Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

+ Qualifying Courses

HMR606 Management of Organizations (3 credits)

This course investigates the more specific aspects of organizational management. It will provide insights in the techniques that managers can utilize to improve employee performance and job satisfaction.

FIN603 Conceptual Foundations of Accounting & Finance (3 credits)

Part of the financial role of managers is to lead the organization with the best financial program possible. In order to do that, managers must have a basic understanding of the accounting and finance role in the broad scope of business leadership. This course will provide a conceptual foundation for effective financial planning.

BUS603 Strategic Planning & Implementation (3 credits)

This course focuses on the key role of management – strategic planning. This course explores the process of looking at the broad view of strategic planning and bringing the plan to fruition through effective leadership. The manager must have both the vision and the skill of implementation to be effective.

MKT603 Problems & Methods in Marketing Management (3 credits)

This course focuses on how managers identify, resolve, and manage marketing related problems from a management perspective. The course looks at marketing issues from a corporate global perspective, as do managers with an eye to the interrelationships marketing decisions will have on the entire business.

BUS604 Qualifying Examination (Pass/Fail)

+ Core Courses

MGT604 Global Business Practices & Challenges (3 credits)

Global or international business is a hot topic. Most businesses know they must join the globalization process, but many don’t know how. This course will provide insights on how managers can begin to develop international business projects by knowing how to do it and knowing some of the downside issues.

MGT605 Leadership Theory & Practice (3 credits)

This course offers a comprehensive study of leadership theory and practice. Topics include the leader-follower relationship, the effects of gender, personal qualities that affect leadership, positive and productive leadership styles and strategies, and substitutes for leadership.

MGT607 Organizational Design (3 credits)

A key to business success is building an organization that meets the market and business philosophy. Managers are constantly watching and adjusting their organizations. This course will provide insights on how to build, change, and organize business structures.

FIN602 Designing Economic Business Strategies (3 credits)

Most managers have been developing budgets and looking at the business financial structure. Managers need a broader perspective so they can raise additional capital for expansion, plan for economic shifts in the national or world economy and insure financial stability for the entire business entity.

BUS606 Negotiations & Dispute Settlement (3 credits)

Negotiations and dispute settlement are part of every business. Negotiations can be with suppliers, distributers, employees, or foreign governments. This course provides managers with theory and philosophy of negotiations and dispute resolution so they can provide a total organization policy on how their employees are to operate in these situations.

FIN604 Global Economy (3 credits)

This course will be useful for managers who are, or will be, exploring international trade. The course focuses on the philosophies and actual operations of different foreign economic models. Using this knowledge will improve the decision-making process for making the international move.

HMR605 Corporate Social Responsibility & Ethics (3 credits)

The old concept of laissez-faire in business is a thing of the past. Businesses are under pressure from many sectors. One of them is corporate social responsibility and ethics. This course explores the definition of these terms, how the concepts have evolved over the recent decades, and how managers must incorporate them as part of their business operations.

BLW603 Business Law (3 credits)

Everything a manager does will have legal implications for the business. Personnel, contracts, product liability, international trade, taxes, and financial development are some of the key areas. This course explores the critical areas of business law with a focus on providing managers with enough knowledge to know how to avoid the obvious legal problems and when to bring in the legal experts.

MKT604 International Marketing (3 credits)

International marketing in the context of this course is the process of making leadership decisions in the international business world that will benefit the corporation. The manager has many issues to consider when moving into foreign markets, starting with the questions “should we,” “if so, where,” and “what’s in it for us.” Additional considerations include legal, financial, and organizational impact.

MGT603 Leadership Solutions for Innovation, Change, and Decision Making (3 credits)

One of the most difficult tasks of any manager is implementing change. In reality, some of the best change can come from the ranks. Managers must know how to bring the ideas for change to the surface, organize them, and then present them in a manner that encourages the employees to adopt them. The course will explore techniques to help maximize this process.

MKT606 Competitive Analysis & Strategy (3 credits)

Dealing with competition is fundamental to operating a business. This course demonstrates how managers must be able to look at the competitive environment. It includes a more sophisticated perspective on how to recognize the value of competitors, how competitive decisions can have both positive and negative consequences, and how to lead the business to gain competitive positions.

BUS699 Comprehensive Examination (Pass/Fail)

This proctored examination, which can be taken anytime between the completion of the core courses and the Dissertation or Applied Doctoral Project (ADP) Proposal, is designed to measure a student’s knowledge and understanding of the curriculum content that has been covered in the program. Students must pass the examination prior to beginning the Dissertation or Applied Doctoral Project (ADP) Proposal.

+ Dissertation/ADP

DIS700 Dissertation Proposal (6 credits)

This course assists students through the process of organization and design of a formal proposal, including a substantive research topic of original work. An accepted proposal constitutes the framework for the Statement of the Problem (Chapter 1), Review of the Literature (Chapter 2), and Research Methodology (Chapter 3).

DIS703 Dissertation (9 credits)

The successful completion of a dissertation results in a quality research effort, documented and written following American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, an oral defense consisting of a PowerPoint presentation presented to the student’s dissertation committee, and written in a format ready for publication. The completed dissertation document is a five-chapter dissertation beginning with the Introduction to the Problem (Chapter 1), Review of the Literature (Chapter 2), Research Methodology (Chapter 3), Research Findings (Chapter 4), and Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations of the Researcher (Chapter 5). In addition, the final document will include the frontal pages as described in the University’s Dissertation Handbook, as well as necessary appendices, references, and other appropriate documents.

OR

BUS705 Applied Doctoral Project Proposal (6 credits)

The commencement of the Applied Doctoral Project begins with development of the ADP Proposal. The Proposal consists of three phases: Phase 1 is the Project Justification; Phase 2 is the Review of the Literature; Phase 3 is the Project Approach. The Project Justification should include a discussion of the specific problem you propose to address. You should then provide a brief description of the methodology you plan to use and why the methodology is appropriate (for example, review and analysis of previous work versus new research). The Review of the Literature entails a critical analysis, synthesis and integration of work that others have done in order to show where the proposed study fits into current debates and inquiries. Phase 2 is thus a formal summary and analysis of the literature directly related to your particular study. The Project Approach describes the procedures that will be followed in conducting the study. The format and content of this phase will vary depending on the nature of the study. For example, a project that requires collection of data will differ significantly from a project that analyzes data from a third party or a study that relies on a scholarly review of the literature.

BUS706 Applied Doctoral Project (9 credits)

The Applied Doctoral Project (ADP) is an alternative to the traditional dissertation in the Doctor of Business Administration program. The ADP students are expected to expand and apply existing knowledge and research to existing problems in their professional field. It allows a student to apply theories, principles, and processes they have learned in the Taft EdD program to an actual problem in education or an issue of interest and relevance to them in their professional activities. The focus of the work in the ADP is on development of an extensive scholarly document that will provide a professional value to the student’s work as an educator.