Doctoral Degrees in Business

Doctoral programs, which typically involve five to six years of graduate school, will provide you with extensive knowledge of the modern business world and enhance your leadership abilities.
 
Pursuing a doctorate in business prepares you to be a valuable, contributing member of a teaching faculty and to conduct original, meaningful research in the business field.

Online Doctoral Degrees
Online doctoral degrees are available for those who wish to pursue this advanced level of education at their own pace. Because earning a business degree requires a great deal of research and oftentimes mentorship, most online colleges offer a mix of online and in-class (or teacher-student interaction) opportunities.

Common types of doctoral degree programs available online are:

  • business and technology
  • education
  • human services (social work, counseling, public safety, etc.)
  • psychology.

Earning Your Degree

During the first three years of graduate school, you will take courses to satisfy basic academic requirements. You may also be required to participate in a teaching or research internship, although most of these positions are generally held by students in their fourth, fifth or sixth years of graduate school. Eventually, you’ll begin to focus on your own research and complete your thesis. At the end of each year, you will be required to take exams that will demonstrate your qualifications to continue with doctoral work.
 
During the final three years of study, you will begin work on your doctoral dissertation. The dissertation must constitute a new contribution in your field. The program will culminate with the completion of your dissertation, which may mean that you have to verbally defend your thesis work to a faculty committee.

Doctor of Business Administration

A Doctor of Business Administration is a research doctorate that focuses on business practices or applied business issues pertaining directly to the student’s profession or business. Types of doctoral degrees in business may focus on:
  • economics
  • finance
  • management science
  • organizational behavior
  • technology management.

Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership

In a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership program, students master leadership skills. They will demonstrate competence in current organizational environments and develop the qualities of strong business leaders.
 
Students are encouraged to think critically about the current structure of their field and create innovative applications while contributing new ideas. With this doctoral degree, you can run anything from project teams to entire companies.

Pursuing a Doctoral Degree: A Long-Term Commitment

Knowledge and experience is not something that will come overnight. Becoming a strong leader or pursuing research that could change the direction of your field requires great desire and dedication. Consequently, pursuing any category of doctoral degrees is a big commitment, but it will provide you with the skills necessary to make a lasting contribution to your field.

Resources

The Princeton Review (n.d.). Master’s and Doctoral Degrees Explained. Retrieved March 22, 2008, from The Princeton Review Web site: http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/
research/articles/decide/degrees.asp.