School of Business Administration · Online
Develop a broader understanding of how businesses compete and grow. Build the research expertise to evaluate management decisions and lead across the organization through a Ph.D. or DBA in General Business.
Compare the paths
Study business through original research or its application in management. Each degree combines advanced coursework with an independent dissertation.
Original research
General Business
Investigate why businesses perform differently and how management decisions influence their results. Develop original research that contributes to business theory and scholarship.
Applied research
General Business
Use research to address a significant challenge in your organization, such as entering a new market or improving coordination across departments.
Both 60-credit degrees let you focus on General Business through four approved business electives.
General Business in practice
A sales plan can outpace the business’s capacity to deliver. A cost reduction can weaken service. General Business helps you examine these connections and assess what a decision means for the organization as a whole.
Assess market conditions and organizational strengths before committing resources.
Evaluate how oversight, incentives, and ethical responsibilities affect business decisions.
Compare market opportunities and plan expansion that the organization can support.
PwC’s 2026 CEO survey describes leaders responding to immediate pressures while planning for their companies’ long-term future. Read the CEO survey ↗
The challenge: sustaining growth through uncertainty
Of CEOs are very or extremely confident in their company’s revenue growth over the next 12 months.
Of CEOs say geopolitical uncertainty makes them less likely to make major new investments.
Of CEOs’ time, on average, is spent on priorities with a time horizon under one year.
Source: PwC’s 2026 Global CEO Survey. Responses from 4,454 CEOs across 95 countries and territories, collected September–November 2025.
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 General Business electives listed in the updated 2026–2027 catalog. Request the current catalog.
Build the foundation for your chosen doctoral path.
Learn to design studies, analyze business data, and assess the evidence behind management decisions. The research methods sequence covers quantitative and qualitative methods, research ethics, and proposal development.
Choose four approved 3-credit electives, totaling 12 credits. You may combine courses across business focus areas with advisor approval.
Evaluate competitive conditions and organizational capabilities. Compare strategic alternatives and develop an enterprise strategy with clear measures and plans for changing conditions.
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Examine board oversight, executive incentives, and organizational accountability. Analyze ethical conflicts and recommend governance improvements that support strategy and protect stakeholder interests.
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Evaluate market opportunities and test business models. Develop a venture plan that addresses financing, risk, and decisions about investment and growth.
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Assess international market opportunities and compare approaches to market entry and expansion. Develop a growth strategy suited to organizational capabilities and risk.
Prerequisite: PRO703 or PHD703
Work with a faculty supervisor on an approved advanced business topic beyond the scheduled courses. Independent Study II builds on the first course through additional research and analysis.
BUS730 requires PRO703 or PHD703. BUS731 requires BUS730. 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 follow the DIS894 through DIS899 dissertation sequence with guidance from a committee.
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 General Business 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. Your tuition rate is based on your geographic pricing zone. Additional fees apply.
Confirm your tuition with admissions
Source: 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 General Business, review your academic background, and identify the next available start date.
Before you decide
Learn about program options, online study, and admission requirements.
General Business examines decisions that span the organization. Its electives cover the strategy and governance of established businesses as well as the challenges of starting a venture and expanding into new markets. Explore the School of Business Administration programs to compare your options.
Doctoral study builds on your graduate education with advanced research methods and an independent dissertation. You conduct a substantial study and defend its contribution to business knowledge or professional practice.
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 help you plan your course sequence.
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.
NMU reviews international academic credentials and 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. Proposal and final dissertation defenses take place in scheduled virtual meetings. 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 General Business
Connect with admissions to compare the Ph.D. and DBA in General Business 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.
