Doctor of Business Administration
Earn your doctoral degree in three years or less!
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TOTAL COST
$21,525*
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NEXT START DATE
Oct 05, 2026
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COMPLETION TIME
36 Months†
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AVG. SALARY PREMIUM
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SEMESTER CREDITS
55
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Our Enrollment Counselors are here to answer your questions and walk you through the enrollment process.
Online DBA Degree Designed for Working Professionals
Designed for experienced professionals, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at American College of Education (ACE) can prepare you to advance your career toward senior and executive leadership positions. Hone advanced analytical thinking, strategic decision-making and data-driven problem-solving skills that define successful leaders who excel at driving organizational improvement and innovation.
Our fully online DBA program helps you use applied research to make a real-world impact in today’s complex and evolving business landscape. Through rigorous, career-relevant coursework aligned with ACBSP and IACBE standards, you’ll translate theory into practice, organizational effectiveness and economic value. Through our built-in, guided dissertation course sequence and the support of experienced doctoral faculty, you’ll design and conduct original research to address modern business challenges, helping you build expertise, authority and credibility in your professional field.
Why ACE?
Low-Cost, High Quality
You deserve a great return on your educational investment, and we deliver master’s degrees at a total average cost of $10,000. We also award over $1.2M in scholarships and grants each year.
Quality You Expect
We are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Our faculty work in the industries where you work and are committed to your success, contributing to our 85% graduation rate.¹ Our curriculum equips you with practical strategies you can apply right away, as well as skills to help you advance your career.
Flexibility You Need
Our virtual campus and convenient start dates provide you the flexibility you need to achieve your goals at a time and place that works with your busy schedule. Our student support services are available 24/7 and tutoring is included at no additional cost.
1Source: Student Right to Know
Tuition
We believe in full transparency with our total cost of attendance. No hidden fees. No surprises along the way.
Total Cost Doctor of Business Administration |
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Total Tuition 55 semester credits x $306 per credit |
$16,830 |
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Fees $100 Application Fee$150 Conferral Fee $1200 Dissertation Fee (6 Courses X $200 per Course) $3245 Technology and Library Fee (55 Semester Credits X $59 per Credit) |
$4,695 |
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Total Program Cost |
$21,525* |
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Find a plan that fits your budget.
When We Say Low Cost, We Mean It
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Source: Internal Research Completed March 2025
Program Details
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) prepares experienced professionals to lead organizational improvement and innovation through advanced analytical thinking, strategic decision-making, and evidence-based practice. In addition to rigorous, application-oriented coursework, doctoral students will design and conduct an original applied research study addressing a complex business or organizational challenge. This work is completed under the guidance of experienced doctoral faculty and a dissertation or capstone committee, ensuring a high‑quality scholarly contribution with meaningful real-world impact.
Focus of Study
Program Outcomes
- Construct ethical leadership practices for recruitment, promotion, and succession that mitigate bias and advance fair organizational decision-making.
- Develop advanced marketing and value-creation strategies that respond to dynamic global, digital, and AI-driven market environments while addressing stakeholder, ethical, and societal considerations.
- Formulate evidence-based change strategies grounded in leadership theory to align stakeholders, reduce resistance, and enable sustainable organizational transformation.
- Justify strategic, ethical, and data-informed operational and financial decisions that align organizational performance with stakeholder value and long-term enterprise sustainability.
- Design entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial strategies that promote sustainable innovation and create economic, social, and organizational value across global contexts.
- Create evidence-based innovation initiatives that integrate interdisciplinary frameworks and applied research to address complex organizational challenges.
- Produce integrated socio-technical strategies through systems-thinking analysis to anticipate complex organizational change and optimize long-term performance.
- Apply, analyze, and promote best practices in leadership.
- Demonstrate competence in the application of multiple research methods.
Start Dates
With flexible start dates, you can begin your program when it’s best for you.
October 05, 2026 Term
Oct 02, 2026
Application Due
Oct 02, 2026
Payment Due
Oct 05, 2026
Term Start
Oct 09, 2026
Unregister/Cancel Deadline
Nov 08, 2026
Term End
November 16, 2026 Term
January 11, 2027 Term
February 01, 2027 Term
February 22, 2027 Term
April 12, 2027 Term
May 24, 2027 Term
June 14, 2027 Term
Courses
Here are just some of the courses you’ll take when working towards this program. Visit the College Catalog to see all courses.
LEAD6001 |
Introduction to Advanced Studies |
1 Semester Credits |
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LEAD6011 |
Leadership as a Reflective Practice |
1 Semester Credits |
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LEAD6021 |
Leadership Seminar |
1 Semester Credits |
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BUS6523 |
Global Marketing in the Digital Economy |
3 Semester Credits |
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BUS6543 |
Managing Risk: Evaluation and Implementation |
3 Semester Credits |
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BUS6553 |
Leadership and “Leveling the Playing Field” |
3 Semester Credits |
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BUS6563 |
Leadership Theory and Change |
3 Semester Credits |
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BUS6573 |
Strategic Operation Leadership |
3 Semester Credits |
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BUS6583 |
Systems Thinking for Business Optimization |
3 Semester Credits |
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BUS6513 |
Innovation Theory and Organizational Practice |
3 Semester Credits |
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