Dough & Degrees gives Papa Johns team members the opportunity to attend college and earn their degree at absolutely no cost to them. Papa Johns covers tuition, books and fees – all paid for upfront by Papa Johns, so there are no out-of-pocket costs to team members. Since 2019, more than 60 Papa Johns team members have earned associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees at no cost to them, including Philip Owens, a Papa Johns Linux System Administrator who earned his Master's degree in Information Technology. Philip shared with The Sauce why he decided to continue his education through Dough & Degrees.
What encouraged you to go back to school?
I had recently finished my bachelor’s degree, then the Dough & Degrees came along. Of course, it had a master’s program in IT, so I decided to pursue that and get more knowledge and pave the way for new roles in the future.
Tell me about your most memorable moment while completing your degree.
Without a doubt, finishing my final project. It was many pages of writing and putting together logical and physical diagrams, all while writing stories about the program I was in. Seeing it all come together in the end was a relief and a triumph.
What is a challenge you faced while completing your degree and how did you overcome it?
The challenge was every single day. I realized I had to go to work, do my job, be on call sometimes, and still attend online classes. I wanted to spend quality time with family or go hiking to get away from it all. I overcame it by believing passionately in what I do and having a sense of purpose while ignoring all the emotional noise.
About Dough & Degrees
- Team members who work as few as 10 hours per week and have been employed for only 60 days at stores owned by Papa Johns may enroll in Dough & Degrees.
- Many Dough & Degrees graduates are now applying their education in new roles across Papa Johns in departments such as Operations Excellence, Marketing and Supply Chain.
- Team members can benefit from an expanded range of learning programs available through Dough & Degrees, providing new opportunities for all eligible team members, no matter when their formal education ended or what course of study they wish to pursue.
- Dough & Degrees features include:
- Associates to Masters Degrees
- College credit for on-the-job training
- Access to top-notch academic advising and guidance from learning experts
- All books and fees covered by Papa Johns
For more information about Dough & Degrees, please visit doughanddegrees.com.
