We strongly encourage you to attend an information session before you apply to gain more information about the DBA program.

The application period for the 2012 cohort is closed. We will begin accepting applications for the 2013 cohort in May 2012.

We've concluded our information sessions for this year. You may learn more about our program by creating a Graduate Interest Page.

Do not use the Recommenders options on the application page. We require traditional business letters on the author's letterhead.

Note: Neither the GMAT nor the GRE is required, you should skip this question on the application.

Your resume should document your professional experience. In your cover letter, please explain how your experience meets the following preferred qualifications:

• A minimum of ten years of significant professional and/or senior level management experience with high levels of responsibility and expertise in the concentration area you choose. In Cohorts 1 and 2, students have an average of 23 years experience. If you do not have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience, please explain why other experience or qualifications compensate for an absence of professional experience.
• Evidence of active contributions to your field of expertise beyond your academic work 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.
• Current professional expertise and certifications at the time of application.

You will have the option to attach your resume and cover letter to your electronic application. Or, you may submit an electronic copy only to ksugrad@kennesaw.edu. Please do not mail your resume or cover letter.

Applicants to the DBA program should typically have a master's degree, preferably in business or a related topic from an appropriately accredited institution. However, graduate degree in business should be from AACSB accredited business schools.

Request that official transcripts from each institution attended of all previous college work are sent to you in sealed envelopes or are sent directly to the KSU Graduate Admissions Office at ONE of the following addresses:

Mailing Address (use for ALL U.S. POST OFFICE mail including U.S. Express Mail)

Kennesaw State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
1000 Chastain Road, #9109
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144.5591

Delivery Address (use for other delivery means such as FedEx, UPS, etc.)
Kennesaw State University

Office of Graduate Admissions
3391 Town Point Drive, Suite 1800
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144.5591

770.420.4377 (include phone number)

Your Personal and Professional 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, management, or marketing), and what specific issues in that area interest 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 years), and what is your plan to address these obstacles/challenges?

Submit one electronic copy of your Personal and Professional Statement of Interest in the KSU DBA degree to ksugrad@kennesaw.edu.

KSU DBA will not accept a paper submission. (The subject line should be KSU DBA, Your Name, Personal and Professional Statement of Interest.)

Two letters of recommendation should be requested from executives and others who can comment on:

• Your personal and professional accomplishments and how you achieved them.
• How you have contributed to enhancing the competitive position of the organization and development of colleagues.
• Your demonstrated leadership and your potential for advanced academic work.

Do not use the Recommenders options on the application page. We require traditional business letters on the author's letterhead.

• Letters of recommendation can be mailed from the authors to one of the addresses above (Transcripts section) or emailed as an attachment on letterhead to ksugrad@kennesaw.edu. The subject line should be KSU DBA, Your Name, Letter of Recommendation.
• Please do not mail a paper copy of your letters.

You will be invited by email to attend a one-day Saturday research interest workshop on the KSU campus. We will schedule workshops in 2012, and the dates will be posted in the spring.

This is an important opportunity for you to meet other prospective students, learn more about the opportunity and challenges of doctoral level research, and begin preparation of your research interest overview, which is a critical part of the application process.

After completing the workshop, you will prepare a 15-20 page Research Interest Overview (RIO). This overview is the most critical component of your application. Submit an electronic copy of your paper to ksudba@kennesaw.edu. (The subject line should be last name, first name - Research Interest Overview.) Please do not mail a hard copy. The RIO is due Jan 3, 2013.

• Developing advanced research skills is an important outcome of the KSU DBA and the Statement of Research Interest 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.

Complete an interview with the DBA Executive Director and 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 admission committee will conduct a phone interview.

Interviews will be held in early February 2013.

Because of class size limitations, not all successful candidates will be selected. Some may become alternates and others will be asked to reconsider the program in a subsequent year. Offers will be made in mid-February 2013.

Once this offer is made, candidates have 14 days to accept and pay a non-refundable deposit of $2,500.

Deposit is due in late February 2013.

New students will attend a Friday evening reception/icebreaker and an orientation on Saturday and Sunday (half-day) in mid-March, and in early May we conduct a three-day (Fri-Sun) Business Inquiry Workshop.