2022–2023 Walden University Catalog (September 2022)
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
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 Return to: College of Management and Human Potential
 The DBA program is designed for visionary professionals who want to use their expertise to change how their business changes the world. With access to resources that allow students to track their progress more closely, they will define the social change impact they want to make—and then design their doctoral experience around it. Coursework in this program includes self-analysis activities as well as international case studies. Students can explore some of today’s greatest business challenges and opportunities—including globalization, ethics, and relationship management—and examine those issues in relation to their own organization.
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Learning Outcomes
At the end of the program, students will be able to:
- Evaluate the relevance of current and emerging business theory and practice from an interdisciplinary perspective (WO III, IV, V, VI, VIII).
- Formulate effective solutions to complex, real-world problems common to the practice of business and management (WO II, IV, V, VIII).
- Apply current research literature to practical problems found in business and management (WO III, IV, V, VI, VIII).
- Evaluate scholarly research in business and management (WO II, III, IV, V, VI).
- Design rigorous research that contributes to the professional body of knowledge of business and management (WO II, III, IV, V, VI).
- Design rigorous research that contributes to positive social change (WO I, II, IV, VII, VIII, IX).
- Apply professional ethics appropriately (WO I, II, IV, VII, VIII, IX).
Specializations
Changing specializations may increase a student’s expected time-to-degree completion and cost.
Minimum Degree Requirements
- Doctoral Writing Assessment (0 sem. cr.)
- Foundation courses (3 sem. cr.)
- Core business course (3 sem. cr.)
- Business strategy course (3 sem. cr.)
- Research methods courses (12 sem. cr.)
- Specialization courses (9 sem. cr.)
- Completion of Doctoral Study
- Doctoral mentoring (4 sem. cr.)
- Doctoral study writing courses (3 sem. cr. per term for a minimum of 5 terms until completion, with two 8-week terms taken per semester)
- Two academic residencies
Note: Students who have earned a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Chartered Financial Analyst, or Project Management Institute designation or certification may be eligible to accelerate their DBA program. For information, contact the Student Success Advising Team.
Foundation Courses (3 sem. cr.)
Core and Business Strategy Courses (6 sem. cr.)
Research Methods Courses (12 sem. cr.)
Specialization Courses (9 sem. cr.)
These courses are dependent upon the particular specialization. Please see the course list on each specialization page. Changing specializations may increase a student’s expected time-to-degree completion and cost.
Residency Requirements
- Complete Residency 1 face-to-face as soon as you begin your program (while taking DDBA 8006 or DDBA 8151); required in order to advance into DDBA 8300.
- Complete Residency 2 face-to-face just prior to the start or during the first few weeks of DDBA 8303; required in order to advance into DDBA 8307.
- Optional: Complete a DBA Doctoral Study Intensive retreat face-to-face during DDBA 8101/8101C/8101P or DDBA 9001/9001C/9001P. Contact Student Success Advising to register.
Completion of the Doctoral Capstone
Course Sequence
The recommended course sequence is as follows:
* DDBA 8101/8101C/8101P - 1 cr. each session = total 4 cr.; To be taken along with other coursework after completion of DDBA 8303 until beginning DDBA 9001/9001C/9001P.
** Students take this course for a minimum of five terms (two 8-week terms per semester) and are continuously enrolled until completion of their doctoral study with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval. To complete a doctoral study, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the CAO. Students must also publish their doctoral study on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the doctoral study process in the DBA Doctoral Study Rubric and Handbook.
Doctoral Writing Assessment
Students who start or readmit to doctoral programs at Walden University in the university catalog for academic year 2017 or later will complete the university’s required doctoral writing assessment. Designed to evaluate incoming doctoral students’ writing skills, this assessment aims to help prepare incoming doctoral students to meet the university’s expectations for writing at the doctoral level.
Accreditation
Walden University’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). ACBSP is a leading specialized accreditation association that identifies and supports excellence in business education.
8-Year Maximum Time Frame
Students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral degree requirements (see Enrollment Requirements). Students may petition to extend the 8-year maximum time frame, but an extension is not guaranteed.
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Return to: College of Management and Human Potential
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