Business Administration, D.B.A at University of South Florida

The D.B.A. degree program offered by the Muma College of Business provides its graduates with the skills needed to conduct rigorous research with the objective of applying the findings to real-world decision-making in industry and government. The Program provides for intellectual growth as students work closely with faculty in seminars, research projects, and other assignments that develop their research skills and ability to communicate their findings to a broad audience of both practitioners and researchers. It also offers students the opportunity to develop a portfolio of skills that, when combined with the extensive experience that they bring into the program, uniquely qualifies them to serve in clinical faculty positions.

The curriculum is designed to build upon the breadth of business understanding that they have previously achieved as successful executives. This is achieved by offering substantive coverage of a broad variety of qualitative and quantitative research techniques and by allowing students the flexibility to focus more deeply on their personal areas of interest during the dissertation phases of the program. The degree conferred is a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), a terminal degree so-named to differentiate it from the Ph.D. degree that specifically focuses on preparing students for an academic research career within a specific discipline. Students will complete the 3-year program in a cohort with other executives. Classes are scheduled all day for two consecutive days approximately one weekend a month for six 5-month semesters. Each semester is divided into 2 quarters, with a one-month break between semesters. Face-to-face classes are heavily supplemented by online activities between face-to-face classes. The weekend format allows participants to continue carrying their careers while they master a range of applied research skills.