Doctor of Business Administration Etiquette

Would it be proper for a holder of a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree to use the title of doctor?

i.e. Dr. John Doe

 

most certainly, yes.

 

Yes, it is equal in title to a PhD!

 

I always assumed yes. Is there a reason why a DBA should not be addressed as "doctor"?

 

I think it's proper to use the title in a professional context. But also OK not to. The NY Times has a general policy of not using the title Dr. for someone who is not a physician.

Personally, I don't care much for titles. My students refer to me as "Professor," which just seems "wrong." Though I am aware that in the U.S. that particular title is meaningless.

 

Why is it wrong to call you Professor, and why is it meaningless?

 

It's meaningless because every college teacher in the U.S is loosely referred to as a professor. In the U.K., it is a title that is reserved for only selected few and exceptional academicians. Many university teachers (more than 75%) in the U.K. retire after teaching for more than 25 years without achieving that title. For those who do not know, Professor Kennedy, who posts here, is not just a university teacher. He is in fact a distinguished university teacher. University politics sometimes creep into the process but university teachers that use the title "professor" in the U.K are seen as distinguished academics.

 

My supervisor relates a story that illustrates this point.

While he was revising his thesis (Wolfson College, Oxford) following his successful defense he did not want to use the title Dr. XYZ on business cards, letterhead etc. at his new teaching position (in Canada). Instead he was noted as Prof. XYZ.

When he corresponded with his supervisor at Oxford, the supervisor laughingly commented on the speed at which he rocketed to the level of Prof - a feat that took him twenty years of teaching to accomplish!

 

in Germany/Austria/Switzerland, university "Professor" (Prof.) is even a degree which is pursued after another 4-6 years AFTER the doctor (another advanced scientific research thesis, in quality standard above the doctoral thesis must be written and you are proved)...

t.

 

Very good point.