Accreditation and Approval
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is approved through ACICS. ACICS is allowing all of its approved institutions and their doctoral students until December 31st 2019 to complete their doctoral program under ACICS approval. CMU is on track to gain additional accreditation from another accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education through the professional doctoral level. All CMU Doctoral students would then graduate with their DBA degree recognized under this new accrediting agency rather than the recognition of ACICS. Please see the Accreditation section of this website for further details.
Program Objectives
Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program objective is to train scholars to develop and sharpen management theories to enhance their contribution to management education and practice. Students acquire advanced knowledge of literature and theory in their major, that provides a foundation for their area of specialization. They are given theoretical and practical knowledge of advanced research skills, which is essential for publishing in leading academic journals.
Requirements
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree requires 66 graduate semester credits beyond the Master’s degree. The dissertation preparation courses account for 12 of the total required credits. A comprehensive exam is required prior to approval of the dissertation proposal.
Please note that the DBA program is currently not eligible for federal financial aid through Title IV student grants or loans.
Choose Your Concentration
California Miramar University offers doctoral business degree (DBA) in four areas of concentration, allowing students the opportunity to focus on what is meaningful to their professional growth and development.
The lifeblood of every organization – private, public, religious or corporate – is its financial resources. Managers must know how to manage and allocate resources in order to ensure long-term profitability and organizational health. This concentration assists students with developing these essential skills.
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
| FIN 7420 | Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management The focus of this course is on the financial theory and empirical evidence that are useful for investment decisions. The topics such as Financial Theories, Empirical Evidence in the Equity and Equity Options Markets, Fixed-Income and Credit Sensitive Instruments, Market Efficiency and Portfolio Management will be covered in this course. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| FIN 7430 | Financial Economics This course focuses on application of economic principles to analyze financial markets. The course examines price fundamentals, models explaining asset pricing, and the implication of efficient markets and no arbitrage. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| FIN 7440 | Financial Markets and Institutions This course examines the nature, scope and role of financial institutions in the economy; supply of and demand for loanable funds; money market; capital markets; the level and structure of interest rates; monetary, fiscal and debt management policies. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| FIN 7460 | Derivatives and Risk Management This course focuses on financial derivatives, namely options, futures and swaps. The goal is to provide a complete overview of the main characteristics of these securities and pricing and hedging issues, from the point of view of the investment bank or large investor. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| FIN 7470 | Seminar in International Finance This course will focus on decision making in an international context. It covers major topics in international financial markets. The course will cover topics such as foreign exchange markets, spot exchange rate, forward exchange rate, currency futures, options, balance of payments, international monetary system, purchasing power parity and interest rate parity. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| FIN 7490 | Seminar in Mergers and Acquisitions This course will focus on the increasingly dynamic trends in the global marketplace that have caused multinational firms to structure complex mergers and alliances, all with the goal of enhancing shareholder value. Many of these transactions fail to achieve their potential. We will evaluate the strategic implications and tactical aspects of mergers, acquisitions and alliances. Topics covered include: The role of the board of directors and senior management in identifying new opportunities to increase shareholder value; valuation methodologies (both quantitative and qualitative); deal structure; due diligence; corporate governance; legal, tax, regulatory, organizational and environmental planning. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7001–FIN | Business Administration Career Practical Training This course is an elective externship course. This course of 3 semester units requires 135 hours of externship in the eight-week session. This course may be repeated, however, only the first 3 semester credits count toward the required 66 semester units required for graduation. The course is designed to give the student practical On-The-Job experience in the directed area of Business Administration. The course presents an opportunity for student to apply and practice their knowledge and skills they have learned in their degree program and further develop their passion for their chosen industry in a real-world setting.(3 credit hour) Repeatable in BUS 7002 or BUS 7003 (1 credit hour). | 3 |
The “global economy” requires that domestic and foreign business managers have the knowledge of cultural, economic, political and legal environments of business and the necessary managerial skills for making management decisions in an international context. This concentration focuses on the essential elements required to understand and manage international organizations.
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
| IBA 7510 | Seminar in International Business This course focuses on strategic planning and international business policy using extensive reading and cases in the international business field which includes insights into the historical, cultural, and political foundations that created problems and opportunities and the solutions and courses of action taken in response. The course focuses on the environmental complexities that arise when business activities and institutions transcend international borders. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| FIN 7470 | Seminar in International Finance This course will focus on decision making in an international context. It covers major topics in international financial markets. The course will cover topics such as foreign exchange markets, spot exchange rate, forward exchange rate, currency futures, options, balance of payments, international monetary system, purchasing power parity and interest rate parity. **Prerequisite: BUS 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MKT 7310 | Advanced International Marketing This course exposes to several aspects of global marketing. This includes the international marketing environment and the international marketing mix—product, pricing, distribution, promotion—as well as emerging issues in international trade such as trading blocs, trade barriers, and standardization/adaptation. ** Prerequisite: BUS 7100. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| IBA 7520 | International Accounting This course introduces and examines accounting issues unique to multinational enterprises and international business activity. Specific course topics include auditing the global firm; financial reporting outside the USA; international financial disclosure issues such as segmental social, and environmental; accounting harmonization; ethics; taxation; foreign exchange; and cultural issues. ** Prerequisite 7040. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| HRM 7530 | International Human Resource Management This course examines the management of people in organizations across different countries and cultures. Its primary aim is to examine the roles and functions of the various HRM activities within an international context. The course provides an overview of the comparative and human resource management issues associated with conducting international business operations. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| IBA 7540 | International Business Law This course covers the principles underlying the legal environment of global business. In addition to identifying the current legal rules and regulations affecting businesses, this course presents insights into new developments and trends that will greatly affect future transactions on a global scale. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7001–INT | Business Administration Career Practical Training This course is an elective externship course. This course of 3 semester units requires 135 hours of externship in the eight-week session. This course may be repeated, however, only the first 3 semester credits count toward the required 66 semester units required for graduation. The course is designed to give the student practical On-The-Job experience in the directed area of Business Administration. The course presents an opportunity for student to apply and practice their knowledge and skills they have learned in their degree program and further develop their passion for their chosen industry in a real-world setting. (3 credit hour) Repeatable in BUS 7002 or BUS 7003 | 3 |
The Marketing concentration moves beyond fundamentals by focusing upon marketing management and marketing research. The courses provide students the opportunity to enhance existing skills and knowledge and to gain new skills and knowledge germane to effectively managing the entire scope of the product life cycle in a strategically-sound, systematic, ethical, and legal manner.
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
| MKT 7310 | Advanced International Marketing This course exposes to several aspects of global marketing. This includes the international marketing environment and the international marketing mix—product, pricing, distribution, promotion—as well as emerging issues in international trade such as trading blocs, trade barriers, and standardization/adaptation. ** Prerequisite: BUS 7100. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MKT 7320 | Seminar in Consumer Behavior This seminar course provides an in-depth study of the nature and determinants of the behavior of organizations in relation to their marketing activities. This course will emphasize the cognitive processing perspectives of decision making within ethical marketing both locally and internationally. Students will also gain experience in comprehensively surveying the literature in subject areas such as memory, attitudes, perceptions, preferences, and buyer/seller behavior. The seminars will focus on practical, professional decision making incorporating the challenges faced by marketers who must balance the needs of customers, suppliers, shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders. The course requires the student to synthesize and integrate theory and practice and to apply them toward the development of innovative and creative solutions for specific marketing situations found within an organization’s environment both locally and in the global environment. | 3 |
| MKT 7330 | Strategic Marketing This course focuses on marketing theory development, organizational behavior theory, innovation theory, and research to examine substantive areas in marketing. It examines the development of marketing strategies that can be adapted to the changing needs of consumers, to the strategies of competitors, and to the globalization of commerce. Other topic areas include: segmentation, strategy, advertising, promotion, pricing, product development and management, distribution channels, sales force, relationship marketing, new product introduction, marketing across sectors, and retailing. In this course, strategic management concepts as they relate to for-profit, not-for-profit and professional organizations will be examined to enhance the student’s ability to analyze an industry and develop relevant ethical marketing strategies. As such, this course is designed to offer exposure to the substantive issues that marketing theoreticians are grappling with and an opportunity to delve more deeply into one or more areas of special interest. ** Prerequisite: BUS 7100. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MKT 7340 | Advanced Marketing Research The focus of this course is to develop an awareness and understanding of the various information sources and techniques for gathering and analyzing marketing data that can reduce the uncertainty and increase the profitability of marketing decisions. The course will address the data collection and data analysis. Special emphasis will be given to problem definition, data collection methods, research design, statistical analysis and interpretation of results. ** Prerequisite: BUS 7100. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MKT 7350 | Marketing Communications This course provides students with an understanding of the process of developing and managing an integrated marketing communication campaign for a product or service. The course provides students with allows students to prepares students to present and manage an integrated marketing communications plan using a blend of advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, Internet techniques and related marketing tools. Through case studies and practical exercises, you will learn how to reach appropriate market targets in the most cost-efficient and measurable way. The course employs a mix of case discussions and lectures/class discussions. | 3 |
| MKT 7360 | Pricing Theory and Practice This course focuses on strategic and tactical aspects of pricing decisions for products and services. The course is quantitative in nature and takes into consideration the role of consumer behavior, economics, statistics, and management science in determining pricing policies. | 3 |
| BUS 7001–MKT | Business Administration Career Practical Training This course is an elective externship course. This course of 3 semester units requires 135 hours of externship in the eight-week session. This course may be repeated, however, only the first 3 semester credits count toward the required 66 semester units required for graduation. The course is designed to give the student practical On-The-Job experience in the directed area of Business Administration. The course presents an opportunity for student to apply and practice their knowledge and skills they have learned in their degree program and further develop their passion for their chosen industry in a real-world setting. (3 credit hour) Repeatable in BUS 7002 or BUS 7003 | 3 |
This concentration prepares individuals who seek top leadership positions in business or who seek to be valued consultants to businesses and other organizations. Prospective top leaders and consultants must prepare themselves to see and evaluate the “big picture” and think and act “strategically.” Leaders develop analytical and strategic thinking skills early in their careers. Consultants engage in problems solving with their client firms, always with an understanding of the strategic implications of what they are doing, and ultimately help firms develop and implement strategies.
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
| MGT 7610 | Seminar in Strategy and Competitive Advantage This course concentrates on strategy issues at the business unit level. Its focus is on the question of how firms can create and sustain a competitive advantage. A central part of the course deals with new concepts that have been developed around the notions of complementarities and fit.Other topics covered in the course include the creation of competitive advantage through commitment, competitor analysis, real options, modularity, and increasing returns. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MGT 7620 | Technology Strategy This course emphasizes how the future manager or entrepreneur can use strategic management of innovation and technology to enhance firm performance.The course is designed to meet the needs of future managers, entrepreneurs, bankers, or consultants who must understand the interactive role of technology and organization to derive competitive advantage. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MGT 7630 | Strategy Formulation and Execution This strategy course addresses how to assess the performance of a business, what determines performance, how to conduct a strategic audit and how to develop a specific course of action to deal with strategic issues. The opportunity to enhance value by aligning strategy and organizational infrastructure is analyzed. The ability to implement change to enhance competitiveness is examined.Participants develop general management abilities by integrating prior knowledge and skills acquired in previous courses and ‘pulling it all together’ in the process of strategy formulation and strategic choice. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MGT 7640 | Strategic Thinking This course will examine how decisions are made in strategic settings, that is, scenarios where the wellbeing of a person depends not only on his/her own actions but also on those of others he/she is interacting with. In deciding on his/her actions, a person has to either predict the actions of others or he/she has to take account of actions they have already taken.The theory of strategic behavior (‘game theory’) to be developed in this course has truly enormous scope for applicability. It can be applied to scenarios in history, economics, psychology, business, sociology, anthropology, military conflict, and biology.This course will provide a framework to think systematically about questions in these diverse areas. The goal is to enable students to make sense of the many events, institutions, social norms, government actions, and patterns of individual behavior that we observe in past and present societies. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MGT 7650 | Organization Theory: A Strategic Approach This course provides a strategic, applied approach to organization theory that emphasizes decision-making.The course presents a balance of theory, research, and practice and focuses on how students can use their knowledge of organization theory to be better managers and organization members. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| MGT 7660 | Strategic Management of Nonprofit Organizations This is course to introduce students to strategic management issues in the nonprofit sector. The course will cover key issues in founding, leading, managing, and governing nonprofit organizations and new nonprofit ventures, including organizational mission, strategic analysis and planning, board governance, multiple constituencies, partnerships and collaborations, human resources, financial management, fundraising and resource development, and performance measurement and impact. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7001–MGT | Business Administration Career Practical Training This course is an elective externship course. This course of 3 semester units requires 135 hours of externship in the eight-week session. This course may be repeated, however, only the first 3 semester credits count toward the required 66 semester units required for graduation.The course is designed to give the student practical On-The-Job experience in the directed area of Business Administration. The course presents an opportunity for student to apply and practice their knowledge and skills they have learned in their degree program and further develop their passion for their chosen industry in a real-world setting. (3 credit hour) Repeatable in BUS 7002 or BUS 7003 | 3 |
Required & Dissertation Courses
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
| BUS 7010 | Seminar in International Economic Theory, Policy and Trade This course provides an overview of international financial economics, developing analytic tools and concepts that can be used to analyze world economic policy debates. The course focuses on issues of international economic interactions by building on the concepts of introductory micro and macroeconomics. The course has three broad components spanning the key areas of international trade: international financial transactions, trade of goods and services, and international labor movements. It also covers the international implications of macroeconomic policies, international monetary arrangements and institutions, and stabilization programs for developing countries. ** Possible Prerequisite ECO 6150 if student does not have Master’s degree with foundation coursework. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7020 | Seminar in Organizational Theory The purpose of this seminar is to take an in-depth look at selected theoretical approaches that are used to explain organizational phenomena. Of all possible theories, we concentrate primarily although not exclusively on what are called macro-organizational theories, that is, theories that take the organization as the level of analysis. This course provides historical background for understanding the development of organization theory and introduces a variety of theoretic perspectives and strategic approaches. It also provides knowledge on ethical and variables that managers should consider in determining the best fitting systems for their firms. This course presents material on organizational culture and information processing in decision-making and innovation decisions. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7040 | Seminar in Advanced Corporate Finance The objective of the course is to gain an appreciation of the theoretical controversies surrounding corporate finance policies, leading to formulation of financing strategies. Topics: competing capital structure theories including financial distress and agency costs, dividend policy and taxation, IPOs in both debt and equity markets, motives for convertibles and warrants, valuing real options, rationales for corporate diversification including internal capital markets and agency theory. ** Possible Prerequisite FIN 6160 if student does not have Master’s degree with foundation coursework. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7050 | Managing Social Responsibility This course focuses on the major contemporary trends in corporate citizenship, social and environmental responsibility and accountability. Communities and governments now require organizations to be responsible and accountable for their performance in relation to their social and environmental responsibilities, and these responsibilities have increasingly formed part of organizations’ ethical values and strategic agendas. In addressing the issue of effective performance management in these areas of responsibility, this course will include consideration of the enlarged spectrum of corporate stakeholders; corporate social responsibilities, citizenship and reputation; business-government relationships and political environmental management; sustainable development; environmental management and accountability; social investing and corporate philanthropy; community and employee relationships; and public affairs and media management. Accordingly, this course focuses on understanding and implementing enhanced organizational performance that includes social, environmental and ethical performance indicators in addition to the traditional financial performance indicators. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7060 | Corporate Governance and Globalization This course will provide an understanding of the systems and practice of governance in corporations. The issues of executive remuneration, monitoring mechanisms, and the effects of government regulations are explored and current reforms of corporate governance are analyzed. Further issues addressed will include board profiles, roles and performance, CEO-board relationships, reasons for and governance lessons from corporate failures, and approaches to assessing governance effectiveness. ** Possible Prerequisite MGT 6170 if student does not have Master’s degree with foundation coursework. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7070 | Global Business Strategy: Managing Across Borders and Cultures This course considers the objectives and strategies of international business in the context of global competition. It equips managers with a comprehensive framework to formulate strategies in the global marketplace. The course covers competitive advantage, competitive strategies, alternative modes of market entry, including import and export through intermediaries, contracting with suppliers and distributors, and foreign direct investment (FDI). Case studies are used throughout to illustrate the basic principles of multinational business management and strategy. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7080 | Applied Statistics This course provides an overview of mathematical statistics with particular emphasis on regression analysis and statistical modeling. The basis focus is to introduce students to the use of regression analysis and other techniques as tools for conducting empirical research. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7090 | Organizational Change Management and Process This course focuses on processes of organizational change. The goals are to provide frameworks and tools for effectively introducing and sustaining organizational change. Topics include initiation, implementation, and institutionalization of change in various organizational contexts. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7100 | Seminar in Advanced Marketing This course covers the full range of the principles, theories, and practice of the management of the marketing function. The course focuses on formulating and implementing marketing management strategies and policies, a task undertaken in most companies at the strategic business unit level. **Possible Prerequisite MKT 6120 if student does not have Master’s degree with foundation coursework. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7110 | Strategic Human Resource Management This course examines how HR adds value to the organization’s business strategy. It addresses four human resource agendas: employee champion, administrative expert, change agent, and strategic partner. It reviews the changing nature of HR and builds on the best of contemporary HR practices. Applicable theories and methods of strategic, operational, and tactical planning and their relationship to HR management are covered, as well as the multiple roles HR plays in assisting organizations to gain and sustain competitive advantages in a fast-paced environment. Emphasis is placed on strategic alignment, return on investment, and becoming an employer of choice. The course yields a portfolio of key HR practices designed to support an organization’s strategic focus. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7120 | Business Values and Ethics This course will focus on the challenges that people in managerial organizations face in developing and holding to personal standards of integrity. The course will examine best practices used by companies to engage in socially responsible business and allows students to analyze what ethical principles should govern business behavior. It will also focus on the challenges that organizations themselves face in acting responsibly in society. Understanding the moral challenges of organizational life is useful not only for protecting one’s personal character but also for working successfully with others. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
| BUS 7130 | Seminar in Advanced Strategic Management An advanced course that provides an overview of the economic, cultural, psychological, sociological, technological, and political aspects of the global environments confronting environment serving organizations; the concept of environmental turbulence; the nature of strategic and operational work; formulation of mission, goals, objectives, strategy; environment serving organization strategic aggressiveness and capability at different turbulence levels; and strategic diagnosis. (3 credit hours) | 3 |
All DBA students who do not have an MBA or a Master’s degree in a business-related field may have to take some or all of these five foundation courses in Economics, Accounting, Operations Management, Finance, and Marketing if the University determines a student does not possess enough foundational knowledge in these areas to be successful in their DBA program at CMU. The following is a list of the 3 semester unit foundation courses that may be required:
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ECO 6150 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| ACC 6140 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| MGT 6170 | Operations Management | 3 |
| FIN 6160 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| MKT 6120 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| Course No. | Title | Credit Hours |
| BUS 8210 | Dissertation Process This course is designed for students who are beginning their dissertation projects. You will study the principles of scientific method and techniques of research design common to both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including sampling methods and data collection techniques. You will learn how to critically read research papers and articles. The aim of the course is to give students the tools to conceptualize their theses in terms of research questions and design, methodology, data collection and qualitative analysis. You will be introduced to the techniques of writing necessary to produce expository and analytical papers in a style that meets the standards of publishable work. Literature research methods will acquaint you with both traditional library research and the recent developments in electronic search and retrieval methods. ** Prerequisite: All of the core and emphasis courses. (4 credit hours) | 4 |
| BUS 8220 | Research Methods and Design This course is designed to synthesize the knowledge and skills developed in previous research courses and apply them to the doctoral dissertation process. Students will be exposed to survey instrument design, questionnaire design, sampling methods, data collection and research design, basic inference analysis, research ethics, exploratory research, qualitative analysis, measurement and scaling of data attributes as well as business applications and interpretation of statistical techniques. | 4 |
| BUS 8230 | Dissertation Completion and Defense Preparation This course will focus on an in-depth examination of methodologies and approaches that are used in business research. The objective of the course is to prepare student for scholarly research in the business field. Students will learn the methodological and theoretical concepts that prepare them for successful completion of their dissertation and enables them to submit their research for publication to top business research journals. Data collection, analysis, interpretation, assessment, and evaluation are conducted in accordance with the plan described in the proposal. The summary and conclusions flow naturally from this point. **Prerequisite: BUS 8210 and BUS 8220. (4 credit hours) Repeatable in BUS 8231 (1 credit hour) | 4 |
Education Costs
- Tuition per Unit: $606
- Tuition per 3 Unit Course: $1,818
- Total Program Tuition: $39,996 (66 units)
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the DBA program, the student should be able to:
DBA PLO #1: Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the theoretical understandings of the different disciplines and concepts covered in the business administration program.
DBA PLO #2: Critically analyze the scholarly literature and empirical evidence of the theories in each area of concentration or specialization.
DBA PLO #3: Communicate knowledge both orally and in writing using academic language.
DBA PLO #4: Demonstrate the content of applicable knowledge of business disciplines in research methodology.
DBA PLO #5: Perform academic research projects and write papers on different topics within the concentration area.
DBA PLO #6: Analyze and evaluate the underlying multiple data collections techniques used in business.
DBA PLO #7: Develop, implement, and evaluate strategic planning in real business settings.