What’s a DBA Degree?
All you need to know and more.
DBA Degrees Explained
A DBA degree, also known as a Doctor of Business Administration, is a doctoral program designed to equip professionals with master’s degrees to lead growth, optimization, improvement and innovation activities. You’ll deepen your business knowledge and explore evidence-based strategies that apply in a variety of settings.
A doctorate in business administration builds upon learnings from your graduate degree, preparing you to influence transformative organizational success, sustainability and data-driven decision-making.
Earn a DBA Degree Online
At American College of Education (ACE), we offer a career-oriented, quality online DBA degree program that doesn’t break the bank. This means pursuing a doctoral degree can fit within your schedule and budget.
Ranked in the top 150 of 3,000 public and private global companies worldwide*
Preparing Leaders for Today’s Business Landscape
When business professionals become students at ACE, we know we’ve got high expectations to meet. Regardless of the industry, our coursework addresses the evolving needs of businesses by integrating applied research, emerging technology and practical leadership development. ACE understands the evolving expectations of today’s leaders, especially because many of our faculty and staff have held these jobs themselves.
Choose the Right Path for Your Career Goals
Sometimes DBA programs are confused with MBA programs because they’re both degrees that focus on business administration and leadership. We’ve compiled a comparison table to highlight key differences between our MBA and DBA.
| MBA Program | DBA Program | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Type | Master’s degree | Doctoral degree |
| Career Goal | Lead teams and initiatives to achieve organizational goals and improve performance | Drive strategic and innovative organizational change through evidence-based practices |
| Completion Time | 10-16 months1 | 36 months1 |
| Cost | $9,1092 | $21,5252 |
FAQs About DBA Degrees
What can you do with a DBA degree?
A DBA is designed for those who want to lead organizational transformation, solve complex business challenges and influence decision-making through the lens of applied research. Graduates may pursue executive leadership, business strategy, consulting and other senior roles that make a significant impact in business.
Can you earn a DBA degree online?
Yes, many institutions offer online DBA programs. At ACE, we take flexibility to the next level with predictable course formats, asynchronous coursework and no live lecture requirements.
How long does it take to complete a DBA degree program?
Most DBA programs can be completed in approximately three to five years. ACE’s program takes an estimated three years to complete.1
What is the difference between a DBA and a Ph.D. in Business?
A DBA prepares you to apply business research to real-world and complex organizational challenges as a scholar-practitioner. A Ph.D. in Business equips you to become an academic leader who spearheads influential research projects and often teaches at the university level.
What are the typical DBA requirements for admission?
Admission requirements vary by institution but often include a master’s degree and sometimes professional experience. At ACE, we require a minimum 3.0 master’s degree GPA for applicants.
1This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.
2This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program, receipt of institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, or adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section. State sales and use tax will apply where required by law.
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