DBA Comments

I would like to receive input from current students and graduates of CSU's Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) online degree program. What are the courses like? What types of assignments are required? Are there many examinations and how are they proctored? Are the courses rigorous and useful? Would you recommend the program and has it been accepted by potential employers or for consulting purposes? Thanks in advance for your honest insights.

Mr. Graduate Student

I have completed almost half of the course work towards my DBA degree with CSU. The courses follow a defined curriculum, and the textbooks are current and from some of the top textbook publishers. The online assessments range from multiple choice questions to short essay answers. I can't speak to the undergraduate programs, but the doctoral program also requires case studies and article critiques in proper APA format, with resources from beyond the course materials. The assignments are challenging, but I have experienced more difficult course work in some of my Master Degree courses at a traditional B&M university. At the doctoral level, the challenges are often self-imposed; essentially you get out of the program what you put into it. At this stage of my life, the completion of a doctorate degree will not impact my employment, so I'm completing it to fulfill an individual goal. The accreditation issue does not really affect me, as I have had the CSU program evaluated and it has been accepted as the equivalent of a PhD in Canada, so it meets my criteria. I would like to add that my undergrad degree was completed by distance at a fully accredited Canadian university and was accepted for admittance to one of the top B&M universities in Canada. I am currently the Program Director for an online degree program at the same university where I completed my undergrad degree, and find the CSU courses on par for content and academic rigour. Distance education is not for everyone, but it serves a purpose and the entire process should not be discounted simply because it did not meet one's expectations. 

Specific to your questions - the courses are 10 weeks in length, and consist of an online assessment for each unit, which has multiple choice or short essay answer questions. There are also article reviews and/or case studies...depending on the course. I haven't had any proctored exams - assessments and essays are the norm. The CSU DBA has been (as noted above) evaluated and deemed the equivalent as a PhD in Canada - I can't speak to acceptance in the US. Would I do the program again if given the choice......yes, but please note that I do not require a DBA for employment - it is my "Maslow Degree" (i.e., self-actualization). Overall, I find the courses challenging and interesting, but do not consume all of my free time. I wish the program had various streams to allow focus on particular areas; my interest is in performance management, so accounting and supply chain management courses do not interest me, but are required. Hope this helps.