If you have been considering pursuing a doctoral degree in business you might be trying to decide if you should pursue a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration degree) or a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy degree) in business. In order to make this decision, you will need to decide what your ultimate goal will be.

A DBA (Doctor of Business Administration degree) program sometimes takes a more practical application approach to the study of business. A DBA program that focuses on current issues in business will prepare students for careers in the business world as well as academia; however, some schools prefer Ph.D. holders for faculty positions. Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy degree) in business sometimes takes a more theoretical approach to the study of business. A Ph.D. prepares a student for research and academic careers and is often the preferred degree for university faculty. If your goal is to teach at the college level, a Ph.D. might lead you to your best job prospects. Both programs are difficult to gain admittance to, rigorous, and require commitment, focus and generally take about four years to complete.

However, it is important to know that many DBA and Ph.D. in business programs have very few differences and will both prepare you for a career teaching at the university level. When considering these two options, you should research schools and their programs. Since, at many universities, there is little difference between DBA degrees and Ph.D. degrees, you should focus on things such as the quality of the teaching staff, the classes offered, the opportunities for research and/or publication, program concentrations, and the post-doctoral placement record (in the private sector or academia) of the program. Another thing that might help you decide is to look for job postings online for positions that you are interested in. Look into the requirements of those positions and use that information to help you evaluate which doctoral degree, a Doctor of Business Administration degree or a Doctor of Philosophy degree, will best help you reach your goals.