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online business admin doctoral degree

Doctor of Business Administration

Start your online doctoral degree in business administration

Develop a mindset of change and innovation that breaks the sea of sameness. Our Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) can help you gain the strategic vision and skills to position yourself as a business leader. And since courses are only 8 weeks long, they won’t get in the way of your busy life.

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online business admin degree

Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

18 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in this field.

18 Core Courses

Doctoral degree program requirements

  • The minimum credits to obtain your doctoral degree is 54 credits
  • The doctoral degree program length can vary by specific program requirements
  • Students may be required to complete extension courses to allow ample time to satisfy the dissertation and project requirements for their program of study.  Additional courses may require additional cost and time. 

Our doctoral support team is here to guide you every step of the way. Speak to our dedicated doctoral enrollment representative for questions on your program timeline. 

Dissertation

You’ll begin your dissertation in your third course and follow a schedule of milestones throughout your program. This helps you manage your dissertation in smaller segments and helps identify any research methodology challenges early, so surprises or delays can be addressed.

Symposium

While some doctoral programs require on-campus residency, we’ve shifted to an 8-week online symposium. In the required course you’ll:

  • Receive a detailed overview of each milestone in the doctoral journey
  • Understand what the University expects from doctoral students
  • Understand what doctoral students can expect from the University

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help schedule your courses for a Doctor of Business Administration. You may also enroll in an optional, zero-credit, zero-tuition/fee one-weekend seminar in Phoenix.[1] The seminar provides an opportunity for personal interaction with faculty and peers as well as instruction around the framework of your dissertation.

[1] The seminar provides an opportunity for personal interaction with faculty and peers as well as instruction around the framework of your dissertation. Students are responsible for their own travel costs.

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Doctoral cost per course

$2,635 / course

Cost per credit 

Credits per course

Resource fee

$810

x3

+ $205

Estimated cost per course

$2,635

An illustration showing a couple pushing a stroller with a dollar sign and clock in the background

What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by: 

  • Savings opportunities. With our Tuition Guarantee commitment, you can count on fixed, affordable pricing for your entire postgraduate degree program. You can apply for the Doctoral Scholarship, which offers up to $3,000 for new students and alumni pursuing their doctoral degree at University of Phoenix.

Earn your doctoral degree faster and for less with eligible savings opportunities:

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with a Doctor of Business Administration?

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

A DBA can prepare you to be a:

  • General manager (GM)
  • Executive director
  • Operations director

Our practitioner doctorate prepares you for leadership in your profession. How is this degree different from a PhD?

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you’ll learn

When you earn your online degree, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:

  • Integrate the Scholar Practitioner Leader (SPL) Model throughout the doctoral journey and beyond.

  • Cultivate a leadership identity that reflects a mature and strategic understanding of the tenets of effective management praxis.

  • Develop doctoral research that identifies and addresses opportunities for innovation in complex managerial contexts.

6% Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for management occupations is projected to be faster than average between 2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No GMAT/GRE
  • No admissions essay or letter of intent
  • No academic or professional references
  • We’ll request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1] Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Doctoral Student Experience

Integrated dissertation from day one

Once your program starts, you’ll begin your dissertation with support from practitioner faculty, a dissertation committee and a peer team. You’ll also have a resource repository to help you complete it with confidence. 

Explore and inquire with the Research Hub

Our Research Hub is a community of researchers who exemplify the highest standards of academic excellence and research innovation. Browse publications or view our centers and Career Institute®.

Drive change with actionable learning

Our programs incorporate lifelong learning, social and workplace contribution, and the ability to exert positive influence. You’ll learn how to become an aspiring leader who can impact decision-making and drive change. 

Connect with your scholarly community

Your success is important to us. We host events to support your research, doctoral studies and networking. Join us for our Doctoral Journey Colloquium, Research Summit or an upcoming workshop or webinar.

Phoenix provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 28+ years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Kathryn Uhles

I’m dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to meet their career goals.

Kathryn Uhles
Dean, College of Business and IT, University of Phoenix

I’m dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to meet their career goals.

Accreditation

Count on the quality of your education

programmatic accreditation

Our DBA has been reaffirmed for accreditation until 2027 by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), ensuring the quality of your education.

What does that mean in real life? ACBSP-accredited business programs are committed to quality standards. The quality of the program is regularly benchmarked against specific criteria that prepare students for the business industry. Accreditation occurs on a 10-year cycle with regular quality reviews.

View the student achievement report (PDF) for the University of Phoenix ACBSP-accredited business and accounting programs.

A C B S P accredited

Frequently asked questions about this business doctoral degree

While there are some subject matter similarities in a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, you must take into consideration what each program offers and the differences between them before choosing which might be right for you. We’ll explain the three programs so you can determine which might meet your goals.

A Doctor of Business Administration is a specialized degree with a practical focus that incorporates a multidisciplinary and systems thinking approach. Our online DBA attracts business professionals who want to improve their administrative and managerial skills. They want to contribute to the practice of management and solve real-world organizational and business problems. Our DBA degree combines scholarship, practice and leadership to prepare students for lifelong learning, social and workplace contribution and the ability to exert positive influence in organizations and in life.

A Doctor of Philosophy is a specialized degree with an intensive theoretical research focus. A PhD attracts students who would like to pursue a career in academia or conduct research that contributes to business knowledge or theory. A PhD program will have you conducting research with the goal of addressing a gap in knowledge or need in business management. University of Phoenix doesn’t offer PhD programs.

A Master of Business Administration is a graduate degree with a focus on theoretical and practical training for general business management functions. Our MBA program attracts business professionals who want to work in a managerial capacity or follow their entrepreneurial aspirations. Earning an MBA may be ideal if you have less time to devote to a program.

Our Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is designed for business professionals who want to contribute to the practice of management and solve real-world organizational problems. Our online DBA will equip you with working knowledge based on the latest business research, theories and trends. You can sharpen your administrative, managerial and decision-making skills to help ensure organizations remain sustainable in a competitive environment while positioning yourself as an experienced professional in the field.

To be eligible for our Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program, you must have a graduate degree from a regionally or an approved nationally accredited college or university or equivalent graduate degree earned at a recognized foreign institution. You’ll need a minimum 3.0 GPA on your graduate degree posted transcripts as well as a record of current or past employment. International applicants, or applicants without appropriate previous academic experience in an English language environment, must pass English Language Proficiency Test. Other eligibility requirements may apply. Please contact an enrollment representative to learn more about program-specific admission requirements.

Similar to most doctoral programs, our Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program will help you develop advanced quantitative and qualitative research skills. Unlike Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs that focus on theoretical research, our DBA degree emphasizes applied research where academic theory helps you devise solutions to practical business problems.

As part of the online DBA program, you’ll take three research focused courses:

These courses give you a foundational understanding of research methodology and theoretical frameworks. You can learn how to critically analyze scholarly literature, interpret data, create an effective research plan and generate actionable interventions. These courses are also designed to support the research required as part of your dissertation.

Yes, our online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) has been reaffirmed for accreditation until 2027 by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), ensuring the quality of your education. Learn more about accreditation at University of Phoenix.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.