Program Overview

Doctorate in Business Administration

The Doctorate in Business Administration is a terminal degree rooted in relevance and applied research. It is a professional doctorate for those made to do. Our students come from various backgrounds, from executives in multinational companies, and lecturers at several universities to founders of their businesses.

Key Program Features

• Flexible, accelerated study
• Hybrid part-time / 3 years
• A community-based approach to learning
• Dedicated supervisor support
• Global residency rotation
• Access to world-renowned, research-active faculty

Program Overview

The program leverages Hult's experience in teaching practical business education and conducting research in a global context to help experienced businesspeople driven to advance their own careers and shape the future of business. Join your peers in weekly live online sessions and meet in-person, up to four times a year, on one of Hult's global campuses. Graduate in 3 years with a US-accredited doctoral degree and the skills to improve business practice around the world.

Accreditation

The Hult DBA is a US degree, accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a regional accreditation body recognized by the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Hult is recognized by business education's three most prestigious international accrediting bodies: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), Association of MBAs (AMBA), and EQUIS (The European Quality Improvement System).

Curriculum

The Doctorate in Business Administration is a terminal degree that requires advanced research skills leading to a dissertation or thesis and the conferral of a doctoral title. However, DBA programs often focus on the application of theory to a real-world business problem and are aimed at working professionals with years of extensive managerial experience.

Research Proposal

A foundational document in every research journey, serving as a roadmap for scholarly trajectory and paving the way for contribution to knowledge. You'll begin your journey by exploring research philosophy, refining your applied research problem, and evaluating critical literature. Through foundational courses in theory and research methodology, you'll design your proposed research endeavor.

Proposal Defense

Present and defend your research proposal to a panel of faculty members and research experts. You'll have the opportunity to present your proposed research plan, showcase your scholarly abilities, and receive valuable feedback to strengthen your research and enhance the quality of the proposed study in preparation for subsequent data collection and dissertation write-up.

Practicum

From the fourth quarter of your second year up to the end of the third quarter of your final year, you'll have the opportunity to lead workshops for academic audiences. The practicum will focus on the conclusions from your research to date, derived from literature and preliminary primary data collection, and will provide a mechanism for feedback during this phase.

Dissertation

This two-part sequence involves collaborating with your supervisor to compile your empirical findings and integrate pertinent sections of your prior research proposal into your dissertation. You may choose to create a series of papers that will be consolidated into a multi-paper dissertation for the committee, or to produce a monograph. The monograph must contain sufficient content to generate no less than two papers of the caliber required for publication in the Academy of Management (AOM) journals.

Faculty

Faculty at Hult teach and help students apply tools and theories to solve major, contemporary business problems. The faculty selected to teach the Doctorate in Business Administration are award-winning researchers in both academic- and practitioner-related channels.

Faculty Members

• Professor & Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Rosenbaum
• Professor & Supervisor: Dr. Ali Fenwick
• Professor: Dr. Amanda Nimon-Peters
• Professor: Dr. Ted Ladd
• Supervisor: Dr. Katarzyna Bachnik
• Supervisor: Dr. Patricia Hind
• Supervisor: Dr. Vlatka Hlupic
• Supervisor: Dr. Vicki Culpin

Admissions

Candidates for the Doctor of Business Administration program will receive support to generate new knowledge and become scholar-practitioners who can enhance their organization's performance through evidence-based practice.

Admission Requirements

• Candidates without a business-related master's degree must provide evidence of at least 12 postgraduate-level credits in business.
• Supervisor-student matches are communicated to new students immediately after matriculation.

Tuition and Fees

The program costs $99,000, inclusive of the confirmation deposit of $5,000 due two weeks after notification of acceptance. Students are responsible for their residency travel costs. Installment plans are available for up to six payments throughout the program.

FAQs

What is the difference between a PhD and a DBA?

A DBA, like its PhD counterpart, requires advanced research skills that lead to a dissertation or thesis and the conferral of a doctoral title. However, DBA programs often focus on the application of theory to a real-world business problem and are aimed at working professionals with years of extensive managerial experience.

Can I become a professor with this DBA?

The DBA is a terminal degree and academic equivalent of a PhD, EdD, etc. DBA graduates are qualified to begin or continue a career in academia as professors and scholars.