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Online PhD in Business

The online doctorate in business, also referred to as the business doctorate, is designed to help students build a solid foundation around the most up-to-date business theory and application. Accredited online PhD programs in business are designed to help students gain the skills necessary to become successful business leaders. Obtaining a business PhD online allows students to attend school while continuing to work at their current job. That makes it possible to balance family, financial, and educational obligations, and also makes them more competitive candidates for the best business careers once they graduate.

Online PhD in Business Requirements

In most cases, applicants for the online doctoral program in business should have at least a 3.0 grade point average in their previous courses of study. They will also be expected to spend some time on a local campus, usually for five-day seminars that complement their online studies.

Candidates for an online business doctorate are usually expected to have a master’s degree in one of the following fields:

• Business Administration (MBA)
• Accounting
• Human Resources
• Communications/Communications Management
• Finance
• International Business
• Security Management
• Marketing and Public Relations
• Project Management

In addition, many of the best online doctorate business students may also have prior work experience as project managers, human resource managers, accountants, communications directors, marketers, or independent agents.

Online PhD in Business Education

Business PhD online programs typically take 3 to 5 years to complete. During the course of their education, online PhD business students are required to do well in classes, produce doctoral-quality papers, excel in exams, and submit a lengthy dissertation.

Information on Business Courses

Top online doctoral programs in business will emphasize the importance of applying research to contemporary situations. Thus, many of the courses required to obtain accredited online doctoral degrees in business will revolve around business theory and the methodology used to apply it.

Some common courses found in the best online business PhD programs are:

• Microeconomics
  This course looks at business and economic systems in all their local manifestations, including how business affects a local economy.
• Managerial Communication
  In this class, students learn a variety of communication styles designed to help them be effective managers or leaders in any situation.
• Financial Accounting
  Every business has a significant numbers component, and a business leader must know how to interpret those numbers. Even if there’s a staff of CPAs or other professionals keeping the books, a PhD student learns to apply his or her knowledge to business accounting systems.
• Business Philosophies
  Completing this course will enable students to confidently and actively utilize research-based methods in relating to business philosophies. Students will learn how to analyze and assess the development of business theory.
• Marketing Management
  Marketing is a huge part of every business, and one which a student with an online PhD must be competent in. Marketing management classes teach doctoral students the basics of marketing so that they can supervise their marketing staff and encourage maximum effectiveness.
• Information Systems for Managers
  With most business being computerized and connected via electronic links, a business leader must have an understanding of these information systems. A business can rise or fall on the efficiency and security of its information systems, so an online business PhD student learns about this area.

Specializations and Concentrations

The study of business covers many topics, so in order to become an expert in a specific area of business, some students will pursue specialties or concentrations within their online doctoral programs in business. Although the core business classes will remain consistent through all these specialties, there will be additional online business PhD courses that will be unique to each.

Specialties and concentrations related to an online PhD degree in business include:

• Accounting
• Global Business Sustainability
• International Business
• Marketing
• Ethics & Legal Studies
• Finance
• Global Leadership
• Health Care Administration
• Public administration

Careers in Business

A student graduating from accredited online doctorate programs in business can consider a wide spectrum of careers as options. Some popular career opportunities for online PhD business graduates are:

• Professor
  Graduates with a PhD will almost always have the option of going into academia. Business professors work to both prepare materials and deliver class lectures in business topics. They also grade student work as well as prepare syllabi. Business professors generally make between $73,300 and $100,626 yearly.
• HR Manager
  Responsibilities for human resource managers can vary from company to company, but they normally work as the bridge between business and employees by answering questions, interpreting contracts, and resolving the day-to-day work problems as they surface. Human resource managers make an average of $96,600 a year.
• Business Analyst
  Business analysts work to improve the structure of an organization so that the company can be more efficient and increase profits. A business analyst can earn between $54,890 and $99,700 annually. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economic outlook for business analysts is promising and employment is expected to increase by approximately 24% by 2018.
• Business researcher
  Business researchers are in high demand in an ever changing business landscape. They study trends and data, and determine what the needs of the business community will be in the future. Business researchers make $34,081 to $71,875.
• Business consultant
  People with advanced training and experience in business are perfectly positioned to help others with their business needs, questions, and plans. Business consultants can work either with a consulting firm or independently, using their online doctoral training to assist others in building the healthiest businesses possible. Business consultants usually make between $58,479 and $106,624 a year, according to PayScale.

Not all business positions require a PhD, of course, but in a struggling economy, the extra training, skills and credentials you can acquire in your doctoral online online doctorate program can make you the stand-out candidate for any job.