experience

I took a few weeks to research different programs until I found the school that I wanted to apply for and then I submitted my application before for the early admission deadline. From the research I conducted, everyone recommended applying early to secure your spot. I also learned that it is important to emphasize your commitment to the program. Doctorate programs involve a lot of research in addition to coursework. So the program itself will more than likely require 10-20 hours of work a week. So the admissions committee is looking for applicants that are serious about becoming a scholar and would be dedicated to the program.

Application

It took me about a month to complete my application because I took my time and made sure everything was perfect. Every school will be different, but in addition to the routine application requirements (contact information, transcripts, test scores, etc), the main items I had to include in my application were:

Resume: I updated my resume to ensure that it had no errors and the correct/most relevant work experience.
Writing Sample: Because I did not do a dissertation to thesis during my Master’s program (we had a simulation and exit exam), I submitted an essay from grad school. I made sure to reread it, make corrections and adjustments, verify sources again, and I also had my boyfriend review it as well. Research and research papers are the main component of earning your doctorate so it’s important that whatever you submit is entry scholar-level.
Essay Questions: This was the hardest component and I made sure to take my time answering these questions. I even researched what to include in essay questions. From what I found and what I submitted on my application, I made sure to include why I want my doctorate, how I plan to use my doctorate, why I chose the school, my passion for marketing (my major), goals and what I will contribute to the school including professional and academic experience. From what I learned these programs are looking for dedicated scholars to join their program. So it’s important to emphasize your commitment to the program and achieving your goals.
Reference Forms: I had to submit 3 reference forms. This is the part that took the longest because I contacted my 3 references prior to sending them the form to complete. When I asked, I ensured to tell them of my goals and why I wanted my doctorate. My 3 references were:
1. My favourite professor from grad school who is also the head of the Marketing Department at the university. She was also the one who “hooded me” during commencement. I first contacted her for more information on doctorate programs (which I HIGHLY recommend because professors can also provide personal experience). Doctorate programs are designed to turn candidates into scholars so having a scholar recommend you for a program looks really good because they can also speak to your academic success.
2. My former boss that I know work with. I chose to ask my former boss to complete the reference form because she could speak to how I managed work and school, past work successes, and personality traits because I was close to her.
3. My current boss and CEO of our company. Technically my boss is our COO but I asked our CEO because I have worked directly with our CEO longer. We have a great working relationship and I knew the he could speak to my drive and work ethic. He was also the one who created my role so that I could run marketing for our organization.

Interview

After the deadline, I was contacted by the Admission Counselor about a week later to schedule an interview. Once you’re scheduled for an interview, they have already looked through your entire application and decided to move forward. So an interview means that they are seriously considering you for the program. Based on research, I learned that you could have several interviews based on to school you apply for. The first interview could be with an admissions committee, the second could be with specific college, and there could even be a third with the department. Luckily, I had one interview but it had a panel full of the admissions department, department heads, and professors.

In my interview, they all spoke about the school, departments, and provided more information about the curriculum and cohort. Then they asked questions about why I chose the school, why I chose my major, my experience, my thoughts on the school’s curriculum and objectives, why I feel like I should be selected. In every response, I made to sure they understood that this is a goal that I have been working towards for years, I understand the amount of coursework and time commitment, I can balance work and school, and ultimately that if they were to select me I would be committed. I ensured that they knew I faced many obstacles throughout my Bachelor’s and Master’s but overcame all of them and would continue to do the same throughout my DBA if anything were to come up.

A few additional things to keep in mind: it is an interview so ensure you’re properly dressed, send a thank you email, have your research prepared, take notes, keep eye contact, and have questions prepared at the end.

DBA vs PhD

A DBA is a Doctorate of Business Administration and a PhD is a Doctor of Philosophy. A DBA is a scholar-practitioner doctoral degree that is focused on linkages between scholarship and the practice of business. A DBA is designed for someone who is in the practice of business or teaching and will benefit from a deeper understanding of the theoretical underpinnings and how these underpinnings relate to the practice of business. A Ph.D is a doctoral degree focused on research and leans more toward the theoretical aspects of business rather than its practical application.

A DBA is for students who would like to teach in higher education (including at the doctoral level), deepen practical understanding of business and apply it to their corporate workplace or consulting practice, and/or want to continue to advance their business career but may eventually want to teach. My personal goals are to apply the concepts I learn throughout the program at work and further my career. In the long term, I would like to teach marketing at the collegiate level.

I hope this helped anyone who is interested in obtaining their doctorate! My cohort begins in May of 2021 and I will share everything with y’all throughout the way! I am very excited for the next four years and to reach my biggest goal yet.

Note

This blog post will be centered more on a business focus but a lot of items are very similar. This is the information that I have collected. I highly recommend that you conduct your own research if you are interested in pursuing your doctorate and choose the path that works best for you.