DBA vs. Ph.D. : A Guide To Making The Right Choice For Doctorate Degree

DBA vs. Ph.D. : A Guide To Making The Right Choice For Doctorate Degree

The Doctor of Business Administration or the ‘DBA’, and Doctor of Philosophy or the ‘PhD’, are both universities recognised high-level academic degrees. To attain a highly acknowledged position, you need to make the right choice between these two. There is no doubt that both these university degrees are extremely significant in offering innovative dimensions to the prevailing knowledge. However, the core difference among them lies in their acceptance in professional lives. 

With a DBA degree, you approach a more practically applicable business profession, such as owning designations like Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Chief Operating Officer (COO). On the other hand, with a PhD, you attain academic opportunities as a professor in the departments of Business, initiate scientific research, or can opt to be a management analyst. Many other differences need to consider while opting for either of DBA or PhD. This article offers a comprehensive understanding of DBA vs. PhD. 

Research Purpose

The process of research under both DBA & PhD seeks knowledge in the selected domain. The research purpose in both cases remains focused on offering some novel thoughts and formulae. Both consider theoretical and empirical research approaches, followed by thesis service defence. However, when it comes to DBA, the inclination is towards the applied research process for resolving professional hurdles. As a DBA student, you will be allowed to face complicated situations in a business and will be expected to come up with more practical resolutions. PhD on the other hand can remain more theoretical in its approach. A PhD Thesis Student can also opt for a research purpose with Case Study. However, the outcome expectations are more towards new theories by meeting the research gaps attained from existing theoretical implementations.   

Career Relevance

Both DBA and PhD are academically relevant. However, unlike a PhD, which is all about an academic-oriented career-building process; a DBA offers scopes to lead organisations and companies. The career option for a PhD gets limited to academics; whereas a DBA can help you get wide-ranged career options. For you, DBA can open high positions in the corporate world and responsible consultants in the Government sectors. With a DBA degree and its practical knowledge, you can also turn yourself into an entrepreneur. However, with a PhD, this scope gets very limited.  

Time & Cost

You can consider a DBA or a PhD through both part-time and full-time programmes. Though both DBA and PhD degrees can be considered part-time programmes, still both the programmes need intensive study hours, and the full-time option is highly recommended. Moreover, with DBA you need to get connected to real-life people and issues, and so it gets more time taking than a PhD. 
When it comes to the cost of DBA and PhD degrees, the PhD tuition fees are comparatives lesser than the DBA tuition fees. On average, the UK universities charge GBP of 12,100/year for DBA and GBP of 4,600/year for PhD. Such differences prevail due to the kind of engagement that DBA demands against a PhD. 

Salaries & Earnings

The ultimate purpose of earning after owning either DBA or PhD degrees makes a huge difference. Though both these degrees will offer you a ‘Dr.’, still there is a huge difference in what you earn.
The take-back salaries for DBA holders as CEO, General Operation Manager, Top Company Executive, or Head Marketing Manager could be marked tentatively as £160331, £101900, £87264, or £125183, respectively.
On the other hand with a PhD, you can choose to be Professor, Research Analyst, Marketing Specialist, Management Analyst, or an Author, and can take back a tentative amount of £86932, £747841, £59946, £79080, or £63763, respectively. 
 
From the aforementioned differences, you must be well aware of the value that DBA and PhD hold for you. Always remember that DBA brings in a much more lucrative lifestyle than a PhD, and hence worth the choice.