Doctor of Business
Administration (DBA)
in General Business

In this course you will be introduced to the applied business doctoral academic journey. You will explore what it means to become an academic learner. You will compare and contrast the applied degree to a research degree to show which is applicable in differing environments. You will discuss the use of conceptual frameworks and theories in research and be introduced to scholarly writing and reference management. Your course will conclude with you developing a researchable applied business research question and a brief research plan.

Students will analyze and apply knowledge in 12 business areas necessary to address a wide variety of business-related situations. The focus of the course is demonstrating core proficiencies in the following business areas: Marketing, Business Finance, Accounting, Management, Legal Environment of Business, Economics, Business Ethics, Global Dimensions of Business, Information Systems, Quantitative Techniques and Statistics, Leadership, and Business Applications. The intent is not to introduce these core business concepts, but rather to verify a graduate-level threshold competency within each. The course includes a comprehensive case study that will allow students to demonstrate their competency within all 12 professional component areas.

In this course you will explore the ideas and methods for encouraging innovation as part of successful organizational strategic planning. You will use organizational assessment tools to evaluate a company’s human resource practices and assess how strategic planning includes elements of technology and sustainability to ensure competitive advantage in global markets.

Organizations can no longer ignore ethics and social responsibility, including the green movement. Ethics are required by local, state, and federal legislation, and today, more than ever, stakeholders at organizations are being held accountable for their actions and societal harm. Therefore, academic integrity must be carried out from the classroom to the place of business. In a case study format, students in this course will learn about current laws, their applications to business, and how to maintain an ethical perspective within the context of a global framework.

In this course, you will engage in the process of scholarly literature reviews and academic writing. With an emphasis on how to (a) conduct effective literature searches, specifically in preparation for the dissertation, (b) develop a plan for writing comprehensive, critical, and synthesized reviews of research literature, and (c) critically review and write about underlying theory/conceptual frameworks, you will develop a foundation for future research. The overarching goal of this course is for you to conduct an exhaustive search of the peer-reviewed research literature in your topic area and identify potential areas of inquiry for your dissertation.

In this course, you will cultivate a statistical mindset through learning and nurturing skills needed to perform and interpret univariate inferential statistics. The course will facilitate building your statistical confidence in assessing and performing statistics. The course will cover univariate parametric and non-parametric statistical tests, interpretation of statistical output, and introduce skills needed to select statistical tests based on quantitative research questions.

During this course, as a scholar-practitioner, you will build the skills essential for designing quantitative studies; analyzing the data collected in these studies, and interpreting the results of data analyses. You will explore designs and statistical techniques to use with their envisioned dissertation research.

During this course, you will examine qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, mixed methods, and case studies. You will explore designs and methodologies to use with your envisioned research.

The Pre-Candidacy Prospectus is intended to ensure students have mastered knowledge of their discipline prior to candidacy status and demonstrated the ability to design empirical research as an investigator before moving on to the dissertation research coursework. Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesize empirical, peer-reviewed research to support all assignments in this course. The Pre-Candidacy Prospectus is completed only after all foundation, specialization, and research courses have been completed.

Students in this course will be required to complete Chapter 1 of their dissertation proposal including a review of literature with substantiating evidence of the problem, the research purpose and questions, the intended methodological design and approach,  and the significance of the study. A completed, committee approved (against the minimum rubric standards) Chapter 1 is required to pass this course successfully. Students who do not receive approval of Chapter 1 to minimum standards will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of Chapter 1.

Students in this course will be required to work on completing Chapters 1-3 of their dissertation proposal and receive committee approval for the Dissertation Proposal (DP) in order to pass the class. Chapter 2 consists of the literature review. Chapter 3 covers the research methodology method and design and to includes population, sample, measurement instruments, data collection and analysis, limitations, and ethical considerations. In this course, a completed, committee-approved Chapters 2 and 3 are required and, by the end of the course, a final approved dissertation proposal (against the minimum rubric standards). Students who do not receive approval of the dissertation proposal will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of these requirements.

Students in this course will be required to prepare, submit, and obtain approval of their IRB application, collect data, and submit a final study closure form to the IRB. Students still in data collection at the end of the 12-week course will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to complete data collection and file an IRB study closure form.

In this dissertation course students work on completing Chapters 4 and 5 and the final Dissertation Manuscript. Specifically, students will complete their data analysis, prepare their study results, and present their findings in an Oral Defense and a completed manuscript. A completed, Committee approved (against the minimum rubric standards) Dissertation Manuscript and successful Oral Defense are required to complete the course and graduate. Students who do not receive approval for either or both their Dissertation Manuscript or defense can take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of either or both items as needed.

It’s been said that to understand a business, one must understand the financial numbers. This course, building upon a basic understanding of accounting, serves as the springboard for understanding the financial health of a corporation, its operating environment, and the structure of interest rates and yield curves that can affect it. Central to this understanding is the concept of cash flow, where it comes from, and what influences it. Preparing financial statements (something learned in accounting) is not the same as understanding what they can reveal. This course provides the initial building blocks for understanding the financial strengths and weaknesses of a corporation.

In this course, you’ll examine 21st-century supervisory concepts, laws, regulations and HR practices. You’ll explore techniques for motivating employees of a diverse workforce, and you’ll evaluate the role of supervisors in organizational planning.

An examination of the social, ethical, economic, and political changes of different countries on the global business environment. The focus is on developing higher-level thinking skills and an ability to critically evaluate the differences in conducting business in various global markets. You’ll be assessed on your critical-thinking and decision-making skills in resolving complex research issues faced by managers when conducting business in different global markets.

In this course, you’ll explore the role of leadership and strategic decision-making in global business. Specifically, you’ll focus on corporate governance, key characteristics of a contemporary leader in the global/technological age, and best practices for overcoming the challenges to organizational success.

This course addresses the management decisions of multinational enterprises (MNEs) that enhance success in a global economy. You’ll evaluate decision-making skills and situations faced by managers of MNEs to meet the challenges of global business environments. Global strategy, structures, and strategic management are all examined and practiced.