The Olin Business School Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree program offers a collaborative atmosphere centered on industry-relevant applied research in finance, marketing or supply chain, operations, and technology. This advanced graduate program crosses traditional boundaries and provides students with the opportunity — under the guidance of Washington University faculty — for structured course work along with focused independent scholarly reading and research on important issues relating to business.
The Olin DBA program is a 72-credit-unit doctoral degree designed for individuals with a serious interest in finance, marketing, or supply chain and operations-related research who wish to pursue graduate study. The finance DBA program is available in a full-time format only. The marketing and supply chain, operations, and technology programs may be pursed full-time or part-time. A DBA is an advanced graduate degree that differs from a traditional PhD and extends beyond the fundamental foundation of a master's degree to develop the necessary skills to conduct applied research. A DBA differs from a master's degree and a PhD in a number of ways, including the scope of study, the approach to research, and essentially the definitive outcome.
The Olin DBA is a practitioner's doctoral degree designed to meet the needs of the researching professional rather than the professional researcher. While a PhD is intended for those who wish to pursue research careers in academia, a DBA involves extended graduate study beyond a master's degree for those who wish to pursue careers in corporations, consulting firms or government agencies that can benefit from advanced research skills for the analysis of business problems. The research capabilities developed in the DBA programs for finance and marketing are of a more applied nature, with more immediate real-world applicability than the typical research pursued in a PhD program. Unlike a PhD program, the DBA program is aimed at those who are working in industry and who may continue to work during their enrollment in the program.
The completion of the DBA program requires 72 credit units of graduate coursework. In addition, DBA students must maintain satisfactory academic progress; pass examinations and paper requirements; and write, submit and defend a doctoral thesis. All students are expected to finish the program within four years on a full-time basis or within five to six years on a part-time basis.
Required studies include coursework and a written doctoral thesis as follows for the marketing and operations, supply chain, and operations programs:
- 48 credit units for coursework
- 24 credit units for a doctoral thesis
The DBA in finance program includes required coursework, electives, and research courses:
- 24 credit units for required coursework
- 33 credit units for elective coursework
- 9 credit units for research coursework
- 6 credit units for dissertation
Qualifying Exams
Comprehensive field examinations should be completed within six months of the conclusion of required coursework (normally within two to three years). The examination committee will be composed of the faculty advisor and two other faculty members.
Doctoral Thesis
After completing the DBA coursework and passing the qualifying exams, the student will begin research for their doctoral thesis. A DBA student will prepare their thesis proposal in consultation with their faculty advisor and with the approval of the research advisory committee and the program director. The completed doctoral thesis will be defended in an oral presentation to the advisory committee. The committee will assign either a passing grade or a failing grade, or they may ask for revisions to be made so that the student may receive a passing grade.
DBA in Finance
The curriculum includes foundation courses, required courses, and elective courses.
Required Courses (24 credits)
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| Total Units | 24 |
Elective Courses (minimum 33 credits)
Students may take any other graduate-level (5000 and above) course as an elective with the approval of the Doctoral Programs Office and the course instructor.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
Research Courses (9 credits)
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| Total Units | 9 |
DBA in Marketing
Quantitative Track
Required Courses (24 credits)
Depending on their knowledge of quantitative methods in marketing, students may request to replace the above required courses with more advanced graduate-level courses. Faculty approval is required.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| Total Units | 24 |
Elective Courses (minimum 24 credits)
Students may take other graduate-level (5000 and above) courses as electives with the approval of the faculty and the instructors of the specific courses.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
Consumer Behavior Track
Required Courses (21 credits)
Depending on their knowledge of quantitative methods in marketing, students may request to replace the above required courses with more advanced graduate-level courses. Faculty approval is required.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 6 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| Total Units | 21 |
Elective Courses (minimum 27 credits)
Students may take other graduate-level (5000 and above) courses as electives with the approval of the faculty and the instructors of the specific courses.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
DBA in Supply Chain, Operations, and Technology
Required Courses (48 credits)
Students may take other graduate-level (5000 and above) courses as electives with the approval of the faculty and the instructors of the specific courses.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 1.5 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
| | 3 |
Research Courses (24 credits)
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Units |
| | 3 |
| | 12 |
| | 9 |
| Total Units | 24 |