In today’s competitive job market, rising to the top levels of business leadership requires extensive experience, continuing education, and high-level credentials. Executive doctorate programs offer busy professionals a way to advance their careers by earning a terminal degree while working full-time. Read on to understand executive doctorates, key benefits, and top program options.
What Are Executive Doctorate Degrees?
Executive doctorate programs, sometimes called professional doctorates, are terminal degrees designed for mid-career professionals with 5-10 years of management experience. They combine coursework with extensive applied research focused on real organizational problems, allowing students to integrate their work expertise with new knowledge. While structured similarly to a traditional PhD, executive doctorates emphasize practical application rather than purely academic research. Common program types include:
- Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
- Doctor of Education (EdD)
- Doctor of Management (DM)
- Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS)
Executive doctorates use a cohort model where students progress through the program together, taking the same classes in a prescribed sequence. This allows for rich peer learning while balancing school with ongoing work duties.
Key Benefits of Earning an Executive Doctorate
Pursuing an executive doctorate offers numerous professional and personal advantages, including:
- Career advancement – Earning a terminal degree improves promotability and prepares you for senior leadership roles.
- Increased earnings potential – Salaries for executives with doctorates are 15-20% higher on average.
- Next-level business skills – Develop advanced expertise in organizational leadership, research methodologies, and strategic analysis.
- Solutions for real workplace problems – The dissertation project allows you to explore and propose innovative solutions for issues your own company faces.
- Expanded professional network – Cohort-based programs provide connection opportunities with accomplished peers across industries.
- Personal growth – An executive doctorate builds confidence, time management abilities, analytical skills, and more that translate broadly.
With an executive doctorate, you’ll gain the highest scholarly credentials explicitly tailored to the business world while propelling your career trajectory to new heights.
Online Executive Doctorates: Flexible and Convenient
Online delivery has made executive doctorate degrees much more accessible for working professionals. Top schools now offer part-time and accelerated online options with the same academic rigor and practical focus, bypassing barriers related to location or schedule demands.
Whether run asynchronously or with live remote classes, online executive doctorates provide maximum flexibility to balance earning a terminal degree with an existing career through robust virtual collaboration tools and remote applied research capabilities.
Choosing an online-based course like executive DBA explicitly tailored for business leaders can prove an efficient way to enhance your credentials without significant career disruption. Benefits of earning an executive doctorate online include:
- Flexibility to complete coursework on time, no matter your work and life demands. Choose part-time or accelerated pacing.
- More comprehensive program selection, often with top universities, since you bypass geographic restrictions.
- Significant cost savings without a campus residency or relocation requirement.
- Robust virtual student collaboration tools and web conferencing for engaging learning and faculty interactions.
- Conduct applied dissertation research on relevant issues to your company and industry sector.
Conclusion
An executive doctorate delivers immense value for driven leaders looking to level up their business credentials and position themselves for senior executive roles. These innovative degree programs allow you to integrate real-world experience with high-level skills and theoretical knowledge.
Assess your career goals and research options to find an executive doctorate that matches your interests. With focus and perseverance, you’ll graduate better equipped to drive impactful change and thrive at the top levels of your industry. The journey starts with a first step – take it today. Look into Edgewood College’s online executive doctorate in business administration and other programs for experienced managers seeking the convenience of remote doctoral-level education.
