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Doctor of Business Administration Course Descriptions

45 Total Credit Hours 

DBA Common Course Requirements

  • BUS 902 – Business Sustainability and Ethics 3 credits. Corporate social responsibility has become increasingly important, as employees, investors and consumers have expressed a greater desire for such actions. This course will consider the actions business organizations can take aimed at benefiting society. It will also explore new and emerging sustainable business strategies that create a competitive advantage to support organizations. 
  • BUS 903 – Analyzing Behavior in Organizations 3 credits. This course builds on students’ prior learning about human behavior in an organizational setting. The application of techniques for individual and organizational growth are evaluated with the intent of further developing critical-thinking skills, and a sensitivity to the individual’s role in creating organizational cultures. Topics may include: personality and attitudes, group process: building teams, communication, and orchestrating change. 
  • BUS 904 – Executive Supply Chain Strategy & Negotiations 3 credits. The course is designed to help students learn how to identify, dissect, and answer strategic management problems. To remedy the crucial challenges facing organizations, students will research, analyze, and evaluate solutions. Students cultivate skills using decision and visualization tools, logic frameworks, and negotiation tactics. Students will present fact-based analysis and recommendations in oral and written formats to persuade an audience to support recommendations.  
  • BUS 910 – Financial Decision-Making & Value Creation 3 credits. In this course, students will build upon their knowledge of managerial finance to measure and manage the risk and value of investment opportunities including equity investments, fixed income investments, financing vehicles, payout policies, derivatives securities, and special topics. 

Research Course Requirements

  • BUS 901 – Introduction to Academic Research & Doctoral Studies in Business 3 credits. This course provides an overview of academic scholarship and prepares the doctoral student for performing business research. Students use critical thinking models and practices, including the role of assumptions, to identify business problems. Students will learn about the various forums for presenting to academic and practitioner audiences. Students will also become acquainted with Edgewood college’s resources, technologies, policies and scholarly writing. 
  • BUS 920 – Quantitative Analysis I: Quantitative Research Analysis 3 credits. This course provides an understanding of the application of quantitative analytical techniques to problems in business enterprises. The course provides experience in formulating research questions and hypotheses, constructing analytical models and drawing inferences from their results. In addition, the programming language R will be introduced. 
  • BUS 921 – Qualitative Research 3 credits. Students in this course will learn what constitutes qualitative research, how it differs from quantitative research and how to apply qualitative research methods. This involves students identifying and formulating appropriate qualitative research plans, developing qualitative research questions, conducting a planned analysis, and communicating their findings. 
  • BUS 922 – Quantitative Analysis II: Applied Regression Analysis 3 credits. Applied Regression Analysis will focus on the estimation of various regression models. It reviews regression methodology, assumptions of the framework and corrections for violations of the assumptions with an emphasis on practical skills. Applications in consulting projects are also discussed. Students will build and test regression models using R, and discuss the advantages and shortcomings of alternative models. 

Applied Doctoral Research Course Requirements

  • BUS 930 – Applied Doctoral Research Proposal I 3 credits. Students apply the fundamentals of research writing, and how the principles of business research writing will be followed in the applied doctoral research deliverable. Students engage in configuration of the first part of their applied doctoral research proposal including an introduction to the context of the business problem/question to be solved as well as the assumptions or constraints of the business problem. A commentary on the feasibility of the applied doctoral research proposal is also expected in this proposal. 
  • BUS 931 – Applied Doctoral Research Proposal II 3 credits. This part of the proposal contains a synthesis of sufficient academic and business literature to support the need to address the proposed business problem/question. The proposal must also describe how the research is to be conducted, including details about the sample for data collection, the methods of data collection, their reliability and validity. 
  • BUS 932 – Findings and Conclusions 3 credits. In this deliverable, the students will need to report the findings based on the analysis of collected data. Based on the findings of the research, the student will also be expected to comment on the assumptions and constraints of the business problem/question laid out in the introduction of the applied doctoral research proposal. 
  • BUS 933 – Applied Doctoral Research Defense & Completion 3 credits. Based on the conclusions about the findings of the study, the students will be expected to recommend the solutions that can be used to address the problem/question. The student will also be expected to prepare an execution plan. The execution plan of the proposed solution is an essential component of the defense of the Applied Doctoral Research deliverable. As part of the defense, the student will be expected to present the execution plan in front of an evaluation committee consisting of faculty and industry experts, followed by a viva voce. 

Concentration Options (select Financial, Leadership Excellence, or General)

Financial Concentration

  • BUS 960 – Advanced Topics in Finance 3 credits. This course examines financial planning for working capital management and long range investment projects. Emphasis on capital budgeting problem solving. Readings on capital budgeting and related topics, cost of capital structure, and dividend policy.
  • BUS 961 – Managerial Accounting & Controllership 3 credits. This course builds on students’ managerial accounting knowledge. This course emphasizes the application, interpretation, analysis, and use of accounting information by management.  
  • BUS 962 – Managerial Economics 3 credits. Applications of microeconomic theory to problems of formulating managerial decisions. Emphasis on economics as a science that facilitates decision making. Topics considered include optimization techniques, risk analysis and estimation of demand and costs of production, market structures and pricing practice, and antitrust economics. Integrates theory and practice. 

Leadership Excellence Concentration

  • BUS 940 – Effective Organizational Leadership 3 credits. This course presents theories, methods, and models of organizational leadership. Students will assess the performance of an organization and devise a plan for continual improvement and systematic innovation within the context of its operating environment by using the critical thinking and socially responsible managerial decision making skills necessary for developing and implementing long-term strategies that create a competitive advantage to support an organization. 
  • BUS 941 – Leading Change 3 credits. In this course, learners analyze the literature within the leadership concepts surrounding changing employee behaviors, enterprise agility, agile workforce transformation, and leading complex change. Learners investigate unique frameworks and tools proven to assist in creating a project about leading teams for growth and change, leading through crisis, leading transformational change, and other relevant and current topics. 
  • BUS 962 – Managerial Economics 3 credits. Applications of microeconomic theory to problems of formulating managerial decisions. Emphasis on economics as a science that facilitates decision making. Topics considered include optimization techniques, risk analysis and estimation of demand and costs of production, market structures and pricing practice, and antitrust economics. Integrates theory and practice.  

General Concentration (select three courses from the list)

  • BUS 940 – Effective Organizational Leadership 3 credits. This course presents theories, methods, and models of organizational leadership. Students will assess the performance of an organization and devise a plan for continual improvement and systematic innovation within the context of its operating environment by using the critical thinking and socially responsible managerial decision making skills necessary for developing and implementing long-term strategies that create a competitive advantage to support an organization.
  • BUS 941 – Leading Change 3 credits. In this course, learners analyze the literature within the leadership concepts surrounding changing employee behaviors, enterprise agility, agile workforce transformation, and leading complex change. Learners investigate unique frameworks and tools proven to assist in creating a project about leading teams for growth and change, leading through crisis, leading transformational change, and other relevant and current topics.
  • BUS 942 – Social Transformation NGO/NPO Mgmt 3 credits. This course aims at developing student knowledge of the nonprofit sector. It provides an overview of nonprofit and voluntary associations, their origins, growth and development. It provides an international and comparative perspective on an emergent, multidimensional sector of the economy. The course focuses on management theory and practice, identifying strategies that nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations can and do use to influence change.
  • BUS 943 – Strat Mgmt of Human Resources 3 credits. This course examines strategic human resources (HR) management and HR planning. Applicable theories and methods of strategic, operational, and tactical planning and their relationship to HR management are covered, as well as the multiple roles HR plays in assisting organizations to gain and sustain competitive advantages in their environment.
  • BUS 960 – Advanced Topics in Finance 3 credits. This course examines financial planning for working capital management and long range investment projects. Emphasis on capital budgeting problem solving. Readings on capital budgeting and related topics, cost of capital structure, and dividend policy.
  • BUS 961 – Manag Acct & Controllership 3 credits. This course builds on students’ managerial accounting knowledge. It emphasizes the application, interpretation, analysis, and use of accounting information by management.
  • BUS 962 – Managerial Economics 3 credits. Applications of microeconomic theory to problems of formulating managerial decisions. Emphasis on economics as a science that facilitates decision making. Topics considered include optimization techniques, risk analysis and estimation of demand and costs of production, market structures and pricing practice, and antitrust economics. Integrates theory and practice.
  • BUS 970 – Persuasion & Negotiation Strategies 3 credits. This course will emphasize persuasive communication strategies and applied negotiation techniques. The course also contains a strong written communication component. The course will apply a case-based methodology to teaching and learning in the class.
  • BUS 971 – Data Mining for Business 3 credits. This course focuses on the application of data mining for business. Topics covered include mining structured data, techniques for handling big data, working with unstructured data. Emphasis is placed on identifying and applying appropriate mining techniques for specific business problems, and interpreting the validity and utility of the results. Students will use data mining software to gain practical experience.
  • BUS 972 – Teaching Bus in Higher Education 3 credits. In this course, learners develop a personal teaching philosophy regarding teaching practices, methods, models, and strategies within the fields of business and supply chain management. Learners create instructional plans and measurable assessments for higher business education within adult-learning frameworks. Additionally, learners write portions of business courses and assess curriculum.
  • BUS 973 – Seminar in Contemp Bus Issues 3 credits. The seminar in contemporary business issues allows program participants to explore current issues facing business professionals and consider ways to apply DBA activities and ideas to their current and future professions. This course supports the option for students to complete doctoral work on the Edgewood College Madison Campus.
  • BUS 974 – Contemp Global Issue Trade & Invest 3 credits. Contemporary Global Issues, Trade, and Investment covers what organizational decision-makers need to know about trade, industry structure, and investing in the global economy. Topics in international finance including the balance of payments, exchange rate systems, parity relationships, and global money and banking are also covered.