Program Description
The Marshall University Doctor of Business Administration program is a research-based doctoral program that combines a disciplined approach to scholarship with a focus on compelling problems of practice. Students will study seminal and contemporary business literature to develop research questions in their area of interest. They will perform literature reviews, design and perform research studies, analyze data, and draw relevant conclusions that affect economic development and business innovation. Students will choose a concentration that focuses on one broad business area, and they will be required to complete a proposal and dissertation as part of the program.
Duration of Degree Program
The proposed D.B.A. program is a 66-credit hour cohort program extending over three years with the course work completed during the first two years. The third year is devoted to the completion of the dissertation. There is no part-time option. The entry term is in August (Fall Semester).
Concentrations
There are three concentration areas to choose from, accounting, health care management, or management and entrepreneurship. Students must declare one of these concentration areas when entering the program and finalize their choice during the first semester of study. D.B.A. program students will be required to attend two academic conferences related to their concentration area that are approved by the D.B.A. Program Committee.
Dissertation
D.B.A. program students will complete and submit a doctoral dissertation to their Dissertation Committee. The D.B.A. dissertation will need to show relevance to practice, consistency with the appropriate literature, and have appropriate methodology and analysis to support the conclusions drawn. Research at the doctoral level should contribute to knowledge in the student's discipline and should demonstrate the student's ability to develop and carry out independent research. Students must submit all research involving the use of human subjects to Marshall's Institutional Review Board for review and approval.
Students will take the dissertation courses (DBA 791) both semesters of the third year upon satisfactory completion of all other coursework and the proposal defense. These courses require students to work toward completing their proposed research and writing a dissertation about the research and findings. Students must defend their dissertation upon completion of the 18 dissertation credit hours.
Grades and Time Frame
Proposal and dissertation courses are graded pass/fail. Students must pass these courses and complete all other courses with a grade of "B" or better. Should a student fail to pass or complete a course with the required grade, the DBA Program Committee may offer an alternative activity as a substitute or place the student on academic probtion that, in some circumstances, could lead to dismissal from the program. Students must enroll in, and pay for, additional Dissertation (DBA 791) credits if they do not complete their dissertation after the 66 required hours. The D.B.A. Program Committee will handle other delays in progress on a case-by-case basis. Students must complete the D.B.A. dissertation and program within six years of admittance to the program.
Program Delivery
Classes in the proposed D.B.A. program will be delivered using the hybrid method that includes both online and face-to-face interactions. The face-to-face portion of the classes will be scheduled to meet approximately two times during the fall and spring semesters, and once in the summer semester (e.g., fall term: September and November, spring term: February and April, summer term: June). These face-to-face classes will be scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays and will consist of approximately 12 to 15 hours of instruction. The remainder of the instruction and coursework will be completed online using Marshall's MUOnline learning platform. These online courses will be delivered asynchronously so that each student may work at a personal pace. Students will be required to possess a personal computer that is compatible with MU software for completion of the coursework.
Admission Requirements
The program will admit students every fall semester in a cohort. Students must meet all MU requirements for admission and be admitted to graduate study. Please refer to the Graduate Studies webpage at http://www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission.
The admission process for the D.B.A. program will be competitive and will emphasize academic ability, professional work experience, and other indicators of potential for program success. The D.B.A. Program Committee will consider the following items as preferred qualifications:
- A completed master's degree in business or a related area from an appropriately accredited institution (must have a bachelor's degree at minimum};
- GMAT or GRE scores;
- Relevant professional and/or senior level management experience; and
- Other evidence of achievements and experience including written or oral contributions to the field of expertise, professional certifications, professional development programs, and awards/honors.
The D.B.A. Program Committee is more likely to consider candidates for admission to the program if they have more of these qualifications. The materials that are required in the application package include:
- A cover letter and resume listing and describing the applicant's academic and work experience, and other qualifications;
- A personal interest statement that is 4 to 5 pages in length and explains the candidate's objectives for joining the program, goals upon graduation, potential research questions of interest, and how the candidate's work experience will contribute to this research;
- Academic transcripts showing all undergraduate work and graduate work, if applicable; and
- Three letters of recommendation.
The D.B.A. Program Committee will review all documents to identify candidates who have a high likelihood of succeeding in the program. The D.B.A. Program Committee will interview these candidates before making a final offer.
