Doctoral Admission Requirements

Admission to the doctoral program is competitive and based on a candidate’s entire portfolio of both academic and professional experience. The attainment of a specific set of minimum qualifications does not assure admission.

In general, an applicant must:

Possess a master's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000 or higher from a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and U.S. Department of Education (USDE), www.chea.org. Credits completed outside of the United States must be evaluated by an agency that is a member of NACES (www.naces.org).

AND

Have completed at least one course in management with a grade of “B” (3.000) or better at the master’s level.
- Students who have not successfully completed a master's level foundational course will be required to complete MGT 600 in their first semester with a grade of “B” (3.000) or better.
A minimum of two years professional work experience is strongly recommended.
Provide three professional letters of recommendation.
Provide a professional resume or CV.
Provide a written letter of intent (approximately 1,500 words- with suitable references as needed) indicating the applicant’s personal strengths and limitations, reasons for selecting the doctoral program, and for choosing Walsh, and the applicant’s chief academic, research, and career interests must be provided.

Individuals for whom English is not their first language must provide proof of English language proficiency. This proof may be in the form of one of the following:

TOEFL score of 79-80 internet based, or 550 written
MELAB score of 80
MTELP score of 80
IELTS score of 6.5 (www.ielts.org)
PTE A score of 53
Duolingo English test score of 105, plus GCA of 3 upon admission
Successful completion of Level 112 from ELS Language Centers
Successful completion of the highest level of ESL accredited program
Successful completion of an English Composition course from an accredited U.S. institution
Completion of a college degree from an accredited English speaking/teaching institution

An official document of these test scores must be sent to Walsh for consideration in processing the admissions application. The TOEFL & IELTS scores are valid for two years; the MTELP/MELAB scores are valid for five years. Transcripts from the degree-granting institution may be accepted as proof of English language proficiency. Walsh retains the right to require reexamination or further English language studies at a qualified institution for any non-native speaker of English. For additional information on international transcript evaluation and admission to Walsh for those individuals pursuing a student visa, please see the section entitled Admission on a Student Visa.

Walsh administers the MTELP exam at no charge. Please contact an international student advisor for more details.

Candidate Evaluation

The purpose of the candidate evaluation is to determine a student’s ability to pursue and successfully complete the doctoral program. The review process will evaluate the entire candidate portfolio holistically rather than place specific limits or requirements on individual elements.

After completion of the candidate evaluation, the Doctoral Program Committee will make the determination whether a candidate is accepted into the Program. The decision will be recorded and communicated to the applicant in writing.

Provisional Admission

Under certain conditions, and only with the approval of the Doctoral Program Chair, a doctoral candidate may be given provisional admission status. The student must fulfill the requisite requirement specified by the Doctoral Program Chair by the end of their first semester in order for the provisional status to be removed. Failure to satisfy the conditions of the provisional admission status will prohibit the student from enrolling in any further doctoral level courses until the provisional requirements have been met.