MBA vs DBA | Key differences - MBAGRADSCHOOLS (2024)

DBA stands for Doctor of Business Administration. It is technically the highest level graduate business degree out there – higher even than an MBA. While an MBA focuses more on general management studies, a DBA is more specialized, research-based, and practical.

To find out more about the DBA, we spoke to Dr. Okechukwu Okere. Dr. Okere is a graduate of the DBA program at Business School Netherlands (BSN). He told us a little bit more about the course.

“It focuses on management and business administration,” he says. “It’s meant to be practical and hands-on in the sense that your thesis will be about real-life issues that focus on improving the way people do business. In short, it covers practical, real-life issues related to business administration.” (12:48)

A DBA is technically a higher level graduate qualification than an MBA. It is classed as a “terminal degree” in business – one which is the highest achievable qualification in any given field.

Dr. Okey was never planning to study a DBA. He studied an MBA at the Lagos, Nigeria, campus of Business School Netherlands, but after achieving excellent results, one of his tutors suggested to him that he study a DBA afterward. He says the fact that he had already studied an MBA made the application process very straightforward.

“I started my DBA immediately after my graduation [from] my MBA. I enrolled with BSN, so it was really easy to enroll on account of the fact I had already done my MBA there. There wasn’t a need for transcripts, for example, because they already had all the details,” he explains. (15:47)

However, you don’t need to have studied an MBA in order to be admitted into a DBA program. At Business School Netherlands, DBA applicants are expected to hold either an MBA or a master’s level qualification in a related field.

While we’ve touched on the surface-level differences between an MBA and a DBA, we wanted to learn a little more about how the course content differs. Dr. Okey told us that because a DBA is a doctorate-level qualification, it shares similarities with a PhD.

“It’s as rigorous as a PhD in the sense that you will be required to do detailed research to contribute to your topic’s pool of knowledge,” he says. “So it’s not in any way easier than a PhD. I guess the main key difference I have noticed is the emphasis on giving seminars and writing articles. I’m getting articles published as part of my DBA.” (14:23)

In a practical sense, your research in a DBA should help you contribute new insights to businesses. For instance, instead of analyzing a case study in an MBA, during a DBA, you might create an entirely new one.

An MBA is targeted at businesspeople with a few years of professional experience, ideally in a management or leadership role. A DBA, meanwhile, is targeted at more experienced professionals who already have a mastery of their field. Dr. Okey says that a DBA encourages students to share their knowledge; either with other businesses or MBA students. In that sense, a DBA bridges the gap between business and academia.

“With a DBA you’re supposed to be somebody who can lead a business effectively or can help to coach and bring insights into other businesses. That’s the key difference between an MBA and a DBA,” adds Dr. Okey. (15:17)

The question of whether to study an MBA or a DBA really lies in what you want to do afterward. If you would like to move towards the research and academia side of things, perhaps a DBA would be the best option. However, if you’re looking to consolidate your business knowledge and move into more senior roles, an MBA is best placed to help you do that.

Doing both, as Dr. Okey did, is also a possibility. But he cautions that the two both involve several years of work, so you should be absolutely certain you want to study them before committing to anything.

“One of my coaches mentioned to me that an MBA is probably more difficult than a DBA. I wish it was!” he laughs. “The MBA is more tasking, but a DBA requires more patience and endurance. The MBA is like a sprint, whereas the DBA is like a marathon.” (12:00)

• DBA stands for Doctor of Business Administration.
• It is the highest level graduate business qualification available.
• In general, a DBA is more practical, research-based, and specialized around certain topics than an MBA. However, some MBA programs, such as the one at BSN, will still offer a strong focus on practical work and research.
• In a DBA, you’re expected to contribute to the pool of knowledge within your field.
• While an MBA takes 1-2 years to complete, a DBA could take up to five years.