Most people are probably very relieved when they complete their period of mandatory schooling. But when people are serious about being the best they can be at what they do, they may decide to study further, even when they’re already in business.
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What Is a DBA?
DBA stands for Doctor of Business Administration. While an MBA or other master’s degree relating to the field of business is sufficient to get you into most jobs, holding a DBA marks you as both highly educated and highly experienced. This is the highest academic degree available in business, and anyone who possesses it can be instantly identified as one of the best.
A DBA in Business Intelligence equips students with essential leadership skills as well as the skills they need for applied research and data analysis. Holders of this degree typically find their niche in roles like consultant, academic, executive, entrepreneur, or analyst.
Not far from MoreBusiness.com headquarters in Maryland, the doctorate in business administration open in Maryland this year is one of the best programs around. All prospective DBA students are strongly advised to check it out before making their final choice.
Ph.D. versus DBA
Acquiring additional knowledge in your field through additional study is always a good thing, no matter what type of degree you choose. However, choosing the right business degree is important if you want to get the maximum possible benefits from your efforts.
Intention
Both the Ph.D. and the DBA are doctoral degrees. However, while the Ph.D. is more academic, the DBA is a vocational degree. Both types can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. However, DBA students more often study part-time while continuing to perform their duties in the business sector, while Ph.D. students more often devote their full-time attention to their studies.
In order to obtain your Ph.D., you need to do a lot of reading and make an important theoretical contribution to your field of study. In contrast, people studying for a DBA are normally qualified professionals who want to take concrete steps toward addressing some practical issues businesses and organizations face in the real world.
Dissertation
In order to obtain a doctoral degree, you have to complete a research dissertation. But these dissertations have very different focuses. The Ph.D. dissertation is what you might call ‘pure’ research: theoretical, not applied. On the other hand, the dissertation you do for a DBA is much more practical. It’s more suitable for professionals as opposed to academics.
DBA programs normally incorporate coursework and a final dissertation, while the Ph.D. requires the completion of a dissertation only. Both degrees require the writing of a dissertation. But DBA students must also demonstrate relevant work experience, which Ph.D. students aren’t required to do.
Skill Sets
Seeing that the DBA is a professional degree, its main focus is to enable students to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical issues they might encounter in the course of doing business. The Ph.D., in contrast, allows students scope to develop novel insights related to business models and theories.
Ideal Candidates
The DBA is optimized for mid to senior-level business management professionals. The Ph.D. is designed for early-career professionals or students with at least one relevant graduate degree but little experience.
Both programs can be completed either online or on campus. Most DBA programs take three years to complete (studying full-time). However, some can be completed in less time, even when studying part-time rather than full-time. Ph.D. typically takes four or five years, and options for part-time study are usually limited.
Benefits of Getting a DBA
When you get a degree from one of the world’s best universities for DBA, you learn to:
Use Data to Inform Your Decisions
Having strong beliefs about the correct decision to make in a certain situation is all very well. The beliefs of experienced business people are likely to be fairly accurate. However, it’s still preferable to base economic decisions on proven facts. The DBA in Business Intelligence is designed to teach students how to best use the appropriate tools to collect data and use it to help their organizations succeed.
Stay Ahead in an Evolving Economic Climate
In most cases, there’s so much data available that you need specialized tools to make sense of it. A DBA in business intelligence will teach you how to make the most of AI and other technology to get the most out of your data analysis.
Lead Your Organization in an Ethical Way
Making ethical practice central to your organization is essential if you want to gain trust, protect your consumers, and be respected by your peers. The DBA in Business Intelligence degree teaches you how to do just that.
Find Practical Applications for Your Research
The DBA in Business Intelligence is a much more practical degree than the Ph.D. It focuses specifically on how theory and research can be used to address practical issues. To sum up, in the incredibly competitive world of business in the 21st century, a DBA can give you the edge you need to stay ahead of all your competitors.
