DBA with multiple concentrations?

So as I finish up my MBA at UoP I am looking at DBA programs and the various areas of study available. I have interest in a DBA with a focus on Leadership, Project Management and/or Supply Chain Management. Ideally I would be able to do all three but if I had to choose two then Supply Chain would be cut. I'm looking at Walden and Capella as my schools of choice. I haven't talked to anyone at the schools about the possibilty yet, just curious if anyone else has tried this.

 

I would consider a DBA with once concentration and a graduate certificate after that.

 

I agree with Randell. Capella and Walden are all good choices, but people are looking for experts, not generalists, IMO. There are also may be cheaper choices for an online DBA than those two schools. Both are a bit pricey.

 

Another approach is to do a more general degree and structure your research topic in a way that covers all 3 subjects, then you can "morph" the degree into what you need it to be depending on the audience you are appealing to. Mine is a doctorate in leadership, with a focus on how online social networks are contributing to enhanced collaborative innovation and problem solving, and how this may be reshaping management in organizations. So I get to tilt the degree in several different directions (leadership, technology, innovation, management, etc.). There is a bit of an art to choosing a research topic that will serve you in multiple ways, and remain useful over time.

 

the Union Institute has a PhD in interdisciplinary studies that can allow you to combine multiple areas. Not a DBA but still a good option if you want to do a degree that combine multiple areas.

 

I looked at all of the online schools just by googling DBA/PhD programs. No schools near me offer any doctoral studies in the areas that I'm looking at. Some of the schools just didn't appeal to me or came off looking suspect. I refuse to go to UoP because I am getting my MBA there.

 

A little "high-level" commentary.

One does not normally use multiple concentrations and/or specializations at the doctoral level like one would use two master's or a double-major bachelor's. Why not? Because at the doctoral level, you're establishing yourself at the top of the peak of your field. That means a narrow-but-deep focus, not a broad one brought about by multiple disciplines. (The comment above about interdisciplinarity, on the other hand, is spot on--you can use multiple disciplines' approaches to a singular topic.) So....

You should get a doctorate in a broad field and specialize on a narrow topic. One...the one that defines you professionally--or will.

 

As usual, Rich said what I was trying to say and did so with much more knowledge and eloquence.

 

It depends, few people want to do a doctorate with the purpose of becoming an adjunct. Multiple areas would expand your teaching opportunities. If you can teach two areas, you can get more courses and perhaps be able to become a full time adjunct.

I don't know if this is the objective of the OP but perhaps that was the main purpose to do a double or triple major.
However, I agree with Rich in the sense that a PhD or DBA should be specialized but my guess is that the OP is just trying to optimize it for adjunct purposes.

 

I second that!

 

That is what I was trying to say when I said, "I would consider a DBA with once concentration and a graduate certificate after that."

 

In theory, a DBA and a graduate certificate would give you access to two areas of teaching. In practice, I think most schools would want to see more than just 18 graduate credits in an area to consider you qualified. If the OP decides to publish and remain current in Leadership, PM and SCM then the certificate might work but if the OP just has the graduate certificates but does unrelated work in the intended areas of teaching then I don't see it working.

I realize that many people want to teach as many areas as possible to make a living as an adjunct but in practice most people only teach one or may be two areas that work together (e.g. Finance and Accounting) mainly because it is not feasible to be current in two unrelated fields (e.g. Supply Chain and Leadership).

 

I third that!

And while that Capella degree is a bit pricy, it can certainly open doors for you, as long as you are realistic as to what doors to open...

 

RF - it depends.

A small teaching college would jump all over the opportunity to have someone who was qualified to teach 2 less than related fields.

BTW - I teach a Change Management class and Operations/Production Management at my school...

 

I doubt that you'll find a DBA with two concentrations. For starters, the DBA is designed as a broad-based degree requiring a general smearing of business classes and, in some cases, may allow for one concentration.

 

I think this is the bottom line of the issue. There are hundreds of available positions around the world but most are in small cities. Most graduates want to stay in large cities where the competition is fierce.

Also make sure to make yourself in demand by specializing and not just getting a general management degree. The demand is always in quantitative fields (e.g. accounting, finance, stats) and not in general management areas where practically anyone can teach.

 

Good point - I have a PhD in Business with a concentration in management and never picked up teaching management classes. I have lots of management experience since I was a national service director. Everything I teach is IT (MS in IT) and marketing (MBA in Marketing) which I also have experience in those fields.

 

I assume that you are qualified to teach these two areas because your MBA and MS.

I think the OP would want to teach in two areas. Maybe he or she can try to pick up a MS in one field while picking a DBA in another field. There might be an overlap of courses so the MS might require less work.

I know Excelsior College has a MS in liberal arts that can be customized to any particular field and allows up to 50% course transfer from another program. The OP can transfer some of the doctoral work into the MS in Liberal Arts at Excelsior
and then specialize in Leadership. The OP would end with a MS from Excelsior and then a DBA from Walden with only extra 15 credits (the MS at excelsior is 30 credits).

My problem with graduate certificates is that they don't seem to have a lot of impact in a resume, the MS in Leadership with a DBA in Project Management might have the impact that the OP is looking for.

Just a thought.

 

I like the idea of picking up the MS in Liberal Arts with only an extra 15 credits but, as you pointed out many times, an MS in Liberal Arts / Leadership degree will lose to a MS in Leadership most of the time. There is not "shortcut" and you can not spread yourself too thin.