ABD and doctoral credit review
Finish your doctorate without starting over.
Submit your doctoral work for review toward the UBIS DBA.
Up to 40 credits of advanced standing
toward the 60-credit doctorate, after academic review.
Is this for you?
Am I a good fit?
This ABD completion pathway is for people who finished doctoral coursework but never completed the dissertation. The review determines what counts instead of making you start again.
ABD describes a doctorate that stopped short of the dissertation: the coursework is finished, the degree is not. ABD is not a failure and not a separate qualification; it is a stage, and it is exactly the stage this review is built for.
Your transcripts show what you studied and when. We review that work toward advanced standing on the 60-credit doctorate.
Your coursework is reviewed from your transcripts alone. A proposal, chapter or progress record supports the research review. Admissions confirms all remaining requirements.
The review gives you your advanced standing, remaining work, cost, and timing in writing before you enroll.
Haven't started doctoral study yet? This page isn't for you yet. See the full DBA for applicants with a master’s degree.
Allow about 10 minutes for form entry with documents ready. Review follows submission.
Prior learning assessment
How your doctoral work is reviewed
UBIS looks at the doctoral work you actually completed and awards advanced standing toward the 60-credit doctorate, up to 40 credits. The purpose is simple: you should not pay to repeat work you already did.
Here is what the assessment means in practice, in four steps.
Your transcripts and dissertation evidence show how much doctoral work you completed and where your research stands.
Your completed coursework is compared against the 60-credit doctoral plan.
Relevant work may count toward the degree, up to 40 credits, subject to academic review. Your exact number is set by the review.
Before you commit, you get the remaining coursework, research and dissertation work plus a clear cost.
Bring what you have; the review tells you what it counts for.
Know the degree
How the ABD completion pathway works
A Doctorate of Business Administration is the highest professional degree in business practice. It is research-based and ends with a doctoral dissertation and an oral defense. Academic review determines whether prior coursework and research meet DBA requirements. Your plan can include coursework as well as dissertation work.
Your advisor supports your research from the start. Your committee reviews your progress at candidacy and conducts the final defense.
See your standing, remaining work, and cost in writing.
What you'll finish at UBIS
Complete the dissertation stage with a research advisor
Academic review determines your standing and remaining coursework, research and dissertation requirements. Dissertation work includes research-advisor support and a defended manuscript.
Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)
800 series · dissertationPrior doctoral coursework may support up to 40 credits of standing toward the 60-credit DBA. The review confirms remaining coursework as well as dissertation requirements.
How the dissertation stage works
Doctoral research and proposal development, guided by your research advisor and the Doctoral Academic Leader.
Independent research with advisor support, building your dissertation manuscript at your own pace.
Submit your dissertation, then defend it before your committee.
You are guided throughout by a research advisor, with support from the Doctoral Academic Leader. Everything is 100% online and asynchronous, so you keep working while you finish.
The academic team builds your plan after reviewing your record.
Cost and time
Tuition depends on your reviewed standing
Full DBA tuition is $34,050 before approved standing and tuition support. Review confirms your remaining credits, tuition and study plan. Fees and books are additional.
Completed doctoral coursework and research count toward the 60 credits you need, up to 40 credits. The more that counts, the less you have left to pay for.
Tuition support requires a separate eligibility decision. The $7,945 illustration assumes maximum standing and an approved 30% reduction; neither is automatic.
Your exact standing, remaining work, and cost are set by the academic review. You see the number in writing before you enroll.
$7,945 assumes the maximum 40 credits of advanced standing plus the 30% Academic Merit and Future Leader scholarship stack. Your exact number is set by the academic review, and we tell you in writing before you commit. Your evaluation confirms what remains. Dissertation progress and academic approval determine completion.
Start your ABD reviewWhat you'll need
Documents
- Master’s diploma and transcript or equivalent degree evidence.
- Government-issued ID (passport or driver's license).
- All relevant doctoral transcripts.
- Resume or CV.
- Motivation letter: about 250 words on why you want to finish your doctorate at UBIS.
- One letter of recommendation from a previous educational institution or employer.
- Dissertation evidence, if available: an approved proposal, progress record, committee communication, chapter, dissertation draft, or status document.
- English evidence, only if you are not otherwise exempt.
Accepted formats: PDF, DOCX, JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC or HEIF. Maximum 2 MB per file and 6 MB total. You can attach files straight from your phone camera.
Step by step
How your review works
- You complete the application and attach your documents.
- We review your doctoral work and determine any approved standing.
- You receive your remaining coursework, research and dissertation work, plus your cost.
- You accept and enroll, complete your approved plan and defend the dissertation.
Everything else
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, your review will answer it in writing. The review starts from your actual record, not from assumptions.
What does "all but dissertation" mean, and am I eligible?
It means you completed doctoral coursework but never finished the dissertation. If that describes you, you are the person this program is for. The review confirms how much of your coursework counts toward the doctorate.
Will my completed doctoral coursework count?
UBIS reviews the doctoral work you actually completed and awards advanced standing toward the 60-credit doctorate, up to 40 credits. The exact number depends on your transcripts and how relevant the work is, and it is confirmed in writing before you enroll.
Do I have to redo courses I already completed?
Review compares prior study with DBA requirements. Approved standing may reduce coursework; you may still need courses, research and dissertation work. No award is automatic.
What counts as dissertation evidence?
At least one document that shows your progress, such as an approved proposal, a progress record, committee communication, a chapter or full draft, or a status document. Research credit is only awarded with evidence, so bring what you have.
Do I have to attend classes at a set time?
The DBA is 100% online and follows an academic term calendar with weekly work. You do not need to travel or attend lectures on campus.
How long will it take to finish?
Reviewed standing and remaining coursework, research and dissertation requirements determine your plan. Research progress and dissertation approval determine completion; admissions confirms your academic-term start.
What does the doctorate cost?
With the maximum 40 credits of advanced standing and the 30% Academic Merit and Future Leader scholarship stack, the remaining tuition is $7,945. Your academic review sets the exact number, in writing, before you enroll.
Can I keep working while I finish the doctorate?
Yes. The DBA is 100% online and follows terms with weekly work. Your academic review shows how much remains so you can plan it around your job.
Is the degree accredited and recognized?
UBIS is licensed by the District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC). Its business programs hold programmatic accreditation through IACBE, recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). UBIS does not hold US institutional accreditation.
Do credits from a non-US doctoral program count?
Yes, they can be reviewed. Every doctoral record is evaluated individually, wherever it was earned. What decides is the completed coursework and the relevance and evidence of your research, and the review confirms exactly what applies to your situation.
What happens after I apply?
Our academic team reviews your transcripts and dissertation evidence, awards advanced standing, and sends you your remaining coursework, research and dissertation work plus your cost. You decide from there, and an application is not a commitment to enroll.
In our doctoral graduates' words.
Doctoral graduates on what their UBIS studies meant to them.
Graduate highlight · DBA
UBIS has been an amazing journey. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the body of knowledge. This doctorate stretched me, but it was worth it and deeply fulfilling.
Graduate story · DBA
My UBIS journey strengthened my leadership vision and refined my data-driven approach.
Graduate story · DBA
My UBIS DBA journey deepened my strategic insight, helping me analyze complex markets through research and strengthen innovation in the financial ecosystem.
Graduate story · DBA
This doctorate deepened my curiosity and challenged me through uncertainty. With every question came more learning, and through perseverance and resilience, I discovered the greatest achievement of all. I am deeply grateful to those who mentored, guided, and encouraged me along the way.
The university
About UBIS
UBIS is an international business university that delivers its programs 100% online.
UBIS is licensed in Washington, DC. IACBE accredits its business programs; CHEA recognises IACBE. Our programs share one philosophy: real completed work should count. We review your prior study and dissertation progress, then put the result in writing: your advanced standing, your remaining work, and your cost. Nothing is decided until you see it.
Your doctorate is still within reach.
Submit the application and we will tell you what counts, what is left, and what it costs. You decide after you see it.
Apply for an ABD review