Program Overview

Executive Doctorate in Business Administration

The Executive DBA program is a doctoral level program designed to integrate the theory and practice of business within the context of current issues that the business world faces. The focus is on practical application of scientific and research methods. The program is ideal for executives, aspiring consultants, and "clinical" or applied faculty desiring faculty positions in schools of business. With the Executive DBA (accredited by AACSB), Dolan joins a select list of schools in the nation offering this terminal degree.

Program Objectives

Graduates of this Executive DBA program shall be able to:

• Understand and apply current quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
• Critique organizational practices using theoretical and methodological knowledge
• Understand and utilize relevant theoretical frameworks while solving real business problems

Course List

The program consists of the following courses:

• FIRST YEAR
  • Summer:
    • BUSN 7000: Becoming Scholarly Practitioners (1.5 credits)
  • Fall:
    • BUSN 7100: Understanding the Firm: Theories and Practices (3 credits)
    • BUSN 7500: Quantitative Research Methods (I) (3 credits)
  • Winter:
    • BUSN 7050: DBA Degree and Careers (1.5 credits)
  • Spring:
    • BUSN 7200: Contemporary Topics in Business (3 credits)
    • BUSN 7600: Qualitative Research Methods I (3 credits)
• SECOND YEAR
  • Summer:
    • BUSN 7700: Research Seminar I: Literature Review - Understanding Theory in the Discipline (3 credits)
  • Fall:
    • BUSN 7550: Quantitative Research Methods II (3 credits)
    • BUSN 7710: Research Seminar II: Literature Summary for Research Question of Dissertation (3 credits)
  • Winter:
    • BUSN 7060: University Teaching based on Ignatian Pedagogy (1.5 credits)
  • Spring:
    • BUSN 7650: Qualitative Research Methods II (3 credits)
    • BUSN 7720: Research Seminar III: Hypotheses & Theory Development (3 credits)
• THIRD YEAR
  • Summer:
    • BUSN 7730: Research Seminar IV: Exploring Methodologies for Dissertation (3 credits)
  • Fall:
    • BUSN 7740: Research Seminar V: Methodology for Testing Hypotheses (3 credits)
    • BUSN 7800: Dissertation Proposal Defense (3 credits)
  • Winter:
    • BUSN 7080: Knowledge Dissemination: How to write, submit and publish scholarly papers (1.5 credits)
  • Spring:
    • BUSN 7750: Research Seminar VI: Empirical Testing & Results for Dissertation (3 credits)
    • BUSN 7900: Dissertation Defense (3 credits)

Course Descriptions

• BUSN 7000: Becoming Scholarly Practitioners (1.5 credits) In this course, the students are introduced to the philosophy and process of a doctorate program.
• BUSN 7050: DBA Degree and Careers (1.5 credits) This course is designed to help DBA students to understand better their career choices and/or broaden their perspective of career possibilities.
• BUSN 7060: University Teaching based on Ignatian Pedagogy (1.5 credits) This course introduces students to the art of university teaching and Ignatian pedagogy.
• BUSN 7080: Knowledge Dissemination: How to write, submit and publish scholarly papers (1.5 credits) Since the Executive DBA program is designed to produce practicing scholars, this course aims to develop student's understanding of the importance of disseminating knowledge.
• BUSN 7100: Understanding the Firm: Theories and Practices (3 credits) Understanding the theoretical framework of how firm operates, is essential to identify new areas of study for the modern organization.
• BUSN 7200: Contemporary Topics in Business (3 credits) This course brings together contemporary research topics across the major functional areas of business.
• BUSN 7500: Quantitative Research Methods (I) (3 credits) Quantitative research methods fall into two categories: exploration and testing.
• BUSN 7550: Quantitative Research Methods II (3 credits) This second course in quantitative research methods focuses on the tools, techniques, and approaches of hypothesis testing.
• BUSN 7600: Qualitative Research Methods I (3 credits) Qualitative research seeks to answer questions about the 'what,' 'why,' and 'how' of social phenomena within their natural settings.
• BUSN 7650: Qualitative Research Methods II (3 credits) This second course in qualitative research design and methods provides a hands-on approach to understanding qualitative research methodologies.
• BUSN 7700: Research Seminar I: Literature Review - Understanding Theory in the Discipline (3 credits) In this one-on-one seminar course led by the dissertation chair, students will examine a curated selection of discipline-specific, peer-reviewed journal articles.
• BUSN 7710: Research Seminar II: Literature Summary for Research Question of Dissertation (3 credits) In this instructor led seminar, students will conduct a focused literature review based on the reading list generated at the end of Research Seminar I.
• BUSN 7720: Research Seminar III: Hypotheses & Theory Development (3 credits) In this instructor led seminar, students, in consultation with Dissertation Chair, will develop hypotheses for their research question.
• BUSN 7730: Research Seminar IV: Exploring Methodologies for Dissertation (3 credits) Under the guidance of the dissertation chair, each student will work independently to identify and learn about the methodologies appropriate for their dissertation topic and hypothesis testing.
• BUSN 7740: Research Seminar V: Methodology for Testing Hypotheses (3 credits) Under the guidance of the dissertation chair, students will develop a paper describing their refined research question, the hypotheses to be tested, the data to be analyzed, and the research methodologies to be used.
• BUSN 7750: Research Seminar VI: Empirical Testing & Results for Dissertation (3 credits) Under the guidance of the dissertation chair, students will analyze their data using the appropriate methodologies.
• BUSN 7800: Dissertation Proposal Defense (3 credits) In this course, the students will write, edit and finalize their dissertation proposal.
• BUSN 7900: Dissertation Defense (3 credits) In this course, the students will complete their dissertation.

Total Credits

The total credits required for the program is 48.

*Subject to change with academic planning and scheduling.