Doctorate of Business Administration - Course descriptions

This important orientation course for new students is delivered in two week-long segments: one online and one on site. Students will be introduced to the expectations and requirements of the online Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program and provided with the tools needed for success. Athabasca University (AU) faculty and staff will guide the course, with emphasis placed on gaining a research focus. Overall, students get to know each other, AU faculty and staff, available resources, and technological tools.

This course provides online DBA students with a basic understanding of the major theoretical perspectives in organization behavior, organization theory and strategic organization.

The readings selected constitute either classics or near classics in the field or integrative works that summarize and critique those classics, and provide an overview of the most important conceptual insights in these fields rather than examples of the most recent studies. Students examine these theories and their applications with a critical eye to determine the conceptual and practical strengths and limitations of the material and its applicability to different administrative situations.

This course introduces online DBA students to critical thinking, formulating an interesting research question, and writing a review of the literature. Students will select critical readings in their area of research interest for discussion, and will learn about using appreciative inquiry in discussions. Students will be able to examine their own research interests in light of the prevailing work in their field, thus reflecting on their own contributions to the literature.

This course examines the gap between research results and management in practice. Online DBA Students will analyze their own area of research interest to determine what the latest scientific research is, and determine how the results are used (or not used) in the workplace today. What are some ways in which we can translate research findings into practice?

This online DBA course covers the process and practice of research with an emphasis on quantitative research orientations and issues related to design in the management research context. The course spans such topics as: types of research, quantitative research orientations, research ethics, measurement, sampling, and quantitative designs. Students will gain experience in research design to help them develop research questions and elements of their proposal.

This online DBA course covers the theoretical and philosophical bases of qualitative inquiry and provides students with the basic skills needed to do qualitative research. Topics covered in the course include qualitative research designs, methods of data collection, issues of validity and reliability, and qualitative data analysis. The course will also explore ways to integrate quantitative and qualitative methods.

This is an individualized readings online DBA course. Students, with the assistance of a designated faculty member, will determine what knowledge and skills are required to be prepared to write the dissertation proposal.

Students develop a proposal for their final online DBA dissertation.