diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py
index dcdfadfafb..8b86f1823f 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/tests/test_views.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.accounts import ACCOUNT_VISIBILITY_PREF_KE
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.models import UserPreference
 from openedx.core.djangoapps.user_api.preferences.api import set_user_preference
 from openedx.core.djangolib.testing.utils import CacheIsolationTestCase, skip_unless_lms
+from openedx.core.lib.token_utils import JwtBuilder
 from student.models import UserProfile, LanguageProficiency, PendingEmailChange
 from student.tests.factories import (
     AdminFactory, ContentTypeFactory, TEST_PASSWORD, PermissionFactory, SuperuserFactory, UserFactory
@@ -829,12 +830,20 @@ class TestAccountDeactivation(TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
         super(TestAccountDeactivation, self).setUp()
-        self.superuser = SuperuserFactory()
-        self.staff_user = AdminFactory()
         self.test_user = UserFactory()
         self.url = reverse('accounts_deactivation', kwargs={'username': self.test_user.username})
 
-    def assert_activation_status(self, expected_status=status.HTTP_200_OK, expected_activation_status=False):
+    def build_jwt_headers(self, user):
+        """
+        Helper function for creating headers for the JWT authentication.
+        """
+        token = JwtBuilder(user).build_token([])
+        headers = {
+            'HTTP_AUTHORIZATION': 'JWT ' + token
+        }
+        return headers
+
+    def assert_activation_status(self, headers, expected_status=status.HTTP_200_OK, expected_activation_status=False):
         """
         Helper function for making a request to the deactivation endpoint, and asserting the status.
 
@@ -842,7 +851,8 @@ class TestAccountDeactivation(TestCase):
             expected_status(int): Expected request's response status.
             expected_activation_status(bool): Expected user has_usable_password attribute value.
         """
-        response = self.client.post(self.url)
+        self.assertTrue(self.test_user.has_usable_password())  # pylint: disable=no-member
+        response = self.client.post(self.url, **headers)
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, expected_status)
         self.test_user.refresh_from_db()  # pylint: disable=no-member
         self.assertEqual(self.test_user.has_usable_password(), expected_activation_status)  # pylint: disable=no-member
@@ -851,9 +861,9 @@ class TestAccountDeactivation(TestCase):
         """
         Verify a user is deactivated when a superuser posts to the deactivation endpoint.
         """
-        self.client.login(username=self.superuser.username, password=TEST_PASSWORD)
-        self.assertTrue(self.test_user.has_usable_password())  # pylint: disable=no-member
-        self.assert_activation_status()
+        superuser = SuperuserFactory()
+        headers = self.build_jwt_headers(superuser)
+        self.assert_activation_status(headers)
 
     def test_user_with_permission_deactivates_user(self):
         """
@@ -867,17 +877,28 @@ class TestAccountDeactivation(TestCase):
             )
         )
         user.user_permissions.add(permission)  # pylint: disable=no-member
-        self.client.login(username=user.username, password=TEST_PASSWORD)
+        headers = self.build_jwt_headers(user)
         self.assertTrue(self.test_user.has_usable_password())  # pylint: disable=no-member
-        self.assert_activation_status()
+        self.assert_activation_status(headers)
 
     def test_unauthorized_rejection(self):
         """
         Verify unauthorized users cannot deactivate accounts.
         """
-        self.client.login(username=self.test_user.username, password=TEST_PASSWORD)
-        self.assertTrue(self.test_user.has_usable_password())  # pylint: disable=no-member
+        headers = self.build_jwt_headers(self.test_user)
         self.assert_activation_status(
+            headers,
             expected_status=status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN,
             expected_activation_status=True
         )
+
+    def test_on_jwt_headers_rejection(self):
+        """
+        Verify users who are not JWT authenticated are rejected.
+        """
+        user = UserFactory()
+        self.assert_activation_status(
+            {},
+            expected_status=status.HTTP_401_UNAUTHORIZED,
+            expected_activation_status=True
+        )
diff --git a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/views.py b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/views.py
index de79f61fb1..2ae88d2548 100644
--- a/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/views.py
+++ b/openedx/core/djangoapps/user_api/accounts/views.py
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ class AccountDeactivationView(APIView):
     Account deactivation viewset. Currently only supports POST requests.
     Only admins can deactivate accounts.
     """
+    authentication_classes = (JwtAuthentication, )
     permission_classes = (permissions.IsAuthenticated, CanDeactivateUser)
 
     def post(self, request, username):