WWU DBA Journey

[RingofBarahir]

Do you have a degree plan for this program? Curious what it looks like and how transfer credit works. I will have 2 master's degree come November including an MBA.

This is the updated degree plan I'm on. Not sure if this will change.


BUS 735 Advanced Financial Management 
BUS 745 Applied Economics
BUS 750 Marketing and Social Media Strategy
LDR 720 Ethical Leading 
LDR 760 Interpersonal Dynamics
BUS 715 Decision Making and Analytics
LDR 745 Management Concepts for Leaders 
BUS 751 Strategy and Execution 
LDR 780 Special Topics
LDR 780 Special Topics 
LDR 780 Special Topics 
RSH 715 Research Methods 
RSH 720 Quantitative Analysis
RSH 740 Exploration of Qualitative Research
DIS 780 Dissertation I
DIS 781 Dissertation II
DIS 790 Dissertation III
DIS 791 Dissertation Continuatin

With an MBA you should get some transfer credit but apply and see how it works out.

So how much credit were you ultimately able to transfer in? I have an AACSB-accredited MBA so I imagine I should be able to get a good bit transferred in but I'll probably give them a call next week to ask about it. For the 50% maximum transfer credit, that would be something like 8 classes, I guess?

Does their DBA not being ACBSP-accredited bother you at all or are you not worried about it much because you're nto going into academia or something?

[withrown]

Do you have a degree plan for this program? Curious what it looks like and how transfer credit works. I will have 2 master's degree come November including an MBA.

This is the updated degree plan I'm on. Not sure if this will change.


BUS 735 Advanced Financial Management 
BUS 745 Applied Economics
BUS 750 Marketing and Social Media Strategy
LDR 720 Ethical Leading 
LDR 760 Interpersonal Dynamics
BUS 715 Decision Making and Analytics
LDR 745 Management Concepts for Leaders 
BUS 751 Strategy and Execution 
LDR 780 Special Topics
LDR 780 Special Topics 
LDR 780 Special Topics 
RSH 715 Research Methods 
RSH 720 Quantitative Analysis
RSH 740 Exploration of Qualitative Research
DIS 780 Dissertation I
DIS 781 Dissertation II
DIS 790 Dissertation III
DIS 791 Dissertation Continuatin

With an MBA you should get some transfer credit but apply and see how it works out.

So how much credit were you ultimately able to transfer in? I have an AACSB-accredited MBA so I imagine I should be able to get a good bit transferred in but I'll probably give them a call next week to ask about it. For the 50% maximum transfer credit, that would be something like 8 classes, I guess?

Does their DBA not being ACBSP-accredited bother you at all or are you not worried about it much because you're nto going into academia or something?

I was able to transfer 21 hours in which is technically 50% (You have to do at least 50% of didactic classes with WWU for accredidation). You will most likely get a decent chunk of classes transfered in but talk with them to see. When I applied there was no app fee other than sending transcripts.

I don't teach in a business department so any doctorate from an accredited school works for me to go on the tenure track since I have an MS in my teaching field (I had an EdD, DrPH and PhD HM on my radar). If I end up teaching in a flagship school in the future I would do an extra PhD in Comms/Sociology using tuition benefit because I'm becoming more interested in research in those fields. 

For anyone planning to use an online doctorate to go into academia either start adjuncting or researching or both asap!

[ss20ts]

How is this term going? What class are you taking?

[withrown]

I have a break this term, which I was initially against, but now, since I have upcoming projects and presentations, it is a godsend. I ended up with a B in qualitative methods, but if I'm honest, I phoned that one in. I'll start quantitative methods in Spring A, so I'm starting Khan Academy to brush up on some stat skills and have begun reading the text in advance.

A note about the program: A class I was slotted to take in Spring B got canceled, but when I asked about it, they immediately put in paperwork to take something else to keep me on track for a Fall 2025 graduation date.

[withrown]

Program update: the multi choice dissertation model is changing. It is now an applied dissertation. I'm 2 classes deep and should be finished by next fall so I'm sticking with it. I understand that this change could dissuaded some folks though.

[RingofBarahir]

Program update: the multi choice dissertation model is changing. It is now an applied dissertation. I'm 2 classes deep and should be finished by next fall so I'm sticking with it. I understand that this change could dissuaded some folks though.

Bummer that they did that to folks currently in the program and not just new matriculations. Is this related to all the administrative changes?

[withrown]

Program update: the multi choice dissertation model is changing. It is now an applied dissertation. I'm 2 classes deep and should be finished by next fall so I'm sticking with it. I understand that this change could dissuaded some folks though.

Bummer that they did that to folks currently in the program and not just new matriculations. Is this related to all the administrative changes?

It must be. 

TBH, it is a bummer because having a published paper out of this program would have been great for my use case. That being said I'm working on restructuring my  topic to hopefully get 2 papers out of it.

[ss20ts]

Yeah this change definitely makes me think WWU is off my list of options unfortunately. I really don't want to write a dissertation for a DBA. I'm fine with a project, capstone, or publishing. My list keeps getting smaller and smaller. I am surprised that more online DBAs aren't open to a capstone or project.