I currently have a Master of Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University and am an adjunct in Entrepreneurship at a local community college. I've discovered I cannot teach any of the regular business classes because I don't have an MBA. My first question is would it be better to go forward and get a DBA or PhD than to get the MBA. If figure it's just another year or two for the DBA/PhD. Secondly, if I wanted to pursue teaching Entrepreneurship on a college level, would I need to have a DBA/PhD in Business or would I be okay with a EdD? Didn't know my current degree plus the EdD would get me in to the smaller schools. Or would it be better to add the MBA and then pursue the EdD upon completion? I think my ultimate goal is to teach full-time, either at the CC or at a small traditional college. Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks!
The school where I teach just started the search for an Assistant Prof (tenure track) to teach entrep. Ph.D. (AACSB) in business, or related field, required.
That's interesting. I've been told I am not qualified to teach undergrad business courses because I have an MBA. The MBA is usually considered to be a general business degree and usually doesn't qualify one to teach business courses. Unless, of course, the MBA program offers 18 credit hours in a specific business discipline (e.g., 18 credit hours in accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, etc.). If you do decide to pursue an MBA for the purposes of teaching, be sure the program offers 18 credit hours in a specific business discipline.
AV8R, in your scenario, would you be considered qualified to teach undergraduate courses in general business that were not specific to a subdiscipline? Like "Introduction to Business" or "Business Capstone."
I would think so...but it's so much easier for schools to just use someone they already have on staff to teach those courses instead of hiring someone with an MBA to teach them. Here lately I've been exploring the possibility of earning an additional 18 credit hours in accounting at the graduate level so I can teach in this field. I understand there's a substantial need for accounting instructors.
The specific degree designation, nor the specific area of study, will matter as much as the research you do and the footprint you put on your academic discipline. In academia, people aren't going to look at your degree and check a box. It's way more complicated than that. Don't do a doctoral degree in order to qualify for something. Do a doctoral degree to become something. Then go where that something is needed and wanted. Draw your professional identity from yourself, not what others make you out to be. Then, once you have that intact identity, you can take it to a host of contexts and be yourself within them. When I was in the Air Force, they told me I was an airman. Then they told me I was a staff sergeant. Then they told me I was an officer. I agreed with them each step of the way. That's how I thought then. Now, the federal government says I'm a GS-15. I just smile at that. They don't realize I'm something else entirely, something that doesn't fit their classification system. I am merely plying my craft in their environment. Go get the doctorate and become you. Then go have fun being you.
Well, I have done my BSc in computer Science now. But I'm more inclined towards management than technical. So, I am thinking of doing my post graduation in MBA. what do you say.??
I think it is best to go for a PhD as I believe it is the best degree to get if you wan to go in for teaching. That too at a good college.
If your ultimate goal is to obtain a tenure track position at a university, I think a PhD from either a regionally accrediated or AACSB-accrediated (preferred) B-school is the way to go, preferrable B&M over distance-based. If you want to work in industry and teach part-time, a DBA or your Master's degree would suffice. I wouldn't recommend an MBA over a DBA or PhD since you already have a graduate degree in Entrepreneurship. The university I obtained my MBA from is AACSB accrediated. I was an adjunct for them last academic year while they searched for and interviewed canidates for a tenure track assistant professor position to teach the classes. I was told that if I wanted to teach there full-time that I needed a PhD from a AACSB-accrediated University and they would consider hiring me as more professors retired. I inquired about regionally accrediated and online programs and they said neither would suffice and that online programs are stigmatized; moreover, that DBAs are not considered a "real" doctorate degree by academic peers. The department head told me to sign up for USC's PhD program and they would hire me when I graduated....as if it were only that easy and my GMAT score was in the 99% percentile, haha. Long story short, AACSB accrediated PhD will open the most doors academically.
I'm sure the folks at Harvard Business School would disagree since the DBA is the doctoral degree they offer in business.
I agree 100%; however, unfortunately certain academics do not feel the same. The point I was trying to make is that the faculty at the AACSB-accrediated University I obtained my MBA from view a DBA and distance-based doctorate degrees as inferior to a B&M PhD if you plan stay in academia. I polled several professors and they all felt the same.
Actually HBS offers both DBA and PhD programs. The difference is that the PhD degrees are "offered jointly and in collaboration with the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences", while the DBA degrees don't have FAS involvement. The PhD may in fact be the more popular doctoral option at HBS. At the 2012 HBS Commencement, for example, 7 DBAs were awarded, vs. 10 PhDs awarded.
Well it usually we should decide for what we are interested in and so everything in which you can perform well is good for you. Now a days there are very huge scope of engineering and business degrees like MBA is in air. So its up to you what you can do better. Good luck.
