Below are online PhD programs in Business and Management recommended by our editors. This is not a ranking of online Business doctoral programs, but a curated list of all the best PhD programs in Business and Management offered by reputable, accredited online universities. If there’s a program you think should be added to the list, tell us why through our contact page.
Baker College Online
Founded in 1911, Baker College is a private non-profit institute in higher learning with 13 locations throughout Michigan’s lower peninsula. Throughout its history, Baker has focused on career preparation, and today its online program is one of the largest in the country. Over 40 certificate, associate, bachelor, master and doctorate degree programs are available through Baker College Online.
Program Overview
Baker College Online offers a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program with a focus on interdisciplinary studies and independent, student-driven work. The program requires 90 credit hours and is designed to be completed in three years. Students experience a core curriculum of research seminars and professional development activities organized into a Scholarly Activities Portfolio and a Professional Activities Portfolio, then complete research-based dissertations that focus on real issues facing today’s business leaders. The program offers five areas of specialization with the option to create a custom specialization.
Accreditation
Baker College is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
California Southern University
California Southern University was founded in 1978 to meet the needs of working students who were unable to attend traditional universities due to professional, personal, or financial constraints. The university became a leader in distance education in the ’90s and began transitioning to a fully online university in 2006. Today, CalSouthern offers distance learning degree programs to students throughout the world.
Program Overview
California Southern University’s Doctor of Business Administration degree program provides advanced education for professionals with MBAs who are aiming for senior leadership positions. The standard program length is four years, but students can finish in two years by taking courses simultaneously and transferring the maximum number of credits from undergraduate and graduate degrees. Degree requirements include a sequence of doctorate courses and a doctoral project.
Accreditation
California Southern University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The university’s School of Business is a member of the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).
Capella University
Capella University is a for-profit institution that primarily offers online graduate and undergraduate programs. The university was established to provide academic opportunities for adult students who are older than the traditional college student age group. The university has an alumni satisfaction rating of more than 95 percent.
Program Overview
Capella University offers online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and PhD in Business Management programs. DBA programs include degrees in accounting, finance, marketing, and project management. Business Management PhD programs include general business management, leadership, management education, and human resource management. Most courses are offered in 10 week blocks. Students can save time and money by transferring all or most of the elective credits from another accredited institution.
Accreditation
The university is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university is currently a candidate for for program accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Colorado Technical University
Colorado Technical University was established as Colorado Technical College in 1965 to provide training opportunities to former members of the military. The university was named the best online school for veterans by Military Times, and G.I. Jobs Magazine has also noted that the university is friendly to the military.
Program Overview
The online Doctor of Management program is offered through the College of Business and Management. The program offers nine possible concentrations, including healthcare management and leadership, executive leadership, project management, homeland security, and more. The program is designed to be completed in three years, and all classes are offered online.
Accreditation
Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university is also accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Project Management Institute accredits the College of Business and Management.
Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University is a private institution located in downtown San Francisco founded in 1901 by the YMCA. It currently educates about 5,300 students. Most programs offered by GGU are available online.
Program Overview
GGU offers several graduate degrees in business, including a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA). The DBA differs from the PhD in that the latter is more focused on research and theoretical knowledge, while the former emphasizes “real-life” issues and the application of theories to business practices. Like the PhD, though, the DBA is a terminal degree requiring completion of an original research dissertation. Golden Gate’s DBA requires a minimum of 52 credit units, divided as follows: 12 units of Foundational Curriculum, 28 in the Business Core Curriculum, 8 units of Electives, and 12 units of the dissertation. Students must also pass a qualifying examination following their completion of the Foundational curriculum before continuing their coursework.
Accreditation
GGU holds regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is a private university based in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to its campus-based courses, the university offers numerous degrees in an online format. With more than 40,000 students enrolled online, GCU has earned a reputation as an outstanding distance learning institution.
Program Overview
Grand Canyon University offers an online Doctor of Business Administration degree program with an emphasis in management. The program is ideal for managers and executives who are interested in expanding their knowledge of business theory and its applications. Applicants who earned a master’s degree in a subject other than business administration must participate in GCU’s bridge program before entering the DBA program. In addition to a proposal and dissertation, students complete courses such as Management Theory in a Global Economy, Economics for Business Decisions, and Managing Stakeholder Relationships.
Accreditation
The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC) accredits Grand Canyon University. The university’s Ken Blanchard College of Business is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Keiser University
Keiser University is a private university with 15 campuses, including a main campus in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The university offers online instruction and traditional onsite courses. Most programs are completed one course at a time, and each course lasts for a period of four weeks.
Program Overview
Kaiser University offers an online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. The degree offers specializations in marketing, global organizational leadership, and global business. Unlike other programs offered at Keiser University, courses last for eight weeks, and students can complete one or two courses at the same time. Some courses cannot be scheduled at the same times as other courses. Students must have a Master’s degree in a relevant field, and other requirements are based on the student’s previous academic and vocational experiences.
Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Liberty University
Liberty University is a Christian University founded by Pastor Jerry Falwell in 1971. Today it is the largest Christian university in the world and the largest nonprofit, private university in the United States. Liberty’s distance learning program began in 1985 and has grown to include certificates and degrees from associate through doctorate.
Program Overview
Liberty University offers an online Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) with a choice of six cognates: accounting, human resources, international business, leadership, marketing or project management. The typical student will take nine semesters to complete the program. An applied doctoral research project takes the place of a dissertation. The program combines online instruction with three one-week intensives, making it a convenient option for working professionals.
Accreditation
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award degrees through the doctoral level. As a regionally- accredited institution, Liberty participates in federal tuition assistance programs such as the GI Bill.
Northcentral University
Northcentral University (not to be confused with North Central University) is a private, for-profit institution based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, founded in 1996. Northcentral offers online degree programs only. It enrolls over 8,000 students, most of whom are seeking graduate degrees.
Program Overview
Northcentral offers two doctoral-level degrees in Business: a PhD in Business Administration and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA). The DBA degree differs from the PhD in that the latter places more emphasis on theoretical understanding and the production of original academic research. Students in both programs may choose from one the 17 areas of specialization, such as Advanced Accounting, Financial Management, Healthcare Administration Project Management, and Industrial Organization Psychology. The DBA also offers a unique General Business specialization. Both programs are designed to be completed in 7 years.
Accreditation
Northcentral holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Its business programs are also accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix was founded in 1976 on the premise of providing professional and working adults with an outlet where they can receive a higher education without a disruption in their lives. The university includes eight colleges and schools, including the School of Business. In addition to providing coursework through a powerful online system, the university fosters an academic social network with an extensive digital library.
Program Overview
Students wishing to pursue a graduate degree in business or management may enroll in one of three PhD programs offered by the University of Phoenix: Business Administration, Management in Organizational Leadership or Information Systems and Technology. Each of these specializations uses business management as a foundation to teach students to identify and resolve problems, conduct research on business issues and open opportunities in the global economy.
Accreditation
University of Phoenix holds regional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which works through the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). In addition, the PhD programs in business administration and management are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Sullivan University
Founded in 1962, Sullivan University is a Kentucky private school with physical campuses in Louisville, Fort Knox, and Lexington. Sullivan also offers many online degree programs, including a Doctor of Philosophy in Management program.
Program Overview
Sullivan University’s online Ph.D. in Management program consists of 16 credit hours of foundations coursework, 20 hours of management classes, 24 hours of research courses, a two-hour exam, a 12-hour dissertation, and 16 hours in a concentration area for a total of 90 hours. The four available concentration areas include conflict management, information technology management, strategic management, and human resource leadership. Students can also transfer up to eight credit hours from a regionally accredited doctoral program. The length of the program depends on the number of courses taken per term, the number of transfer credits, and whether or not a student’s enrollment is interrupted.
Accreditation
Sullivan University receives its accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC). The school is also evaluated and authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
University of Maryland University College
Established in 1947, University of Maryland University College offers University of Maryland courses in a distance learning format. The university currently operates three satellite campuses in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. With more than 90,000 students enrolled, UMUC is one of the largest online schools in the world.
Program Overview
University of Maryland University College’s Doctor of Management degree program is designed to accommodate the careers of working professionals. In addition to their online coursework, participants attend two days of classroom instruction per term. Applied research is a major focus of the program, and the coursework includes two courses on research methods as well as a dissertation. Students are given a maximum of seven years to complete the program, and most students finish in four.
Accreditation
University of Maryland University College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The university is governed by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and is approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
University of the Rockies
University of the Rockies was founded in 1998 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a graduate school focusing on social and behavioral sciences. All members of the faculty hold doctoral degrees, and core values of the institution include excellence in program offerings, service to students and integrity in all matters. Programs are made accessible through online platforms, and students are encouraged to embrace diversity in culture and experience.
Program Overview
For students wishing to pursue a graduate degree in business or management, University of the Rockies offers an online PhD program in organizational development and leadership through its Denver Instructional Site. The program stresses the assessment of organizations, development of solutions through performance technology and anticipation of the impact of strategic initiatives. Specializations for the program include corporate training, risk management, organizational diversity and entrepreneurship.
Accreditation
University of the Rockies is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) through the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA). In addition, the university has been approved by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education as a Category I degree-granting institution.
Walden University
A pair of New York teachers founded Walden University in 1970. The university’s programs are offered exclusively online, and it currently enrolls around 50,000 students. According to U.S. News & World Report, Walden has the 109th best online graduate business program in the country and the third largest online graduate program in management by enrollment.
Program Overview
Walden University offers many online business degree programs, including a Ph.D in Management program. Specialization options include accounting, engineering management, finance, human resource management, information systems management, leadership and organizational change, and operations research. Students can choose to complete the management program in a course-based format or a self-directed format. The self-directed format allows students to create their own plans and programs with the help of a faculty member.
Accreditation
Walden University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC). The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredits the school’s Ph.D. in Management program.