If you want to focus on a career in business and want one of the most advanced degrees out there, you need an Online DBA. It will equip you with the tools and skills needed for success. Pursuing an advanced degree in business, like the Online DBA program, brings many tangible and intangible benefits. It can open doors for the highest leadership roles in the business world.
The Nation’s Best Online DBA Programs
Tomorrow’s top business managers and leaders know that an MBA is a popular degree program. But pursuing an Online DBA goes a step further in showing that you’re willing to go the extra mile in preparing yourself for top leadership roles. Distance-based DBA programs are designed to provide professionals and executives with advanced business research tools and skills. These are relied upon for decision making and strategic planning. Here are the top 15 online business doctorates currently available nationwide.
Recommended Online DBA Programs
Visit sites to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and aid
Methodology
Our ranking of the 2022 Best Online DBA Degree Programs is a consensus ranking of Doctor of Business Administration programs with a significant distance-based curriculum. The ranking list combines information from four leading ranking systems: Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, Bloomberg Businessweek, and CEO Magazine. Each ranking was converted to a score on a 100-point scale. All scores were weighted equally and then averaged to find the ranking order. The Consensus Score reveals their score average in relation to each other on this list. In the event of a tie, the base tuition of the Online DBA was used as the tie-breaker.
Penn State features the nation’s best online Doctor of Business Administration degree program through the Smeal College of Business. The Executive DBA from Penn State is a flexible, part-time program perfect for senior-level leaders worldwide. Distance learners who choose Smeal as their business partner develop research skills grounded in theory and application for impactful business leadership. Part-time students enrolled in this online business doctorate take three years to satisfy all program requirements.
The career objective of this program is advanced executive leadership or teaching faculty. The scope of study includes an Interdisciplinary approach that consists of all business disciplines with an applied research emphasis. This online DBA’s first two years of study include core online courses and a chosen elective. All distance learners must attend up to four days of in-person instruction at Penn State at the start of each semester. The semester’s remaining curriculum is delivered in a highly engaging remote synchronous structure. Year three involves working remotely with advisors on a personalized dissertation or research project. This stellar online doctorate in business stands out in a crowd.
Accreditation: AACSB, Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Online DBA Degree Website
The University of Pittsburgh features an Online DBA at the College of Business Administration. This Executive DBA program is offered in a “Hyflex” hybrid format. Students can complete coursework in person, online format, or as a combination of the two. The College reports that the 2020 calendar year proved the effectiveness of hybrid learning. All instructors teaching in the program are research-active and are highly recognized in their fields. Many instructors are chaired professors.
The transformative and innovative three-year program is ideal for doctoral students wishing to be intellectually challenged and who desire to prepare themselves to excel in careers at their current employer or to pivot to new jobs in industry, teaching, government, or consulting. The University of Pittsburgh’s executive program is perfect for those ready to expand their collegiate business education while interacting with respected faculty and other motivated and driven EDBA students. This online Executive DBA consists of forty-two credits. It includes ten and a half Methodology Core credits, twenty-two credits of Disciplinary Core Seminars, and nine credits of Practicum Research Projects. Pittsburgh’s online DBA program delivers in all the right ways.
Accreditation: AACSB, Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Online DBA Degree Website
Hult International Business School features an online Doctor of Business Administration. This Doctorate in Business Administration leverages Hult’s experience in world-renowned business education and research. The new kind of DBA aims to empower new generations of senior business leaders by creating new answers to new questions. Enrolled students take part in online sessions once every two weeks and convene with their peers three times annually on a Hult campus. After 30 months of intense coursework, students graduate with a fully-accredited doctoral degree and the skills and knowledge to improve business practice worldwide.
Hult’s DBA is a working professional’s path to career advancement in teaching or consulting career transitions. All DBA online students begin their journeys by identifying a significant business issue that is directly relevant to them and is not currently addressed by modern business theories. Students’ research leads them to create novel, rigorous tools that address the problems and improve long-term business management practice. Program designers of this online degree have left nothing out in this top-three program.
Accreditation: AACSB, New England Commission of Higher Education
Online DBA Degree Website
An online Doctor of Business Administration degree program is available at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. This stellar DBA has been designed to provide executive-level professionals with the applied research tools and theories needed to keep up with the evolutionary nature of the industry. Enrolled students can continue to advance in their respective fields and companies. Students who pursue a Doctor of Business Administration are driven to ignite real change in their organizations or areas through data-driven problem solving and decision-making.
Fox’s regionally accredited and rigorous DBA program provides professionals with the power to influence today’s business environments through academically thorough and practice-focused research. The curriculum utilizes applied theory and extensive data-driven research to equip students with methods of advanced critical reasoning to solve the complicated challenges facing modern business. Temple’s program provides hands-on industry experiences, valuable alumni connections, and networking opportunities. This online doctorate in business from Fox is an excellent program.
Accreditation: AACSB, Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Online DBA Degree Website
The University of Rhode Island’s College of Business offers an online Doctor of Business Administration. Designed for actively working professionals with experience, URI’s Doctor of Business Administration stands on the principles of future-oriented learning, experiential thinking, and enduring connections. The online DBA program helps business leaders approach the world and see issues differently. The College of Business’s personalized curriculum and flexible course delivery prepare students for a broad range of future accomplishments, strengthening their abilities to solve problems, communicate answers, and apply advanced research knowledge and skills to lead change.
Program details include a three-year blended online study format and three residencies each year that offer maximum flexibility for working professionals. All students apply theories and research skills that inform decision-making in an evolving world with emphasis on areas in blue prosperity, sustainability, and human-centered artificial intelligence. Students who come to the program with specific problems in mind are immersed in rigorous discussions with cohorts of like-minded professionals. This excellent online DBA has got what it takes.
Accreditation: AACSB, New England Commission of Higher Education
Online DBA Degree Website
Recommended Online DBA Programs
Visit sites to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and aid
An Online DBA is available at the College of Business Administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. UMSL’s doctoral business program is a three-year, cohort-based degree that features a flexible format with limited monthly campus visits. Business students make only three-weekend trips to St. Louis per term throughout the program. DBA students intentionally move through the program in cohorts and meet face-to-face one weekend each month, then engage and collaborate with instructors and students in the online learning platform for group discussions.
The program’s first two years cover various cutting-edge business management topics. The third year is spent emphasizing the candidate’s dissertation research. Program designers have created the UMSL doctorate to train engaged management scholars in learning communities supported by select internationally renowned professors with close ties to business and recognized for their research expertise in graduate education. There is a lot to love about this online DBA degree program.
Accreditation: AACSB, Higher Learning Commission
Online DBA Degree Website
An online Doctor of Business Administration degree is offered at the University of Southern Florida’s Muma College of Business. The business school provides options galore. Students who may struggle with the program’s monthly weekend meetings in Tampa will be delighted to know that Muma offers a 100% online version of the DBA program. Small cohorts meet for highly interactive sessions on alternate Saturdays throughout the program. The online program provides identical content, taught by the same instructors as the original program.
USF’s Doctor of Business Administration degree is a three-year program. All online students move through the program as cohorts, with access to the same classes, varying from cohort to cohort. The program’s first two years are predominantly coursework. The last year is focused on the candidate’s dissertation assignment. The DBA program’s cohorts are intended for highly qualified individuals with schedules or locations that preclude them from joining one of the traditional cohorts with an in-person residential requirement. Regardless of their career path, USF offers its students an engaging program that prepares them for success.
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Online DBA Degree Website
An online Doctor of Business Administration is currently available at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business. This professional doctorate prepares leaders to approach problems in innovative ways with high-level training in real-time research and analysis skills. The doctoral degree is ideal for professionals advancing in their current careers or transitioning to teaching positions in higher education.
Jacksonville University’s DBA online program features one-on-one advising, graduate tutoring, and an extensive mentorship program. Enrolled students also enjoy dissertation publishing assistance, ensuring they feel supported through the entire process. CoB leaders provide students with networking opportunities with successful DBA alum and business industry leaders and connect them with potential post-graduate job opportunities. Online students can also expect to cultivate research, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, so students are prepared for successful careers in various roles, including consultants, entrepreneurs, chief executives, writers, authors, or college professors. This online doctorate offers collegiate business education and experience at the highest level.
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Online DBA Degree Website
The Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas provides an Online DBA degree program. This rigorous research-based program prepares proven business professionals with opportunities to expand their abilities and breadth of knowledge in leadership, customer engagement, and innovation. The sixty-one credit-hour online program has been designed to equip doctoral students to apply evidence-based solutions to the issues presented by the dynamic complexity of today’s contemporary international business economy.
The University of Dallas DBA prepares individuals to transition into academic positions in either full or part-time roles and advance in their current careers by equipping evidence-based tools for improving organizational effectiveness. Students can also expect to develop advanced skills in organizational analysis in various business management consulting roles. Accomplished instructors deliver this rigorous, applied research curriculum with extensive managerial and executive consulting experience. The three-year, sixty-one-hour program is refined through selective, capped admissions. This high-powered online business doctorate from the University of Dallas will aptly prepare business professionals.
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Online DBA Degree Website
The Ross College of Business at Franklin University provides an online Doctor of Business Administration. Program designers understand that global economic changes in accessibility, consumer expectations, and technology have changed how business is done and administered. With greater responsibility and increased prominence, business administration practitioners are responsible for managing corporate-wide initiatives to profitability and competitive advantage. Educators are pioneering, bringing innovative business administration practices to the classroom for the next generation of consultants, thought leaders, and strategists.
This program’s no-fear dissertation means DBA students can finish faster with a jumpstart to their dissertations. Ross’s three-year completion means that distance learners can complete their programs more quickly – including a dissertation in one year. Students interested in finishing faster can transfer up to twenty-four hours of previously earned credit within this personalized program. Students interested in customizing their program may do so by choosing from a list of electives. This DBA checks all the boxes for developing dynamic leaders.
Accreditation: IACBE, Higher Learning Commission
Online DBA Degree Website
The University of Maryland Global Campus provides an online Doctor of Business Administration. Designed for active executive-level professionals, the Doctor of Business Administration at Maryland Global Campus emphasizes change, business management theory, strategic thinking, sustainability, organizational leadership, research, and innovation in the global business environment. Through applied analysis and research of real-world business management issues, all enrolled students have access to sophisticated knowledge for management’s executive level.
The program’s cohort structure promotes intimate, interactive partnerships among students, staff, and faculty, with a supportive network for lifelong learning. DBAs also benefit from exposure to local and global collaboration and perspectives from geographically diverse classmates and instructors. Core courses within the program include Interpreting and Translating Management Theory in Practice, Evidence-Based Research Methods, Research as a Tool for Management Decision Making, Data Analytics in Practice, Designing Evidence-Based Management Solutions, and Producing Original Management Ideas That Influence: Publishing and Conferencing. The University of Maryland Global Campus has designed an excellent online business doctorate.
Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Online DBA Degree Website
Walsh College currently features an online Business Doctorate. The college’s DBA is a professional doctorate program designed to advance a professional’s knowledge of business administration via applied research. Program candidates generate practical solutions to the dynamic and complex challenges facing leaders, executive problem solvers, and managers of people and processes in today’s global marketplace environment.
This online Doctorate in Business Administration begins with a Candidate Evaluation. This feature aims to determine a student’s ability to pursue and complete the program successfully. The review process holistically evaluates the entire candidate portfolio without placing specific requirements or limitations on individual elements. After the candidate evaluation, the Doctoral Program Committee determines whether a candidate is accepted. Designed with working professionals in mind, this DBA offers a part-time format at a pace that matches the student’s needs. The degree is provided through online coursework and Zoom-enabled remote delivery. Local students’ on-campus engagement opportunities allow faculty and students to interact and form real-time connections. Walsh’s DBA would be an asset to any professional’s academic credentials.
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission
Online DBA Degree Website
The College of Business at St. Ambrose University provides an excellent online Business Doctorate. The distance DBA program at St. Ambrose teaches an innovative approach to critically thinking about complicated managerial issues. Designed for experienced managers and professionals interested in strategic management, the program strengthens leaders’ job performance with the potential for advancement in any organization or career. It awards an esteemed doctorate’s credentials to pursue teaching or consulting.
This stellar business doctorate program is featured online in a synchronous format with residency requirements. Graduates of this program work at Genesis Systems, Inc., Deere & Company, The HON Company, Wahl Clipper Corporation, the University of Northern Iowa, Department of Defense, Rush University Medical Center, Augustana College, Grand View University, and many others. St. Ambrose’s online Doctor of Business Administration program is a transformative degree intended for change-making professionals working in any industry. This online doctorate in business program is rife with possibilities.
Accreditation: ACBSP, Higher Learning Commission
Online DBA Degree Website
St. Thomas University’s Gus Machado College of Business provides an excellent online Doctor of Business Administration. The DBA in Management prepares graduates with a Business background with a solid focus on managing products, people, and policies. This program also trains practitioners/scholars who possess knowledge and skills to solve real-world issues in business and management environments. All students establish a robust research base by participating in the program.
St. Thomas’s online DBA in Management features a respected business core fused with proven management theory. The program prepares professionals in leadership roles to expand their abilities and knowledge in strategic management, organizational behavior, and innovation. The program also prepares doctorates for faculty positions in higher education. Program highlights include options for doctoral research, including traditional dissertation, action research, and three journal articles so DBA students can pick what works best for their professional goals and organizations. All students can work on their degrees at their convenience through distance learning. Machado’s online business doctorate is worth a second look.
Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Online DBA Degree Website
The Sykes College of Business at the University of Tampa features an exemplary Online DBA. Tampa’s online Executive Doctor of Business Administration (EDBA) prepares senior-level business professionals with the expertise and credentials to become sought-after experts in their fields. EDBA distance learners gain global perspectives, master advanced research and analytical methods, and learn critical tools for overseeing risk and making information-based decisions for their organizations. Flexible scheduling, distinguished faculty, and a multidisciplinary approach empower online DBA students and working professionals to make the most significant step in their careers.
EDBA graduates are equipped to advance within all organizations, enter academia as university administrators or faculty, become management consultants, or achieve the professional development needed to guide their firms into new ventures. This program’s structure includes 32 months of three academic years divided into eight full semesters. The curriculum is housed within sixty-four credit hours which are cohort-based. This degree program from Sykes is one of the nation’s best.
Accreditation: AACSB, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Online DBA Degree Website
Recommended Online DBA Programs
Visit sites to learn more about enrollment, tuition, and aid
There are many excellent reasons to consider pursuing an online Doctor of Business Administration. Here are just a few:
DBA Students Acquire Advanced Skills and Techniques
Organizations are more likely to pick a DBA graduate over an MBA because they will possess more advanced knowledge and expertise. A DBA curriculum is known for being rigorous. Employers can appreciate the commitment and hard work program graduates have put in. This helps to put them at the top of the pecking order when it comes to hiring. No matter the student’s expertise, all the way from Human Resources Management to Business Strategy to Technology Management, a DBA can assist professionals in meeting their career goals. DBA students develop their strategic management, financial management, risk management, organizational behavior, business intelligence, and management decision making skills.
DBA Online Programs Open Many Career Paths
Completing an online DBA identifies professionals as experts in their field. It results in a tangible set of management and decision-making skills. These help land senior-level leadership positions. Many online DBA programs also enjoy the option of applying for researcher or consultant roles. Once a student finishes her DBA, she will be well prepared to enter any industry, whether healthcare management, global supply chain management, business, education, or government. An online DBA helps professionals understand the various challenges prominent in these sectors while providing them with the practical skills needed to complete all types of challenges.
DBAs Can Result in Higher Salaries
The more credentials leaders gain, the more chance they can secure senior-level positions. This, in turn, provides them with higher salary potential. Employers understand that those who complete advanced degrees demand higher salaries and better compensation packages. In many large organizations, six-figure salaries tend to be the norm. Even smaller firms pay out more to DBA degree holders.
Online DBAs are Flexible
One of the best things about a Doctorate in Business Administration degree is that business students have the chance to study for it online if they wish. Many people in the business world don’t have the time for a traditional program. They can’t attend weekly on-campus lectures, seminars, and meetings. Online schools are a more popular route to take. Whether it’s long hours of work or children to look after, pursuing a degree like this can provide professionals with flexibility. Some of the best business schools nationwide provide part-time, distance-learning DBAs. These doctoral degree programs are for senior professionals to hone their global leadership skills while they work in their current roles.
Online DBA Programs Provide Help and Support
Students studying for a Doctorate in Business Administration will discover that online and traditional providers offer excellent help. Their support guides students through the course and assists them if any worries or concerns present themselves. No matter how you pursue a degree, it’s helpful to know you can speak with tutors, administrators, and professors. These professionals provide guidance in your studies when you face any barriers or challenges.
When you’re serious about advancing your career, consider one of the best online DBA programs. If you can envision yourself in an essential managerial leadership role, it’s time to consider the degree. Putting in the time, effort, and resources required for a doctoral business degree is excellent. Gaining this valuable qualification can help you stand out from other potential job candidates. It helps you secure your dream job.
Related Resources:
Best Online MBA Programs
Best Online Doctorate in Leadership Programs
