School of Business Administration · Online
Study how organizations plan, govern, and deliver complex projects. The Ph.D. prepares you to produce original research, while the DBA prepares you to apply research to a defined organizational problem.
Compare the paths
Both degrees build advanced research expertise in project management. The Ph.D. emphasizes original scholarship, while the DBA emphasizes research applied to organizational practice.
Original research
Examine how organizations plan, govern, and evaluate projects, then conduct original research that adds to the field.
Applied research
Apply advanced research methods to a defined project management problem in an organization or professional setting.
Both 60-credit degrees allow you to build a Project Management focus through four approved business electives.
Project Management in practice
Doctoral study in Project Management examines how organizations govern projects, deliver complex work, and respond to risk. The Ph.D. approaches these issues through original scholarship, while the DBA applies research to problems in professional practice.
Why do project estimates drift?
How do governance decisions affect project delivery?
What helps teams respond to emerging risks?
The project management profession
Potential global shortfall of project professionals by 2035.
Projected U.S. employment growth for project management specialists, 2025–2035.
Median annual U.S. pay for project management specialists, May 2025.
These figures describe the project management profession as a whole and are not specific to NMU graduates. BLS identifies a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level credential for project management specialists.
Inside the program
Both degrees include foundations, research methods, business inquiry, four approved electives, and dissertation research. The foundation and business inquiry courses differ by degree.
Review the degree requirements and the Project Management electives listed in the updated 2026–2027 catalog. Request the current catalog.
Build the foundation for your chosen doctoral path.
Learn to develop research questions, choose appropriate qualitative or quantitative methods, analyze evidence, and draw defensible conclusions about project performance.
Choose four approved 3-credit electives, totaling 12 credits. You may combine courses across business focus areas with advisor approval.
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
BUS724 requires PRO703 or PHD703. BUS725 requires BUS724. A maximum of 6 independent-study credits may count toward the degree. Course offerings depend on faculty availability, enrollment, and the approved rotation.
Ph.D. students complete a dissertation that contributes original theoretical or empirical knowledge. DBA students complete an applied dissertation that addresses a defined business or organizational problem. Both degrees use the DIS894 through DIS899 research sequence under committee supervision.
Before completing the dissertation, students pass a candidacy examination and defend both the proposal and the final study. Research involving human participants requires IRB approval before data collection.
Support throughout your studies
Each monthly term includes four weeks of instruction. Students usually take one course per term and complete asynchronous coursework by published deadlines. The learning platform remains available throughout the term.
Your academic advisor helps you plan your coursework, choose Project Management electives, and monitor progress toward the degree.
Faculty office hours and virtual consultations provide support with doctoral writing, research design, and research methods.
Your dissertation committee guides the research process from proposal development through the final oral defense.
Tuition
Each course is 3 credits. Eligibility depends on geographic tuition zone. Additional fees apply.
Confirm your tuition with admissions
Source: Updated NMU 2026–2027 catalog, Tuition and Student Payment Schedules.
Pay for each course as you enroll.
The catalog lists a $20 application fee, $50 registration fee, and $200 graduation fee. Ask admissions for an itemized breakdown of all fees before enrolling.
Eligible first-time students receive a 50% tuition reduction on their first course, subject to catalog terms.
Rates are in USD. Approved transfer credit may reduce the number of required courses.
Admissions
Admissions can help you compare the Ph.D. and DBA in Project Management, review your academic background, and identify the next available start date.
Before you decide
Find clear answers about program pacing, transfer credit, international admission, and online delivery.
Students normally take one course per monthly term. The catalog allows up to seven years from initial enrollment to complete the coursework and dissertation. Admissions can review the standard course sequence with you.
NMU may accept up to six credits toward the elective requirement after reviewing the course content, academic level, and learning outcomes. Each transfer-credit request is evaluated individually.
International applicants submit their credentials for equivalency and authenticity review, and NMU may require a third-party evaluation. Applicants whose prior education was not in English must also provide evidence of English proficiency. Admissions can explain the documentation required for your country.
Coursework is asynchronous and follows published assignment deadlines. Students attend scheduled virtual meetings for the proposal and final dissertation defenses. Office hours and other academic-support sessions may also be scheduled.
QAHE lists NMU as accredited through March 25, 2027. NMU is not accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. State registration is not accreditation or endorsement.
Admissions can provide current registration and recognition information for review before enrollment.
Ph.D. and DBA in Project Management
Connect with admissions to compare the Ph.D. and DBA in Project Management and choose the path that fits your academic and professional goals.
Fill out the form to get personalized guidance and explore how New Meridian University can support your doctoral goals.
