Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA): What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career

DBA (Doctorate of Business Administration) is the highest academic degree in the business field. It is designed for individuals who already hold a Master’s degree and want to further develop their research, strategic, and leadership skills. Unlike an MBA degree, which will enhance your general management skills, a DBA is intended for executives, consultants, and even academics who work in a Business-related environment and want to strengthen their research skills to solve complex problems in real-life business situations. In general, several universities already offer DBA degrees, for example, National Louis University (NLU). In NLU, the DBA degree is offered by NLU’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership.

What Is a DBA?

A DBA program is typically designed to be completed in 50-65 credits, depending on the university, which can be taken by full-time students in as little as 3 years or working professionals in as little as 4 years. Many programs today are offered in a blended format, combining online study with in-residence meetings and workshops lasting from a few days to a week or more. Workshops and meetings can be held on the university’s campus or at an off-campus location close to home or work, which is more practical for many students.

The National Louis University's Doctorate of Business Administration program is designed for students to complete the 60-credit-hour program in about four years, with online coursework and three-day on-campus immersion per term delivered at NLU’s Tampa, Florida, campus. Full-time students are expected to complete the DBA in three to four years.

Why Pursue a DBA?

Professionals typically seek out a DBA in order to gain qualifications that will enable them to take on C-Suite roles within their current organizations, in order to make a transition from industry to full-time academia/research in a business faculty, in order to build sufficient ‘currency’ in order to establish themselves as consultants, as published authors, or as ‘thought leaders’ in specific industries, or in order to establish a sufficient degree of rigor in their current roles in order to tackle particularly complex organizational problems through the application of evidence-based research.

DBA Graduates Leave with More than a Degree – Useful Applied Research for Executive Roles, as Well as for Researching and Writing to Publish in Academic Journals. Another Key Value is that of Networking. DBA students are accomplished, mid-career, and senior business professionals working in their respective countries around the world, all seeking to increase their Organizational Impact, advance their Research Skills, and learn from and network with others with similar interests and goals. Due to the nature of DBA programs, there are only a few students in a typical cohort, all of whom are high achievers. These are relationships that often continue after students complete their degree work, often leading to Board seats, Collaborative Research, and even Contracted-Out Consulting work.

DBA vs. Ph.D. in Business

DBA vs. Ph.D. in Business: Two Terminal Degrees That Differ in Orientation and Academic Goal. In summary, a DBA focuses on applied research designed to solve problems within organizations. Hence, DBA is designed for working executives, consultants, and practitioner-scholars. A Ph.D. in business focuses on original research aimed at contributing to business knowledge. The major goal of a Ph.D. student in business is to develop into a competent and productive academic who can teach in a university setting and produce publications to achieve tenure. Some DBA graduates also become faculty members of universities and colleges, but their academic orientation is applied rather than theoretical.

Key Questions About the DBA

What are the typical admissions requirements?

Admissions requirements for DBA programs typically include prior completion of a Master’s degree, preferably with prior academic experience in business (e.g., a Master of Business Administration or related graduate degree). So, for example, someone with a Master’s degree in Engineering but no subsequent Business graduate degree would need to check individual program criteria before applying for a DBA.

How long does a DBA take?

DBAs are typically completed by full-time students within a three- to-four year time frame. The program structure allows working professionals to continue their studies in a predictable format by completing online coursework between short periods of time spent at residencies held around the world.

Do I have to relocate to complete the degree?

The format of study varies by program, but generally can be studied from anywhere. The occasional short periods of study at a campus (a few days or weeks) are organized by the program as so-called ‘residencies’. Online study between periods of study at a campus will generally take up the majority of the time studying for your DBA.

What does an applied dissertation involve?

An applied DBA dissertation consists of doctoral-level research applied to an organizational problem within a company. The research can be done in the student’s workplace, thus connecting practice and research. Business practicum courses that test the research in practice are typically required as well. The student also writes a dissertation under the guidance of a faculty member.

Will I have to write a traditional academic dissertation?

No. DBA programs have an applied business practicum in place of the more traditional dissertation that academics write for publication. Thus, working professionals can complete a DBA dissertation that includes research they can use in their organization to resolve a pressing problem.

How the Curriculum Is Typically Structured

Most DBA programs consist of four program blocks of study: Core, Research, Concentration, and Dissertation. Each block of study is outlined in greater detail below to provide prospective students with a clear and comprehensive overview of what to expect from most DBA programs.

• Core courses — advanced study in leadership, strategic management, organizational theory, and executive decision-making
• Research courses — quantitative and qualitative research methods, statistics, and research design
• Concentration courses — advanced study in a specific business discipline.
• Dissertation Courses (12 hrs) - Students will go through the processes of writing an applied dissertation with support from faculty and other students writing their dissertations as well.
• NLU’s DBA curriculum as structured at 21 semester hours of Core DBA Courses, 15 hours of Research Methods Courses, 12 hours of DBA Concentration in Management Courses, and 12 hours of Dissertation (DBA701-DBA706) Courses, for a total of 60 hours of study.

Evaluating a DBA Program

DBA programs can vary significantly in the factors and criteria that prospective students evaluate when selecting among alternative DBA programs. Potential factors include: 1. Program delivery formats. Examples of program delivery formats are: fully online DBA programs, blended (or hybrid) DBA programs that comprise a mix of online coursework plus scheduled in-residence (or “residency”) meetings, and DBA programs that are fully campus-based (as opposed to online). 2. The length of time required to complete the DBA program’s research-based (or “dissertation”) component. 3. The prior accreditations awarded to the business school within a University that now offers a DBA program. The number of faculty members and current doctoral students who are part of the DBA program at a University. This factor relates directly to another factor: the extent to which the Program can ensure that, during the “dissertation phase” of studies (i.e., during the time that is spent researching, writing up, and defending the student’s DBA dissertation), each student will have ready access to his/her Program Faculty members for guidance and other forms of support as required. DBA programs with small student cohorts are likely to offer students greater access to faculty than programs with larger cohorts.

The cost of attending DBA programs is quite high; therefore, the time required to complete coursework needs to be factored in by those considering a DBA program offered by business schools. Programs that deliver blended formats rather than weeks- or even months-long residencies can save students a lot of time, since residencies are held every few months. Between these residencies, there is ample time to pursue other aspects of students’ lives and continue earning good money in their full-time jobs.

Career Outcomes

DBA graduates go on to assume senior-level roles in industry and academia. Within the industry, students assume senior-level roles as well as C-suite positions. These positions include CEO, COO, CSO, VP of Operations, and senior-level management consultant. The analysis and research skills developed during a DBA program are directly applicable to these roles. A DBA graduate is typically paid in the upper tier of compensation for his or her experience and for the skills that he or she brings to bear on the organization’s strategic issues. See the BLS for the Occupational Outlook Handbook for Top Executives for information about compensation and growth for these roles.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Top Executives for current wage and outlook data.

Finally, upon completion of the DBA program, a graduate is equipped to pursue a career in academia, such as teaching at a university, particularly in a Business School. Other alternatives include independent consulting, serving as an expert witness, or even working as a corporate trainer. It is worth noting that the DBA’s value is in the long run. Yes, upon hiring, the value is significant; however, it continues to open up many opportunities in the years to follow, i.e., board membership, speaking engagements, published research, and even adjunct or full-time faculty positions, as well as corresponding consulting engagements that specifically require a holder of a DBA degree to provide expert services.

The DBA degree, like any academic degree, has value that can accumulate throughout one’s career, but that value will only manifest itself years down the line. For example, a DBA holder could expect to be considered for a variety of roles that would otherwise be closed off to them, such as becoming a member of a board of directors, speaking at conferences, publishing their own research, taking on an adjunct or even full faculty role at a university, and acting as a consultant, all of which would require the holder of a DBA to bring a certain level of doctoral level expertise to the table.

The DBA at National Louis University

The DBA at National Louis University It is a 60-credit-hour program designed to be completed in approximately 4 years by students attending full-time. DBA students take courses online, with one three-day on-campus immersive per term held at the NLU Tampa, Florida campus. DBA students must hold a Master’s degree in Business Administration (or related discipline) prior to admission to the DBA program. The Business Practicum is a required component of the DBA program. The DBA dissertation is rooted in applied research that addresses real organizational problems, rather than in theoretical studies.