Do you have an eye on occupying the corner office? An online doctorate in management may be just the stepping stone your career needs. If you’re shooting for qualifications to become a C-suite executive the skills offered by these programs can give you an edge. The classwork, research, and real world experience of a doctoral degree can help you develop essential skills. Skills like problem solving, research methods, and evidence based decision making can be developed through these management programs. Being able to achieve the highest degree in your field on your own schedule with a minimum of class time is an oft-overlooked benefit of modernity. This list of 5 great deals: online PhD in management can help start you on this ambitious path.
Some of these management programs have limited residency requirements. Because of the enormity of the undertaking of a doctoral program, program supervisors want to make sure you are headed in the right direction at critical points in the process. This is a large, multi-year project that greatly benefits from periodic personal contact and up-close guidance.
We compiled this collection of 5 great deals: Online PhD in Management by looking at programs offered by non-profit universities. We then ranked the the programs by affordability. The tuition listed is the cost of the full program. For yearly cost it can generally be divided by 3 as most of these programs take between three and four years to complete.
The tuition we listed is calculated based on the current prices listed by each school in August 2023.
Financial aid may be available for online PhD management programs. Common types of financial aid include:
- scholarships
- fellowships
- graduate assistantships
- grants
- federal student aid
Additionally your company may have professional development benefits that help defray the cost of advanced study. Talk to somebody with decision making power in your company, preferably a compensation and benefits manager to find out about such programs.
Top Online Doctorate in Management Degrees Ranked
#1 – University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky
PhD in Business Online Program
Website
The PhD in business from University of the Cumberlands emphasizes original research. The degree is designed to facilitate students seeking to advance our understanding of business and management. Professions well suited to this degree include financial manager, project manager, and management analyst. Among the seven specialty areas offered by this degree you will find healthcare administration, project management, and strategic management. It’s a great degree for those who wish to study business management in depth.
Tuition: $36,234
#2 – Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Doctor of Management and Organization Online
Website
The doctorate in management and organization at Liberty is offered 100% online. Courses are offered in an 8-week flexible format. The program offers specializations in entrepreneurship, executive coaching, and leadership. The leadership specialization is geared toward management analysts, human resource managers, and executive officers. Executive coaching is geared more toward consulting and teaching. Entrepreneurship is geared toward developing the skills needed to run your own business.
Tuition: $37,000
#3 – Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana
Online PhD in Technology Management
Website
Technology is inextricably linked to every facet of modern life. Businesses slow to adapt to technological changes are in trouble. This online PhD is focused on researching how businesses can best adapt to and integrate new technology. The program is not 100% online. It does require a period of residency during the course of completing the doctorate, sometimes up to a year’s worth of time over the course of the degree. Specializations include digital communication systems, human resource development, manufacturing systems, and quality systems.
Tuition: $38,610
#4 – National University
San Diego, California
Online PhD in Leadership and Human Resource Management
Website
National University’s PhD is offered 100% online. It takes around 38 months to complete. Just over three years. Courses include labor relations, statistics, cultural issues, and workforce management. Students can transfer in up to 18 credits from another program. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA while enrolled. Career prospects for this degree include compensation/benefits manager, manager, director, business intelligence analyst, compensation analyst, and recruiter.
Tuition: $39,780
#5 – Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska
Online PhD in Human Capital Management
Website
The PhD in human capital management focuses on research into the investment and development of companies in their employees. It’s different than human resources as it sees the employees as assets in need of investment and development. It’s a complex issue that hasn’t been fully explored in an academically rigorous way. Which means there is plenty of original research to be done. The degree is not offered 100% online. Students will be required to attend two residency periods during the course of the program.
Tuition: $40,749
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth earning my doctorate in management online?
This is an important question. The answer is somewhat complicated. It really depends on what your career goals are. An online doctorate in management isn’t a must-have credential for success in business. Many people, even at the highest levels, never earn anything beyond an MBA. What these programs do offer is an opportunity to develop powerful skills. Academically rigorous research skills are incredibly important to businesses. And many business leaders don’t even know how to evaluate such research, much less conduct it. Financial management is a skill many business leaders have. But do they have the ability and experience to conduct extensive research on it or do they just apply the accepted wisdom? Management skills can be developed through experience, sure. But their effectiveness can be evaluated rigorously through the research methods you learn in these programs. Because these programs don’t just teach you how to apply research. They teach you to conduct that research. That’s where the value in phd programs like these lie. They don’t credential you for the next step in your career. They give you the tools to innovate and become a person of significance in business generally. That’s the value of a business management phd program.
Will a degree be looked down upon because it was earned online?
It’s quite unlikely. First, as said above, your PhD in management degree is less about a credential and more about the skills you develop. Second, before there was online study, it was common to earn a management degree through correspondence. This is because you aren’t always going to live close to a program you are interested in. There aren’t that many doctoral level management programs. Most big schools have a DBA program but those are different than a PhD program which are less common. If you are studying in one of these programs, you already have a master’s degree. This is the most important degree in business. The doctoral degree will definitely lend some weight to your resume. But nobody will care it was earned online. In fact, they won’t even know. Most colleges offer their PhD programs online and on campus. And they don’t distinguish between the two on the diploma.
By Jennifer W. Eisenberg
Updated 2023