Narrowing down PH.D. options: NCU, Indiana Tech, Valdosta State, and Baker College

Greetings everyone--

I am currently a full-time tenure-track faculty in Marketing at a community college in Northwest Ohio. I currently hold the following degrees:

Masters of Public Management (Indiana University)
BS in Business (Franklin University)
AAS in Management (Ivy Tech Community College)

and would like to continue my education (particularly for professional development) with a PhD at one of the institutions listed in the posting title:

NCU
Indiana Tech
Valdosta State
Baker College

I have read a few reports from other forums about the drawbacks of NCU and am trying to shy away from it, despite it having presumably the most natural "Marketing" fit (since I now teach marketing almost exclusively and do not have a formal "degree" in that particular field). The fact that it is a for-profit institution with more of a "independent study" feel are not exactly what I am seeking.

Indiana Tech is an intriguing option for me as I am actually from the Fort Wayne area originally and still have family there with whom I could stay when needing to attend residencies. With that said, I am uncertain as to whether or not the Global Leadership curriculum is necessarily applicable to a full-time faculty in Marketing (even the concentrations seem to be aimed at Higher Ed administrators, not faculty).

Valdosta State's DPA program seems very promising and seems to get amazing reviews (even one of the other program directors I had contacted from another institution had positive comments about it). Also, considering that my Masters is in Public Affairs/Administration, the material would probably be pretty easy for me to grasp and handle. However, I'm not sure that "cementing" myself in Public Administration is necessarily the best use of time and energy when we have no Public Admin courses at our community college and I will likely continue to teach Marketing courses in the future.

Baker College's online DBA is my other consideration and I have not seen a great deal of discussion about it on these forums. It is on a quarter-hour system (which I find odd), but they have been very forthcoming with information and they are non-profit. Additionally, they seem to have a pretty logical course sequencing system that makes the 90-quarters of coursework seem doable. With that said, I still would greatly appreciate some feedback from anyone who has actually gone through their program about their experiences.

Again, I'd welcome feedback from anyone about these institutions as to which seems to be the best choice based on my criteria and their own experiences/thoughts.

Thanks!

 

Welcome StevieV610 to Degree Info. Here's some info on the timing of your posts showing up: http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/35100-new-users-ask-where-did-my-posts-go.html

None of those programs seem like a perfect fit for you. How about Capella? Marketing DBA Doctorate Online Degree - Capella University There are a number of individuals who have had success with a doctorate from this school.

 

NCU is okay but the admin side stinks and tuition keeps climbing. Probably not the best at this point but I think they are trying to get better. Of the remaining 3, I would probably go with VSU. The tuition is much cheaper then the other options but you said your employer does not have Public Admin courses at our community college.

Have you considered Nova's DBA?

 

Although I am biased for Nova, I'd also put in a plug here. My NSU DBA has served me well over the years.

Regards - Andy

 

You should also remember that DBA/DPAs are not the same as a PhD. If you're considering a doctorate for career purposes, it might make a difference to some universities. As you probably know, DBA/DPAs are usually more "applied" while the PhD requires a dissertation, etc.

 

I appreciate everyone's responses in such a timely manner (and the fact my posting was even seen!).

I do not believe Nova Southeastern offers the online DBA anymore, so it is a bit out of the question. (Doctoral Frequently Asked Questions)
Please correct me if I am reading something wrong from my research there.

As for my current situation, most of my colleagues hold Masters degrees, but do so in the realm of which they are typically instructing. However, as I mentioned, I earned my current position likely due to my background as an adjunct teaching just about every Business/Marketing course at my previous institution, as well as my history of online course development (our current Marketing curriculum is in a massive need of an overhaul and updating), but I do not necessarily have an academic background in Marketing at the graduate-level.

Therefore, I have somewhat pushed Valdosta back somewhat due to the fact that it would be enhancing my current academic background, but with very little variance.

Of the remaining options, I am having difficulty seeing how Capella is necessarily better than Baker College (again, I would welcome some feedback on anyone with experience with Baker) and I am a bit less thrilled about my prospects with NCU due to virtually all of the feedback I have received from others about their learning model.

That leaves Indiana Tech's Ph.D. in Global Leadership. It IS a Ph.D. (which is not technically a requirement of mine, but it is an added bonus, perhaps), it is probably "generic enough" that it could be applicable to the realm of marketing and it does have a specialization that is aimed at higher education (albeit presumably focused a bit more at administration than I would prefer).

In essence, the question no one has been really able to answer for me (even through inquiries at my own institution) is whether or not I should focus more on content that will increase my field knowledge and subject expertise or content that would be more general and applicable across being a more effective classroom leader.

 

Fill me in on why an MA/MS in marketing would not fit your needs? It sounds to me like you are looking for some job security because you are currently teaching outside of your speciality. I would be concerned with putting so much time and energy into a program that is "almost" what you want.

 

I am at NCU and its wonderful for me. It may be horrible for others but I reject the typical learning experience that so many covet. I'd rather learn on my own and gain feedback from experienced doctoral faculty as I progress. This is what NCU offers. I finished my MBA at NCU and am on my 6th PhD course and I can't really complain at all. The administration is the best part. The staff is very professional and they respond to course requests and changes extremely quickly. If I want to start a new course next week instead of next month all I need to do is send an email and within a day or so I am enrolled in that course.
I switched specializations in my MBA with ease, and switched from the 12 week to the 8 week program easily as well. Then I enrolled in a CAGS, changed my mind and enrolled in the PhD program with no worries. So for me, the administrative part is top notch. The school also provides access to world class research libraries online. The worst part of NCU is the name recognition.

 

Again, I am appreciating everyone's input. NCU seems to be extremely polarizing, so I will still keep that on the "second tier" list for the time being.

Basically, one of the requirements of our tenure process is that we continue our education in the realm of professional development with the "next step" degree being the avenue that is most frequently suggested. I have actually been evaluating doctoral programs since 2008 (when I was completing my Masters), so I am noticing a few more options than what I previously encountered when I am renewing my search now.

Baker seems to push a "3-year" program with residencies that are not too terribly distant (probably a 3-hour drive from where I currently live) and they do have a specialization in Marketing. With that said, I still would like to hear from anyone with some familiarity with their program. 3 years sounds great, but I am curious just how intensive that type of schedule might end up being considering my other commitments.

Indiana Tech seems to be quite a bit more flexible and I am actually pretty familiar with the institution (used to drive by it on a daily basis when I lived in Fort Wayne). I am just debating the relevancy of the curriculum to my position.

Regardless, hearing this discussion is definitely helping me to gather information from a wide variety of sources.

 

No disrespect intended but my experience with the admin at NCU was the exact opposite. They were of little to no help and "lost" some of my requests, had a months delay on feedback on my dissertation because of their screw up (now they did give me a free one month extension to make up for it), etc.

The course work was excellent but the operational side was less then stellar. Maybe they have gotten better since 2010.

 

Actually, Nova has never had an on-line DBA. They require face to face classwork - although they have offered classes at multiple locations.

Regards - Andy

 

Walden offers a DBA with several concentration areas … including Marketing and even a Self-Designed:
Doctor of Business Administration | Online D.B.A. Degree | Ph.D. Business Administration | Walden University

George Fox: DBA w/Marketing concentration
Teaching Concentrations | Doctor of Business Administration in Oregon | George Fox University

Hampton University: PhD Business Administration
Doctoral Program, Business Administration- Hampton University Online

 

Anderson University (Indiana)
Falls School of Business
Doctor of Business Administration

Offers majors in Management, Marketing, Accounting, or Finance. Accredited by the ACBSP.

"The Anderson University DBA program is specifically designed to make it possible for individuals currently teaching at the college level, or aspiring to teach, to earn a quality doctorate in business. […]

The first residency on the Anderson University campus occurs the last two weeks of May each year. They return for a week in August and then a final week each year in January. All students are required to be in residency for four weeks a year during the first three years of coursework. All other work is completed while at home while working or teaching. This makes it possible for full-time instructors to complete their degree in as few as four years, while maintaining full-time employment."

 

Stevie,

I teach at the University of Saint Francis in the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership. I have a Ph.D. from Capella in Organization/Management.

I'm not familiar with Baker so I won't comment on them, but I will tell you that my Capella doctorate has served me very well.

As a DBA, you would be considered "doctoral faculty" in an ACBSP school - so I would look at the Capella DBA, along with the doctoral degree from Baker as well.

PM me if you want more info.

Shawn

 

I have heard nothing but good things about this program as well. We just hired a DBA student to teach at my institution.

Shawn

 

Shawn, et. al.--

I appreciate the feedback once again. I believe I am definitely narrowing down my options at this point, though it has not been in the ways I would have anticipated initially.

This is probably a bit of my personal ideology speaking, but I would prefer the institution to be a not-for-profit (if not public) university devoid of any sort of religious affiliation in order to better ensure my ability to receive tuition assistance from my community college. Because of these reasons, I had always been extraordinarily hesitant to commit to NCU, Walden, Capella, Argosy, Grand Canyon, and/or the University of Phoenix. I am extremely familiar with the "marketed"/"As Seen on TV" options I just mentioned, but have always shied away from that type of environment (not meant as any offense to anyone who attends or has attended these institutions).

Indiana Tech and Baker are both private, not-for-profit institutions, which is why I have essentially narrowed down my search to these two options for the time being (they both tend to fly a bit under-the-radar as being well-known "online" schools). I still have not heard a great deal of discussion from anyone about the pro/cons of Indiana Tech in regards to how it would apply to my situation. Does anyone have any feedback on the program there (or Baker)?

 

Stevie,

Whatever you decide to pursue the doctorate in, you need to have a PASSION for the subject matter and what your research project/dissertation topic will be. IMHO, decide WHAT to pursue the doctorate in, and then pick the right school.

Also, I find it difficult to believe that you would not receive TA if you attend a religious school, as long as the school is Regionally Accredited. I would ask the HR office at your school. If you don't want to do a "for-profit," I would look hard at Anderson. Anderson has a good rep in Indiana.

Shawn

 

Shawn--

I am actually in Ohio now (just moved this time last year from Fort Wayne to accept my new full-time position), so the Anderson residencies are a bit more difficult than they would have been. I am quite familiar with Anderson and am generally impressed with what I have seen from their DBA program. Under different circumstances (shedding the religious affiliation and the 12+ weeks of residencies, many of which take place DURING my teaching), I would probably consider it. I really appreciate the curriculum design and the fact that they seem to be aiming towards establishing instructors in higher education (which makes their residency selections even more perplexing, honestly).

My best "online" learning experiences came from Franklin University when I was completing my Bachelors, not because there was no physical requirement (though there wasn't), but because of the level of service I received from my designated Student Service Associate liaison whenever I needed or requested assistance. Additionally, their program frequently incorporated ElluminateLive collaborative projects and was generally far more enriching than even most of the IU courses I took via distance in grad school.

I suppose that sort of experience is what seems to have me gravitating towards Indiana Tech, though the comments I have been receiving have made me second guess this option pretty heavily since no one seems to think it is a "good fit". I also believe I have some residual reservations about Business school as I had initially started in pursuit of my MBA through Indiana University and really did not enjoy it. I LOVED SPEA/Public Affairs, however, so I feel like I am reliving my decision from 7 years ago when I initially committed to more Business school (following my BS in Business Admin) rather than diversifying into fields I honestly enjoyed more (Public Affairs, Government, Law, & Leadership).

This discussion has really helped me probably formulate my ultimate question: "Which is more important? Earning a formal document that is in my field of instruction or earning a document that continues my love of learning, despite not being in my field of instruction?"

 

Don't ask "what's in a name?". It is sometimes what branding is. You are in the field of marketing and knows this well. Indiana Tech (IT) appears to have better name recognition than the others. It rhymes with other popular "Tech" institutions such as Georgia Tech, Louisiana Tech, Texas Tech, Cal Tech, etc. As for fit, You can "fit" Marketing in their program. Like one of their current student posted, "It is what you make it to be". Their Global Leadership program has two concentrations. The other is Organizational Management. You could go with this track and emphasize/bias your studies/research/dessertation on Marketing albeit Marketing management. I am also considering enrolling in the IT program with similar concerns - mine is Healthcare Administration. I intend doing this. I think we should contact an advisor/Director of the program about the feasibility of this approach to create a "fit". Their commitment to seeing their students complete the program is what impresses me about their program.
I am also considering Bellevue University's Human Capital Management. Beside IT it seem nicer than the other ones that you are looking into. Look into it and tell me what you think.