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July 7, 2022

All About a PhD in Business Administration

The PhD in Business Program at a Glance

Here are some quick statistics about the business PhD program to help you gauge what you’ll need to do to complete your doctoral degree program.

Credits needed to graduate:	90
Number of specialization classes:	5
Number of core classes:	8
Number of elective classes:	5
Number of research and dissertation credits needed to graduate:	36
Hours in class per week:	9
Median weekly income of doctoral degree-holder (BLS, 2022):	$1,909

What Does a Business PhD Program Entail?

Business degree doctoral programs prepare students to conduct highly specialized scholarly research. Most graduates with a PhD in business enter careers as university researchers and professors or as senior researches, leaders or consultants in business or government.

Business PhD programs are typically research-centric with a focus on the development of new theories in management, economics and related fields. Specialized areas of study include the following:

• Accounting
• Economics
• Finance
• Human development (in organizational settings)
• Information systems
• Leadership and organizational change
• Operations research
• Organizational systems

Students pursuing a PhD in business work closely with a faculty adviser who is a recognized scholar or practitioner in the field. The faculty mentor and student collaborate on research projects, meet regularly to design and develop the student’s dissertation theory and research, and may co-produce papers for publication. The doctoral dissertation is the culminating product of a business degree doctoral program, and it is generally accompanied by a comprehensive exam or a series of exams.

Most schools require their PhD candidates to gain teaching experience in order to obtain their degree; students generally do so by working as a teaching assistant for their faculty mentor. Candidates may also elect to take on additional teaching assignments through their university.

_{Source:  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Education Pays}

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DBA vs. PhD in Business Administration Programs

DBA vs. PhD in Business Administration Programs

The DBA vs. PhD in Business Administration are very similar in most respects:

• They are “academically equivalent”
• Both entail rigorous courses of study with a heavy emphasis on research
• Students must write and defend a doctoral dissertation, in addition to taking a comprehensive exam

The DBA and PhD are generally designed to prepare students for academic careers, either in teaching or research or both. There is no hard and fast rule about which degree you need in order to be hired by a university, but you should make sure your graduate program has been accredited when doing your due diligence and researching schools.

PhD in Business of Administration

PhD programs in business focus intensively on preparing candidates for academic careers and to conduct highly specialized scholarly research, both in theory and application.

They focus on the development of new theory in management, public administration, consulting, economics and several other related business fields.

Most PhD in Business Administration graduates lead careers as university researchers and professors or as senior researchers in business or government.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs focus on the application of theory rather than on the development of new theory, which is geared more to the PhD program. While also intended to prepare graduates for academic careers, the Doctor of Business Administration, by virtue of its focus on application of theory, has more practical application in managerial settings than the PhD.

As such, the DBA is designed to provide business professionals and executives with advanced research skills and tools.