Program Overview

Executive PhD in Business Administration

The Executive PhD in Business Administration program at Florida Atlantic University's AACSB-accredited College of Business is designed for senior-level professionals with extensive industry experience who are looking to earn the highest academic degree in business while continuing to advance their full-time careers.

Program Overview

The research-intensive Executive PhD is an 80-credit hour cohort-structured degree program taught by the high-caliber and active research faculty at FAU's College of Business and can be completed in three or four year tracks. The Executive PhD program focuses on developing mastery of advanced research methodologies and in-depth analytical skills empowering you to become a more effective executive.

Program Details

• The program allows individuals to focus their program in the following business research areas: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Technology, Management, or Marketing.
• In an executive format, you will learn how to merge your business knowledge and experience with academic rigor to conduct and interpret business research, make evidence-based evaluations to solve today's complex business challenges, and create data-driven strategies for tomorrow's business opportunities.
• An additional component of our executive format is our hybrid delivery of instruction, in which students may attend live in-person or live online, with the requirement of two in-person residency weekends during the fall and spring semesters and once each summer session (five residency weekends per academic year).
• The residencies provide the opportunity for students to collaborate with our research faculty and their senior professional peers.

Why an Executive PhD in Business Administration?

The Executive PhD in Business Administration is a professional doctoral program customized for senior managers, high-potential leaders, and C-suite professionals who want to become subject matter experts in their industries, highly valued thought leaders with fresh insights, and contributors of new knowledge and best practices to transform the future business landscape.

Benefits of the Program

• Business: Enhance your career with educational credentials and apply research competencies to advance to higher-level positions in your organization.
• Consulting: Apply your methodological and analytical skills to research-oriented consulting positions.
• Government/Think Tanks: Contribute your understanding of research methodologies and skills to government agencies or to identifying and analyzing industry challenges for influential think tanks.

Why an Executive PhD at Florida Atlantic University's College of Business?

• FAU's College of Business is one of the few AACSB-accredited business schools in the United States to offer a PhD in business in the executive format, and the first in Florida.
• Our Executive PhD program offers academic excellence in an executive learning environment.
• Pursuing an advanced degree via a cohort-structured and career-friendly format, students are instructed and advised by high-caliber research faculty, receive VIP concierge support service designed for student success, and have access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge business resources.

Program Structure

• FAU's College of Business is AACSB-accredited, the highest accreditation distinction for business schools around the world and earned by only the top 5% of the world's leading business colleges.
• Executive Format: Earn your degree in three years. Attend a minimum of five weekend residencies each of the first two years; the third year consists of independent research with limited on-campus visits (as determined by individual dissertation committees).
• Cohort-structured Classes: Benefit by extending your network to include professionals sharing a similar high-level of experience and common goal of professional advancement.
• FAU's College of Business Faculty: High-caliber, research-active, and business-minded faculty serve as instructors and faculty advisors for the Executive PhD program.
• Faculty Advisors: We are as much a program of individual mentoring as one of courses and predetermined requirements. In the first year, each doctoral student works with a Faculty member who supervises the summer research project, as needed, as well as gives general guidance concerning academic and career development.

Additional Programs

Executive MBA

Designed for professionals with at least 5 years of managerial experience and an undergraduate degree in any discipline, the Executive MBA program includes a concentration in International Business. Classes for this program are held every third weekend for 23 months.

Online MBA

Designed for working professionals with undergraduate business degrees, the Online MBA program is a 23-month, 40-46 credit degree program; classes are fully online and the program features a concentration in International Business.

Professional MBA

Designed for working professionals with undergraduate business degrees, the Professional MBA program is a 23-month, 40-46 credit degree program. Classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and the program features a concentration in International Business.

MBA in Sport Management

Florida's original AACSB-accredited MBA - Sport Management degree program is offered both through on-campus classes in Boca Raton, Florida and online classes that can be taken from anywhere in the world.

MS Finance

The Office of Executive Education offers a comprehensive Master of Science in Finance Degree Program. The MS in Finance is a cohort program designed for working finance executives and professionals.

Executive Master of Health Administration

The Executive Master of Health Administration program is a full-service, all-inclusive, cohort program in a 15-month, 4-semester lockstep format. Classes are held Monday and Wednesday Evenings from 6:15pm-10:00pm.

Executive Master of Accounting

The Executive Masters of Accounting offers concentrations in Forensic Accounting, Business Valuation, and Digital Forensics, among others.

Executive Master of Taxation

Offered Saturdays at FAU's Fort Lauderdale campus, online or both, this two-year Executive Master of Taxation program offers students the chance to study under nationally prominent faculty at a college ranked in the top 10 for CPA examination pass rates.

Accreditation and Rankings

• Ranked among the best online veteran MBA programs
• Ranked among the best online graduate programs for veterans in business
• Ranked among the best online MBA programs in business
• Executive Education Professional Development Programs: No. 1 in Florida and No. 4 in the U.S.
• Best MBA in Sport Management: Top-10 in the world according to SportBusiness
• AACSB Accreditation: Proud member of AACSB, the premier accreditation agency for business schools
• Best Business Programs: Ranked among the best business programs
• Best National Universities: Ranked among the best universities
• R1 Distinction: Top-tier research university
• Best Business Programs: Ranked among the best business programs
• Best Graduate Schools in Business: Ranked among the best part-time MBA in business
• Top-50 in Undergrad Entrepreneurship: Fifth consecutive ranking from The Princeton Review
• Top-50 in Graduate Entrepreneurship: Fifth consecutive ranking from The Princeton Review
• Best International Business: No. 23 undergrad. by U.S. News & World Report
• Best Online Bachelor's in Business: Ranked among the best online bachelor's in business
• ACTA Oases of Excellence: Phil Smith, Adams, and Madden Centers named ACTA Oases of Excellence
• Best Part-Time MBA Program: Ranked among the best part-time MBA programs