Why a DBA is Becoming More Valuable

I thought his was an interesting read. It is pretty well-known that the MBA has become one of the most popular graduate degrees to pursue.

What are your thoughts?

https://hbr.org/sponsored/2022/08/why-a-doctorate-in-business-administration-is-becoming-more-valuable

 

In short, I HAVE read the article. Saw no paywall. Just dumb luck, I guess.

"Sponsor content from Upgrad" - says it all. Written to order for an org. with a primary interest in promoting DBA education.
That aside - I think the case is 'way overstated, here. Sounds, from that article, like DBAs spend multiple years learning to do exactly what our man Dustin learned - in one year, in a Master's program -- a very good, thorough learning experience - for around $10K. I don't think you can get a DBA for anywhere near the price.

I'm not writing DBA-fever off as merely a new deleterious effect of credential inflation. But it has a certain appearance of that - and one-sided ballyhoo articles like this tend to confirm the image. I prefer to think both degrees have their value. The unfortunate truth is- we have created more MBAs than suitable jobs for them.

We might have the same problem with DBAs if we believe implicitly in "sponsor content" like this.

 

You can get a DBA under 15k from at least 2 US RA schools. One however you can't be in the states to get, the other is CBE and you have to do in a year, so lots of work

 

I think this proves one thing most of us knew (or should know) already. One Almighty Degree or another is not always the answer. It never was.

Some are indispensable. Others are not. The salesman always tries to convince you otherwise - to buy the new, expensive shiny whatever. It's in HIS best interest, not necessarily yours.

There is nothing Holy about any degree. Earn them if they suit your purpose. Don't worship them.

 

Nice to know, Chris. Readers who have a DBA in mind will thank you. And I do too - because I learned. Your info was better than mine. Thanks.

 

If it's any help to you - what I was using was Chrome Browser with Linux (Ubuntu).

 

I forgot to cite @JoshD himself, who originated this thread. He's completing a MS in Quantitative Management at Duke. That, I presume, gives him the same data analysis skills the DBA program is supposed to provide, with a reasonable focus on his particular industry - another important facet of DBA studies, according to the article's author.

Josh may choose to earn a DBA at some point in his career - his decision. If he does, he'll already have many of the benefits through his present program. He'll come in with general AND focused knowledge. That should take a big bite out of the DBA learning curve - time and cost-wise.

 

A DBA might open the door to some teaching opportunity. In the corporate world, a good MBA is a lot more useful than a DBA. In my 20+ year experience in the financial service and insurance industry, I recall there is only one person with DBA and she is just a first level manager. Most of the executives only have bachelor degrees and some of them have master degree. To get to the executive level, leadership skills (and political skills) are far more important than any specific degree.

 

I would say the MS in Quantitative Management has provided me a fantastic foundation to build upon in utilizing R, Python, Excel, etc. in making data-driven business decisions. I'd venture to say that I get more of a technical aspect than most DBA programs would provide in that I cover not only to USE the software but also how to to analyze.

 

@AsianStew @Johann
Everyone on DI should know English is not my mother language, and I don't understand English at all. So I have no idea what the following link is talking about, but you may check it out for me:
https://archive.ph/TxAGY

 

Oh... I'll just BET you don't have any idea, Datby!! Thanks for the link. If Asian-Stew still has difficulties with the link he gave -- this is perfect - no paywall. (I found a couple - e.g. Straits Times, but they had paywalls, too.)

 

There are so many MBAs, from prestigious to unaccredited schools. Especially online or limited residency MBAs are popping up left to right. Even Wharton and Berkley have started offering online options with limited residencies. There will be more MBAs in the market, and that's why DBA will become rare for business practitioners. However, will this be the trend that eventually, no college is not required for a business job?

 

I have noticed some nurses opting for a DBA in Healthcare Management (or Administration) in an attempt to stand out.

 

I think this stems from the fact that MOST, not all, people are intimidated by quantitative course work. Most people who pursue a graduate business degree pursue a MBA because it is easier than a Master's in Accounting, Finance, Business Analytics, etc.

I always say, if you KNOW the field you want to be in then pursue a specialized masters.

 

Maybe they know where the money is. Most of the Nursing Professor with Ph.D. in Nursing do not make a lot. So, a DBA in Healthcare Management can help them landing in the top healthcare executive positions.

 

It depends on what they want to teach. A DNP or PhD in nursing would be better for teaching clinical skills in a nursing program. If they're fine with teaching part-time while working for a hospital or clinic network, or they want to teach healthcare administration full-time, then a DBA would suffice. Business schools do tend to pay more than most other academic departments, but I think business is a rather boring subject to teach. That's just my opinion, though.

 

I completed a DBA. It mainly teaches you research skills but applied rather than theoretical. The DBA has helped me mainly for teaching and administration positions in academia, DBAs are perceived as less theoretical so less suitable for tenure track research positions. However, I am not so sure they can be so helpful in industry. The PhD is still perceived as stronger for industry jobs where research skills are necessary and a DBA might be perceived as something in between the MBA or PhD. The reality is that because DBAs are applied, the research can be softer and they are perceived as softer doctorates compared to the PhD. It also depends on your field, if you are in Accounting or Finance, the DBA would be fine but if you are in technology the PhD would be perceived better. Then you have some professions where the PhD is required such as psychology, you can get a DBA in Industrial Psychology but most likely will not be perceived by psychologists as strong as the PhD.
The DBA is well known compared the the DM, DHA, DTech, etc. In general, these degrees are more suitable for part time study compared to the PhD but there are also some schools that allow applied PhDs so in a way they are like DBAs. If your goal is academia and a tenure track position, I would go for a PhD. If you are interested in academic career as administrator or teaching professor, the DBA is fine. The administrator/teaching professor career path is less demanding as you don't need to deal with research grants, research proposals, etc but also it pay less but for some people is less stressing than the tenure track that can be hectic as you need to achieve a certain level of research articles and grants before being granted tenure.