The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program transforms mature learners into leaders. Doctoral candidates learn the most advanced decision‑making techniques, while also developing the research and writing skills that accompany high‑level responsibility in the academic and business environments.
Business executives must be able to perform in a dynamic environment where market expansion is global, where competition presents ever-changing decision-making challenges, and change is the norm. Excellence in leadership, strategic management, and organizational change management are essential to develop effective corporate executives and hence organizational viability.
Quick Facts:
- Credits required: 60
- Cost per credit: $545
- Program length: 4 years (full-time status)
- Max transfer credits: 30 credits
Time to degree completion can be shortened by accelerating completion of courses and through credits accepted in transfer.
What you’ll learn
Demonstrate an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the interconnectedness of the social and cultural dimensions within communities and their impact on business theory and practice.
Apply effective leadership skills for innovative and collaborative economic development.
Develop diverse teams and foster teamwork through effect human resource management.
Demonstrate effective research skills and generate empirical evidence to support managerial actions.
Demonstrate advanced knowledge and competence in the latest theories, concepts, and techniques in the field of business administration.
Career Outcomes
Senior Leadership Roles:
C-Level Positions, Corporations,
Government Agencies,
Non-Profit Agencies and Industries
Consulting
Economist
Healthcare
Human Resources
Instructor
Researcher
Writer
Doctor of Business Administration Degree Requirements
| Degree Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | 30 |
| DBA Concentration / Elective Courses | 15 |
| Comprehensive Essay Examination | 1 |
| Doctoral Project Courses | 14 |
| TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR THE DBA | 60 |
Courses + Credits
Below, you’ll find the required courses offered by the CalSouthern School of Business and Management for the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program. The DBA consists of an integrated sequence of doctoral courses, a comprehensive essay examination, and a doctoral project that encompasses 60 credits beyond a master’s degree.
To facilitate the interdisciplinary cross-fertilization of ideas, which drives innovation in business, the doctoral program will allow the electives requirement to be completed from the selection of all graduate-level courses offered at CalSouthern in any discipline to enable learners to build their own doctoral degree program.
Required First Year Core Courses
- ACT 7530 Management Finance and Control — 3-credits
- BUS 7300 Advanced Measurement and Statistics for Business — 3-credits
- BUS 7305 Ethnography of Corporate Culture — 3-credits
- MGT 7500 Organizational Development and Design — 3-credits
- MGT 7525 Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Governance — 3-credits
- MKT 6505 Consumer Behavior, Theory, and Analysis — 3-credits
Required Second and Third Year Core Courses
- IB 6516 Global Business Strategic Management — 3-credits
- MGT 7515 Information, Organization, and Strategy — 3-credits
- MGT 7520 Business Research Methods — 3-credits
- MGT 6540 Quantitative Research Methods — 3-credits
Doctoral Comprehensive Essay Examination
- BUS 7805 Doctoral Comprehensive Essay Examination — 1-credit
DBA Concentration Courses
Financial Management Concentration
- ACT 6515 Financial Statement Analysis — 3-credits
- ECO 6601 Managerial Economics — 3-credits
- FIN 6505 Corporate Finance — 3-credits
- FIN 6507 Lending in Consumer and Corporate Markets — 3-credits
- FIN 6509 Management in Banking and Financial Services — 3-credits
- FIN 6513 Investment Management — 3-credits
- FIN 6514 Financial Institutions — 3-credits
- FIN 6516 Capital Markets — 3-credits
- FIN 6518 Behavioral Corporate Finance — 3-credits
Healthcare Administration Concentration
- HCA 6800 Healthcare Administration — 3-credits
- HCA 6802 Healthcare Compliance, Law and Ethics — 3-credits
- HCA 6804 Healthcare Economics — 3-credits
- HCA 6806 Managing Epidemiology — 3-credits
- HCA 6810 Healthcare Informatics — 3-credits
- HCA 6812 Quality Control in Healthcare — 3-credits
- HCA 6814 Cultural Diversity in Healthcare — 3-credits
Human Resource Management Concentration
- HRM 6603 Human Resource Management — 3-credits
- HRM 6502 Compensation Issues in Human Resource Management — 3-credits
- HRM 6503 Labor Relations — 3-credits
- HRM 6504 Supervisory Concepts and Practice — 3-credits
- HRM 6505 Effective Training and E-Learning — 3-credits
International Business Concentration
- IB 6512 International Economics — 3-credits
- IB 6513 International Marketing — 3-credits
- IB 6514 Cultural Environment of International Business — 3-credits
- IB 6517 International Business Law — 3-credits
- IB 6518 International Financial Management — 3-credits
Project Management Concentration
- MGT 6529 Project Management — 3-credits
- PM 6900 Project Management Concepts and Essentials — 3-credits
- PM 6901 Project Management Strategic Design — 3-credits
- PM 6902 Project Management Organization — 3-credits
- PM 6903 Project Management Integration — 3-credits
- PM 6910 PM Capstone — 3-credits
Strategic Leadership Concentration
- SLDR 6600 Essential Concepts for Strategic Management and Leadership — 3-credits
- SLDR 6601 Role of Leadership in Strategic Management Communications — 3-credits
- SLDR 6602 Effective Human Relations Skills for Leaders — 3-credits
- SLDR 6603 Leadership for Promoting Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility — 3-credits
- SLDR 6604 Conflict Management Strategies and Resolution — 3-credits
- SLDR 6605 Leadership Strategies for Developing High Performance Teams — 3-credits
- SLDR 6606 Customer Service Leadership — 3-credits
Doctoral Project Courses
- MGT 8995 Doctoral Project I — 3-credits
- MGT 8996 Doctoral Project II — 3-credits
- MGT 8997 Doctoral Project III — 3-credits
- MGT 8998 Doctoral Project IV — 3-credits
- MGT 8999 Doctoral Project V — 2-credits
Download the University Catalog for full course descriptions, prerequisite information, and program details.
Recent Doctoral Projects
The culmination of the DBA program, these projects represent the research, efforts, and academic contributions our learners are making in the field of business and management. These projects have officially been added to the CalSouthern Library and the ProQuest global database and will serve as academic resources for current and future learners.
School of Business and Management Doctoral Projects
April-May 2021
- Bradshaw, June. Success strategies for small business sustainability in Trinidad.
- Carges, Stephen. Faculty retention of full-time faculty at for-profit university.
- Ejigu, Akawak. Investigating poverty and politics as barriers to international investment in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Krnac, Rachel A. B2B telecommunications pricing and promotions to appeal to the millennial generation.
- Lewis, Camisha. Applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to determine the factors influencing the acceptance and use of online Patient Electronic Payment Portals.
- Mahabir, Gaitri. The link between inexperience and ethics in auditors.
- Rose, Teresa M. Emotional intelligence and job satisfaction in emerging adults.
- Sarangi, Sunil. Employees’ perspectives about corporate social responsibility practices and impact on corporate finance.
- Singh, Nadira D. Investigating employee engagement, job satisfaction and retention in the information technology sector.
- Taylor, Robert Scott. Exploring the impact of the Small Business Development Center Program on entrepreneurial activity.
- Tillman, Hannah K. Supply chain management in a virtual marketplace.
The program layout and structure allows full-time employees the flexibility needed to obtain a higher degree. The University is also the most competitive in terms of cost/value.
– Taylor Hoffer, DBA
Ready to get back to your dreams? We can help!
Contact us to learn more about our online DBA degree program.
Call us at: 1.800.477.2254 | Email: admissions@calsouthern.edu
Accreditation & Approvals
California Southern University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), which is one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Regional accreditation is the most highly respected and recognized form of accreditation in the United States, and it provides students with a number of important benefits and opportunities. www.wscuc.org
California Southern University’s Bachelor, Master, and Doctor in Business Administration are accredited through the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). www.acbsp.org
Please visit the Accreditation & Licensure page to learn more.