Business Administration, DBA
100% Online | Designed for Working Professionals
Program Overview
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is designed for professionals who want to further their career with the most advanced business degree program GGU offers. The DBA program addresses the learning needs and objectives of senior business managers, consultants and university professors. Its primary objective is to produce graduates who can contribute to the advancement of their professions and to the expansion of knowledge and awareness of contemporary strategic issues and practices.
Our curriculum has a three-tiered focus. Students examine current theories, practices, and issues in business; train in research methods; and study the relationships between business and social and global issues. We believe doctoral students must be adept in all these areas to be successful contributors to the expansion of knowledge and improvement of business practices. For the dissertation, students conduct original research on a topic of current importance and personal interest. The dissertation should impact and help illuminate the strategic issues they face in their professions.
The program encourages students to accept the added responsibility of a shared commitment to the advancement of their professions and to upholding the highest ethical standards in the private or public sector.
About upGrad
upGrad is a leading global skilling and lifelong learning company that partners with Universities to deliver a range of online and hybrid skilling programs and certifications to consumers and enterprise partners. upGrad has delivered learning solutions and career outcomes through technology and teaching innovations to over seven million learners across the globe, since it was founded in 2015.
GGU has partnered with upGrad for their admission and academic support services. You will start the application process by submitting a pre-qualification form through upGrad’s platform.
50 Years of DBA
51ÉçÇø’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is proud to celebrate 50 years of academic excellence and professional impact. For half a century, the DBA program has empowered senior business leaders, consultants, and educators to advance their careers. With a curriculum focused on business theory, research methods, and global issues, our graduates have become thought leaders, contributing innovative solutions to contemporary strategic challenges.
As we commemorate this milestone, we honor the achievements of our alumni and reaffirm our commitment to producing graduates who not only excel in their fields but also champion ethical practices and global awareness. Here’s to 50 years of knowledge, growth, and transformation in the business world!
DBA Program Details
The DBA program has been designed with a focus on the “practitioner educational model,†which distinguishes 51ÉçÇø from other institutions. This focus is consistent with the position adopted by the Association of Business Schools, which can be summarized as follows:
- The DBA is a professional practice doctorate and is concerned with researching real business and managerial issues via the critical review and systematic application of appropriate theories and research to professional practice.
- The DBA may often be interdisciplinary in approach and/or content.
- It is further intended to provide an opportunity for considerable personal development, such that the participant achieves a greater level of effectiveness as a professional practitioner or manager.
- The DBA primary mode of assessment is through the production of a dissertation/thesis.
Students
Our students are one of the program’s greatest strengths. Typical doctoral students at GGU attend part time. Without exception, they come from successful careers in top positions in the private, nonprofit and government sectors. They bring their experiences and knowledge to the classroom and, in turn, demand incisive instruction and intelligent, well-developed classroom discussions.
Faculty
Faculty members who teach in our DBA program have doctoral degrees from leading universities in their fields and possess extensive practical experience. They bring a theoretical as well as a real-world view to their teaching and a commitment to dynamic, progressive education.
Format
The DBA program uses online-asynchronous and in-personÌýÌýand offers a state-of-the-art curriculum delivered by experienced, highly qualified professors. In keeping with our commitment to support working adult professionals, we have one of the few accredited doctoral programs in the Bay Area that allows students to complete doctoral studies on a part-time basis and accommodate their work schedules.
Admission Requirements
For details about admission requirements, please check theÌý51ÉçÇø page.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the DBA program will achieve the program’s primary objectives through the development of:
- A thorough knowledge of the scientific and scholarly research methods and their application in the business setting in a senior management position, as a consultant, as a professor at the university level;
- Advanced critical thinking, conceptual and analytical skills;
- A strong understanding of both the seminal theories and the latest practices in business management including an advance and intensive knowledge of theory and practice in one field of business;
- Intensive knowledge of theory and practice in a chosen field of business or public management;
- Advanced ability to use qualitative and quantitative tools to perform original applied research that advances business knowledge;
- An appreciation of cultural, ethical, and global issues and their impact on business theory and practices; and
- Advanced skills necessary for effective decision-making in complex environments through integrating theoretic insights with practical knowledge.
Curriculum
The Doctor of Business Administration requires completion of 12 units of foundation courses, 12 units of concentrationÌýcourses, andÌý32 units ofÌýdissertation work, for a total of 56 units. Students mustÌýearnÌýa “B-†or better in each courseÌýandÌýa cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 or better. Although research papers, reports and examinations may be required in doctoral seminars, the major assessment points in the DBA program are the qualifying examination, taken after the foundation curriculum is completed, and the dissertation research. Students must receive a passing score on the qualifying examination and successfully complete all required courses before they are allowed to present a dissertation proposal and officially advance to candidacy. Students mustÌýcompleteÌýand successfully defendÌýtheir dissertationsÌýwithin seven years of beginning the program.
Mathematics Proficiency Requirement
BUS 240 Data Analysis for ManagersÌý(Waived with documentation of student’s having completed equivalentÌýcourse covering statistics and regression analysis with grade of “B†or better.)
After the foundation curriculum course work is completed, students must successfully pass a qualifying examination. This integrative examination will test the student’s mastery of the skills and disciplines of doctoral level research methods and analysis.
Complete 12 units from one of the following concentrations:
- Business & Data Analytics
- Finance
- Leadership & Strategy
- Marketing
- General
Students may register forÌýDBA 890 Dissertation Topic ProposalÌýonly after having first completed all required doctoral foundation coursework and having passed the qualifying examination.
Concentrations
Select three courses from any of the concentrations listed above.
