Program Overview

Touro University Worldwide’s (TUW) online Business Administration doctorate prepares students to lead in top executive positions and address the complexities of today’s business landscape with vision, knowledge, and clarity. Doctoral students build their knowledge through engagement with faculty mentorship, access to technology, and unique learning opportunities and research activities commensurate with the doctoral level.

The online DBA curriculum explores theoretical foundations and cutting-edge business research to expand students’ competencies in their current or future careers. In addition, students build professional skills and tools to design evidence-based business research and managerial solutions in their professional areas of expertise. Become a more confident business leader equipped to face the challenges and evolving demands of today’s complex, global business environments.

Research-Based Doctoral Project

This business doctorate does not require a traditional dissertation. Instead, by the end of the online DBA degree program, you will develop a research-based doctoral project in any business or managerial topic of your choice that prepares you as a subject matter expert and thought leader in an area of interest. Business research topics may include but not be limited to

  • Finance
  • Technology
  • Accounting
  • Healthcare management
  • Human resources
  • International/global business
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Nonprofit management
  • Real estate
  • Strategic management
  • Supply chain

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution and have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 in that program. Degrees earned outside the United States must come from an institution approved by the relevant Ministry of Education. No GRE is required.

Qualified applicants must:

  1. Submit an application.
  2. Send official transcripts directly from every institution attended. Applicants educated outside the United States must follow TUW’s international transcript translation and credential evaluation requirements.
  3. Submit two recommendations: one from someone familiar with their academic work and one from a professional supervisor.
  4. Submit a Doctoral Entrance Essay.

The entrance essay becomes the first part of the student’s research portfolio. It should present the applicant’s background, career plans, reasons for pursuing the DBA at TUW, and potential research interests in clear, concise written English.

The essay should include:

  • Biographical component: Previous education, professional experience, and participation in research, if applicable.
  • Career plan component: How doctoral study supports the applicant’s professional goals.
  • Goals in pursuing the doctorate: Why the applicant selected TUW, what they expect to accomplish, and possible topics for the doctoral research project.
Review Doctoral Admission Requirements

Tuition, Financial Aid & Scholarships

Tuition for the 48-credit Doctor of Business Administration program is $700 per semester credit, bringing total tuition to $33,600 before transfer credits, scholarships, or other assistance. A $25 application fee and a one-time $200 degree audit and graduation fee also apply. Doctoral students must purchase the required SPSS GradPack software, but TUW does not charge technology, library, student service, or online materials fees.

Eligible students may apply for federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA. Direct Unsubsidized Loans remain available to qualifying graduate students. Graduate PLUS Loans may remain available only to students who meet the federal transition requirements for programs begun before July 1, 2026. TUW financial aid advisors can explain current eligibility and available funding options.

The DBA is eligible for TUW’s Achieve Your Success Scholarship, subject to its admission, application, and continued-enrollment requirements. Other opportunities may be available to qualifying military-affiliated students, law enforcement employees, and Touro College and University System alumni.

Review Scholarships Explore Financial Aid

Military & Veteran Benefits

Eligible military-affiliated students may qualify for TUW’s reduced military tuition rate for the DBA program. Service members planning to use Tuition Assistance should consult their Education Services Officer (ESO) for guidance before enrolling. TUW also accepts eligible GI Bill® benefits, participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and provides dedicated advising to help students understand available education benefits and enrollment requirements.

TUW evaluates military training and experience for possible transfer credit. The DBA permits up to six transfer credits of equivalent doctoral-level coursework that meets university and program requirements. Military-affiliated applicants should ask TUW which previous credits, if any, may apply to the program.

Explore Military Benefits

What Can You Do With a DBA Degree

A DBA can support advancement into executive leadership, consulting, entrepreneurship, applied business research, and some postsecondary teaching roles. Career outcomes depend on your prior experience, industry, research focus, and employer requirements. 

Graduates may pursue roles such as:

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Senior Management Consultant
  • Director of Strategic Planning
  • University Professor or Researcher
  • Entrepreneur

A DBA does not automatically qualify someone for an executive position. Employers generally consider the degree alongside substantial management experience, industry knowledge, and demonstrated leadership results.

DBA graduates may work in technology, healthcare, finance, management consulting, higher education, manufacturing, supply chain, real estate, government, and nonprofit management. In California, potential employers include corporations, healthcare systems, universities, consulting firms, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

The program’s research-based doctoral project allows students to develop expertise in an area related to their current field or intended career, including leadership, finance, marketing, human resources, healthcare management, technology, and strategic management.

Senior leadership roles such as chief executive and general or operations manager are among the positions DBA graduates may pursue, depending on their experience and industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a national median annual wage of $206,000 for chief executives, with employment projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034.

In California, BLS data shows a median annual wage of approximately $281,000 for chief executives and $155,000 for general and operations managers.

Note: This degree does not lead to any form of licensure or certification.

Core Requirements

36 Semester Credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course empowers students with a thorough orientation to the Doctor of Business Administration Program, the scholar-practitioner model, and purposeful research for business. Through a series of applied research articles, trade publications and external literature students will establish a foundation about the process the Scholar-Practitioner framework uses to translate theory and principles to business practical solutions.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides students an in-depth study and analysis of organizational theory from a business perspective. The course will explore human behaviors in businesses, which include attitudes, and business functions that lend to enhanced performance and profitability in business.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course addresses principles of business operations and management across cultures to assimilate for effective functional operational processes and principles that support organization, operations, systems, and employee management. Students will apply theory to practice for business operations relevant to various cultural backgrounds in a variety of business organizations.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course addresses the best practices of governance and accountability in the business environment. Special topics include underlying theories relative to ethics role in best businesses practices of governance and accountability, importance of accountability and transparency in business leadership, and the importance of governance on business performance.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the importance of ethics and social responsibility in business and explores practical solutions to ethical challenges in contemporary business. Special emphasis includes the identification of ethical business challenges and the associated practical approaches to determine solutions.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of current business based financial management theories and models applicable to improve decision making that influence both business performance and opportunity. Students use the contemporary finance management tools to apply the principles in a variety of business settings.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, students apply a practitioner perspective in contemporary marketing for decision-making to increase the performance of in organizations. Special topics include pricing, product development, channel of distributions, marketing research, global marketing practices and e-marketing methodologies to provide a competitive advantage in applicable industries, sectors and global markets.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, students explore applied research utilizing the business research process. This course is one of a few quantitative reasoning courses that prepare the student for advanced coursework in quantitative research methods.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, students apply theories associated with turnaround and organizational renewal strategies in business. Special emphasis is on various turnaround and renewal models and the implementation of the models in the application of evidenced-based solutions in the business environment.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The fundamental concepts of quantitative research methods will include descriptive statistics and fundamental concepts that serve as the basis for more advanced coursework and data analysis specifically tailored to business.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Advancing the knowledge and skills in quantitative research places emphasis on research design and framework, applicable statistics for data analysis, interpretation of findings; and the presentation of results with the scope of improving business decisions.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Survey Design exposes scholar-practitioners to a variety of areas that are key to understanding and mastering methodology through surveys applicable to the business environment. Special emphasis in this course is identification of applicable survey design from associated literature for a selected area of research, and identification of applicable survey questions. In addition, students begin to search and select a faculty Chair and Committee in preparation to transition to DBA 712, and are introduced to the primary learning platform system that will be utilized throughout the entire Research Project process.

CREDITS

3

Doctoral Research Proposal Development Courses

3 Semester Credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, students select a faculty Chair and committee to prepare for the proposal phase of a selected research project. In this phase, students identify a research topic, develop an applicable conceptual framework, prepare a fundamental literature review, and propose a research methodology that will be orally defended no later than one week prior to the end of the session. In addition, students are introduced and use of the Doctoral Management System (DMS), which will be the primary learning platform throughout the entire Research Project process.

CREDITS

3

The Doctoral Research Project Courses

9 Semester Credits

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, students continue to work with the Chair and Committee on their selected research project. In this phase of the project, students submit and receive approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) regarding the proposed research methodology to collect data, conduct interviews, etc. as applicable. Students conduct an enhanced literature review for their project to further strengthen their conceptual framework identified in the proposal phase.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, students continue to work with the Chair and Committee on their selected research project. In this phase of the project, students analyze data collected, write the results and begin to shape the research project such as adding the introduction, executive summary, discussions, etc.

CREDITS

3

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students complete work on their Research Project and Research Project Defense. In this course, students finalize the research project working with the Chair and Committee. In this final phase, students will integrate and synthesize all components of the project and submit to the chair no later than the 4th week of the session in preparation of the final research project oral defense.

CREDITS

3

Credits

120 semester credits

Format

100% online, 8-week courses

Next start

August 31, 2026

Apply by

August 28, 2026

Accreditation

WSCUC and CSWE

Tuition

$400 per semester credit

Transfer credits

Up to 90 credits

Entry requirement

High school diploma or GED, or transfer in good academic standing; minimum 2.0 GPA

Students are responsible for securing an approved field site. TUW must approve the site and supervisor before students begin accumulating field hours.

Application deadlines are generally the Friday before the term begins. Confirm the date with an enrollment counselor.

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Accreditation & Employer Recognition

Touro University Worldwide is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). This accreditation applies to the university as a whole, including its online degree programs, and confirms that TUW meets the commission’s standards for institutional quality and effectiveness.

An online DBA from an accredited university may be recognized by employers in the same way as another doctoral credential, although its value depends on the position, industry, and employer. Employers may also consider the graduate’s professional experience, leadership record, research expertise, and ability to apply doctoral-level knowledge to business problems.

Upon completion of the required online courses in the DBA program, the student begins the first phase of the research project working closely with a faculty chair and committee in the completion of the research project phase proposal. In this phase, students personalize their academic journey for greater outcomes, by selecting a topic of interest to codify lessons learned in their field and or developing skills applicable to a research area of interest.

In the final phase, students finalize their research area of interest with a product that lends to real-world solutions while simultaneously achieving their desired goal in the program as a Doctor in the online DBA program.

For additional information , please visit the TUW Catalog or explore the DBA curriculum.

Why TUW: Faculty, Proof & Credibility

TUW’s online DBA combines flexible doctoral study with faculty guidance and an applied research project focused on real business challenges. Students work with experienced business faculty throughout the program, including when selecting a chair and committee to guide the doctoral project.

Faculty expertise

Glenn Zimmerman, DBA, MPA
Director of Doctorate of Business Administration and
Doctor of Management Programs
Professor of Business Administration

Michael Epstein, PhD
Director of Doctor of Psychology Program
Professor of Psychology and Business Management

Radu Munteanu, PhD
Director of School of Business and Management
Professor of Business Administration

Student & alumni outcomes / testimonials

Proud TUW Alumna reflects on their academic experience at TUW

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. An online DBA can be respected when it is earned from an institutionally accredited university and supported by relevant professional experience. TUW is accredited by WSCUC, and its DBA develops advanced skills in applied research, strategy, and leadership for executive, consulting, research, and some postsecondary teaching roles.

No. TUW does not require the GRE for admission to its online DBA. Applicants instead need a master’s degree from an accredited institution, a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.4, official transcripts, two recommendations, and a doctoral entrance essay. International degrees must satisfy TUW’s foreign credential requirements.

A DBA is a professional doctorate focused on applying research to complex business and management problems. A PhD in business usually places greater emphasis on developing original theory and preparing for research-intensive, tenure-track academic careers. DBA graduates commonly pursue executive leadership, consulting, entrepreneurship, applied research, or teaching, although either degree may support several career directions.

You can complete our online DBA in as little as 1.5 years through full-time study. The typical completion time is about two years, although your timeline may vary based on transfer credits, continuous enrollment, and progress on the doctoral research project.

Yes. TUW’s DBA is delivered entirely online in eight-week courses and is designed for working professionals. Six start dates each year allow students to begin without waiting for a traditional fall term. Students may follow a part-time schedule while remaining employed, although individual completion times depend on course load, continuous enrollment, and research-project progress.

No. The DBA is fully online and has no residency requirement, so students do not need to live in California. TUW participates in NC-SARA for interstate distance education and is separately authorized to offer distance education in California. Students may access their courses from any state with a computer and internet connection.