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The vast and diverse world of business presents a wealth of opportunities to students pursuing a career in this exciting and lucrative field. According to BLS, the employment trend in business and financial occupations is projected to rise by 4% between 2022 to 2032. This can give way to a tremendous increase in new jobs over the decade, amounting to 911,400.
For Master’s in Business Administration holders seeking credential enhancement and career advancement, earning a Doctor of Business Administration is the way to go! This terminal program allows one to focus on a specific problem in business and apply their research skills to solve it.
This business administration program can set up experienced professionals in the field of business, allowing them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills and eventually apply them in real-world settings. Fortunately, many universities and colleges offer a doctor of business administration program online.
Working professionals will be able to juggle their personal and professional responsibilities without compromising one over the other.
Check this out:
- The Best Online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Degrees
- The Best Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Online Graduate Schools
- The Best Ph.D. in Accounting Online Programs
Quick audio summary:
Overview
These online doctoral degree programs equip students with effective skills and strategies that have real-world applications. An online doctor of business administration degree helps students bolster credibility, expand career opportunities, and earn higher salaries in management and leadership roles.
Common Courses in DBA Programs
The curriculums of various online doctorate programs are typically designed by universities according to the learning outcomes that they have predetermined, along with the expertise of their faculty. These doctoral degree programs may, in turn, have their own sub-specializations, such as human resource management, healthcare management, or project management. These contribute to the variance in courses that are offered and the number of credit hours in that degree.
There are, however, a number of standard courses found across all these business administration programs. These may differ in their name, but they generally teach the same content/theme. Let’s look at some of them.
Research Design
As the next natural step after identifying a problem, a significant amount of effort is spent on crafting the proper research design to ensure that the needed data is gathered and that the data-gathering process avoids errors and takes inherent shortcomings into account.
DBA curriculums will almost always have a separate course dedicated to research design, as this is a skill set that has applicability that lasts long after a student earns their degree.
Quantitative and/or Qualitative Research
With the final research-based output in mind, some Universities may offer special separate courses on both Quantitative and Qualitative Research. While both are valid lines of inquiry that students can pursue (although quantitative research remains the more popular method by far across disciplines), they are different enough to warrant being treated separately.
Contemporary Global Issues/Current Topics
Universities may or may not subdivide these into courses that are more focused on specific topics, but most online doctorate degree programs will typically have a course on relevant global issues or current trends in the industry. This ensures that students get a more comprehensive grounding, as they may not necessarily be up to speed on all relevant aspects.
Organizational Behavior
This course forms part of the fundamental courses of most doctorate degree programs. As business professionals, it is essential to have an understanding of human behavior as it relates to the dynamics present within the organization’s structure.
Ethics in Business & Management
The curriculum design of some universities may place heavier emphasis on this course than others, but it is a matter of course that businesses and organizations have to adhere to standards of ethics and integrity in order to ensure success, not just for the sake of regulatory compliance.
Ethical standards come into play in many aspects of a business’s operations, from employee treatment to fair market practice to financial management. Like in other courses, this course often makes use of case studies and real-world insights.
Managing Innovation & Change
This course may have different names or a slightly different treatment, but most doctoral degree programs in business administration will feature this course. It is crucial for businesses to be able to anticipate changes and keep up with trends and innovations to maintain their edge, and it is important that business leaders be trained in this highly important skill set.
Business Strategy
Some DBA doctoral programs may also have a separate course on business strategy, often incorporating a component of actual practice/simulation within the context of business realities.
This course may also integrate the other crucial skill sets learned throughout the program. This helps refine the long-term strategic thinking and decision-making skillsets of students as business leaders.
Marketing Research
This course is a specialized research course focusing on consumer behavior and their response to trends, products, or services, often according to different classifying characteristics like age bracket. This is a crucial discipline that business leaders learn in order to better gauge the performance of their products and/or services, as well as help them anticipate trends and changes in consumer preferences.
Business Intelligence/Business Research
Business decisions are built on a foundation of data. This course discusses the principles related to data-driven business decision-making and introduces students to the various tools and techniques that aid in this regard.
Differences between a DBA and a Ph.D. in Business Administration
Let’s start with the similarities. A DBA and Ph.D. are both terminal degrees, which means they are the highest possible educational attainment that can be awarded in the field of business administration.
Being doctorate degrees, both also require some form of research-related/research-based work as part of their final output. However, a DBA is a terminal degree specific to business administration, while a Ph.D. will cut across disciplines and is a universal doctoral degree.
Another key difference between the two is in terms of the type of intellectual emphasis and/or learning outcome. DBAs are a professional terminal degree, and as a result, they tend to have a practice-focused curriculum that aims to produce highly skilled practitioner-scholars who bring advanced skillsets to their workplaces and industries.
A Ph.D. in business administration, meanwhile, has a primarily scholarly emphasis. This means that these degree programs aim for the production of new knowledge or the revisiting and updating of previous knowledge, all of which contribute to the overall body of knowledge and the theoretical basis upon which the discipline of business administration is founded.
PhDs, with their focus on scholarly research, tend to favor dissertations as their final requirement. Some DBAs also require dissertations, but with the practice-focused emphasis of DBA degrees, it’s not uncommon to have degrees that require capstone projects, i.e., applied research, as their final output, as this gives students an excellent avenue to put their coursework learnings into a practical research-based production, often called a problem-of-practice project.
With this difference in focus, graduates of DBA degree programs can have a variety of career paths they can take, as they invariably bring their new skillsets back to their industries. Graduates of Ph.D. programs also have this opportunity; however, given the scholarly focus of their degrees, a majority of them tend to go on to work in academia, taking up research and/or teaching roles.
Specializations in an Online Doctor of Business Administration Program
Earning an online DBA program requires careful consideration. Many universities offer specializations in their business administration doctoral degree programs. It is important that prospective students choose the right business administration degree that aligns with their goals and helps them succeed in their chosen fields.
Accounting
Students who want to gain a solid understanding of the practical applications of a broad accounting perspective and technical accounting knowledge will want to choose the accounting specialization. It will help them explore relationships among business activities and performance and economic outcomes.
This specialization covers the analysis of advanced management and organization of business transactions, mostly related to assets, liabilities, and the results from business operations.
Entrepreneurship
Focused on entrepreneurship principles, this specialization may tackle entrepreneurship from startup to exit strategy to small business management. Students will be able to delve deep into advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods along with foundational applied research.
It often includes courses such as raising capital for business, strategy formulation, and strategic thinking. Graduates of this DBA program are expected to identify market opportunities, manage risks, pioneer innovations in the industry, raise capital, and so much more.
Finance
Designed to help students become well-rounded managers, just like conventional finance degree programs, this specialization equips them with an advanced level of financial and business knowledge. They will cover financial analysis, decision-making in finance, capital investment decisions, managing value creation, and managing for value creation, among others. They will also be able to explore essential theories like option pricing, hedging, and derivatives.
Healthcare Administration
More important than ever, healthcare administrators are integral in leaving a positive impact on healthcare organizations and communities they serve. The Healthcare Administration specialization in a DBA program helps students acquire strong management and business leadership skills to make sound decisions with regard to healthcare policy and economics.
Students are expected to develop a better understanding of the theoretical and research-based healthcare industry management issues.
Human Resource Management
Professionals in the human resource management field will want to assume critical seats at the executive table as strategic partners. Earning a DBA degree program specializing in human resource management can help them prepare for this leadership position by gaining ample theoretical knowledge, industry insights, and solid capabilities to lead, build, and empower a diverse workforce.
They will cover contemporary organizational issues, including succession planning, corporate social responsibility, management of external strategic partnerships, and more.
International Business
Another popular specialization in an online DBA program is international business. This particular concentration equips graduate students with the skills needed to lead the business world with integrity and excellence. It is designed to help students become global business leaders and change-makers.
They will typically tackle business subjects such as global trade, international business environment, global financial markets, market-based global operations, and international strategic management.
Leadership
It is crucial to have a capable person leading the business in the right direction. DBA graduates who wish to brush up on their leadership skills amid the increasing advancements in technology and the rapid changes in the overall business landscape will want to take a specialization in leadership. Most leadership specializations cover various leadership principles and practices.
Students in this DBA program are expected to demonstrate an effective entrepreneurial and leadership mindset in the face of new ventures and innovative economic development.
Project Management
This specialization emphasizes the importance of proactive leaders that advance the organization’s strategic objectives. They are taught to study the processes for successfully managing a complex portfolio of projects and analyzing opportunities that contribute to improved portfolio performance.
Students are expected to learn project-based strategic leadership skills and organizational practices that support the vision and growth of a business organization.
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Behavior is a DBA specialization that aims to understand individuals and organizations and their role in shaping the economic and social life of societies. Some of the subjects tackled in this concentration include organizational design, corporate governance, organizational identity, negotiation, leadership, teams, and institutional change, among others.
Information Systems Management
In this DBA specialization, students will acquire knowledge and skills that will improve their capabilities in managing information systems. They will be able to understand and apply information systems in various management scenarios. Students in this online DBA degree specialization are expected to help businesses by providing technological solutions and leveraging them to enhance an organization’s competitive position in the market.
Lucrative Career Paths to Pursue a Doctorate in Business Administration
Earning a doctor of business administration degree can do wonders for one’s career. They can enhance their professional credentials by acquiring marketable, high-level skills that are in demand in today’s employment landscape. For those looking for more opportunities to expand their current career and grow their compensation, the following careers are ideal choices.
Business Consultant
In the United States, management consultants receive more than $2 billion for their services. They are primarily responsible for solving clients’ problems and making recommendations based on the diagnosis. They often collect information on the clients’ business using various tools, including surveys, shadowing, interviews, and reading reports, among others.
As a business consultant, one needs to be knowledgeable about the many facets of the business and get insights into market trends and forecasts. They are known to be good at problem-solving, analytical thinking, and innovation, all of which are vital to increasing profitability and efficiency. At present, business consultants have a median pay of $93,000 annually.
Economist
Considered financial experts, economists study market activity to collect and analyze financial and socioeconomic data. They are responsible for advising businesses and other important organizations on economic decisions. They are also tasked to develop models for economic forecasting. Economists often work with a team of financial analysts to understand economic trends and help business leaders make better decisions and succeed in achieving their goals.
Economists are expected to have exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills. They must also employ logic and problem-solving acumen in order to be successful. Annually, economists receive a median pay of $113,940.
Project Manager
Companies that aim to finish projects from beginning to end will want to hire someone who can oversee the whole thing and make an impact on the whole organization. Project managers fulfill this role. Their responsibilities include conceptualizing, planning, developing, and implementing projects. It is also part of their jobs to set deadlines and monitor the project’s progress.
To lead the project successfully, project managers must possess strong knowledge of the risk management process. They must have good leadership and management skills to thrive in this role. Project managers can expect a median pay of $95,370 per year.
Logistician
Tasked to analyze and oversee the global supply chain management and life cycle of assigned products in an organization, logisticians ensure the smooth process of the whole operation, from distribution to delivery. They are responsible for communicating with customers and ensuring their needs are met, along with the coordination and allocation of available materials, supplies, and finished products.
Successful logisticians are known for their extensive knowledge of supply chain management, namely acquisition and distribution. Every year, the median pay for logisticians is $77,520.
Organizational Development Manager
Often acting as a liaison and advisor to an organization’s leadership, organizational development managers plan, develop, and implement programs that help train and develop employees. They spearhead the needs assessment for training and staff development to help advance effective employee performance that leads to the realization of company goals and objectives.
Organizational development managers must be excellent at written and oral communication. They must demonstrate effective management skills and multimedia expertise. The annual median salary of this job position is $120,000.
Director of Human Resources
Every organization needs a solid human resources department. As the director of human resources, one will lead, plan, develop, and coordinate important policies and activities, ensuring the legal compliance of the organization’s talent strategy. They are expected to deal with the recruitment, interview, hiring, and training of the new HR department staff and organize or facilitate human resource development programs.
As human resources directors, they need to have excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills. This job position can provide a median salary of $130,000 annually.
Government Program Manager
The primary role of a government program manager is to coordinate multiple government projects to ensure that all goals are aligned. Part of their tasks include the creation and management of long-term goals, budget development, and team management. At times, government project managers must also identify solutions to challenges when necessary.
Project management specialists can receive $101,610 annually for their median pay, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nonprofit Executive Director
Chief executive officers often deal with the creation of business plans, improving performance, and overseeing the day-to-day activities of an organization. As a non-profit executive director, one is expected to do the same thing. However, they must be guided by the goal of setting the nonprofit organization apart from the competition. They are also likely to develop and implement consistent inventory and cost accounting procedures.
Non-profit executive directors must employ multi-tasking, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Their median annual salary is $100,090 every year.
Strategic Planner
Strategic planners are integral to the overall business strategy as they often develop strategic plans and asses the company’s performance. Their primary responsibility is to conduct research and analyze data that can help them make informed business decisions. They need to help shape the company’s direction and reach the set objectives.
The skills needed for strategic planners to succeed include understanding market research and data analysis, business process analysis, strategic thinking abilities, and organizational and leadership skills.
Market Research Analyst
To identify new markets and sales opportunities, market research analysts must be experts at researching, compiling, and analyzing product and market conditions information. They often make recommendations related to their findings and deliver reports and presentations to the executive management.
As a market research analyst, one is expected to have excellent organizational and communication skills. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their median pay annually amounts to $68,230.
10 Top Online DBA Programs that Do Not Require Dissertation
Bellevue University
Doctor of Business Administration
The doctor of administration degree offered by Bellevue University is designed to be completed in three years, with built-in two-week breaks. This is possible if one transfers their MBA credits and finishes the courses with satisfactory grades.
This program helps graduate students in solving current problems in the business industry. They will be well-equipped to lead in top executive positions by addressing the complex business landscape with the use of their vision, knowledge, and clarity. It is also one of the online DBA programs that do not require a dissertation. Instead, they are tasked to complete a research-based doctoral project that prepares them to be experts and thought leaders.
Plus, the online format of the program allows working business professionals to complete their doctoral degrees in a reasonable amount of time. Students are not required to render on-campus residency.
Graduates become equipped to lead organizations effectively through communicating advanced business analyses and scholarly thinking. The program curriculum has a total of 91 credit hours.
Franklin University
Doctor of Business Administration
Another DBA program that is available 100% online is offered at Franklin University. This program helps students prepare for managing corporate-wide business initiatives for competitive advantage and profitability. They are taught to keep business administration leadership practices in mind and apply them in the real world.
The program requires the completion of 58 credit hours, which is possible to accomplish in as few as three years. Students are allowed to transfer as many as 24 credit hours of previously earned credits. Some of the courses covered in the program include Organizational Leadership, Organizational Performance Analysis, Ethics, and Social Responsibility, Change Management and Organizational Development, and Strategic Thinking, Decision Making, and Innovation, among others.
These DBA online programs can also be customized with a variety of electives.
Indiana Wesleyan University
Doctor of Business Administration
Indiana Wesleyan University offers a Doctor of Business Administration degree program to help students rise up to the challenges faced by the global workforce. This program has a unique alternative path for those who were unable to complete their degree for various reasons. They are taught key strategies for advanced change management and complex business problems through the use of Devoe School of Business problem-based learning model.
Students can enjoy a low-cost DBA program with three specialization options, including healthcare administration, management, and information systems. This program has a fast-paced option that allows students to complete the program in as few as 22 months.
Students are expected to create solutions to complex business problems. Some of the courses covered in the program include Virtuous Marketing, Writing for Business Practitioners, and Applied Doctoral Program Evaluation and Assessment, among others.
It is important for students to complete the required credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.25. They will need to complete the applied doctoral project in order to earn the degree.
Capella University
Doctor of Business Administration
Students who want to advance as business leaders may want to consider earning a Doctor of Business Administration degree at Capella University. This program equips students with practical tools to reach the goals of the business.
The program has several specializations to help one build the skills needed to become a leader, consultant, or educator. The three specialization options are General Management, Organizational Leadership and Development, and Strategy and Innovation.
Instead of a dissertation, students are required to complete a capstone doctoral research project. It gives emphasis to applied research to help solve real-world problems within the organization. Students can also choose between two learning formats, namely GuidedPath for a flexible yet structured approach or FlexPath for a self-paced format.
Thomas Edison State University
Doctor of Business Administration
The online doctorate degree program in business administration offered at Thomas Edison State University has several available areas of study for graduate students to choose from, including Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management. This business administration online program is designed to help business students and professionals grow in their careers as executive leaders, educators, and consultants.
This affordable online DBA program has a unique curriculum design composed of unique content domains, namely:
- critical thought and action,
- integrated topics in business and management,
- teaching and consultative professional practice
Students can expect a personalized instructional delivery within a full-distance learning environment.
At the end of the business administration online program, students must be able to integrate financial, operational, and cultural data analysis in organizational strategic planning and management. They must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Walden University
Doctor of Business Administration
Walden University offers an online doctorate in business administration degree program that offers students a wide range of 11 specialization areas, designed to give experienced business professionals and academics a good venue to gain crucial and highly sought-after skills in a flexible format that adapts to their prior commitments.
The program is Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs-recognized and has a generous maximum time limit of 8 years. Students can likewise transfer in up to 17 previously earned credits. For their final requirement, students should complete a capstone project.
Wilmington University
Doctor of Business Administration
Wilmington University’s online Doctor of Business Administration degree program is designed for managers, leaders, consultants, and those in educator roles, increasing their skillsets and capacities in preparing them to become critical thought leaders.
The program is accredited by the IACBE (International Accreditation Council for Business Education) and contains a total of 54 credit hours. The degree program coursework has a 2½-year completion timeframe, and there is a projected additional time of 1-2 years to complete the final requirement, which can either be a doctoral dissertation or a research project.
Likewise, the program design allows students to complete the program at their own pace but, at the same time, fosters a high degree of interaction and participation.
Trevecca Nazarene University
Doctor of Business Administration
Trevecca Nazarene University offers its Doctor of Business Administration degree program in an online format. The degree is designed to equip students to thrive in corporate or academic settings, giving them skillsets that can also be applicable in teaching and consultant roles.
The degree program’s coursework can be completed within 32 months, and there are also no residency requirements. Students are grouped into cohorts, but class sizes are kept small, pegged at a maximum of around 19 students per class. As part of the final requirements, students are given a choice of completing either a Doctoral Dissertation or an Applied Doctoral Project.
University of the Incarnate Word
Doctor of Business Administration
The University of the Incarnate Word offers its Doctor of Business Administration in a blended format combining online and in-person classes, although students can also opt to complete the program entirely online.
The degree program has a total of 45 credit hours, and each semester is 16 weeks long. Some of us who’ve earned a business-related Master’s Degree before may have run into time crunch issues, so students will welcome the generous 10-year maximum completion limit for this degree program, plenty of time to work on their final requirements, which takes the form of either peer-reviewed publications, conference presentation, or work-based project.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Doctor of Business Administration – Dissertation OR Work Project
Oklahoma Wesleyan University offers a DBA degree program that prepares students to become skilled scholar-practitioners who can contribute meaningfully in a variety of settings, be it the classroom or the board room.
The OKWU Doctor of Business Administration degree program contains a total of 56 credit hours, and classes are arranged sequentially. Students take one class at a time, with each class lasting eight weeks. This way, the whole program can be finished within three years.
Likewise, the required separate residency time in other degree programs is already integrated directly into the coursework flow. Students can also transfer up to 15 credits upon enrollment into the program. Lastly, as part of the final requirements, students can choose between completing a Doctoral Dissertation or a Work Project.
Grants & Scholarships
Universities will typically have a set of grants and scholarships that can be availed by students. Unlike loans, these do not have any attached expectation of being repaid; however, there can be other things expected of students, such as maintaining a grading standard in the case of scholarships, aside from the grade standards set by the degree program.
Scholarships also tend to be quite selective, and scholarship funds will have their target sectors and corresponding criteria, such as financial needs, based on socioeconomic standing.
Federal aid
Most degree programs offered by reputable universities will invariably qualify for federal financial aid. Along with undergraduate students, federal aid is available for graduate students as well. Some other forms of financial aid, such as Pell grants, are also accessed through the FAFSA.
The abiding message that gets repeated every year is for students to put in the time to fill out the paperwork and apply, as students miss out on a significant amount of college aid because they do not apply.
Special discounts
Some universities offer special tuition discounts to students who belong to a certain sector. The most common of these are military discounts that are often given to members of the armed forces—either active duty or veterans—and even their family members. Rates vary, but some universities can give up to 10% off for some items like cost per credit hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the timeline for earning an online Doctor of Business Administration degree program?
An online Doctor of Business Administration program typically requires the completion of 54 to 60 credits. The program duration will depend primarily on whether the DBA students are earning the degree full-time or part-time.
For full-time students, it is possible to complete the program in three to five years. Some online Doctor of Business Administration programs may offer generous transfer credits policies and accelerated degree programs, which can significantly cut down the length of time it needs to complete online DBA programs.
Other schools offer multiple start terms, so it can also affect the time it takes for one to earn their online DBA degree program.
How much does an Online Doctor of Business Administration degree cost?
There is a degree of variance between universities in terms of overall cost due to a number of factors. Some degree programs require fewer credit hours in their curriculum than others.
Some universities may provide books and other course material for free, while students may have to purchase their own with others. Universities may also have differentiated in-state and out-of-state tuition rates, with the latter tending to be higher. Still, some universities may be in cities or states that have a higher overall cost of living, and that will invariably show up in their tuition rates.
A good starting point to get an estimate, meanwhile, would be to use costs per credit hour multiplied by the number of credits in a given course. Online DBA programs have a ballpark range of $600-$1,000 per credit hour and typically have a little more or less than 60 credit hours in total.
Other costs, such as textbooks and technology fees, are then added on, but it’s not unusual for DBA online doctoral degree programs to run into several tens of thousands of dollars for the total costs for the 2-3 years that they last.
Of course, like any graduate degree, there are a number of options students can avail of in order to help them finance their education, aside from the standard financial loans. Here are some of the typical financial aid options that are available.
Who is the DBA program for?
Designed for senior executives and other top business professionals, a DBA program is ideal for those who want to enrich their track record in management and leadership roles. This program is a good choice for senior managers who seek to acquire insights and expertise that will advance their senior roles. This program can also help them develop new business models and strategies through utilizing research and analysis.
What are some common requirements to get into online DBA programs?
Universities will have slight differences in their procedures when reading the fine print, but DBA degree programs will have a standard set of requirements that are also in typical graduate degrees. Standard GPA cutoffs are most often observed, typically around the 3.0 mark. Some universities also require GRE/GMAT/MAT scores, although some waive this requirement or mark them as optional.
Universities will also need proof of having earned the required previous education, i.e., a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree, and official transcripts will be required. More importantly, universities look for a form of quality assurance from applicants, and they would often require/prefer that the previous degrees be awarded by colleges/universities that have regional accreditation.
As an added quality assurance requirement of student applicants, universities often require them to have character references, often as letters of recommendation. Being a terminal degree, there is a degree of selectiveness.
Universities would prefer students who are intellectually/mentally ready for the coming coursework, and they would screen for this using personal essays at the minimum, complemented by subsequent interviews with faculty members.
What are the requirements to successfully earn the Doctor of Business Administration program?
Most online DBA programs have a rigorous curriculum that contains major courses, electives, and research core courses. Most DBA programs require 60 credits, more or less.
While it is typically required to complete the doctoral dissertation process to earn the DBA degree, some programs have alternatives to dissertations. DBA graduates must meet the requirements for graduation, often encompassing a doctoral capstone project or research project.
What are the benefits of completing a web-based doctorate program?
As is the case with DBA doctoral programs, there can be significant associated costs, but there are certainly benefits to pursuing this degree, aligning with everyone’s overall goal of not stagnating.
Being a terminal degree, the title of Doctor of Business Management represents a significant peak of professional achievement. It also implies that the degree holder has substantial experience under their belt within the industry: as with other professional terminal degrees, it dramatically helps if students have a reservoir of experience and insight that they can draw on to get a more meaningful learning experience out of their coursework.
Earning a doctorate degree also opens the door to other opportunities both within a certain industry or in a related field; graduates can add to their expertise and move up to more challenging responsibilities and positions, launch a career as industry consultants, or even take up teaching careers for some.
Meanwhile, online learning may have its tradeoffs, such as losing the unique interactions and overall learning atmosphere that comes with face-to-face classes, but it certainly has its benefits, particularly to typical students of Doctor of Business Administration degrees who are most often busy working professionals.
Online degree programs are specifically tailored to fit their prior professional commitments. These degree programs may follow self-paced or asynchronous models, which means students retain their flexibility by letting them access coursework at their most convenient time.
Some doctor of business administration degree programs may also follow a cohort model, which means they still get to build meaningful partnerships with other students in their cohort, partnerships that they can readily transfer into their professional sphere, as they often come from within the same industry.
No need to worry about educational quality either when it comes to online learning. Online learning may still have some connotations of being of less quality, but they are often held by universities to the same standard as they do with their traditional degree programs.
Programs that have both a traditional and an online delivery format within the same university will invariably follow the same curriculum design, have the same coursework, and be taught by the same faculty.
Key Takeaways
The DBA is a practice-focused degree and is aimed at producing graduates who are business leaders with advanced skill sets. The Ph.D. in Business Administration, meanwhile, is a scholarly-focused degree and produces graduates who work on the theoretical basis of the business management discipline.
DBA programs are often designed with specialization areas, containing specialized courses that cater to student’s specific areas of interest or overall career plans.
Degrees that do not require dissertation research as their final requirement require a capstone project that integrates practice-based applied research. This serves as the first venue for students to put their learning into practice.
