Admissions Process

Process Overview: The Coles College DBA admission process is highly competitive and designed to identify applicants with the skills, background, and experience necessary to complete the requirements of a doctoral degree program. There is a four-step process for admission. (See the steps below.) You would submit different application materials at each step, and you are notified after a review of your materials whether you need to submit materials for the next step.

Admission is based on a number of factors. These include your academic record and work history, career objectives and research interests, a commitment to an intellectually demanding program of study, letters of recommendation, overall standing compared to other applicants, and the number of vacancies in the program for a given year. Admission decisions for each step are made only after receipt of all required documents.

To facilitate faster processing of your application materials, please send them electronically to colesdba@kennesaw.edu.

This would include your resume, cover letter, statement of interest, letters of recommendation (sent directly from the author as an attachment on letterhead), and research interest overview.

Official transcripts should be mailed to:

Kennesaw State University
Coles College of Business
Graduate Business & Executive Programs Office
1000 Chastain Road, MD 3306
Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591

OR, if you send any materials via a delivery service (FedEx, UPS, etc.), use this address and include the phone number:

Kennesaw State University
Coles College of Business
Graduate Business & Executive Programs Office
3333 Busbee Dr
KSU Center, Bldg 33, Room 431
Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591

770.420.4622

Electronic copies are preferred: colesdba@kennesaw.edu

The four-step admission process -

Step 1: To initiate the application process:

• Submit an electronic copy of your professional resume and cover letter to colesdba@kennesaw.edu. Your resume should document your professional experience. Please explain in a cover letter how that experience meets the following preferred qualifications:

• Significant professional and/or senior level management experience. Successful candidates will typically have at least 10 years experience in positions with significant levels of responsibility and expertise.
• Evidence of active contributions to your field of expertise through making presentations or preparing written contributions, leading major projects, as well as participation in professional development activities.
• A track record of significant professional achievements that have impacted your organization and/or profession.
• A history of significant personal and professional development.
• Actively or recently practicing in a professional capacity at the time of application.

• Request official transcripts of all previous college work be sent to the Graduate Business & Executive Programs Office address provided above. A master’s degree is normally required. Master’s degrees should normally be in business or a related field. Applications are also encouraged from applicants with a master’s degree in a non-business discipline but additional preparation and/or coursework may be necessary.

• Pay the non-refundable $100 application fee - send a check, payable to "Kennesaw State University" to the Graduate Business & Executive Programs Office address provided above.

Your resume and transcripts will be reviewed by the admissions committee.

Step 2: Applicants selected to move to Step 2 of the process should complete the following:

• Request two letters of recommendation from executives and others who can comment on your personal and professional accomplishments.

• Letters of recommendation should be emailed as an attachment on letterhead to colesdba@kennesaw.edu. The letters should discuss your accomplishments, how you achieved them, how they contributed to enhancing the competitive position of the organization and development of colleagues, your demonstrated leadership, and your potential for advanced academic work.

• Submit an electronic copy of your personal and professional statement of interest in a DBA degree to colesdba@kennesaw.edu. This statement of interest should be 2-3 pages in length and should discuss the following:

• Why do you want to pursue a DBA at this time?

• What are your career aspirations after you receive the doctorate degree?

• What general area of business are you interested in studying in the DBA program (e.g., accounting, finance, management, or marketing), and what specific issues in that area interests you? For instance, you may wish to learn more about how firms choose particular international markets to enter.

• What obstacles or challenges do you anticipate having to overcome to complete your DBA within a reasonable time frame (i.e., 3–4), and what is your plan to address these obstacles/challenges?

Your letters of recommendation and statement of interest will be reviewed by the admissions committee.

Step 3: Applicants selected to move to Step 3 of the process should complete the following:

• Schedule and attend a research workshop (on the KSU campus) based on the available dates provided in your letter inviting you to participate in Step 3.
• After completing the seminar, prepare an 8-10 page Research Interest Overview. Submit an electronic copy of your paper to colesdba@kennesaw.edu.

Developing advanced research skills is an important outcome of the Coles DBA and the Research Interest Overview will provide a useful starting point for discussion of your ideas and interests. We would like you to draw from your professional experiences to discuss a research question that has sparked your curiosity and that might be an appropriate topic for you to study as a DBA student. This essay will enable the admissions committee and potential research supervisors to evaluate the types of problems that are of interest to you and how they might fit with the DBA experience. Your research overview should include the following:

• Describe an organizational challenge or opportunity that could drive your research interests and add value to your organization
• What sources have you consulted to learn more about this issue (readings, seminars, or other information sources)? What have you discovered that relates to the organizational issues you are considering and has stimulated your research interests? Please include several references that stimulated or clarified your thinking. Briefly summarize the materials you gathered from those sources and explain how each influenced your thinking.
• Why do you feel your potential research is important to others? Who might benefit from your research – consider both the practical and academic perspectives?
• How would you proceed in learning more about your research topic? For example, will you conduct a case study that would allow you to learn by studying one particular representative situation and all the factors within that context? Or might you choose to do personal interviews with several executives experienced in the issue? Would you conduct a survey of managers or employees to gather the input of many individuals? Why did you choose the particular approach you describe?

Attendance in the workshop is normally required, and your Research Interest Overview will be a key factor in the decision to admit students.

Step 4: Applicants selected to move to Step 4 of the process will be invited to complete an interview with two or more faculty members.

If you live within a reasonable driving distance of Kennesaw, Georgia, please plan to attend the interview in person. However, if you live a greater distance away, the admissions committee will conduct a phone interview.

The admissions committee will make a final admission decision after careful evaluation of applicant materials from each step of the process.