I am considering pursuing a DBA in Accounting from Argosy University and would like to hear your opinions/experiences. I have a graduate degree in finance and currently teach as an adjunct at 3 schools in the Pacific Northwest. I teach accounting, finance and economics courses at the AS, BA, and MS level. I have 12 years of corporate accounting experience and 3 years of teaching experience. I would like to earn my doctorate so that I can pursue a full time teaching position at a university. I am more interested in teaching than research and would be most satisfied in a practitioner-focused program at the BS, MS level. I realize that the Argosy Program is regionally accredited and provides the terminal degree required by universities. My question is this: how is Argosy regarded in the academic community and will it help me achieve my objectives? I look forward to any feedback you can provide.
If you are looking for a DBA in accounting, I'd encourage you to seriously consider Nova Southeastern. Although all U.S. part-time programs are subject to some scruitiny, I think you'll find NSU to be a stronger player than Argosy. I have anecdotal information about placement and I think (although I'm surely biased) that NSU has more of a track record in placing students in faculty jobs. Accounting doctorates are in very short supply. I suspect that for a person with solid experience and a doctorate that job opportunities should be good. Best wishes in your pursuit. Andy
I agree with Andy: if you're considering academia, you might want to consider Nova Southeastern, which might carry more weight. But it might not; no one's measured this. Consider learning program content, residency requirements, learning methodologies, costs, etc.. If everything is equal (or nearly so), go to Nova Southeastern. But you might find that certain aspects of the Argosy program better fit your needs.
I completed the Argosy DBA in Management from the Orange County campus a couple of years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the challenge. You can search my previous posts for more on my Argosy experience. Argosy was instrumental in helping me get a full-time teaching position in an MBA program at an AACSB accredited school. My wife is currently attending Argosy and pursuing the DBA in Accounting. She started talking courses at the Orange County campus, but she is now taking courses at the San Francisco campus, since we moved up the coast last year. She likes the DBA Accounting program so far--but she would--she's one of those CPAs that likes accounting.
I also agree with Andy. Argosy and Nova are both very expensive, but if you are really serious about a DBA go with Nova. Nova is well accepted and a large number of their graduates have found full time teaching positions at respectable universities within a year of graduation.
I can't comment on which school will provide a better opportunity for an academic position. I would agree I tend to see more NSU grads in academia than Argosy (or University of Sarasota) DBA's. However, I don't know if more NSU students lean more towards academic work after graduation than Argosy's. I was one of the first students at the OC campus when the school was University of Sarasota. I was there during the renaming to Argosy (blech). The faculty members were great (There was only one major faculty problem, and the school corrected it immediately). The work was rigorours, and meaningful. I am very pleased with that aspect of the school. Administration, though, was a different matter. Every school has its political intrigue. It has been a year since I was last on campus, so they may have things calmed down and more on an even keel. However, there was a lot of administration turnover while I was there and very little communication on process and requirement changes.
Meeting with Argosy this Thursday... I have an appointment with Argosy on Thursday to discuss their DBA program. Interestingly enough, I Googled "Argosy DBA" and found not only quite a few people teaching at B&M colleges, but many of them had obtained their bachelors and masters from some very reputable B&M schools and then went on to get their DBA from Argosy. Maybe I shouldn't read too much into that...but it seems that Argosy must have a fairly solid reputation. I'll post the outcomes of my meeting with Argosy later... As an aside... I agree with some on this board that Argosy is not really a very catchy name....
You may want to try googling "University of Sarasota DBA" since that name has been around alot longer than the "Argosy" name. Rene
More about Argosy? You may want to try googling "University of Sarasota DBA" since that name has been around alot longer than the "Argosy" name. Rene, I see you obtained your DBA through Argosy....what can you tell me about the program in terms of the structure? the degree of challenge in the program? How well it prepared you for your career/teaching/ etc. goals? Any negatives I should be aware of? Any insight would be helpful...Thanks!
davidincolorado, I thoroughly enjoyed my Argosy DBA experience and have benefited tremendously from the degree. Please search my previous posts for my additional comments on the school and the program. My wife is currently pursuing the DBA in Accounting from Argosy. The structure of the program back when I started consisted of friday/saturday/sunday classes on alternating week-ends. (Syllabi were sent out approx 3 - 4 weeks before the first class with presentations and journal article reviews required the first week-end). Each course required at least one, if not more, major research papers along with review of leading journal articles, and research presentations. The faculty encourages research and publications. Faculty members also collaborated with students on research projects and publications. The program is challenging and rewarding. I know the degree and my research was instrumental in me getting my graduate business school teaching position. The only negative aspect of the school is the "Argosy" name. I imagine it will grow on me--I just hope to live that long. Send me a private e-mail if you desire more information. Rene
Meeting with Argosy solidified my decision Just as an FYI, I had a phone session today with the Associate Director of Admissions at Argosy's Sarasota campus and was pleased with the format and residency requirement. For the most part, seven classes have residency reqs, but in a long week (Sunday to Sunday) you can knock out two courses, in about a 9 day visit, three. That's because you can combine resident courses that are taught Friday thru Sunday, with courses taught Monday thru Thursday. For the most part, that means I can complete several classes in one long visit to the Sarasota campus each year. The remaining classes and dissertation are done online. My next step is to complete my petition for educational reimbirsement at my work and get the ball rolling.... I will say that the discussion boards here have been very helpful for me to work through the decision making process and figure out which direction to go. Thanks to all who contribute!
