Degree Offered
- Doctor of Business Administration
Nature of the Program
The Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program at WVU offers experienced business professionals a pathway to explore academia, consulting, and advanced professional positions. With a focus on research, in-depth exposure to business literature, and a supportive environment through faculty guidance and mentorship, a comprehensive learning experience is provided to our students. The online delivery of the program allows students to seamlessly maintain momentum in their career while pursuing their doctoral degree. Additionally, optional on-campus residences are available to further enrich your educational journey.
The DBA program is built on three foundational areas:
1. Core and Research Methodology
Students will receive intensive instruction in research methods and statistics, laying the groundwork for conducting empirical research of the highest caliber.
2. Areas of Emphasis
The DBA program offers four Areas of Emphasis: Accounting, Economics, Management, and Marketing. These areas provide students with in-depth knowledge and expertise in crucial aspects of business. Program AoEs tailor the degree to suit students' interests and set them up with a diverse skill set, empowering them to excel in a wide range of professional settings and contribute significantly to the business world.
3. Research and Dissertation
Under the guidance of the student's faculty mentor, they will have the opportunity to put their research skills into practice. This stage of the program will allow students to engage in meaningful and impactful research aimed at solving real-world problems within the industry.
Program Overview
The DBA program has been meticulously designed to provide you with a strong foundation in research, an in-depth exposure to business literature, and a supportive environment to foster impactful research through faculty guidance and mentorship. With a completion timeline of three years, our program offers efficiency without compromising quality. The program consists of 53 credit hours, divided into 17 credit hours in research methods, 16 credit hours in content seminars, and 20 credit hours in research and dissertation.
Year 1:
- Convert at least one research idea into a research proposal.
- Develop sections of a journal manuscript, including abstract, review of prior research and theory, development of hypotheses, and description of research methods.
Year 2:
- Convert the research proposal from year 1 into a quality research manuscript.
- Aim for the manuscript to be presentation-worthy at an academic research meeting.
- Prepare the manuscript for submission to a reputable publication based on your chosen research track.
Year 3:
- Maintain regular meetings with your dissertation chair and committee.
- Execute and defend your approved dissertation proposal.
Admissions for 2025-2026
Admission to the DBA is highly competitive; meeting the minimum standards for admission does not guarantee admission. A holistic admissions process considers minimum requirements as well as professional accomplishments and certifications. The program is delivered in a cohort-based online asynchronous format and begins in the summer. Success in the program requires significant commitment and time. The cohort design does not permit students to take courses outside of the prescribed sequence. Consideration for admission is only given to those applicants who have a completed application packet.
To be eligible for admission into Accounting, you must:
- Have a minimum of 5 years of work experience.
- Have a recognized certification in the broadly defined field of accounting (e.g., CPA, CIA, CMA, CVA, CFE, CISA, CFF).
- Have a Master’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. For students who do not possess a Master’s degree, an accelerated Master's to DBA is available.
To be eligible for admission into Economics, Management, and Marketing, you must:
- Have a minimum of 5 years of work experience.
- Have a Master’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. For students who do not possess a Master’s degree, an accelerated Master's to DBA program is available.
Once qualified to proceed with the application to the DBA, applicants will be required to submit additional documents, including:
- Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and/or universities
- Current resume
- Statement of purpose
- Two letters of recommendation from employers, faculty or professional associates
- A minimum TOEFL-ibt of 100, 7.0 on the IELTS.
The integrity of the admissions process is of paramount importance. All grade and/or score reports received are subject to verification.
Major Code: 2146
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A program GPA of 3.0 is required by the Chambers College. | ||
| BADM 700 | Statistics Bootcamp | 3 |
| BADM 701 | Research Methods 1 - Introduction to Regression | 3 |
| BADM 702 | Research Methods 2 - Cross Section Data Analysis | 3 |
| BADM 703 | Research Methods 3 - Experimental Methods | 3 |
| BADM 704 | Research Methods 4 - Causal Inference | 3 |
| BADM 705 | Research Methods 5 - Non Cross Section Data Analysis | 3 |
| BADM 706 | Ethics, Diversity, and Inclusion for Business | 3 |
| BADM 707 | Business Pedagogy | 3 |
| Research and Dissertation | 17 | |
BADM 797 | Research | |
| Area of Emphasis | 12 | |
Accounting | ||
Economics | ||
Management | ||
Marketing | ||
| Total Hours | 53 | |
Additional Requirements
Beyond timely completion of courses listed in the plan of study, maintaining course grades, and overall GPA requirements, admitted students are expected to demonstrate progress towards the completion of high-quality research likely publishable in a high-quality academic journal. The expectations are as follows:
Maintain a Portfolio of Research Ideas
At the completion of each research seminar (course), admitted students are expected to create and maintain a portfolio of research ideas that may be completed in the future. Research ideas represent “gaps” that exists in previously published research. Identifying research opportunities (“gaps”) in published manuscripts will occur during the coursework phase of the program and be reflected in the Portfolio. After the completion of each course, admitted students are expected to meet with their Department Mentor to review the ideas outlined in the Portfolio and discuss next steps towards converting select ideas into high-quality, publishable research manuscripts.
Year 1 – Research Proposal
By the end of the first summer in the program (the completion of the first year), admitted students are expected to have converted at least one research idea into a research proposal. The research proposal will normally consist of an abstract, research question, introduction, literature review/theory development, and proposed research methods sections.
Admitted students should work with their mentor and draw on material from their Portfolio of Research Ideas. Only ideas (proposals) that have a perceived probability of publication in a high-quality journal will be considered. The research topic must be approved by the student’s Department Mentor, should relate to the student’s expertise and should also be grounded in theory and methods as discussed in completed research seminars and other coursework.
For year 1, successful completion will be judged by the student’s Department Mentor based on an assessment of (a) the quality of the written proposal and (b) perceived probability that the proposal can be successfully converted into completed research with eventual publication in a high-quality academic journal.
Year 2 – Research Manuscript
By the end of the second summer in the program (the completion of the second year), admitted students are expected to have converted the research proposal developed in year 1 (or an alternative research proposal approved, in advance, by the admitted student’s Department Mentor) into a high-quality research manuscript (a completed research project).
At a minimum, the research manuscript should be of such quality that it can be submitted to and accepted for presentation at an academic research meeting and should be close to being ready for submission to a high-quality academic journal.
Year 3 – Dissertation
The Dissertation will consist of two completed research manuscripts, the research manuscript completed in Years 1 and 2 of the program (discussed above) and a second research manuscript. The purpose of the dissertation is to engage in a research study, leveraging the student’s expertise, that makes a contribution to the academic literature.
Undertaking the DBA Dissertation is a serious commitment of both time and mental energy. The second research manuscript of the DBA Dissertation is conducted by the student under the tutelage of the Student’s Department Mentor and Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation will include an oral proposal defense, possible necessary revisions, and an oral final defense.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Semester | Hours | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| BADM 700 | 3 | ||
| 3 | |||
| Second Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 701 | 3 | ||
| AOE Course | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Third Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 702 | 3 | ||
| AOE Course | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Fourth Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 703 | 3 | ||
| BADM 797 | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Fifth Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 704 | 3 | ||
| AOE Course | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Sixth Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 705 | 3 | ||
| AOE Course | 3 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Seventh Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 797 | 6 | ||
| 6 | |||
| Eighth Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 706 | 3 | ||
| BADM 797 | 4 | ||
| 7 | |||
| Ninth Semester | Hours | ||
| BADM 707 | 3 | ||
| BADM 797 | 4 | ||
| 7 | |||
| Total credit hours: 53 | |||
Areas of Emphasis:
Accounting Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA. | ||
| BADM 710 | Introduction to Accounting Research | 3 |
| BADM 711 | Behavioral Accounting Research | 3 |
| Select one of the following tracks: | 6 | |
Applied Professional Research Track | ||
| Introduction to Applied Professional Accounting Research | ||
| Advanced Professional Accounting Research | ||
Academic Research Intensive Track | ||
| Accounting Academic Research Intensive | ||
| Advanced Academic Accounting Research | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Economics Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA. | ||
| BADM 721 | Public Finance | 3 |
| BADM 722 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| BADM 723 | Public Choice | 3 |
| BADM 724 | Regional Economics | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Management Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA. | ||
| BADM 730 | Foundations of Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| BADM 731 | Foundations of Strategy and International Business | 3 |
| BADM 732 | Management of Groups and Teams | 3 |
| BADM 733 | Advanced Topics in Strategy and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Marketing Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. | ||
| BADM 741 | Interfirm Relationships | 3 |
| BADM 742 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| BADM 743 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| BADM 744 | Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Major Learning Outcomes
Business Administration
Educational Goals and Objectives
Learning Goal 1: Students will be able to apply the holistic nature of research to business opportunities and problems.
Learning Goal 2: Students will be able to apply research methods and data analysis to solve business problems.
Learning Goal 3: Students will be able develop a theory-based research plan to address unique business problems.
Learning Goal 4: Students will be able to create and communicate original scholarship that addresses researched solutions to business problems