NCU - Straight to PhD from BA

I'm thinking of going straight to the PhD program in Bus Admin without an MBA or Masters. I understand it is possible at Northcentral (NCU). Do you see any downside to it?

 

I don’t see any downside to it but part of the requirement to obtain the PhD from NCU is 81 graduate semester credits. Since "a maximum of 30 semester credits in related graduate courses may be accepted in transfer," you can obtain a 30 semester credit masters degree from another university which you could then apply towards the required 81 credits.

If you have to earn enough credits for a masters and a doctorate, get the masters then apply those credits towards the doctorate. It’s kind of like taking advantage of a two for one special. Just my $0.02.

 

Thanks.

Can I take the MBA and PhD at the same at NCU? Aren't they the same 30 credits for the MBA and PhD?

How's your PhD at NCU coming along.

 

It appears that, with your BA, NCU would let you enroll for the 81 credit PhD program, then after finishing your first 30 credits, an MBA would issue on the way, and you would then continue on with the last 51 credits of your PhD.

 

It is not that uncommon to get into a PhD program without a masters. Like PhD2B said, you will just have to complete all 81 credits.

 

Is there some reason you do not want the Masters, or is it that you feel it will slow you down?

 

Not at the same time. I would enroll in the MBA program and then continue on for your Ph.D.

That's what I did. Your 36 NCU credits will transfer right into the doctoral program there.

 

While going for the PhD at NCU, you could concurrently go for the MBA. Getting the MBA would be by default and all of it would be applied towards the PhD since it is all from NCU. It would not cost you any extra to get an MBA by default while enroute towards a PhD.

 

Thank you all!

Picking up the MBA concurrently while working on the PhD sounds like a good plan.


On a different topic, can you clarify the following for me? When a person says that he is a PhD Candidate, does it mean he has satisfied all the course work except the dessertation?

 

This is taken from the NCU Ph.D Dissertation handbook:

01.1.01 - Advancement to Candidacy The point of transition from Ph.D. Program Learners to colleague. Learners become doctoral candidates when they have passed all required course work, and their research proposal is approved (RSH8954) and passed the Comprehensive Examination (CMP8091).

 

Thank you.

Comprehensive exam? What are you tested on for the DBA or PhD at NCU?

 

I just read the comprehensive exam requirements. How is the exam conducted? Closed book and proctored?

 

I get nervous just thinking about it.

 

Two things to consider:

1) The NCU MBA requires 36 semester hours of which only 30 can be applied towards the PhD. If I am wrong on this, someone please correct me. With some universities, you can earn a master’s degree with 30 semester credits. In this way you would earn the masters and not have 6 additional unused credits. But by all means, get the masters or MBA en-route to the PhD.

2) I don’t believe NCU requires a comprehensive exam for the MBA but they do for the PhD and the DBA. NCU’s comprehensive exam is actually done in the form of a 3-credit comprehensive course. I am not to that point in the program yet but I believe it consists of writing on various topics from your program. The link below explains the comprehensive course in a little more detail.

CMP8091B - Doctoral Comprehensive

Some universities require a comprehensive exam. My comprehensive exam for my masters consisted of 4 1-hour exams based on 4 courses from my degree program. Each 1-hour exam was made by the professor that taught the class and was closed book and closed note. It was nerve racking to say the least.

I am really enjoying my program. I am on my fourth class so I have a way to go.

I hope this helps.

 

Were you able to transfer all of your M.S (Operations Research) credits into your PhD program?

 

100% of my MS program transferred into NCU's PhD in BA program.

As part of my OR program I had an applied statistics course and a general management course which counted for my graduate level statistics course requirement and my general management course requirement. Because of this I was left to complete 51 semester hours which is the minimum you need to complete through NCU for their doctoral programs.

As part of your masters program, if you were to take courses that would fulfill NCU's fundamental course requirements, you would still need to complete 51 semester hours, but you would have a lot more flexibility in what you could take.