Help Me - I'm so confused (PhD or DBA)

I spoke to my mentor (assigned mentor at a school I adjunct for that is my go-to person) about one thing and decided to ask the PhD/DBA question. He is going for a PhD from Walden. His suggestion - PhD.

His line of thinking was that a DBA is better for someone without any practical experience such as a new graduate. A PhD will demonstrate ability to analyze theory and my work experience will demonstrate the practical experience therefore giving me a one-two punch.

Sounds logical to me...so far.

 

Its already happening. My instructor for 515 Management of Information Systems at Aspen University was from India. Dr Nikhil Agarwal

According to LinkdIn

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Zensar Center for Business Innovation (ZCBI) is part of Zensar Technology Ltd an subsidary of USD 3 billion RPG Enterprise. I am currently based in Pune, India.

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I am policy specialist in Information Technology, Internet Governance, Education and Electronic Governance.

Current Director at Zensar Center For Business Innovation
Past Assistant Professor at SP Jain Institute of Management
Assistant Professor & Research Fellow at Institute of Management Technology
Co-Founder and Sr. Consultant at Forum of International Consultants (FIC), New Delhi, India
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Institute of Management Technology
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Public Profile http://www.linkedin.com/pub/3/614/9b8 SummaryZensar Center for Business Innovation (ZCBI) is part of Zensar Technology Ltd an subsidary of USD 3 billion RPG Enterprise. I am currently based in Pune, India.

Specialties:
I am policy specialist in Information Technology, Internet Governance, Education and Electronic Governance.

 

I would probably lean towards the PhD. Although PhD is 'research' and DBA is 'application of research', both will require a lot of work. The oral defense should not be any trouble provided you keep your committee informed of your progress as you go along.

Good luck on the comps!

 

Please know that the distinction described above, while real at many schools, is in no way universal. Many or most DBA programs are indistinguishable from their Ph.D. counterparts.

All other things being equal, I'd rather have a Ph.D. But there are so many things that are more important than the specific designation. Cost, time-in-program, delivery method, content, research philosophies, residency requirements, prestige of the school, and much more.

 

A DBA also demonstrates the ability to analyze theory, not because is an applied research degree you don't have to deal with theoretical issues. DBAs were created for those interested in applying existing theory into business while PhDs for those interested in developing new theory. However, I have seen many PhD dissertations that apply theory and DBAs that suggest new theories so the reality is that it depends a lot on your supervisor, school and program.

The reality is that even the PhD at NCU is not an academic research program given the part time and orientation of the program. An academic PhD program normally requires 5 years full time work and a minimum number of publications. It is not very realistic to think that you can get the same with a 3 year part time program so the argument that the PhD at NUC is more academic is debatable. Both programs are towards professionals and the difference in my opinion for this school is really more marketing than anything else. NCU probably figures that having both degree types can capture more market than having only one but the reality is that it is the same product with a different package.

 

I believe you are correct. In fact, this is what NCU has to say about the PhD-Business program in part:

http://www.ncu.edu/academics/graduate/business_phd.aspx

It doesn't appear to me that NCU is claiming their PhD is designed for the academic world. In fact, the PhD and DBA are very similar and appear to be targeted towards the working professional. The DBA is presented as:

http://www.ncu.edu/academics/graduate/business_dba.aspx

If one wishes to be employed full-time in teaching or any other full time academic position it would seem to me that NCU is not the place to attend.

 

Yes, but this has almost nothing to do with the design of either degree program, and almost everything to do with the nature of the school itself.

NCU is set up to serve the working adult, not the person trying to enter his/her field. As such, it isn't designed to funnel its students into TA positions that, along with their studies, may lead to assistant faculty positions. Rather, for the most part, NCU students are using their studies and their degrees to advance in their current careers.

Why would someone pay $30-50K or more for a $50K per year job? Especially if one is making far more than that already? (It is done; my friend Ken is quitting his intel analyst position to pursue a high school teaching credential. The teaching gig won't pay half what he makes as a contractor.)

Schools like Fielding, Walden, Union, NCU, Touro, Saybrook, NSU, and others aren't designed to create traditional assistant professors. It isn't because of the make up of their degree programs, it's because of the audiences they serve.

(NB: The largest accredited university in the U.S., the University of Phoenix, doesn't offer any kind of placement activity for its graduates and students. This is true, even though many graduates use their degrees to change jobs, and many employers are interested in hiring them. Why no placement office? It isn't needed.)

 

That's a very good point!!! I am using my fully employed status as a means of sending myself to NCU!!! Most people get the degree first and then seek professional employment.

 

I think pretty much summarizes the whole thread. It doesn't really matter if you get a DBA or a PhD from NCU as both credentials can only be used for adjunct or professional work. You might use it for small private Universities or community college teaching or any other low rate school that pays you 50K/year (As Rich states) but a Master's might be sufficient for these positions anyways.

So the bottom line is that both degrees would serve you for the same purpose and it is just a matter of personal preferences.

 

I agree, but many people attending these schools are in the education business already. Many are looking for a PhD for a pay bump since they are already teachers or administrators at an academic institution. However, it is not the best path if you really want to break in the academic world.

 

Well, yes actually. They are a couple of PhD’less multi-millionaires and two of the most successful business people in the world.

 

This overstates the situation. It's not that these degrees could/can not be used for tenure-track jobs. They can. It's just that they're not designed for that purpose; they don't feed candidates into academia. But someone with a relationship with a school (already employed or a prospect) could use such a degree as a "square filler" or qualifier, allowing the school to hire the person they want.

Let's say you're an adjunct and you're good. So good, the school wants you around full time. Or let's say you're an esteemed member of your profession, and the school would like to bring you into the fold. In each case, they could do so whatever your credentials might be. But the doctorate--regardless of the accredited source--might make it easier for them.

No absolutes, just rules of thumb.

 

There are a sizable number of people discussing fulltime college teaching after retiring from the military on the NCU and other forums. Others are planning to retire from police-related work with the same goal in mind. As we discussed in a previous thread here I believe they are misguided at best.

 

When I retire from law enforcement (which isn't too far away), there is no doubt in my mind that I can land a full-time tenure track position at one of a couple of local colleges/universities in my area with a NCU doctorate. No doubt whatsoever. However, I have absolutely no desire to be a full-time professor. Could I get a tenure track position at a major research university in the United States with an NCU degree? No, of course not -- but I wouldn't want it. Who would?

How could I land a full-time position with a NCU doctorate? For several reasons, to include the fact that it's regionally accredited (which helps the school maintain it's accreditation) and I have connections in my community (that's the other half of the equation).