Johnson & Wales University

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Johnson & Wales University Degree Programs

Johnson & Wales University appears in our ranking of the 15 Best Deals on MBA in Hospitality Management Online Programs.

Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private educational institution with a career-oriented focus. It was founded in 1916 as a business school and has grown to become one of the largest colleges for those wanting to enter careers in:

  • hospitality
  • food systems
  • business

The university started in Providence, RI, where it still maintains its main campus. It has expanded to form campuses in:

  • Denver, CO
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Miami, FL

JWU jumped on the opportunity to reach more students in 1998 by creating an online presence that offered select courses. By 2000, those courses evolved into degrees and the school has not looked back since. Student life on campuses at JWU includes:

  • organized athletics
  • student group organizations
  • fraternity and sorority houses

Today, JWU has over 13,000 students and is expanding each year. Most of the recent growth is due to the school’s increasing online presence.

JWU is organized into seven divisions or schools across each of its campuses and online. Those internal colleges are:

  • John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences
  • College of Business
  • College of Culinary Arts
  • College of Engineering & Design
  • College of Health & Wellness
  • College of Hospitality Management
  • College of Online Education

Each school has a level of independence regarding the degrees they offer. An example of this independence is found at the associate’s level. These degrees operate as the springboard to higher degrees for students unsure of their academic expertise. The Providence campus offers three associates level degrees:

  • Associate of Science in Baking & Pastry Arts
  • Associate of Science in Computerized Drafting
  • Associate of Science in Culinary Arts

The campuses at Denver, Miami, and Charlotte, only offer two associates level degrees:

  • Associate of Science in Baking & Pastry
  • Associate of Science in Culinary Arts

The College of Online Education offers one associate’s level degree, the Associate of Science in Business Administration, which is not offered on any of the campuses.

The difference in associate-level offerings is indicative of the career-oriented curriculum that JWU offers. The school’s purpose is to produce students capable of entering their preferred occupation immediately at a high level of expertise. The associate degrees in the food-oriented industry require an intense amount of work in a public restaurant type environment. These parameters are met at physical locations near the campuses where students work inside restaurants. Some are owned by JWU, some working in cooperation with the school. These practical applications necessary to complete the student’s education are not available online.

For those who wish to continue their education in the food industry, JWU offers 14 bachelor-level degrees:

  • Bachelor of Science in Applied Food Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Baking & Pastry Arts
  • Bachelor of Science in Baking & Pastry Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Science & Product Development
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Nutrition
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Science & Product Development
  • Bachelor of Science in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship
  • Bachelor of Science in Food & Beverage Industry Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Food Industry Compliance Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Restaurant, Food and Beverage Management

Of these 14 degrees, five are offered online:

  • Bachelor of Science in Restaurant, Food and Beverage Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Food Industry Compliance Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship
  • Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage Industry Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Baking & Pastry Arts and Food Service Management

To enter one of the five online food-industry programs, the student must already possess and associate-level degree and work in the food or culinary industry. With the associate-level degree, the student has already passed the labs required of these degrees and is working toward a management position. These programs are an excellent example of the coordinated approach JWU uses toward its career-oriented programs. With over 1,600 cooperative employer programs, the school has succeeded in creating a national educational environment that enhance a student’s education.

JWU encourages students to expand their horizons by seeking a minor degree in a favorite field of endeavor. Often, students earn their majors at one of the campuses while pursuing a minor degree online. The strategy works well for students who are working part-time while they are in school. Online minors available at JWU include:

  • Minor in Beverage Science Management
  • Minor in Criminal Justice
  • Minor in General business (Liberal Arts Students Only)
  • Minor in Leadership Studies
  • Minor in Psychology

One of the unique programs at JWU is their 3+2 program that allows a student to receive their bachelor and master’s degree in the same program in just five years. These programs are limited to two fields of study:

  • Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Master of Science in Addiction Counseling
  • Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

These programs have enjoyed immense popularity and may provide the formula for more programs like them at JWU.

Just as in their associate and bachelor-level programs, JWU offers different master’s-level programs online and on the separate campuses. These advanced degrees include every program provided by JWU, including:

  • business
  • hospitality
  • liberal arts
  • psychology
  • food and beverage
  • fashion
  • criminal justice
  • leadership, and much more

The campus at Providence offers 25 master’s-level degrees. Denver provides 12 advanced pathways. Miami allows students to pursue nine different master’s degrees and has no master’s-level programs at all. The coordinating factor toward a master at JWU is its online program which offers 30 master’s-level programs.

The online program also offers two doctoral-level degrees:

  • Doctor of Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Development
  • Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

To enhance a student’s expertise, the online college provides access to two post-graduate certifications in hospitality management and nonprofit management.

About Johnson & Wales University

Johnson & Wales University opened in 1914 when it admitted its first student. With only one student and one typewriter, the school managed to present a curriculum of:

  • mathematics
  • bookkeeping
  • typing
  • shorthand
  • English

Within a year, the school began drawing students from returning WWI veterans. By the end of WWII, the school had over 3,000 students and continued to grow. Today the school has more than 12,000 students in multiple disciplines of study. Throughout its history, JWU has concentrated on the education of students who will immediately enter the workforce. Many of its programs have gained international notice as well as awards.

JWU’s unique program presentations have led it to be ranked by the US News & World Report as 21st in its list of Best Undergraduate Teaching and 48th in Best Colleges for Veterans. The publication rates JWU as:

  • 67th in Best Value Schools
  • 80th in Regional Universities North
  • 82nd on its list of Top Performers on Social Mobility.

Johnson & Wales University Accreditation Details

Johnson & Wales University is regionally accredited through the New England Commission of Higher Education. It has one programmatic accreditation by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Johnson & Wales University Application Requirements

JWU is one of the few schools in the U.S. that does not require the payment of an application fee. The school is test score optional for undergraduate applicants but encourages students to take an SAT or ACT and send in their scores. The one item required during application is a high school transcript of its home-schooling equivalent. The graduate student application process is more complicated. The applicant must submit:

  • their undergraduate degree
  • three letters of recommendation
  • the transcripts from every post-secondary school they attended
  • letter of purpose.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition at Johnson & Wales for Kentucky residents is $33,404 regardless of residency. For students staying on campus, the added fee for room and board is $12,582.

The Financial Aid Department at JWU provides additional help to students. Over 80% of students receive assistance from the school in the form of school grants. JWU also offers support in finding scholarships and grants from various organizations and communities within the student’s area. Other means of student financial assistance include state and national level scholarships. The school is reluctant to send a student to the Federal Student Loan Program as JWU sees merit in a student accomplishing their education free of debt.

JWU is a unique school born from a unique perspective on the social contract between those who work and those who employ them. Graduates from Johnson & Wales University are known for their prowess in their area of work–a characteristic employers seek.

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