Anyone ever inquired into the DBA program at Anderson University? There is a community college instructor in TN who is in their program which leads me to believe the program can be completed mostly at a distance. The university is located in PA and is both regionally accredited and has the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accreditation. A link to the program is found here - http://www.anderson.edu/falls/dba/overview/design.html I'd love to hear what others think. I'm a community college instructor, so this program seems to be a good fit for me.
The link in the first message shows the actual course requirements, etc. The basic overview of the program from the website is below: Doctor of Business Administration Welcome to the website of Anderson University’s Doctor of Business Administration Program. Our purpose is to provide a program of rigor and quality that serves the needs of faculty and potential faculty in institutions of higher education which place primary emphasis on teaching effectiveness and encourage an active approach to the integration of Christian values/faith into the business classroom. We’ve designed a program format that is both rigorous and a realistic alternative for persons who are working full-time in higher education or in industry but desire a doctoral program in an academic discipline within a business curriculum. Goals of our program include: Provide a strong theoretical understanding of business disciplines. Improve undergraduate student learning by increasing the pedagogical abilities of doctoral students. Develop an increased appreciation of scholarly research and writing within individual doctoral students. Increase participation of Christian business scholars in the “academy” of higher education. Take a look at the Overview of the program. Investigate the specific layout and design of the coursework and the various requirements of the degree. You’ll also see course descriptions, a proposed schedule and other valuable information. You can even download a hardcopy of the DBA Application form.
The AU DBA IS NOT a distance-learning program. Found this on their site ... What the AU DBA Program IS NOT: The AU DBA IS NOT a "research" doctorate. The purpose is to train teachers to have a strong appreciation for quality research, not just to train “researchers” who will serve in the major university setting. The AU DBA IS NOT a distance-learning program. While tools of distance-learning may be used to facilitate education, the student will complete a majority of class work through a traditional classroom setting on the campus of Anderson University. The AU DBA IS NOT seen as a “non-traditional” program. While there are elements that borrow the best from the new approaches to education, the program is also grounded in traditional conceptualizations of a doctorate in business.
I did a search in Google and found several current DBA candidates at Anderson and sent e-mail messages requesting feedback on the program. While it is not a distance learning program, all but 4 weeks of instruction per year can be done at a distance. Students must attend 2 weeks in a row in May, one week in August and one week in January. The feedback that I've received so far has been very positive. Seems to be a very good alternative for those who want to TEACH at a small 4-year school or private regionally accredited university. The tuition is very good as well - only $1110 per course ($370 per credit hour).
It is interesting to see Anderson get into the DBA business. I've noticed a number of other schools begin offering part time, non-PhD doctoral programs in business. I worked at one of these schools, Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. They offer a DBA and a Doctor of Management in IT. St. Ambrose in Davenport, IA is another. I suspect we'll see more entrants to this market. One good thing that I've noticed is that these programs have tended to concentrate in a single area. This makes sense given their relatively small enrollment. St. Ambrose appears to be oriented to HR. LTU is focused on strategic management (for their DBA) and IT (for their DMIT). While Anderson, St. Ambrose and LTU aren't true DL programs, they can be very attractive to the same students who might consider a DL school. With reasonable part-time schedules these programs do make doctoral work accessible to students in their respective georgraphic areas. Regards - Andy
Info from Program Director I received the following from the program director - I thought this information may be helpful to others who may be interested in this program: ------------ Thank you for your interest in the DBA program at Anderson University. We've designed a doctoral program for individuals who currently serve as business faculty members or for those in industry who have a desire to move towards this calling and career option in the future. Because of our wish to serve faculty members the structure of the program is such that you do not have to leave a full-time faculty position and move to a central location for five or six years in order to complete a doctorate. Our structure is such that we've captured what we think are the best components of various educational options. The program focuses on a specific academic major which you select from four options, a research skills component, a "best practices" in college teaching compconent, and an intentional investigation of business ethics from a Christian perpsective. You are correct in your email. We do require four weeks of on campus residency per year in the doctoral program for the three years you would be completing coursework. DBA students come to campus in Anderson, IN for two weeks in May, one week in August and one week in January. All of these class session meet at times which generally do NOT conflict with a traditional academic calendar. These weeks in residency consist of very concentrated class "seat" time from Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and on Saturday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Each class includes approximately six weeks of preparation on your own, one week of intensive seat time and six weeks to complete a final project after you've left campus. You complete four courses per year in this format. One additional course per year is more of a directed/independent study format which you might be doing independent research work or may be conducted in an electonic on-line format. Five courses per year for three years completes the course work. After this comes comprehensive exams and finally the doctoral dissertation in order to complete the degree.
Any updates? These programs look really interesting and logistically feasible. Does anyone know any more than was posted here a while back? Any feedback from the DBA candidates you emailed, Blaketots? Thanks a bunch...
Anderson U I know a number of people at Anderson University...mostly related to the seminary there. However, a few of the profs in the DBA program go to my church and are well respected people in the community. I live about 25 minutes from Anderson U. and find it to be an average small private college. Nothing spectacular, really. Almost sent my daughter there because of the solid Christian atmosphere. She eventually decided to go to a state school and it's been great for her. The business program seems solid there. I know HP does a lot of recruiting in the accounting program. I know many more who went onto the likes of Harvard, Yale, Chicago, and Stanford after having received their BS at Anderson. The campus is in Anderson Indiana. The area around campus is a bit rundown looking. Afterall, it is Anderson(home to GM, Delco, and other industrial plants). The campus itself is an older one. Some new buildings and repairs could be used in many places. They have a great physical education center there. It's brand new and well fitted for the student body. The rest of the campus could use a good cash infusion to just spruce it up some. For Anderson alumni it is like a mecca to send their children there. I don't get that one really. I think there are plenty of better schools in the state but alumni feel that this is THE PLACE to get a Christian education. I'm not an alum by the way. (USNY and CSU-DH here). I looked at the DBA program there when it was first being promoted. Personally, I think it would be a good program based on my knowledge of some of the profs. I've seen them teach, and talk, at church and know them to be morally strong people. How might it compare to Touro or NorthCentral? I would likely rate Anderson higher because I think that other schools, if employment at a college is your goal, would have more favorable opinions toward Anderson. Any accredited school where hard work is put in would suffice I think. I would bet Anderson has a lot of grads teaching at other schools, too. Probably not so many from Touro or NorthCentral. Anderson has been around a long time.
