Is A DBA (doctorate In Business Administration) Worth The Cost?

Absolutely, a DBA is respected. However, you have to think about the role you are going to enter into.

If you get an executive DBA or executive PhD, and you think you will get a tenure track faculty position at a major research institution, it is highly unlikely that you can. You will have to build up your research pipeline, and for the most part, it tends to be a bit easier from a major research institution.

However, if you plan on going into industry, or going into administration at a university, you will not have a problem. It is still a terminal degree, and you understand the basics of research.

Why do you feel that it is not respected? The bigger issue is that you are likely looking at programs that are costly for the benefit they give. I would highly recommend that you look at their graduates and where they are going. Then weigh whether the cost of the program is worth it, given the possible outcome.

Check out:

What Do You Learn In A PhD Program (In Business Administration)?

Why Are Doctorate of Business Administration (DBAs) Getting More Popular?

6 Need To Know FAQs About A Doctorate (DBA / PhD of Business Administration) After An MBA

Should I Quit My PhD For A Job? Quitting PhD Regret Or Quitting PhD Best Decision?

Do Professors Travel Often? Do Professors Fly Business Class?

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[myinterest]

I would say fresh graduate are easily to pursue till PhD, but not DBA. DBA required those with work experiences as it is more practical. Some supervisors who supervised a DBA candidates expect that the quality of the thesis/dissertation would be like a PhD. I got a sample of few PhD thesis and compared with some DBA, what I could see was much theories in PhD work with less focus on implementation, practice execution, solving problem and recommendation, but for DBA, less theoretical and emphasize more on practical solution. I'm proud to earned my DBA.

[Sam-kgft]

After I got my DBA I got promotion to an HR director after I was a junior specialist

[AsrifYusoff]

Dr. Dave, your show inspired me to start my own channel on lifelong learning. Thank you.

[RVC]

The problem is that many people don’t know what a DBA is

[fraternallove]

I needed this video. Thank you very much.

[tamashbeen]

Both PhD and DBA are terminal degrees, purely research based and deemed equivalent by higher education regulators. Both can make you eligible for tenure track.
The deal maker or breaker is your publication record, not your degree title.

Also, know that some PhDs would always try to run down DBA based largely on professional envy and frustration. Totally ignore them and march on.

A typical AACSB accredited DBA in USA has over 500 hours of taught courses and seminars before a student is permitted to work on a research dissertation. Students receive extensive statistical training in basic stuff plus things like MLR, HLM, Strucuted Equation Modeling, K-Means Clustering, Timeseries Analysis, Logistic Regression, etc.
Many DBAs would also have real life experience which a PhD both lacks and envies. This would make a difference in student reviews .

DBAs would also have better net worth and ROI. If you take into account opportunity cost, DBA is much cheaper.

DBA also tend to have better social skills and confidence.

DBA would do much better than PhD in navigating interdisciplinary topics.
Although DBA is considered more applied research in nature. There is nothing that prevents you from developing original theory. You have the option to make your dissertation completely PhD like better fitted for academy rather than industry. This is a good option for people from industry who want to permanently transition to academics.

Also, note that in AACSB accredited program you can be taught and supervised by only published faculty members holding doctorates. So you will be taught and guided by high caliber faculty only with track record in getting published in quality journals. A simple PhD with no publications cannot teach in a DBA program

But all of this is true only for an AACSB accredited USA based DBA program. Europeans have a different DBA training model. In general European doctorates, including PhDs, tend to be less rigorous than American ones.

Non accredited DBA programs could be as bad as non accredited PhD programs. Avoid both.

Note: this comment is copied from Quora.

[KimmyTheOne]

DBAs are for the real world CEOs, C-Suite, Directors and the like, but can also work within an academic/classroom setting .... PhDs are solely for the academic/classroom settings.

[naturalcurequest]

Any thoughts on the online DBA program from Liberty University?

[aymanmohamed]

I will start my DBA program from Guglielmo Marconi in Italy Rome is it OK uni, its actually has been accredited from ministry of education Italy any advice plz ?

[kabelomasemolazippy]

Hi @prof dave, what do you think of uniathena integrate dba?

[dominicryangabriel]

Hi, Dr. Dave, I would like your opinion. So, I just finished a Master of Science in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis and I have a BA in Political Science. I have been accepted into a DBA program in one school, and an MBA program in another school. My background is in the social sciences, but I want to begin working in financial crimes, so I have decided to continue my education with a business degree. Considering that I don't have formal education in business, do you think it would be a mistake for me to do the DBA, and should I do the MBA instead? Thank you

[jeffmoliere]

Good research is often stifled by university dissertation advisor oversight. Reasonable advisor oversight was afforded my quantitative method Business Management PhD dissertation. However, I incurred illogical advisor oversight of my DBA dissertation due to the fact that I chose a mixed methods structure. In the end, I was successful.

[Manny-okfv]

What is your take on getting a DBA from University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio? ACBSP accreditation

[ARUNKULKARNIconsultant]

Hello . I have a question on DBA . If I earn this degrees will it be Phd and can I use title Dr and Phd. ?

[gouthamshanker]

Which are the top 20 global DBA schools? I’m unable to get this information from the net.

[Austin-gbcq]

Great post! I think it can also be ideal to earn a practitioner doctorate (DBA, EdD, DNP, etc.) with the intentions of gaining a faculty position IF you are exclusively wanting to teach at a 2 year or non-research institution.

[mahibairiya]

DBA swiss school of business management is a good choice or not? please suggest me

[pxhkknc]

The DHA program at Oklahoma State online is a great option for those wanting to work in healthcare.

[mohamedfahim]

After finish my dba can i put dr in front of my name?

[AhmedKhan-ubtf]

Hello Dave, I'm from india wanted to do doctorate in entrepreneurship.. can you please guide me, I was applying for Swiss via upgrad in project management but still confused, I'm running a start up corporate company so my moto is to learn entrepreneurship