Doctor of Business Administration

Admission Requirements

Admission Criteria for the Doctor of Business Administration Program are as follows:

• Completion of an MBA degree from an acceptable accredited institution.

OR

• Completion of an undergraduate degree in business and a master's degree in a business field (such as organizational leadership, management, or human resources) from an acceptable accredited institution. The College Dean makes the final decision regarding accepted fields of study for admission to the program.

AND

• A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) on the earned master's degree. Additional coursework may be required to meet the Required Knowledge Base. Refer to section on Required Knowledge Base for further information.
• Completion of an application for admission.
• Submission (within 10 weeks of class start date) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended.
• Personal interview with a representative from the College of Business as designated by the Dean of the College of Business (may be conducted by teleconference).  

Submission of the following:

• A 1,000-word Statement of Purpose Essay that targets the applicant's  academic and professional preparation for the South University DBA, along with future academic and professional goals. This statement must detail how the applicant's goals will be enhanced from earning a South University DBA and how the degree will be integrated into future career goals.
• Résumé or curriculum vitae that clearly outlines academic and professional preparation for a doctorate program.
• Three current academic/professional recommendations submitted directly to South University from the evaluator.  References submitted to South University by an applicant will not be accepted. These recommendations must present the applicant's ability to successfully matriculate the program and how the applicant will contribute to the overall quality of the program. Additionally, the recommendations must include an assessment of the applicant's ability to be successful as a professional in teaching, service and research.

Once all required admissions documents and information are submitted, the candidate's admission packet will be reviewed and evaluated by the program director. Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis and applicants will be notified immediately.

Required Knowledge Base for the DBA Program

Applicants to the DBA degree program must demonstrate a master's level ability to integrate knowledge within critical knowledge areas with a grade of "B" or better. These knowledge areas must have been taken at an acceptable accredited institution and be equivalent to a 3 semester-hour, graduate level course:

Knowledge Areas:

• Organizational Behavior and Communication
• Statistics

Students meeting all other admission requirements except not having met the Required Knowledge Base areas will be admitted into the program; however, these graduate level knowledge areas must be successfully completed with a grade of "B" or better within the first two quarters of enrollment.

If a student does not complete the Required Knowledge Base areas within the required timeframe, he/she will be dismissed from the program.

The Required Knowledge Base course credits do not count towards the total number of credits for graduation nor do they count in the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA); however, they do count in determining the maximum time frame (MTF) and the Incremental Completion Rate (ICR).

Virtual Residency Requirement for Online Students

The doctoral residencies are a requirement for online students in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program.  These are a time for faculty, staff, and students to meet in a collegial learning opportunity. Residencies are designed as a time for students and faculty to work together collaboratively and to support the creation of a community of scholars.  Students will participate in faculty- and student-led presentations and will have the opportunity to network and share their experiences in the program. They will also be able to work collaboratively on their scholarship during the residencies, and opportunities to provide service to the academic community will be discussed.

The South University DBA has two residencies.  All DBA students in the online program are required to participate in these two residencies; these residencies are part of the completion requirements for the program.

Students attend the virtual Residencies I and II in either the fall or spring depending upon the enrollment date for the student. Residency I is expected to be completed before or during the MGT7100 course in the online program.  Residency II is expected to be completed before or during the MGT7205 course in the online program.

If a student fails to attend Residency I or II, he/she will not be able to progress beyond the course for which the residency is a prerequisite or co-requisite (MGT7100 for Residency I and MGT7205 for Residency II).

Attendance

Students are made aware of the requirement of attending those residencies upon admission into the doctoral program. Attendance is required in order to progress in the program.  Should an emergency arise that prevents the student from attending the virtual residency, the student must immediately contact the DBA Program Director to receive instructions on how to proceed.

Special accommodations can be made for students who cannot attend a portion of the residency due to medical reasons, religious reasons, and active military deployment. Students who arrive late or fall ill during a residency should immediately contact the Program Director. Students who cannot attend a portion of the residency due to religious reasons, medical reasons, or active military deployment should contact the Program Director at least ten days in advance of the residency.

Other exceptions - There may be additional exceptions that are presented from time to time.  How these exceptions will be handled is at the discretion of the DBA Program Director based upon the guidelines set forth in this document.

Documenting exceptions - The Program Director will notify the Academic Counselor regarding any student being granted an exception. Documentation of the exception will need to be placed in the student's academic file in Image Now.  The Program Director will then notify the Academic Counselor of the result of each exception granted.

Course Requirements

Outcomes

Upon completion of the DBA program, students should be capable of the following:

• Apply critical thinking skills to analyze contemporary theory with their discipline.
• Integrate contemporary theory into cogent paradigms.
• Make contributions to the business administration knowledge base.
• Comprehend and apply the concepts, principles, and methods of researching business topics for peer reviewed journals, business practices, and consulting assignments.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding and practice of teaching management courses in higher education.
• Develop research designs using scientific investigation and systematic inquiry in an area of management.
• Provide valuable service to their academic and professional community.
• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication related to their field.

Career Outlook

The Doctor of Business Administration program is built to prepare you for faculty positions in academic institutions, advancement in positions of executive or senior management, and improved engagement in business and management consulting roles.