University of Florida DBA?

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by macattack, Oct 2, 2007.

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  1. liamk

    liamk New Member

    Does anyone have more information on this?

    Let's try again... :)

    I would think the applications would be available soon, but there is still not even a mention of the DBA on the website. Anyone know anything? Thanks!
     
  2. Spinner

    Spinner New Member

    I got an update email message last week from UF saying their proposed DBA program is "currently on hold."
     
  3. carlosb

    carlosb New Member

    I was at the UF campus a month ago on unrelated business. From what I could gather the major budget cuts at Florida colleges was the main reason for the delay.
     
  4. carlosb

    carlosb New Member

    The following link is a discussion on the proposed Florida DBA with an interesting explanation of the differences between it and the PhD:

    http://www.cba.ufl.edu/mywcba/facstaff/FacultyMeetings/Agenda/2008/September4.pdf

    This link shows that the DBA was approved by secret ballot 25 yes 8 no and 2 abstain in the Oct 2008 minutes:

    http://www.cba.ufl.edu/mywcba/facstaff/FacultyMeetings/Agenda/2008/October1.pdf

    $70,000 is pretty high IMHO. UF is considered a Public Ivy school and a US News Top 50 National school so my guess is they will get the students if\when the program is offered.

    On a sidenote I found this to be of interest for those involved in the DBA\PhD debate:

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 23, 2009
  5. Karl Ben

    Karl Ben New Member

    Thanks for update, carlosb.
     
  6. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

  7. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    No, of course not. The DBA is a DBA, the PhD a PhD. I know there are some programs, such as some European and certain well-known U.S. programs (e.g., Harvard) that offer a DBA considered roughly equivalent to a PhD, where the difference in the nomenclature is perhaps an administrative matter (Harvard doesn't offer PhDs except through the grad School of Arts & Sciences, so the HBS-alone doctorate is called a "DBA") and the degree is considered an extremely rigorous academic's degree, but there's no way a couple semesters of applied projects at Florida are going to be seen in academia in the same light as true doctoral research. It sounds on the face more like a practitioner's degree. That's not to say that a DBA from a very well-regarded school like Florida wouldn't give you a shot at academia, but I doubt it'd be in R1 or R2 academia unless you supplemented the DBA with very significant research (i.e., becoming, by research, the consummate expert in some small area of your field of study, the same as would be the case for anyone who's produced and defended their dissertation).
     
  8. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    Haven't heard anything, other than they've put it on hold for time being. No notion what's going on down there, I have some friends there who I see from time to time at conferences, I could ask, but I'm not sure they'd know, either. We're often kept in the dark about what's going on at the administrative level.
     
  9. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    If you read the release from UF, they don't intend for this to compete with traditional PhD's. Their thought is that highly regarded business schools often have faculty positions for practioners that require little to no research and focus primarily on teaching. These aren't really adjunct jobs as the pay is better and they are full-time. UF feels the DBA, coupled with extensive industry experience, will make someone a solid candidate for these kinds of positions. Vandy had someone that fits that definition in their marketing department, so the jobs they are describing certainly do exist, to what extent I am not sure.
     
  10. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    There are certain TT positions for which UF DBA grads will be qualified, but all I'm saying is they aren't going to be R1 or R2 positions. Those slots will be filled by people with PhDs. Vandy may have someone, fine, virtually all schools have plenty such someones. I had one grad course from one such person--extensive industry experience, wealthy entrepreneur, MBA, and he was a fine prof, very knowledgeable, I couldn't have cared less how many hits he had in top journals. For that matter, my Masters-"only" wife taught in hard sciences as a full time instructor at a top-40 university. But she, the guy at my grad school, and the guy at Vandy are non-TT instructors--as you know quite well, a different path indeed.

    The DBA would certainly open the doors for people trying to break into TT academia at liberal artsy smaller colleges, CCs, and likely a few directional State Unis. Also, if someone wants an instructor teaching position (as you mention) in business at a well-regarded biz school making mid to upper five figures, such jobs exist and might hit the sweet spot for a UF DBA grad, but those don't come with the option of tenure and they make roughly half to 60% of what a TT prof makes. If that floats someone's boat for ROI and opportunity costs involved with the expenditure of time and effort in the UF DBA program, fine.
     
  11. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    I see your point and am not trying to argue with you. My statement wasn't so much an arguement for or against the UF -or any other- DBA program. I was simply stating what their release about the program said (you can find the PDF if you google University of Florida DBA) and affirming that the position they describe do exist at solid b-schools. I can't vouch for how much a DBA would help in securing one of those positions.
     
  12. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    It looks like the DBA is slowly becoming a second rate doctorate. Schools are realizing that they need to create a new product that is higher than the MBA but also lower than the PhD as most people are not willing to spend the years getting one. The DBA is like a doctorate light that is meant for those not willing to spend the 4 to 6 years that takes to get a PhD.

    The market for non TT full time professors is pretty slim. This basically means visiting appointments and limited term contracts, there are some lecturer full time positions but most of these only require an MBA so the DBA seems like credential inflation that only benefits the schools offering the degree.
     
  13. mrmarcus

    mrmarcus New Member

    I've heard really great things about this degree
     
  14. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    Well I was trying to argue with you, because as an insecure, middle-aged, untenured academic, as a general principle I try to argue with and discredit anyone who's vita looks significantly better than mine.
     
  15. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Hahaha. My vita as it were is not impressive in the least. Nothing published, no major research. Just some degrees from some "fancy" schools, one I paid almost full-tuiton for (EXTREMELY small scholarship) the other I am in because of my employer.
    I'm sure your vita is quite impressive in its own right.
     
  16. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    Cut the false humility, Harvard/Vandy Man. By the way, did you know you have that combo in common with the man some say actually was our president elect a decade ago?
     
  17. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    If you're interested, maybe we could do something together. PM me if interested, ignore me if not. No offense taken if the latter.
     
  18. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    Gore never graduated from Vandy, though I did know he attended law school there. So i guess that in a sense I am better than Al Gore.
     
  19. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Al Gore... Please...
    Global warming... Please :)
     
  20. BizProf

    BizProf New Member

    Yes, Gore had difficulties at Vandy finishing things, I haven't searched this, but I think he also washed out of seminary there as well. Must have been a drifting period in his life before he pulled it together and started emulating the father.
     

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