Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
YOUR TIME TO LEAD, ACHIEVE, AND TRANSFORM.
Dynamic global market conditions require credentialed, seasoned and informed leaders. Professionals must be prepared to craft visionary strategies and implement innovative practices focused on analyzing and addressing complex challenges. Earning your Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree is a defining executive credential.
The DBA degree program at Thomas Edison State University (TESU) is a fully online doctoral degree program that enables business- and management-oriented professionals, industry executives, business managers, military leaders, higher education administrators and consultants to advance their careers. You'll undergo rigorous coursework in business and management through one of our three areas of study: General Management, Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management. In addition to being an exceptional value, our courses follow an eight-week schedule and are entirely online with occasional synchronous class meetings.
Why Earn Your Doctor of Business Administration at TESU?
Acquiring a DBA degree is a key professional differentiator. The DBA degree program at TESU provides you with the business theories and practices you need to overcome the complex institutional issues confronting businesses today. Our qualified mentors are dedicated to expanding your knowledge with seminal topics from the liberal arts and sciences with contemporary theories, models, tools and best practices associated with 21st-century leadership, culture and change.
This unique learning approach provides students with an adaptable and customizable doctoral experience. The cohort-based, scholar-practitioner learning community is enriched by a professional network of student colleagues, maximizing the potential for individual growth and career advancement.
Throughout your entire doctoral experience, you will receive highly responsive guidance and focused attention to help you reach this career-defining educational achievement. You will gain access to exclusive scholarly and professional communities for life.
What You'll Learn
Your DBA degree will give you the advanced knowledge you need to lead organizations and make critical decisions. Discover the learning experiences that await you at TESU.
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Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing the Doctor of Business Administration program, you will be able to:
- Integrate financial, operational and cultural data analysis in organizational strategic planning and management.
- Analyze the global competitive environment to plan for sustainable organizational growth.
- Employ interpersonal, instructional and consulting skills to communicate effectively in key industry-, education- and market-related formats.
- Demonstrate ethical behavior in organizational governance, leadership and engagement.
- Synthesize theory, research, technologies and experiential data in making evidenced-based decisions.
- Evidence commitment to and support of diversity, multiculturalism, equity and social justice.
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Courses
You'll take 16 courses as part of your studies for the DBA, each consisting of three credit hours.
Courses include:
- The Global Business Context: Trends, Issues and Markets
- Seminar in Organizational Dynamics: Leadership, Culture and Change
- Teaching Adults: Archetypes, Tools and Tactics - Andragogy Lab
Depending on your chosen area of study, you will take executive-level courses such as:
- Seminar in Leadership and Culture: Organizational and National Perspectives
- Seminar in Global Human Resource Management
- Seminar in Leading Change for Innovation, Sustainability, and Competitive Advantage
- Seminar in Human Resource Leadership
- Seminar in Scholar-Practitioner Research
To see all the courses you will take with the DBA program at TESU, view our course catalog.
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Scholar-Practitioner Field Project
At the end of your studies, your knowledge culminates into a mentor-guided field project of your choice. This project applies what you've learned throughout your courses toward your chosen industry or field, and results in your work being published or presented at a conference.
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Other Program Highlights
When you choose a DBA at TESU, you'll receive benefits that further add to the exceptional value of your degree.
Low-cost Educational Resources
TESU provides a portfolio of academic and applied course resources organized using a high-quality cost-effective blend of e-books, articles and Open Educational Resources.
Unique Curriculum Design
Our scholar-practitioner and interdisciplinary curriculum is comprised of five unique content domains:
- Critical Thought and Action
- Integrated Topics in Business and Management
- Teaching and Consultative Professional Practice
- Scholar-Practitioner Field Project
- Your chosen area of study
Personalized Instructional Delivery
While our adult-centered and seminar-oriented cohort design is a distance learning environment, you will have access to one-on-one mentorship from our university leadership.
Support Every Step of the Way
We partner with you throughout your doctoral experience, delivering highly responsive and focused attention, service and guidance to help you find your path toward success.
New Cohort Orientation: On-site and Virtual
Our new cohort orientation provides an engaging and informative session addressing key components of doctoral study. Key mentors provide a framework of best practices on the approach to DBA course content that includes vital doctoral expectations, time-management skills, critical thinking, academic writing and research.
Early Access to the First DBA Course
As a DBA student, you'll have a preliminary view and early navigation of Moodle, TESU's learning management system, to get a head start in inspecting the DBA course structure. You'll have access to examine syllabi, modules, grading rubrics, discussion forums, mentor office hours and course resources — all in one place.
NJ State Library Cards for DBA Cohort
Our cohorts receive complimentary library cards for access to exclusive library collections and electronic resources.
Access to DBA Scholar-Practitioner Community of Practice Platform
Exclusive to DBA students, the Scholar-Practitioner Community of Practice platform provides academic and professional learning opportunities for you. The DBA repository provides access to innumerable resources and tools to deliver quality business education that is industry-relevant and career-enabling.
Academic Writing and Qualitative Research Series
Watch live and recorded seminars on transitioning from technical business writing to academic writing, applicable and useful for your Scholar-Practitioner field project. Qualitative Research seminars cover the use of case-study methodology approaches to the core strategy of qualitative inquiry.
Areas of Study
There are three individual areas of study within the DBA program at TESU: General Management, Organizational Leadership and Human Resource Management. Each specialization is made up of nine-credits.
General Management
The General Management specialization allows you to completely personalize your DBA experience. You'll be able to choose any three courses from our pool of six available classes to customize what you learn.
Organizational Leadership
The Organizational Leadership specialization focuses on key competency areas that 21st-century global leaders need like communication, team building, leadership, culture and ethics.
The Organizational Leadership area of study allows you to be more integrated and educated of how to build a team and business that lasts.
Human Resource Management
The Human Resource Management specialization focuses on building skills in current and future senior-level human resource executives and human capital management leaders. The curriculum of this area focuses on areas of employee relations, global strategy, ethics and business fundamentals.
The Human Resource Management area of study prepares you to integrate into the business world and provide your expert opinion in all areas of human capital management and human resources.
Career Outlook
141k
median starting salary
600+
annual job openings
4.3%
job growth expected through 2025
* Data from Emsi Q2 2020 Data Set
Tuition & Financial Aid
At TESU, we’ve been empowering adults toward brighter futures for more than 50 years. Learning the total cost of attending TESU is an important step in your college search. See our tuition rates and explore financial aid options to start planning your future.
Admission Requirements
Earning a Doctor of Business Administration degree requires commitment, persistence and dedication.
Read through our DBA degree program requirements to ensure you meet our admissions criteria and start your application today.
Take the Next Steps
Ready to invest in your future by earning a DBA degree? Learn more about what sets TESU apart and request information about our program. Take the next step toward a future in leadership today.
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