Additional Program Information
- Program Admission Requirements
- Prerequisite Course
- Residency Requirements
- Experience Recommended for Success
Admission to the program is competitive and is based on a combination of all requirements. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.
Prerequisite Course
You must pass the prerequisite course, DBA 600, with an A or B to be admitted into the program.
(3 Credits, DBA 600):
- 11-week course
- Pass with a grade of A or B for admission to the DBA program
- Does not count toward the 48-credit total for the DBA program
- Does not qualify for federal financial aid because it is a prerequisite course to the program
- Does not include a residency
- Consideration for enrollment in this course requires a completed application package by the designated deadline (see program admissions requirements below)
Note: DBA 600 cannot be waived.
Application Materials
You must submit the following materials to be considered for admission:
UMGC online application for admission
Official transcript indicating successful completion of a master's degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college (equivalent degrees from other accredited institutions may be considered on a case-by-case basis; if you were educated abroad, you may need to meet additional requirements)
Up-to-date resume (outlining professional leadership and supervisory management experience)
Contact information for two professional references, including name, job title, organization, email address and phone number
A 700-word personal statement outlining your career goals, including how the DBA degree will fit in your future
Optional writing sample: This can be an article or paper you have authored, thesis, blog post, or any published material
Note: GRE or GMAT scores are not required for the application.
Interview
UMGC may require a phone interview to gather additional information from an applicant. The need for an interview will be determined by the detail you include in your application materials, such as the resume or CV. We would request an interview to assess your appropriate leadership-level experience. The interview, if required, would take place at the end of the process, before you are authorized to enroll in DBA 600.
Mailing Address for Admission Documents
If mailing by U.S. Postal Mail/UPS/FedEx/DHL, please use the following address:
UMGC Student Records
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, MD 20783
You can e-mail your resume, personal statement, and writing samples to admissions@umgc.edu. Contact information for two professional references can be included at the bottom of your resume. If your previous institution needs to send transcripts electronically, please follow our guidance on submitting transcripts.
Application Deadlines
All materials are due by the doctoral program application deadline for the term. Documents sent by mail must be postmarked on or before the deadline for the term.
Fall: September 1
Winter: November 30
Spring: March 15
Summer: June 15
Space permitting, late applications may be considered. Decision letters regarding eligibility for the prerequisite course are emailed to the applicant 30 days after the application closing date.
You must pass the program's prerequisite course with an A or B to be admitted into the program.
(3 Credits, DBA 600):
- 11-week course
- Pass with a grade of A or B for admission to the DBA program
- Does not count toward the 48-credit total for the DBA program
- Does not qualify for federal financial aid because it is a prerequisite course to the program
- Does not include a residency
- Consideration for enrollment in this course requires a completed application package by the designated deadline
This course cannot be waived.
One on-site residency is held each term and is mandatory for all students enrolled in the program. Residencies consist of two full days of face-to-face classroom instruction, which include instructor-led lectures, guest lectures, cohort discussions, presentations of class assignments, and more. Residencies provide an excellent forum for discussion, peer support, networking, and scholarship.
These residencies are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays, usually in the fifth week of the term. On Fridays, the residency is held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturdays, residency is held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Residency attendance is mandatory for the full two-day period each term. If a student is unable to attend residency for the full two-days, they must defer enrollment until the next available term. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and residency expenses.
One on-site residency is held each term and is mandatory for all students enrolled in the content courses (DBA 800-850) of the program. Dissertation courses (DBA 860-880) will have a virtual residency.
There is no residency requirement for the prerequisite course, (3 Credits, DBA 600).
Residencies for upcoming terms will take place in Maryland on the following dates:
- 2023:
- Fall 2023: Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, 2023
- 2024:
- Winter 2024: Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10, 2024
- Spring 2024: Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, 2024
- Fall 2024: Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, 2024
- You are expected to have supervisory management experience and demonstrated leadership ability.
- This program is writing-intensive; to improve your writing skills, we recommend you take ASC 601.
- In addition, the ideal applicant will have the motivation to do applied research and possess the intellectual curiosity to engage in scholarly discourse.
Admission to the program is competitive and is based on a combination of all requirements. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.
Prerequisite Course
You must pass the prerequisite course, DBA 600, with an A or B to be admitted into the program.
(3 Credits, DBA 600):
- 11-week course
- Pass with a grade of A or B for admission to the DBA program
- Does not count toward the 48-credit total for the DBA program
- Does not qualify for federal financial aid because it is a prerequisite course to the program
- Does not include a residency
- Consideration for enrollment in this course requires a completed application package by the designated deadline (see program admissions requirements below)
Note: DBA 600 cannot be waived.
Application Materials
You must submit the following materials to be considered for admission:
UMGC online application for admission
Official transcript indicating successful completion of a master's degree or higher from a regionally accredited university or college (equivalent degrees from other accredited institutions may be considered on a case-by-case basis; if you were educated abroad, you may need to meet additional requirements)
Up-to-date resume (outlining professional leadership and supervisory management experience)
Contact information for two professional references, including name, job title, organization, email address and phone number
A 700-word personal statement outlining your career goals, including how the DBA degree will fit in your future
Optional writing sample: This can be an article or paper you have authored, thesis, blog post, or any published material
Note: GRE or GMAT scores are not required for the application.
Interview
UMGC may require a phone interview to gather additional information from an applicant. The need for an interview will be determined by the detail you include in your application materials, such as the resume or CV. We would request an interview to assess your appropriate leadership-level experience. The interview, if required, would take place at the end of the process, before you are authorized to enroll in DBA 600.
Mailing Address for Admission Documents
If mailing by U.S. Postal Mail/UPS/FedEx/DHL, please use the following address:
UMGC Student Records
3501 University Blvd. East
Adelphi, MD 20783
You can e-mail your resume, personal statement, and writing samples to admissions@umgc.edu. Contact information for two professional references can be included at the bottom of your resume. If your previous institution needs to send transcripts electronically, please follow our guidance on submitting transcripts.
Application Deadlines
All materials are due by the doctoral program application deadline for the term. Documents sent by mail must be postmarked on or before the deadline for the term.
Fall: September 1
Winter: November 30
Spring: March 15
Summer: June 15
Space permitting, late applications may be considered. Decision letters regarding eligibility for the prerequisite course are emailed to the applicant 30 days after the application closing date.
You must pass the program's prerequisite course with an A or B to be admitted into the program.
(3 Credits, DBA 600):
- 11-week course
- Pass with a grade of A or B for admission to the DBA program
- Does not count toward the 48-credit total for the DBA program
- Does not qualify for federal financial aid because it is a prerequisite course to the program
- Does not include a residency
- Consideration for enrollment in this course requires a completed application package by the designated deadline
This course cannot be waived.
One on-site residency is held each term and is mandatory for all students enrolled in the program. Residencies consist of two full days of face-to-face classroom instruction, which include instructor-led lectures, guest lectures, cohort discussions, presentations of class assignments, and more. Residencies provide an excellent forum for discussion, peer support, networking, and scholarship.
These residencies are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays, usually in the fifth week of the term. On Fridays, the residency is held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Saturdays, residency is held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Residency attendance is mandatory for the full two-day period each term. If a student is unable to attend residency for the full two-days, they must defer enrollment until the next available term. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and residency expenses.
One on-site residency is held each term and is mandatory for all students enrolled in the content courses (DBA 800-850) of the program. Dissertation courses (DBA 860-880) will have a virtual residency.
There is no residency requirement for the prerequisite course, (3 Credits, DBA 600).
Residencies for upcoming terms will take place in Maryland on the following dates:
- 2023:
- Fall 2023: Friday, November 3 and Saturday, November 4, 2023
- 2024:
- Winter 2024: Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10, 2024
- Spring 2024: Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, 2024
- Fall 2024: Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, 2024
- You are expected to have supervisory management experience and demonstrated leadership ability.
- This program is writing-intensive; to improve your writing skills, we recommend you take ASC 601.
- In addition, the ideal applicant will have the motivation to do applied research and possess the intellectual curiosity to engage in scholarly discourse.
FAQs
An online Doctor of Business Administration is an online doctoral degree designed for working professionals that can help prepare you for executive-level management positions. Featuring an interactive and supportive cohort structure, UMGC’s online doctor of business administration is a 48-credit program that covers topics like data analytics, management theory, organizational leadership, sustainability, and analysis of real-world management issues.
UMGC's online Doctor of Business Administration is a 48-credit program. Only the prerequisite course (DBA 600) is offered in the summer. The rest of the courses are offered each fall, winter, and spring. Depending on how many credits you complete each term and when you complete your dissertation, you can expect to graduate in as little as three years.
UMGC is committed to keeping our tuition and fees as affordable as possible. The online Doctor of Business Administration follows the doctoral program tuition rate, which appears at the top of this webpage. We also offer scholarships, an interest-free monthly payment plan, and no-cost digital materials in place of most textbooks to help make your education more affordable.
You don't need to have majored in a specific area to be successful in the online Doctor of Business Administration program at UMGC. However, you must complete and pass a prerequisite course (Foundations of Doctoral Studies) to be admitted. We recommend that you have supervisory management experience and demonstrated leadership ability. Additionally, ideal applicants will have the motivation to do applied research and possess the intellectual curiosity to engage in scholarly discourse. We also recommend taking Effective Graduate Writing if you'd like to improve your writing skills, as this program is writing-intensive.
A PhD is a discipline-oriented research degree with a narrow focus designed to train you for a role as a researcher or faculty member in a specific academic area. The DBA is for practitioners who will learn to acquire, appraise, analyze, apply, and assess information for complex evidence-based decision-making. The traditional career path for a PhD graduate is in the academic world, while the traditional career path for a DBA graduate is a management practitioner in specialties associated with a broad range of professions.
Yes. UMGC is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, UMGC is a public state university in the University System of Maryland.
Yes. You can teach at the community college or university level. However, this program is not designed for students who aspire to obtain tenure-track positions at research universities.
Upon acceptance into the doctoral program, students are expected to make progress through each course in a common group called a cohort. As they progress through the program together, they build helpful working relationships with one another and support one another’s development. Beyond their cohort, students in the doctoral program are also members of the broader practitioner-scholar learning community that includes other doctoral students, UMGC faculty, and doctoral alumni.
Only the prerequisite course (DBA 600) is offered in the summer term. All other content courses and dissertation courses required for the Doctor of Business Administration are offered three times per year: fall, winter, and spring. Selected online summer workshops are offered periodically between July and September.
To find previously published dissertations, visit the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database, search for "University of Maryland Global Campus" (in quotes), and select "University/institution – SCH" from the dropdown menu. You can also find previous dissertations by visiting UMGC's Digital Repository.
No. DBA courses are not available for enrollment until successful completion of the pre-admission course, (3 Credits, DBA 600). This is the only doctoral-level course that can be taken prior to official admission to the doctoral program. A complete application for admission, including the documents outlined above in the Program Admission Requirements section, must be submitted by the application deadline in order to be considered for this course (application deadlines shown above).
No. Applicants to the DBA program and prospective students do not have access to the UMGC Library. Please visit this guide to peer-reviewed articles and the UMGC Library guide for more information about finding scholarly articles. Sources such as whitepapers, blogs, trade magazines, conference papers and proceedings, and dissertations are not acceptable for the doctoral application.
A systematic review process is used to conduct the dissertation.
You may contact the Department of Business Administration in the School of Business at busadmindept@umgc.edu for additional information about the prerequisite course—(3 Credits, DBA 600)—and the DBA program.