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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student-teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire a doctorate degree in business administration but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best doctorate in business administration programs.

What institution did we omit from this list? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below.

1. Washington University, Seattle, WA

Washington University has a 72-credit DBA degree in finance or marketing. Designed for people working in the private sector, this degree takes four years to finish full-time or five or six years to finish part-time. The degree program consists of 48 credits of coursework after completion of any needed foundation classes and 24 credits for research. Doctoral learners must pass holistic exams within six months of completing all coursework and successfully defend their doctoral thesis.

2. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

The University of Florida has a 60-hour, non-resident DBA degree program for experienced managers with master’s degrees. The degree program consists of 42 hours of coursework finished over the first six terms and 18 hours for a dissertation finished during the last three terms. During the research symposium, weekends in the third year, professors and doctoral candidates present their current research.

3. University of Dallas, Dallas, TX

The University of Dallas has a three-year DBA degree program. This 61-credit degree consists of 19 hours of content classes, 18 hours of research methods classes, 6 hours of doctoral colloquia, and 18 hours for completion of a doctoral dissertation. Delivered in a blended format, classes combine monthly weekend residencies with online learning. Throughout the degree program, doctoral candidates collaborate with peers as part of a cohort of business executives. Ideal candidates possess at least 12 years of managerial experience (seven at the senior level) and an MBA. This DBA degree program is sanctioned by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

4. St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA

St. Ambrose University has a 48-credit DBA intended for management professionals who have master’s degrees. It includes 11 classes (33 credits) that learners can finish in under three years, followed by written and oral holistic exams and a dissertation (15 credits). Special concepts classes on organizational behavior and human resource management accentuate discussion of course materials and application to the learner’s workplace. Research methods classes prepare learners to finish the dissertation. This degree program is sanctioned by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

5. Anderson University, Anderson, IN

Anderson University has a four-year, part-time DBA that seeks to produce Christian business scholars. Candidates should have a master’s degree with at least 30 hours of graduate credits in business that candidates transfer in before commencing the degree program’s 60 hours of doctoral work for a total of 90 hours. Anderson’s degree program consists of 27 hours of core classes, 18 hours of major coursework, and 15 hours for a dissertation. Doctoral learners finish most of the coursework during the first three years through on-campus residencies in May, August, and January.

6. Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT

Sacred Heart University has a DBA in finance for candidates holding a master’s degree in business or a related area that learners can finish in three years. The school’s cohort-based, 48-hour degree program consists of two years of business foundations and finance coursework culminating in a holistic exam, followed by the third year of dissertation research. Designed for working executives, Sacred Heart’s DBA degree program encourages professional collaboration through 15 weekend residences in Fairfield, Connecticut, that consist of classroom instruction, hands-on learning laboratories, interactive seminars, and executive-style meetings. This DBA degree program is sanctioned by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

7. University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, Whitewater, WI

The University of Wisconsin at Whitewater has online and on-campus bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and an on-campus doctorate. Preferred candidates to the school’s 60-credit DBA degree program possess an MBA and at least six years of management experience. In the final year, learners complete the original dissertation research on a finance topic. A full-time degree program choice gives doctoral learners additional opportunities to do advanced research.

8. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

St. Mary’s University of Minnesota has a DBA degree program at its Twin Cities campus. Candidates must hold a master’s degree, and those who meet graduate-level prerequisites in statistics, managerial economics, and finance can finish the 54-credit degree program in three years. The degree program consists of 27 credits of coursework in business and research skills, 12 credits of concentration coursework in management and strategy or business economics and finance, and 15 credits of summative activities. These summative activities consist of passing a holistic exam and proposal, completion, and defense of a doctoral thesis.

9. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

The University of South Florida has a DBA degree program specially designed for business executives who wish to publish their research. Learners meet in a cohort of executives 10 weekends per year while completing coursework for the three-year degree program. USF augments on-campus classes with online activities in between sessions. The 72-credit degree program consists of regular classes (33 hours), publication classes (9 hours), issues classes (10 hours), and a dissertation (20 hours). During the first two years, learners normally take four 3-credit classes per semester (two at a time). In the third year, learners partake in learner-directed issues classes and finish dissertation research.

10. Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL

Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) has a professional DBA degree through its Huntsville, Alabama, and Melbourne, Florida, campuses. Candidates to this cohort degree program must possess an MBA or related degree with a 3.2 GPA and 10 years of managerial experience. Each three-year cohort of government, defense, and sector professionals meets once a semester to promote collaboration. The 42-credit degree program consists of advanced business classes in years one and two followed by research methods classes, dissertation research, and special concepts seminars in years two and three. FIT requires DBA candidates to pass a holistic exam at the end of the second fall term.

12. Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville University has a 63-credit DBA that experienced executives can earn in three years. This cohort degree program starts each fall and emphasizes leadership. JU holds weekend DBA classes once a month for the first two years of the degree program. Classes consist of weekly exchanges with faculty and peers. Doctoral candidates spend the third year involved in dissertation research and must pass a holistic exam and successfully defend their thesis to graduate. A full-time degree program choice gives doctoral learners additional opportunities to do advanced research.

12. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

With the only DBA in North Carolina, UNC Charlotte has a three-year, cohort-based degree program designed for experienced executives. Advanced classes focusing on concepts, including information systems and operations management, meet weekends once per month for 10 months each year. Learners normally enroll in nine credits each semester. The degree program requires 54 post-MBA credits, including 21 credits of research methodology classes, 15 credits for seminars in applied research, and 18 hours to finish a dissertation. In this degree program, learners submit a dissertation proposal after completion of the required coursework, and the proposal defense counts as a qualifying exam.