Admission Requirements
1. Doctoral Application & Fee
2. Official Transcripts
- Both a bachelor’s and master’s degree with listed conferral dates
- Official Transcripts may be sent electronically or by mail, directly from the school of attendance, in a sealed envelope to:
Wilmington University
Office of Admissions
320 N Dupont Highway
New Castle, DE 19720
- If your degrees were earned outside the U.S., a course‑by‑course evaluation from a NACES.org–approved agency is required.
3. One Letter of Recommendation
- The letter should be completed by an individual who can speak to the applicant's readiness for doctoral-level business study, capacity for applied problem-solving, professional judgement, and demonstrated leadership. A current or immediate supervisor is preferred.
4. Current Resume
- Upload a current resume (Word or PDF) to your Admissions Portal.
5. Prior Learning Experience consideration
- Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) may be available to students who meet established criteria and is approved at the discretion of the DBA Program Chair. When approved, PLA will reduce costs and accelerate degree completion while maintaining doctoral quality.
6. Statement of Goals and Objectives
- Tell us your story—and your purpose. Submit a 2–3 page, double‑spaced essay (Word or PDF) through your Admissions Portal. Your writing is evaluated for both content and professional communication quality.
Address:
- Your Purpose:
Why are you pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration degree—professionally and/or personally?
- Collegial Leadership:
Describe a time you helped a peer solve a career-related problem or strengthen a skill.
What strengths will you bring to support fellow DBA students?
- Perseverance & Resilience:
Share an example of overcoming significant resistance or a major setback on a project.
What actions did you take, and what guided your decisions?
- Research Interests:
Identify one or two areas of business research that interest you—and explain why.
7. International students need to review international student admissions requirements.
- It is highly recommended that all applicants submit a complete application package with all materials included, rather than submitting application materials in stages. Applications will not be sent to the DBA Admissions Committee for review until all above-listed documents are received by the Office of Admissions.
Program Purpose
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program equips executives and decision-makers to enhance critical and strategic thinking, adaptive problem-solving, and decision quality under uncertainty. Students apply their learning to real organizational priorities, generating measurable improvements in strategy execution, operations, talent, customer outcomes, technology adoption, and risk and resilience. The DBA is an applied doctoral program for decision-makers—purpose-led judgment with measurable impact. DBA graduates lead with evidence and deliver with purpose.
Accreditation
The DBA program is an institutional member of and fully accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).
Program Competencies
Students will develop advanced skills and knowledge in key business disciplines. Upon graduation, students will demonstrate the ability to:
- Communicate complex business research and insights effectively through oral, written, and digital formats, using evidence-based problem solving, emerging technologies, and culturally responsive strategies across professional, academic, and global contexts.
- Design and lead transformational initiatives that drive strategic change and organizational performance, applying leadership theory, self-reflection, cultural humility, and an adaptive growth mindset in diverse and global environments.
- Analyze and solve complex organizational problems using evidence-based reasoning, interdisciplinary theories, and critical thinking to deliver innovative, strategic, and responsible solutions.
- Design and execute rigorous research strategies using advanced information literacy, data analytics, and emerging technologies to generate original insights that advance business research and practice.
- Apply ethical, legal, and sustainability frameworks to real-world business decisions, demonstrating responsible leadership and sensitivity to organizational, societal, and global impacts.
- Evaluate and apply change and strategy frameworks to address contemporary global business challenges, demonstrating adaptability, strategic judgment, and evidence-based decision making.
Program Design
The DBA degree requires the completion of 48 semester credit hours. The program course work is designed to be completed within a 2 1/2 year time frame. The consultancy project or dissertation will require additional time to complete, typically 1-2 years. The program is organized and scheduled to accommodate the needs of people who maintain full-time employment while pursuing the degree. The program design permits students to complete the requirements for the DBA at their own pace.
Format
Wilmington University is committed to helping students achieve their educational goals through high-quality programs, affordable tuition, and flexible formats designed for busy professionals. The DBA program offers two format options:
100% Online: Students complete all courses online through live virtual class meetings, discussions, presentations, peer interaction, and small-group learning activities.
Face-to-Face Classroom: Students take their courses in person, attending class in a physical classroom on campus.
To provide a seamless experience, students are expected to remain in their selected format throughout the program. Individual cohort adjustments may be considered when appropriate. Classes run in 7-week blocks, with a typical load of two courses per semester. Students who take two courses each semester in spring, summer, and fall can complete six courses per year.
New Student Orientation Requirement
Each student will participate in a new student orientation that is held approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the start of your first semester. Attendance is required to be eligible to start the program. Prior to the orientation meeting, students are required to watch a series of videos that orient them to details related to Canvas (the online learning platform), library resources and doctoral writing requirements. The videos can be found on the DBA Organization Site in Canvas. The DBA program’s administrative assistant will provide access to this site when students are fully accepted and have enrolled in their first courses.
Residency Requirement
Residency is an important event for DBA students. It is held one time per cohort. This is a two-day series of workshops, activities, and individual meetings. Residency occurs at the end of Year 2 as students are beginning their consultancy project or dissertation work. Attendance is required. The goal for Residency is to refine your dissertation research topic area. Following Residency, students are assigned their Dissertation Committee.
Advancing to Doctoral Candidacy
At the conclusion of DBA 8000, the student’s dissertation committee must approve the student’s research proposal for their consultancy project or dissertation. Upon completion of this requirement, in addition to the completion of all required courses prior to the 9000 series course, the student will then advance to doctoral candidacy.
Consultancy Project or Dissertation
The DBA dissertation (consultancy project or traditional five chapter) requires a minimum of 3 semester credit hours for completion. The research proposal must be completed, reviewed, and approved by the student’s dissertation committee before data collection in the area of the research topic. Once the consultancy project or dissertation is complete, the student will present the results before the dissertation committee and colleagues.
Qualifications for Degree
To qualify for the DBA degree, a student must satisfactorily complete 48 credit hours, including 5 research foundation courses, 10 program-specific courses, and a dissertation or research project. The student must: (1) maintain a minimum grade point average of at least 3.0; (2) achieve a grade of at least “B” or better in all courses; (3) obtain approval of the student’s research proposal; and (4) successfully complete and defend the consultancy project or dissertation. These requirements must be completed within seven years of matriculation into the program.
Course Requirements
Course sequencing
DBA 7200 and DBA 7950 are elective courses and may be substituted with optional courses from another WilmU doctoral program with approval from the program Chair. Reach out to the DBA Chair for more information.
Total Credits required for program completion: 48 credits