Push the boundaries of your career. Change the business landscape. Be impactful.

Nobody makes it as far as you have in the business world without having drive and determination. An executive Ph.D. in business management couples that tenacity with advanced business knowledge and skills, giving you the chance to push beyond your career's current boundaries and create brand-new expectations for yourself and your organization.

An executive Ph.D. degree in business management is the highest academic credential attainable in the field of business. The degree is typically designed to prepare candidates for careers in academia, research, and other roles that require complex problem-solving. To that end, our hybrid-format online Ph.D. in business program at Cumberlands focuses on original research and developing new theories to further the body of knowledge in your discipline. If you think you have what it takes, and if you want to advance your business career even further, take this as your sign to consider pursuing an Executive Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management at University of the Cumberlands.

Anchor: Stats

By the Numbers

$189,520

Average Salary

5%

Industry Growth

100%

Student-Focused

30

Max Class Size
Anchor: Programs & Requirements
Programs & Requirements

Programs & Requirements

Executive Doctor of Philosophy in Business Management

The Executive Ph.D. Business Management from University of the Cumberlands will impart the skills you need to stay at the cutting edge of innovations in business, along with the tools you need to teach at postsecondary institutions. In this Ph.D. program you’ll learn the business philosophy, critical thinking skills, and evidence-based practices necessary to excel in any teaching, research, or business roles.

This hybrid Ph.D. graduate degree in business builds on your undergraduate and graduate work and your practical, real-world business experience. Along with professional research courses, you’ll take core business courses in areas ranging from comparative economics and corporate finance to managerial ethics and social responsibility.

Curriculum for this Executive Ph.D. Business Management program — including all coursework and field and clinical experiences — will engage you in the theories, strategies, and tactics you need to:

  • Research and attain business discipline-specific knowledge and competencies
  • Develop business-related professional skills—from communication to collaboration
  • Assess your personal values, connecting them with ethical business and research behaviors

Course Requirements

A content specialty area of at least twenty-four (24) hours must be earned in one of these disciplines:

  • Accounting
  • Blockchain
  • Business Analytics
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance
  • Healthcare Administration
  • Marketing
  • Project Management
  • Public Administration
  • Strategic Management
  • Supply Chain Management

For a full list of course offerings or more program-specific information, visit our Academic Catalog

INTR 799/899 - Applied Learning Practicum

For executive format students, the applied learning component (internship/practicum) is established as an integral (essential) part of the established curriculum.  Due to the applied learning component required for the degree program, executive format students must enroll in INTR every term of enrollment. 

Anchor: Executive Student Resources
Executive students walking toward graduation ceremony

Executive Student Resources

UC's Department of International Graduate Services enjoys providing support resources for our international students. Find tutorials and information regarding offices and policies for the International Graduate Students and programs.

Executive Program Format

Our Executive Programs include hybrid course days designed for international graduate students studying in the U.S., or domestic students seeking a hybrid-format program.  We strive to incorporate professional experience and real-world application of course curriculum into our programs to enhance the learning experience.  Practical Training is an integral part of program coursework and available to all students.  At the University of the Cumberlands our degree programs focus on quality education at an affordable price.

Executive Program students take three (3) courses per semester.  The program semester is based on the existing UC semester calendar, with three (3) annual semesters: fall, spring, and summer.  Two of the courses each semester focus on the specific program content.  Additionally, students will be required to attend an intensive residency weekend as part of their course enrollment each term.  The third class includes an Applied Learning Practicum, in which students apply what they are learning in their other two courses to the real world via work or internship experiences.

Residency FAQs

Residency Session dates are determined by the course that you are registered for. It is very important that you make note of the class you registered for, as well as the designated residency weekend for that course as each course will only meet one weekend for the duration of the semester.

Even though we will only be meeting one weekend per semester, we will have the same number of contact hours with you. This will enable the instructors to make residency weekends much more valuable. This change will allow us to have meaningful projects on residency weekends.

You can view your semester schedule in your self-service portal in your Student Profile. Once you log into your MyUC account, click on Academics, then click on Current Schedule. Your schedule details will indicate the date and location of your residency weekend.

You can find information on the residency site locations on our website.

Yes, all three days are mandatory, and requests to arrive late or leave early will not be approved. Should you not be in attendance for the full session, you will be counted absent for the entire session. Please plan travel accordingly!

Attendance to each executive residency class session is mandatory. Students may make up no more than one (1) residency session throughout the duration of their academic program. Missing a second residency will result in the student being dismissed from the university.

A missed session will result in the student attending a make-up session, and paying a $300 residency make-up fee. In addition, the student may be asked for documentation from the program department providing an explanation as to why the scheduled residency session was missed. Make-up sessions must be completed prior to the end of the term. Noncompliance with this policy will result in dismissal from the executive program.

Make-up residency sessions will be held at our campus in Williamsburg, KY. You will be contacted with the time and dates after your absence is reported. There will only be one (1) residency make-up session offered each semester. Failure to attend all days of the makeup session will result in receiving a failing grade for the course, as well as potential dismissal from the University, and SEVIS termination. 

If you cannot be in attendance for all three days then you will be counted absent for the entire residency weekend and be required to attend the make-up residency and pay the $300 make-up fee.

The Department of International Graduate Services will contact you via your UC student email as registration for the next term approaches. Please remember that you are required to register for (one) main class, (one) online class, and Applied Learning Practicum each semester in order to maintain your F1 status – late registration will not be accepted and can result in the termination of your student status. 

Once you register for a class you will want to make note of the residency weekend that your class is scheduled, as that is the only session for that class that will be scheduled for the semester. You will need to be sure to plan your travel accordingly to ensure that you are in attendance for the full residency session.

Registration is done on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once a course is full, there will not be additional seats added, as we cannot exceed classroom seating capacity; therefore, it is advised that you register for classes as much in advance as possible. As a reminder, students cannot register for future semesters until their current tuition balance is paid in full.

*Please note all times are in local time zone*

Friday

Facility will open at 4:00 p.m.

Saturday

Facility will open at 7:00 a.m.

Sunday

Facility will open at 7:00 a.m.

We ask that you please take note of the above-mentioned times and schedule your travel accordingly.

*These dates have been set; however, if any changes are made, they will be made prior to registration for that semester. Not all dates are available at each residency location.

Fall 2023 (August 28 – December 15)

  • September 29 – October 1
  • October 6 – 8
  • October 13 – 15
  • October 20 – 22
  • November 3 – 5
  • November 10 – 12
  • November 17 – 19

Spring 2024 (January 8th – April 26th)

  • February 9 – 11
  • February 16 – 18
  • February 23 – 25
  • March 1 – 3
  • March 8 – 10
  • March 15 – 17
  • March 22 – 24
  • April 5 – 7

Summer 2024 (May 6th – August 23rd)

  • May 31 – June 2
  • June 7 – 9
  • June 14 – 16
  • June 21 – 23
  • June 28 – 30
  • July 12 – 14
  • July 19 – 21
  • July 26 – 28
  • August 2 – 4

Fall 2024 (August 26th – December 13th)

  • September 27 – 29
  • October 4 – 6
  • October 11 – 13
  • October 18 – 20
  • October 25 – 27
  • November 1 – 3
  • November 8 – 10
  • November 15 – 17
  • November 22 – 24 
Anchor: Mission & Goals

Mission & Goals

In harmony with the overall purpose of University of the Cumberlands, the structured curriculum offers you a personalized path for research and administration or for service and practice.

Apply current research and literature to problems found in the areas of accounting, finance, economics, management, and marketing
Develop research-based, strategic, effective, and ethical solutions to optimize organizational performance (both domestic and international)
Apply advanced communication, collaboration, research, and critical thinking skills
Design rigorous research that contributes to the professional body of knowledge of business and provides linkages to practical business applications
Anchor: Career Outcomes

Business Management Careers & Outcomes

All stats from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top Executive $100,090

Top Executive $100,090

Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. 

Finacial Analyst $92,220

Finacial Analyst $92,220

Financial analysts guide businesses and individuals in decisions about expending money to attain profit.

Marketing Manager: $138,730

Marketing Manager: $138,730

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services.

Management Analyst: $95,290

Management Analyst: $95,290

Management analysts recommend ways to improve an organization’s efficiency.

Business Professor: $80,840

Business Professor: $80,840

Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Project Management Specialist: $95,370

Project Management Specialist: $95,370

Project management specialists coordinate the budget, schedule, staffing, and other details of a project.

Anchor: FAQs

Common Questions

An executive Ph.D. in Business is the highest academic credential attainable in the field of business. The degree is typically designed to prepare candidates for careers in academia, research, and other roles that require complex problem-solving. To that end, the program focuses on original research and developing new theories to further the body of knowledge in your discipline. Doctoral candidates pursue interdisciplinary coursework to gain a strong professional foundation. They also take courses on research skills in preparation for completing an original dissertation. 

While both are doctoral degrees, these programs differ in a few ways — most notably, in their approach to research. Because an executive Ph.D. is traditionally intended for those pursuing careers in academia, this program emphasizes original rather than applied research. Therefore, executive Ph.D. candidates focus on making contributions that advance the field of business. Meanwhile, executive DBA programs also require research, but the focus is on applying existing theories to real-world business problems. 

Executive Ph.D. and executive DBA programs may also lead to different professional outcomes. Many students pursue an executive Ph.D. in Business because they intend to teach in a postsecondary setting or work as researchers. An executive DBA, on the other hand, is designed for business practitioners who hope to attain advanced leadership roles in their organizations. That said, after earning an executive Ph.D., many graduates pursue a business career outside the realm of academia. With a doctoral degree under your belt, you’ll be ready to choose your own path.

Earning your executive PhD in business in a flexible yet practical hybrid format could unlock a range of management and leadership career paths. There are many lucrative fields that offer room for growth as you pursue your business leadership aspirations.

After earning an executive PhD in business, you could pursue career paths such as:

All programs at University of the Cumberlands are offered at some of the lowest rates in the nation – and we even include free textbooks through our One Price Promise! For more information on how affordable this program would be for you, visit our Financial Aid page.

Among other things, by the time you complete your hybrid-format executive PhD in business management at Cumberlands, you will be able to:

  • Research and attain business discipline-specific knowledge and competencies,
  • Develop business-related professional skills—from communication to collaboration, and
  • Assess your personal values, connecting them with ethical business and research behaviors.
A group of Graduate students entering during the processional at Commencement.

Executive Program Admission Requirements

All students in our executive programs are required to meet a standard set of admissions requirements for graduate students.

Anchor: Faculty

Faculty Experts

Get to know more about the UC professors you'll interact with.

Dr. Krista Watkins

Dr. Krista Watkins

Adjunct Professor
Business Administration

Dr. Krista Watkins

Contact Information

krista.watkins [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote
Dr. Mamie Todaro

Dr. Mamie Todaro

Adjunct Professor
Business Administration

Dr. Mamie Todaro

Contact Information

mamie.todaro [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote
Dr. Michael Tomkins

Dr. Michael Tompkins

Adjunct Professor
Business Administration

Dr. Michael Tompkins

Contact Information

michael.tompkins [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote

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