DBA v. PhD in business?

So true, this is why I often promote well-established B&M schools with a brand name. Preferably AACSB. There are just too many options out there. This is the way to stand out in the crowd.

 

me again, I voted PhD. A quick search on Monster.com reveals over 3000 DBA listings...Data Base Administrator that is.

 

DBA for me

I am in business with an executive-level job and a thriving adjunct sideline. I intend to continue teaching on the side until I'm close to retirement, and then become a consultant, writer, life coach and college instructor. I think that a DBA fits my future goals better because it is an applied program (versus theoretical) and because I will not be seeking a tenure-track position. If I was 15-20 years younger, I'd get a PhD and try to get a TT position but that's not my goal now.

I do wish I had done more research and had found a good AACSB MBA distance program. So I'm toying with the idea of getting a MAcc from an AACSB school. Alternately, I'm going to try to get an AACSB DBA. With either of these, I will have a broader range of schools for which I could teach.

 

A few people have said the exact same thing. Many believe that in the professional world, a Masters degree is sufficient and anything more is overkill.

IMO the only universally recoginized doctoral initials are PhD. However, it must be noted that while the PhD seems to have universal recoginition in the 20th Century in the United States, it is actually a recently invented term (invented in the 1800s, if my memory serves me correctly). It does command the most recoginition of all the various combinations of letters i.e. D.Phil., EdD, DBA, et al.

As far as a PhD in business being more likely to get hired as a university researcher than a DBA -- I don't agree with that, at least not from an anecdotal viewpoint. The name of the school awarding the degree is probably more important than a DBA vs. a PhD in business. BTW, I never want to be a full-time university professor!!!! Nay! Never!!!! But I've come too far and I ain't gonna quit the DBA program that I'm in.

 

I don't think that a DBA from Harvard would have a hard time getting an academic position. However, some schools offer the DBA and PhD. USQ offers both programs but the PhD requires a research master's degree as an admission requirement while the DBA requires an MBA. NCU offers both and the DBA seem to be targeted towards students interested in more applied research. In summary, a PhD is more prestigious but I wouldn't lose my sleep over that.

 

Well, I'm a bit divided on this. Theoretically, the PhD emphasizes theoretical research and would be more suited to future professors while the DBA emphasizes applied research and would be more suited to future executives. In the real world, I'm not sure whether this theoretical distinction is really enforced. Theoretically, the two degrees are supposed to be "equal" (one is not supposed to be a "higher doctorate" than the other). In the real world, I think, the PhD sounds more prestigious (and, besides, in the real world, people might think you're a database administrator or maybe you bought a "doing business as" if you say you are or have a DBA). Were I to go for a business doctorate, I would have to struggle between my preference for applied research (which would likely mean getting the DBA title) versus my preference for the more prestigious sounding PhD (which would likely mean doing a more theoretical dissertation).

 

I personally struggled with this, and changed between a DBA and PhD and back to a DBA.. In the end, this level of education is ‘theoretical’ enough, and as you advance in a large organization you get farther away from the actual work (any other C levels out there on this board?), I didn’t feel yet another philosophy theoretical branding would help anything, and am very comfortable with the DBA designation.

 

Great anecdote Randell. Just goes to show that with some time and progressive thinking, the negative stigma for online schools may be replaced with rhetoric that is both positive and credible.

 

Virtual schools are not very well seen yet. NCU realized this and is building a physical campus in order to change this negative virtual image. I imagine that they will offer some on campus programs mainly to add credibility to their online degrees.

 

Randell: She said, "What ever you do, stay away from Nova. They are not accreditied."

John: Is it conceivable she was aware of the phony Nova that has operated from Canada and Utah for many years?

 

No, she was talking about Nova in Ft Lauderdale.

 

NCU has not made the mistake of over advertisement as Phoenix did. They are low profile and I think it is better that way. I rather people tell me that they don't know my school than tell me that they know the school because they saw its commercial while watching Jerry Springer.

I'm not a fan of NCU but must say that they seem to be doing a decent job and might be considered at the same level as schools as Nova in the future.

 

As far as I can tell NCU is doing all the right things; they are even posting calls for papers and rewarding students with incentives for getting papers published or speaking at scholarly events and representing that school. There is a real effort to ‘advertise’ through traditional academic channels of recognition, instead of internet popups and full pages in a popular magazine..

 

The poll is pretty close, but interestingly, the DBA seems to be inching ahead of the PhD.