Doctor of Business Administration

Unleash your potential with a Smith DBA.

If you are passionate about your field of expertise, the Smith Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a terminal business degree that opens up opportunities to publish, speak, consult and teach.

In the Smith DBA program, you'll develop competence in applied research, including demonstrating knowledge of relevant theory and scholarly literature. You’ll then go on to create new knowledge about modern business problems.

This rigorous program has been designed to maximize a candidate’s expertise and effectiveness in an area of specialization. Our world-renowned faculty work directly and closely with this small and select group of research-minded practitioners each year. We accept students who wish to specialize in marketing, information systems, management, or a custom specialization in areas such as finance and accounting, to be determined by the research interests of the student.

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Program Structure

  • 54 credits, taken over three years
  • Part-time, minimizing interruptions to your career
  • In-person, allowing you to benefit from a close connection to both faculty and fellow DBA students
  • Convenient, meeting three days each month: two Fridays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and one Saturday each month from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Rigorous, with two summer research projects and a year 3 research capstone project
Current DBA cohort.
Current DBA cohort.

Who Is a Good Fit for This Program?

The ideal DBA candidate:

  • Has a master’s degree in business administration or a related field
  • Has significant career experience and expertise in their field
  • Is intellectually curious
  • Is passionate about doing research
  • Is interested in rigorously investigating practical challenges in modern business, and using insights derived from data to drive strategic solutions
Takesha Brown, DBA Candidate
Brendan Dunne, DBA Candidate
Wendy Jin, DBA Candidate
Fathya Pemy, DBA Candidate

Curriculum

The DBA curriculum is carefully curated to be practice-focused, with segments in research methodology, analytics, legal and ethical issues in big data management, and regulatory structure.

Students will take 42 credits in the following categories: Research Tools and Methodologies (10–12 credits), courses in the student’s major field of study (22–24 credits), and practice-focused elective courses (10–12 credits). All students must complete 12 credits of the capstone project research in addition to the coursework for graduation eligibility.

54
TOTAL CREDITS
42
COURSE CREDITS
12
CAPSTONE PROJECT CREDITS

Sample Coursework

Year 1

Fall – I (9 credits)

  • BDBA 809: Research Foundations: Introduction to Research Theory and Methods (3) (weekend, in-person, DBA-only)
  • BDBA 820: Research Foundations: Economics for Business Research (3) (weekend, in-person, DBA-only)
  • BDBA 810: Research in Business I (M&O and marketing) (3) (weeknight online, DBA-only)

Spring – I (9 credits)

  • Research Foundations: Quantitative Research Methods (3) (weekend, in-person, DBA-only)
  • Business Research Lab (3) (weekend, in-person, DBA-only)
  • Research in Business II (finance and IS research) (3) (weeknight online, DBA-only)

Summer I (3 credits)

  • Independent Research Study (3)

Year 2

Fall – II (9 credits)

  • BDBA 806: Executive Decision-Making in the Age of AI (3) (weekend, DBA-only)
  • Area-Specific Course 1 (2) (in person or online, MS or MBA courses)
  • Area-Specific Course 2 (2) (in person or online, MS or MBA courses)
  • Area-Specific Course 3 (2) (in person or online, MS or MBA courses)

Spring – II (9 credits)

  • Business Research Lab (3) (weekend, in-person, DBA-only)
  • Area-Specific Course 1 (2) (in person or online, MS or MBA courses)
  • Area-Specific Course 2 (2) (in person or online, MS or MBA courses)
  • Area-Specific Course 3 (2) (in person or online, MS or MBA courses)

Summer II (3 credits)

  • Independent Research Study (3)

Year 3

Fall – III (6 credits)

  • Capstone Research Project (6) (custom)

Spring – III (6 credits)

  • Capstone Research Project (6) (custom)

Areas of Specialization

The DBA program currently offers four areas of specialization: Information Systems, Management & Organization, Marketing, and a Custom Option, which gives students the flexibility to create unique concentrations that would align with the research focus areas of our faculty. Developed in response to evolving demands in the business world, these specializations will elevate Smith DBAs to be prominent leaders of their respective industries.

Information Systems

Business analytics expertise with an expansion on project management.

Learn More
Marketing

Marketing analytics and consumer behavior from an industry and management perspective.

Learn More
Management & Organization

Human behavior at the individual and organizational levels and its impact on organizational outcomes.

Learn More
Custom Option

For the custom specialization, students develop work aligned with faculty in other areas such as finance, accounting or supply chain management.

Design Your Program Now

Smith Faculty

Smith faculty are influential thought leaders, consistently pushing the boundaries of business knowledge and bringing unparalleled insights to the classroom. You will work closely with faculty and your advisor throughout your DBA experience, adding them to your lifelong network.

21

Smith professors in top 2% “most-cited” scholars worldwide (Elsevier, 2024)

#10

Best business and management university in the U.S. (Research.com, 2024)

#22

Research, U.S. (UT Dallas Top 100 Business Schools, 2023)

Featured Program Faculty

Experience a truly transformative educational experience with the research-driven curriculum and personalized mentorship of the Smith DBA program.

Information Systems

Tejwansh (Tej) Singh Anand

Tejwansh (Tej) Singh Anand

Clinical Professor
Academic Director, MS in Information Systems
Il-Horn Hann

Il-Horn Hann

Professor of Information Systems
DBA Program Faculty Coordinator, IS
Louiqa Raschid

Louiqa Raschid

Dean’s Professor of Information Systems
Jui Ramaprasad

Jui Ramaprasad

Associate Professor
Lauren Rhue

Lauren Rhue

Assistant Professor of Information Systems
Siva Viswanathan

Siva Viswanathan

Area Chair, Decision, Operations and Information Technologies
Dean's Professor of Information Systems

Marketing

Judy Frels

Judy Frels

Academic Director of the MS Marketing Analytics
Senior Fellow, Executive Development Programs and Clinical Professor
Mary Beth Furst

Mary Beth Furst

Clinical Professor
Associate Area Chair, Marketing
P. K. Kannan

P. K. Kannan

Dean's Chair in Marketing Science
Michael Trusov

Michael Trusov

Dean’s Professor of Digital Marketing and Analytics
Jie Zhang

Jie Zhang

Dean’s Professor of Marketing
Harvey Sanders Fellow of Retail Management
Bo "Bobby" Zhou

Bo "Bobby" Zhou

Associate Professor

Management & Organization

Sheetal Singh

Sheetal Singh

Associate Clinical Professor
DBA Program Faculty Coordinator, M&O
Paulo Prochno

Paulo Prochno

DBA Program Director
Clinical Professor
Jennifer Carson Marr

Jennifer Carson Marr

Associate Professor
David M. Waguespack

David M. Waguespack

Professor
Myeong-Gu Seo

Myeong-Gu Seo

Professor

Admissions

  • Cover letter (please submit as Description of Research/Work Experience in the application)
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • Official transcripts of undergraduate degree and any graduate-level degrees if applicable
  • GMAT/GRE test scores: optional
  • Marketing: 2 letters of recommendation; IS: 3 letters of recommendation

Visa Eligibility: International students, please note — this program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visas. The University of Maryland cannot issue an I-20 or DS-2019 form for this program.

  • October 1, 2025
  • November 1, 2025
  • December 15, 2025
  • January 15, 2026
  • March 13, 2026
  • April 30, 2026

Visa Eligibility: International students, please note — this program is not eligible for F-1 or J-1 student visas. The University of Maryland cannot issue an I-20 or DS-2019 form for this program.

Our program is projected to cost approximately $150,000 plus university mandatory fees for three years. The program charges per credit during traditional semesters.

Schedule a one-on-one consultation to receive individualized feedback on your candidacy, or schedule your visit to a DBA class.

Schedule a Virtual Consultation

Upcoming Events

Admissions, Info Session

Doctor of Business Administration Info Session

Tuesday, December 16, 2025
12:00 PM EST
View Event Doctor of Business Administration Info Session

Contact Us

For all inquiries about the DBA, contact DBAadmissions@umd.edu. An admissions officer will be able to assess your candidacy and provide further information about the DBA program. Please provide a brief description of the following information in your email inquiry:

  • Education background
  • Work experience
  • Why are you interested in pursuing a DBA degree and how does it relate to your career objectives?
          

 

 

 

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