Doctor of
Business Administration

No business can survive without a clear understanding of the bottom line, so it is no surprise that the accounting field is expected to grow 13% in the next seven years. With a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Advanced Accounting, you’ll be poised to help organizations use data to ensure a positive financial footing. With this NU specialization you will acquire a broad accounting perspective and technical accounting knowledge as you explore the relationships among business activities, economic outcomes and business performance with our unique one-to-one mentoring approach. As a graduate you will be prepared to pursue positions such as chief accountant, senior audit director, and vice president of accounting.

Money talks and, with a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Financial Management, you’ll be the person companies listen to. Working with professors who all hold doctoral degrees, you will gain advanced skills in fiscal analysis, budgeting and spending for public and private organizations. In a program that is 100% online, you will examine domestic and global financial issues, including causes of fluctuations in interest and monetary exchange rates, and explore advanced business financial decision models, investment selection techniques and how financial institutions generate earnings and manage risks. As a graduate, you will be ready for a variety of related positions, including economist, financial research specialist, statistician, financial analyst, budget analyst, loan officer, financial manager, financial planner and investment banker.

Modern business is ever-evolving and in this tumultuous setting a business generalist is an invaluable asset. The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in General Business specialization allows you the flexibility to select courses from a broad range of electives so you can study subjects in a one-to-one mentoring environment that fit your personal and professional interests and goals. You will have the opportunity to examine a variety of topics, including advanced corporate finance, supervisory techniques and business knowledge in the global environment, with the goal of strengthening your knowledge in business practices.

NU’s Doctor of Business Administration with a specialization in Global Business Management covers the essential elements required to understand and manage global organizations. Individuals interested in global management positions and/or teaching in post-secondary institutions of higher education would benefit from this program. The specialization focuses on topics such as global leadership issues and characteristics, trends and strategies in global business strategic management, and the challenges of positioning global brands and pricing approaches.

By 2024, it’s estimated that nearly $1 in every $5 spent in the U.S. will be spent on health care. The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Health Services will prepare you to lead private or public sector entities as they try and navigate this challenging industry. You will develop essential perspectives and skills for application of theoretical and research-based health care industry management issues. You will explore strategic planning in health care and managed systems, comparative health care system analysis, and examine strategies related to total quality management in health care. In addition, you will develop skills in problem identification and resolution, analysis and intervention as administrative issues, and recognition of the constraints and limitations to intervention and change in delivery systems.

People are every organization’s greatest asset. In the DBA in Human Resources Management specialization, you will have the opportunity to expand your knowledge of strategic labor relations and practices as you examine how an organization’s employee relations practices are linked to its overall business plan. You will explore HRM Information Systems, compensation and staffing strategies, training and professional development, recruiting, workplace diversity, benefits and pay management, labor relations, labor laws, and field-specific technology. Your doctoral professors will also help you develop the necessary skills to properly create, develop, mediate and maintain the personnel interrelationships that are so important to the overall success of the organization.

Consulting opportunities in Industrial/Organizational Psychology are exploding. The NU DBA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology is a 100% online specialization that explores the application of industrial and organizational psychology and management theory to the understanding of people in a work environment. Under the mentorship of your doctoral professor, you will develop competencies in theory, research and applications of psychology to human behavior in organizations, and conduct advanced research related to the application of organizational and psychological theory to human resource management. NU graduates are prepared for positions that include evaluating, interpreting and integrating knowledge into the business decision-making process.

NU’s Doctor of Business Administration with a specialization in Information Technology is a cross-discipline specialization that utilizes courses from NU’s School of Technology programs. Technology can be intimidating — yet beneficial — for many organizations. It is important for leaders to know how to take advantage of new technologies and ideas or be trapped in stagnation. The Information Technology specialization helps prepare professionals to be champions of positive change through new ideas and new technologies. In this specialization, you will gain a general understanding of networks and computing, as well as the cloud, mobile technology, telecommunications, architectures, computing platforms, protocols, and tools.

This specialization does not offer the same experience and deep level of knowledge as the focused School of Technology programs. However, with specialization courses directly from the School of Technology, this program will provide business leaders a strong understanding of the field through courses that are aligned to the current standards in the industry.

Competition for CEO jobs is fierce, but having a doctorate in the subject can help you rise to the top. Our Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Organizational Leadership is an interdisciplinary, 100% online program designed to help you develop the research skills, management practices and understanding of qualitative and quantitative business analysis tools needed of professionals in business administration, human resources, non-profit administration and related fields. You will explore theoretical research as it relates to strategic planning in all phases of organizational leadership, including building organizational capacity and sustainability. Our graduates are prepared for positions in organizational consulting or generalist leadership positions within corporate, government, not-for-profit, educational or community organizations.

According to the 2013 Project Management Talent Gap Report, more than $15.7 million new project management jobs are projected in the next decade. The DBA in Project Management specialization focuses on management, leadership and team building in the project/program environment. You will examine all aspects of managing and overseeing business projects, including cost estimates, budget management, cost control, risk assessment, bid negotiation and contracts, and performance reporting critical to the success of any enterprise. Through mentoring feedback from your doctoral professors, you will explore principles, concepts, tools and techniques that help improve project performance and organizational effectiveness.

NU’s Doctor of Business Administration with a specialization in Strategic Marketing transcends traditional marketing by focusing upon emerging trends in the 21st century in marketing management and marketing research. Students will focus on thought leadership-driven strategic marketing, encompassing contemporary and emergent marketing management methods, global product management, precision pricing, advanced promotional methods, and proven distribution techniques. At the conclusion, students will be well prepared for the marketing workforce of tomorrow.

Ever since the events of 9/11, homeland security has taken on a heightened status in the defense of our nation. The field offers unique career opportunities to help secure our borders, airports, and waterways; research and develop the latest security technologies and analyses; and respond to natural disasters or terrorist assaults.

This doctoral specialization prepares senior leaders of public administration, law enforcement, public safety, and emergency medical care and disaster preparedness agencies for executive leadership positions in the field of homeland security. The program provides rigorous educational opportunities to research and explore advanced concepts and methods, and it allows you to apply theory to real world issues through innovative approaches to complex problems. You’ll choose from a number of courses that cover terrorism, strategy, intelligence, emergency management, and critical infrastructure security issues. At the conclusion, you’ll complete a final written research project demonstrating your ability to investigate a workplace problem, identify an area for intervention, and then critique, justify, and recommend a plan of preventive action.