HomeFuture StudentsDoctoralDoctoral Admissions

Doctoral Admissions

How to Apply - Application Requirements Application Checklist International Applicants Prerequisite Courses Transfer Courses Start Dates and ApplicationDeadlines

Ask any of our graduates why they chose to complete their doctoral degree at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and you will receive hundreds of different answers. However, the response that we hear most often is the availability of a high quality program that is sensitive to the needs of working professionals. As you explore the requirements for admission to our program, please recognize that admission to doctoral study is competitive.

Applicants are evaluated on the basis of graduate grade point average, performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and professional experience. To learn more about the application process, proceed to the How to Apply link on this page.

If you have questions at any time regarding the admission process, please select the Contact Us link or call the Office of Recruitment and Admissions at 800.672.7223, ext. 25168 or 954.262.5168.

HOW TO APPLY - Doctoral Application Requirements   top

Applicants for Doctoral Study must submit each of the following:

• Completed Doctoral Application for Admission (must include a signature page)
• Nonrefundable $50.00 application fee
• Proof of graduation from a regionally accredited institution with a conferred master's or doctoral degree
  • International applicants must provide official transcripts in English from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended (received directly from the institution). Credits earned outside of the U.S. must be evaluated course by course for educational equivalency by a NACES accredited organization. A list of these organizations can be found at www.naces.org.
  • If official academic transcripts were issued under a previous name, a statement providing the previous name must be submitted.
  • An academic background in business or public administration is preferred.
  • Candidates who have graduated from a regionally accredited university must have a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.25 or higher (on a 4.00 scale).
• Official GMAT test results.
  • Test results must have been recorded not more than 5 years prior to the date of application to the doctoral program.
  • The GMAT is preferred.
  • A GMAT score of 550 or higher.
  • Candidates with an earned doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution or with a J.D., MD, or Ph.D. designation may not be required to submit a GMAT score.
• A career essay between 500 and 1000 words in length. The essay must discuss professional development goals and objectives. Probable field(s) of research should be identified in the essay.
• A resume or curriculum vitae with detailed explanation of previous and current employment responsibilities that demonstrates at least seven years of professional experience in business, industry, government, military service, education, or consulting.

In addition to the above, all doctoral candidates must meet minimum computer requirements and have working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

International applicants must complete the process outlined above. In addition:

• Demonstrate that the graduate degree earned is the equivalent of a U.S. master's or doctoral degree.
• Demonstrate that the cumulative graduate GPA earned was 3.25 or greater (on a 4.0 grading scale).
• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. Minimum paper score = 600; minimum computerized score = 250; minimum Internet score = 100. For sending TOEFL scores, NSU's institution code is 5514. A score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is accepted in lieu of the TOEFL. A letter on official letterhead from the applicant's prior universities stating that the course material was taught and studied in English may suffice for the TOEFL requirement.
  

The doctoral program office reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant.

All successful doctoral candidates must satisfy the program's prerequisite course requirements.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST   top

U.S. Residents

• Completed Doctoral Application for Admission (must include a signature page)
• Nonrefundable application fee
• Proof of graduation from a regionally accredited institution with a conferred master's or doctoral degree
• GMAT test results must have been recorded not more than 5 years prior to the date of application to the Doctoral program
• A career essay between 500 and 1000 words in length. The essay must discuss professional development goals and objectives. Probable field(s) of research should be identified in the essay
• A resume or curriculum vitae with detailed explanation of previous and current employment responsibilities that demonstrates at least seven years of professional experience in business, industry, government, military service, education, or consulting

International Applicants

• Completed Doctoral Application for Admission (must include a signature page)
• Nonrefundable application fee
• Proof of graduation from a regionally accredited institution with an earned master's, doctoral degree, or equivalent
• GMAT test results must have been recorded not more than 5 years prior to the date of application to the doctoral program.
• A career essay between 500 and 1000 words in length. The essay must discuss professional development goals and objectives. Probable field(s) of research should be identified in the essay.
• A resume or curriculum vitae with detailed explanation of previous and current employment responsibilities that demonstrate at least seven years of professional experience in business, industry, government, military service, education, or consulting.
• Proof that the cumulative graduate GPA earned was 3.25 or greater (on a 4.0 grading scale).
• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. Minimum paper score = 600; minimum computerized score = 250; minimum Internet score = 100. A score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is accepted in lieu of the TOEFL. A letter on official letterhead from the applicant's prior universities stating that the course material was taught and studied in English may suffice for the TOEFL requirement.
  

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS   top

For detailed information on international applicants, please refer to the Office of International Students.

International applicants are an important part of the doctoral community at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. Applicants should carefully review both the Application Requirements and Application Checklist.

In addition, international applicants should be aware of each of the following:

Academic Transcript Evaluation

• If your degree was completed outside of the United States, you must have your transcript evaluated by a NACES accredited organization. A list of these organizations can be found at www.naces.org
• Be certain that your academic evaluation lists degree equivalency and includes a GPA (grade point average) on a 4.0 scale as well as a course-by-course credit evaluation.
• Academic evaluations must be completed for both undergraduate and graduate work.

English Competency

• TOEFL scores earned more than one year prior to the date of enrollment will not be accepted.
• A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. Minimum paper score = 600; minimum computerized score = 250; minimum Internet score = 100 *. A score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is accepted in lieu of the TOEFL. A letter on official letterhead from the applicant's prior universities stating that the course material was taught and studied in English may suffice for the TOEFL requirement.
• The TOEFL may be waived at the discretion of the Executive Associate Dean for applicants who have successfully completed university degree programs taught and studied in English or for applicants who satisfy a personal interview.

International Applicant Financial Statement

Any international applicant who requires a student visa must submit a bank verification statement or an official letter of sponsorship from their government or agency (in English). The bank verification must include the applicant's name and relationship to the sponsor, if other than the applicant, and confirm that there are sufficient funds in U.S. dollars or Euros to cover the amount listed on the expense sheet () provided to the international applicant upon admission. The expense sheet covers all estimated educational expenses () including; tuition (), books, housing, meals, personal expenses, fees and medical insurance for a minimum of one year's study.

If the applicant wishes to include his or her family, the following is required: 1) In the bank verification or letter of sponsorship list each family member's name, date of birth, country of citizenship and relationship, and 2) financial support of approximately $8,000 for a spouse and $2,500 for each child per year.

No Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) will be issued unless the above documentation is on file. The bank verification or sponsorship letter must be dated no more than 6 months prior to enrollment. International applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow sufficient time to process the I-20 form. The I-20 form will be sent to the applicant upon receipt of a deposit confirming the applicant's intent to enroll in the program.

The I-20

The I-20 will be issued by Nova Southeastern University after receipt of the International Applicant Financial Statement. For more information on how to obtain and I-20, visit the Office of International Students.

F1-Student Visa

Any international applicant planning to reside in the United States while studying at Nova Southeastern University must obtain an F-1 Student Visa. Doctoral applicants who plan to enroll in the weeklong program format who will not reside in the United States do not need a F-1 Student Visa. For more information on how to obtain a student visa, visit UnitedStatesVisas.gov.

PREREQUISITE COURSES  top

Selected doctoral courses have prerequisite requirements that must be completed PRIOR TO course enrollment. While applicants may be accepted to their program of study prior to completing their prerequisite course requirements, all such requirements must be completed within one year of entry into the program.

Candidates for the Doctor of Business Administration must complete the following:

• Accounting (the accounting specialty requires sufficient background in the field)
• Economics
• Finance
• Human Resource Management (requires sufficient background in the field)
• Management
• Marketing
• Organizational Behavior
• Statistics

Additional information about prerequisite course enrollment:

• Students may not enroll concurrently in a prerequisite course and its associated doctoral course.
• Students who complete prerequisite courses at Nova Southeastern University must satisfy all undergraduate level prerequisite courses for the master's level course.
• Satisfactory completion of prerequisite courses requires a course grade of B or better.
• Prerequisite courses completed at NSU will appear on the student's academic transcript although the grade will not be included in the student's cumulative doctoral grade point average.
• Students who do not complete prerequisite courses concurrently with doctoral courses will not be eligible for federal financial aid.

TRANSFER COURSES  top

Because our doctoral students are active professionals it is sometimes the case that they have completed a select number of doctoral courses at institutions other than the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. For this reason, NSU will accept as transfer credit up to two courses (eight credits) of doctoral coursework completed at another regionally accredited institution. The following conditions apply to transfer courses:

• The final grade earned in each course must be no less than a B (3.00 on a 4.00 scale)
• Each course must be a minimum of 3 credits
• The institution from which the course was earned must be regionally accredited.
• Transfer courses must not have been applied to a previously earned degree.
• Both the course content and credit hours must be the equivalent of courses available at NSU in the student's degree program.
• Transfer courses must be completed within five years of the student's matriculation to the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Please note that application for the approval of transfer credit must be made in writing at the time of application to the Doctoral Program. Applicants are not permitted to transfer credits after the date of their first matriculation in any Huizenga School graduate program.

START DATES and APPLICATION DEADLINES  top

Students may only begin doctoral study in the Fall Term (September). As such, it is important that you attend to the following application deadline:

• Fall Term start (begins September 1 and ends December 31): Application for Admission should be completed prior to July 1.