The world needs great businesses. Those businesses need great leaders.

Earning a Doctor of Business Administration online could be the respected credential you need to lead, innovate, and push the boundaries of your field. In our online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program, you’ll develop advanced levels of competency in both business theory and practice, preparing you to make an impact in your organization — and the world. And with the convenience of online learning, it’s possible to invest in yourself and your career even while working full-time.

As the most advanced management degree you can attain, this online doctorate in business administration can help prepare you for high-ranking roles in business leadership and organizational management. The Doctor of Business Administration curriculum includes conducting applied research, understanding business theory and literature, and applying what you’ve learned in the classroom to real-life professional challenges.

Anchor: Stats

By the Numbers

$189,520

Average Salary

5%

Industry Growth

$10.4K

Average Financial Aid

100%

Student-Focused
Anchor: Programs & Requirements
Programs & Requirements

Programs & Requirements

Online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

If you are interested in using research combined with your professional experience to solve real-world business problems, earning a DBA may be for you. This program involves advanced coursework in areas ranging from economics and finance to managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility. If you've worked in the business world for some time and are looking for a way to step up within the field, it may be time to consider pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration.

Course Requirements

BACC 731 Advanced Managerial Accounting

BADM 733 Strategic Marketing: Research and Practice

BADM 734 Corporate Finance: Fiscal Management in a Global Climate

BADM 735 Comparative Economics

BADM 737 Managerial Ethics and Social Responsibility

BADM 838 Strategic Thinking, Decision-Making, and Innovation

DSRT 734 Inferential Statistics

DSRT 834 Advanced Statistical Applications

DSRT 837 Professional Writing and Proposal Development

DSRT 850 Qualitative Research

DSRT 736 Dissertation Seminar

DSRT 839 Advanced Research Methods

DSRT 930 Dissertation

DSRT 931 Dissertation

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

  • Accounting
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance
  • Healthcare Administration
  • Marketing
  • Project Management
  • Strategic Management

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

Anchor: Mission & Goals

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Plaster Graduate School of Business is to foster academic excellence and student achievement at the graduate level. We will prepare you academically to become a productive, competent, and ethical professional.

Evaluate your personal values and connect them to ethical behaviors.
Synthesize and integrate current research and literature to problems found in the areas of accounting, finance, economics, management, and marketing.
Construct research-based, strategic, effective, and ethical solutions to optimize organizational performance (both domestic and international).
Develop advanced communication, collaboration, research, and critical thinking skills.
Execute rigorous research and present scholarly work that contributes to the professional body of knowledge of business and provides linkages to practical business applications.
Anchor: Career Outcomes

DBA Careers & Outcomes

All stats from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Chief Executive: $189,520

Chief Executive: $189,520

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

Business Professor: $88,790

Business Professor: $88,790

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.

Management Analyst: $93,000

Management Analyst: $93,000

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

Personal Financial Advisor: $94,170

Personal Financial Advisor: $94,170

Personal financial advisors provide advice to help individuals manage their money and plan for their financial future.

Project Management Specialist: $94,500

Project Management Specialist: $94,500

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

Sales Manager: $127,490

Sales Manager: $127,490

Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams.

Anchor: FAQs

Common Questions

A DBA online program is an applied doctorate designed for business professionals. As the most advanced management degree you can attain, this online doctorate in business administration can help prepare you for high-ranking roles in business leadership and organizational management. The Doctor of Business Administration curriculum includes conducting applied research, understanding business theory and literature, and applying what you’ve learned in the classroom to real-life professional challenges. For some students, a DBA is the logical next step after earning an MBA and acquiring several years of business experience—typically in a management position.

While both are doctoral degrees, a PhD focuses more on original research, while a DBA focuses on applied research. In other words, if you are interested in using research combined with your professional experience to solve real-world business problems, earning a DBA may be for you. If you are interested in developing new theories or approaches to further the body of knowledge in your discipline, consider the PhD. However, both programs may share similarities—including advanced coursework in areas ranging from economics and finance to managerial ethics and corporate social responsibility.  

With an online doctorate in business administration, you can pursue a variety of business career paths that call for high-level management expertise. For instance, many graduates go on to pursue careers as top executives, including chief executive officers (CEOs), chief operating officers (COOs), chief financial officers (CFOs), and other C-suite roles.

In addition, earning a Doctor of Business Administration online could help you prepare for management analyst or consultant roles. Other potential careers include:

The Doctor of Business Administration at University of the Cumberlands will help you develop the in-demand skills you need to stand out to employers and tackle any professional challenge. This online program is intended for candidates who are already working in a business profession and cannot attend classes on campus, due to their busy schedules. You’ll have the flexibility you need to advance your education while continuing to work full time.

With our planned course structure and rotation, a full-time student earning 24 credits per academic year may complete the Doctor of Business Administration program within three years. A part-time student completing 12 credits per academic year may complete the program in five years.

The Doctor of Business Administration is comprised of 66 required credit hours. Core and specialization courses are delivered in an 8-week bi-term format; dissertation courses are delivered in a 16-week semester format. Each course is worth three credit hours and is aligned with the program’s goals.

Each course lasts eight weeks, called a bi-term. There are two bi-terms per semester, and three semesters per year (fall, spring, and summer). Many classes are asynchronous, meaning there is no set login time; you can work on schoolwork whenever you find time. Cumberlands provides free rental textbooks to online students as part of its One Price Promise. 

Anchor: Faculty

Faculty Experts

Learn more about the business administration professors at Cumberlands.

Dr. Amanda Hutchison

Adjunct Professor
Business Administration
Doctor of Business Administration
MBA - Master Business Administration

Dr. Amanda Hutchison

Contact Information

amanda.hutchison [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote
Dr. Gary Moss

Dr. Gary Moss

Associate Professor
Accounting
Business Administration
Doctor of Business Administration
Master's in Strategic Management
MBA - Master Business Administration
PhD Business

Dr. Gary Moss

Contact Information

gary.moss [at] ucumberlands.edu
Available by appointment only
Margaret Combs

Margaret Combs

Professor
Business Administration
Accounting
Doctor of Business Administration
PhD Business
MBA - Master Business Administration
Master's in Strategic Management

Margaret Combs

Contact Information

Program Accreditation

The Hutton School of Business at University of the Cumberlands has received specialized accreditations for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) located at 11960 Quivira Road in Overland Park, Kansas, USA. For a list of accredited programs please refer to our IACBE member status page.

Please review our Public Disclosure of Student Achievement.

 

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