The DBA requires successful completion of 60 semester credits hours past the master's degree. Transfer credits are not granted toward fulfillment of the DBA requirements.

Every student who chooses to enter the program must make a commitment to the program to make a significant contribution to the intellectual knowledge base of the University. They may do this by their participation in courses, by their research, by their publications, and by their attendance at seminars, colloquia, and professional meetings.

Pursuit of the DBA involves two main components:

Coursework:
includes core courses, concentration courses, and supporting courses, totally 45 credit-hours.

Dissertation:
concludes the program with a significant scholarly research project, requiring a minimum of 15 credit-hours.

In addition, students must pass an open-book qualifying exam and comprehensive exam, as well as writing and defending their proposal and dissertation.

Specification in research:

The DBA offers the greatest flexibility for students to focus their studies on an area of individual expertise and interest, including: Project Management and Acquisition Management. Courses in an area of concentration sequence allow students to enhance their learning by completing in-depth work that addresses the broad topic of project or acquisition management, or their specific dissertation topic. In addition to focusing on the concentration in Mgt 420 and Mgt 499, the student who elects a project or acquisition management concentration also must focus his/her coursework on relevant topics in: Mgt 350, Mgt 355, Mgt 358, Mgt 359, and Mgt 360. Students who do not select a specific area of concentration are considered to have a focus on general management.