Offering Campuses
Argosy University, Atlanta; Argosy University, Chicago; Argosy University, Dallas; Argosy University, Denver; Argosy University, Hawai’i; Argosy University, Inland Empire; Argosy University, Los Angeles; Argosy University, Nashville; Argosy University, Orange County; Argosy University, Phoenix; Argosy University, Salt Lake City; Argosy University, San Diego; Argosy University, San Francisco Bay Area; Argosy University, Sarasota; Argosy University, Schaumburg; Argosy University, Seattle; Argosy University, Tampa; Argosy University, Twin Cities; Argosy University, Washington DC
Program Overview
In the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program, industry and academic professionals have the opportunity to build upon master’s-level competencies, skills, and knowledge. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to perform more effectively in existing professional roles, to qualify for roles with increasing responsibility, to start their own business, or develop capabilities for a second career in consulting or teaching at the college level.
The DBA degree program is scheduled to enable busy professionals in balancing the demands of career, family, and school. Students can meet the program’s requirements by completing courses in- residence and online. Check with your Argosy University campus for additional information on course formats available.
The DBA degree program consists of five research foundation courses, six core courses, four concentration courses, one elective course, and twelve credit hours in dissertation study.
The following DBA concentrations are offered:
- Accounting
- International Business
- Management
- Marketing
In addition, with approval of the student’s program chair, a student may select four courses (12 credit hours) to create a customized concentration that better fits their specific career goals.
Students must also successfully complete the Doctoral Qualifying Examination. The Doctoral Qualifying Examination is taken following the successful completion of all core course work prior to moving into the doctoral research process.
Program Learning Outcomes
Core Requirements
Outcome One: Strategic Thinking
Evaluate business issues and trends brought forth by economic globalization, to generate strategies that sustain long-term business success.
Outcome Two: Divergent Thinking
Analyze and prioritize the needs of diverse stakeholders in business situations to recommend innovative, feasible, ethical, and legal actions.
Outcome Three: Professional Communication
Synthesize and communicate in a professional manner complex information that is concise, clear, organized and well supported, appropriate to each business situation.
Outcome Four: Informed Decision-Making
Evaluate and apply relevant academic and professional literature to make evidence-based decisions in cross-cultural business environments.
Outcome Five: Research
Design, conduct, and justify applied research in the area of specialization to foster positive change in organizations and communities.
Outcome Six: Professional Focus
Concentration Requirements
Outcome 6.1: Accounting
Evaluate the results of accounting research and analyses to determine appropriate business actions for meeting organizational goals.
Outcome 6.2: International Business
Evaluate current research and practices in the global market place and analyze worldwide drivers of business success to recommend sound and responsible organizational strategies.
Outcome 6.3: Marketing
Analyze the foundation and development of marketing and consumer behavior theory and practice to strengthen the marketing function in modern organizations.
Outcome 6.4: Management
Evaluate management research and current practices to develop employees and systems that sustain competitive and responsible organizations in changing environments.
Admission Requirements
- A master’s degree in business administration, management, public or non-profit management, engineering management, JD, LLM, or other degree demonstrating exposure to managerial knowledge; the degree must be awarded by a regionally accredited institution, nationally accredited institution approved and documented by the dean of the Graduate School of Business and Management, or an appropriately certified foreign institution.
- At least three (3) graduate semester credits or six (6) undergraduate semester credits in each of the following: accounting, finance, economics1
- To be eligible to select the accounting concentration, applicants must have twelve (12) graduate semester credits in accounting.
- A grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) in work leading to the master’s degree, and in any subsequent graduate study
- At least three (3) years and preferably five (5) years of full-time managerial or professional experience, demonstrated by a recently updated resume or an online professional profile. If not currently employed, the applicant has to show active participation in professional organizations.
- A minimum score on an Argosy University pre-approved English language proficiency test is required for all applicants whose native language is not English or who have not graduated from an institution at which English is the language of instruction as specified in Section Five, Admission Policies, “English Language Proficiency Policy .”
All applications for admission must be submitted to the Admissions Department. An admissions representative is available to help interested applicants complete the following required documentation:
- Completed Application for Admission Form
- Application fee (Non-refundable, except in Arizona. In the state of Arizona, the application fee is refundable if the application is canceled within three business days of the applicant signing the Enrollment Agreement.)
- Documentation of managerial experience and participation in a professional organization
- Official transcripts from the institution that conferred the master’s degree and any institutions where graduate coursework was subsequently taken. Bachelor’s level transcripts are not required.2
Notes
1Students may be accepted into the DBA degree program without these functional courses but must complete designated master’s level course work in these fields prior to beginning the DBA degree program coursework. Tuition for prerequisite courses is the same as tuition for doctoral courses.
2Undergraduate transcripts might be needed to demonstrate fulfillment of prerequisites.
Graduation Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of all requirements in the program of study developed in consultation with the program chair.
- Satisfactory completion of at least 60 semester credit hours distributed as follows:
- 15 credit hours, Research Requirements
- 18 credit hours, Core Course Requirements
- 12 credit hours, Concentration Requirements
- 3 credit hours, Elective Requirements
- 12 credit hours, Doctoral Research Requirements
- A minimum grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) and a grade of “B-” or better in all courses
- Satisfactory performance on the Doctoral Qualifying Exam
- Successful completion and defense of the Doctoral Research Project
- Completion of these requirements within seven years of matriculation into the program
- A completed Petition to Graduate submitted to campus administration
