Want to Advance in Your Business Career? Look at a DBA

Many aspiring young business leaders seek out MBA degrees in order to gain an early inside career track. For the teaching and research minded, meanwhile, the PhD in business is an invaluable tool for switching over to academia. So where does a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) fit into the equation? For many forward-thinking business professionals, it’s the key to positioning themselves for progressive business success.

Here’s a closer look at four reasons to consider a DBA, along with one program which is setting the standard for this increasingly popular professional degree.

Four Reasons to Consider a DBA

1. It applies workplace research to organizational performance.

While an MBA imbues in students the skills and knowledge they need to begin making an immediate impact in the workplace, the reality is that the business landscape is always changing. So what options exist for business professionals aiming to not only keep up with but to stay ahead of the curves?

While the PhD in business primarily focuses on research theory toward the creation of new knowledge within an academic context, the DBA highlights how the latest research theory can be applied for practice in the workplace. This degree uses a variety of traditional and non-traditional methods to help students acquire practical knowledge which can be applied within the context of the needs of modern industry.

Explains Gary Robinson, Chair of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Program at Concordia University Chicago, “Keeping up with your profession, or, as a business expert aptly put it, 'to always be fit for future action,' is a key responsibility of any business professional.” Enter the DBA.

2. It takes less time to complete.

Many students seeking to advance themselves through academic pursuits balk at the mere mention of the PhD. And with good reason: A PhD takes anywhere between three and 11 years! The DBA, meanwhile, can be completed in as little as two to four years. During this brief but knowledge-packed time, students gain access to the latest business research, theories and trends in order to hone their business proficiency while simultaneously signifying their initiative to employers.

3. It will make you an expert in your field.

While the time investment may be shorter with a DBA than a PhD, the payoffs are profound. DBA grads acquire a tangible set of business-oriented problem-solving, critical thinking and management skills which qualify them to embrace new career opportunities and take on senior level leadership roles.

4. It opens the door to academia.

While the PhD makes sense if your primary goal is to obtain a full-time professorship, the DBA prepares grads for opportunities in academia, as well. For example, while most DBA grads work as professionals in their fields, they are also qualified to take on different roles, including as guest professors and adjunct business faculty. They are also prepared to publish in professional and academic journals -- especially given that the typical DBA curriculum is unilaterally relevant for scholars and business managers alike.

Why the Concordia University Chicago DBA Excels

One example of a DBA program that’s getting it right? Concordia University Chicago(CUC). Designed to help today’s business professionals focus on real-life business challenges while immersing themselves in application-oriented research, CUC’s DBA is acclaimed as one of Chicago’s top programs.

What differentiates CUC from the rest? For starters, there’s its expanding global presence. With the ongoing breakdown of geographic boundaries and shift toward globalization, CUC DBA students are uniquely positioned to develop the perspectives, knowledge, and networks they need to success in the evolving business landscape.

CUC also excels when it comes to innovation which, as Charlene Dunfee, DBA Core Faculty at CUC, reminds us, is not about reform, but about facilitating useful change. Not only does the school offer two unique specializations, “Innovation in Healthcare” and” Leadership and Innovation,” but a commitment to innovation is also interwoven throughout the student experience. For example, students in CUC’s DBA program begin the dissertation process at the beginning of their program of study embodying an unparalleled emphasis on scholarly business research.

Another visionary aspect of CUC? The one-to-one mentoring course. Says Dunfee, "The heart of the CUC DBA is the one-to-one mentoring course room experience.” Not only do mentors offer support from the onset, but also throughout the dissertation journey -- so much so, in fact, that the program’s mantra is “We Can Do This Together.”

Lastly, there’s the reputation of the school itself. It’s widely known that the value of an MBA degree largely relies on the reputation of the conferring institution. For DBAs, this takes on even greater significance. Why? Because as a relatively new degree, the esteem of an internationally accepted institution often directly correlates with the esteem of the degree.

Continues Robinson, “The Concordia-Chicago DBA focuses on three vital areas (a) leading for innovation, (b) honing the student’s capacity to conduct research, generate, and apply analytics, and (c) sharpening the student’s ability to think critically and communicate effectively. These essential skills transcend skills acquired at the master’s level, and enable the professional to adapt to a continuously changing world. Students will earn not only a DBA, but a Concordia-Chicago DBA.”

The takeaway for business leaders in search of the next step? Deciding to do a DBA is only a small part of the big picture. Also essential? Choosing the right school. Concordia University Chicago may be exactly what you’re looking for.