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 accelerated by taking multiple courses in a term 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 87530 Management Finance and Control — 3-credits
- BUS 87300 Advanced Measurement and Statistics for Business — 3-credits
- BUS 87305 Ethnography of Corporate Culture — 3-credits
- MGT 87500 Organizational Development and Design — 3-credits
- MGT 87525 Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Governance — 3-credits
- MKT 87505 Consumer Behavior, Theory, and Analysis — 3-credits
Required Second and Third Year Core Courses
- IB 87516 Global Business Strategic Management — 3-credits
- MGT 87515 Information, Organization, and Strategy — 3-credits
- MGT 87520 Business Research Methods — 3-credits
- MGT 87540 Quantitative Research Methods — 3-credits
Doctoral Comprehensive Essay Examination
- BUS 87805 Doctoral Comprehensive Essay Examination — 1-credit
DBA Concentration Courses
Financial Management Concentration
- ACT 87515 Financial Statement Analysis — 3-credits
- ECO 87501 Managerial Economics — 3-credits
- FIN 86505 Corporate Finance — 3-credits
- FIN 86507 Lending in Consumer and Corporate Markets — 3-credits
- FIN 86509 Management in Banking and Financial Services — 3-credits
- FIN 87513 Investment Management — 3-credits
- FIN 87514 Financial Institutions — 3-credits
- FIN 87516 Capital Markets — 3-credits
- FIN 87518 Behavioral Corporate Finance — 3-credits
Healthcare Administration Concentration
- HCA 86800 Healthcare Administration — 3-credits
- HCA 86802 Healthcare Compliance, Law and Ethics — 3-credits
- HCA 86804 Healthcare Economics — 3-credits
- HCA 86806 Managing Epidemiology — 3-credits
- HCA 86810 Healthcare Informatics — 3-credits
- HCA 86812 Quality Control in Healthcare — 3-credits
- HCA 86814 Cultural Diversity in Healthcare — 3-credits
Human Resource Management Concentration
- HRM 86503 Human Resource Management — 3-credits
- HRM 57502 Compensation Issues in Human Resource Management — 3-credits
- HRM 87503 Labor Relations — 3-credits
- HRM 87504 Supervisory Concepts and Practice — 3-credits
- HRM 87505 Effective Training and E-Learning — 3-credits
International Business Concentration
- IB 87512 International Economics — 3-credits
- IB 87513 International Marketing — 3-credits
- IB 87514 Cultural Environment of International Business — 3-credits
- IB 87517 International Business Law — 3-credits
- IB 87518 International Financial Management — 3-credits
Project Management Concentration
- MGT 86529 Project Management — 3-credits
- PM 86900 Project Management Concepts and Essentials — 3-credits
- PM 86901 Project Management Strategic Design — 3-credits
- PM 86902 Project Management Organization — 3-credits
- PM 86903 Project Management Integration — 3-credits
- PM 86910 PM Capstone — 3-credits
Strategic Leadership Concentration
- SLDR 86000 Essential Concepts for Strategic Management and Leadership — 3-credits
- SLDR 86001 Role of Leadership in Strategic Management Communications — 3-credits
- SLDR 86002 Effective Human Relations Skills for Leaders — 3-credits
- SLDR 86003 Leadership for Promoting Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility — 3-credits
- SLDR 86004 Conflict Management Strategies and Resolution — 3-credits
- SLDR 86005 Leadership Strategies for Developing High Performance Teams — 3-credits
- SLDR 86006 Customer Service Leadership — 3-credits
Doctoral Project Courses
- MGT 87995 Doctoral Project I — 3-credits
- MGT 87996 Doctoral Project II — 3-credits
- MGT 87997 Doctoral Project III — 3-credits
- MGT 87998 Doctoral Project IV — 3-credits
- MGT 87999 Doctoral Project V — 2-credits
Download the University Catalog for full course descriptions, prerequisite information, and program details.
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.