Excelsior U to Offer DBA

[MISin08]

Excelsior to offer a DBA. The release says it will include two residential sessions, so perhaps not of interest to many of us on DF. If the tuition is at or above that of their MBA ($715/credit hour) it certainly won't be for me. But I'm sure it will be a good fit for some.

https://www.excelsior.edu/article/excels...l-program/

Phillip

[ss20ts]

$715 per credit for their MBA? YIKES! That's quite a bit for a school that's not well known.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Yeah, I'm not so sure how popular the program will be. Excelsior used to make sense because it offered relatively affordable and flexible undergraduate degree programs. Things have changed a lot over the years, and other programs, like UMPI, are competitive.

I can't see why anyone would enroll in Excelsior's DBA when they could enroll in an AACSB DBA from a school like West Virginia University, when the price tag is similar.

[ss20ts]

Online MBAs are a dime a dozen so EU's tuition is kind of insane. It's wild how many undergrad programs they've gotten rid of over the years. They used to have sooooo many liberal arts bachelor's programs.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I just looked up their current offerings and was really surprised by how few degree programs they offer now. I'm an Exelsior graduate, but I honestly don't know if I would recommend them anymore.

[Stonybeach]

As an alumnus, I can appreciate the school improving upon its programs and offering advanced degrees. That said, tuition costs have risen, making it out of reach for many. After some web browsing, I stumbled across this: "founded in 1971 on the fundamental philosophy that what you know is more important than where or how you learned it." Like any school, the degree simply "validates" that you received the education. It does not necessarily indicate that you have mastered the material or how to apply it in real life. I love the line from the movie Good Will Hunting, and I paraphrase it: "You wasted $150,000 on tuition for an education you could have received with a library card and late fees."

[newdegree]

Received this today from Excelsior University. I think I will pass on this program; the cost is too high, there's little to no discount for former graduates, and there are no scholarships.

Thank you for your interest in our upcoming Doctor of Business Administration program at Excelsior University! Please read on for information about the program, and take a look at the attached document for a more in-depth breakdown of the program and its requirements!

Doctor Of Business Administration
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program at Excelsior University is designed for experienced professionals seeking to elevate their strategic leadership, research, and consulting skills. The program is delivered online, with two in-person residencies, providing flexibility while ensuring valuable face-to-face networking, mentoring, and research support opportunities. The program equips students with advanced knowledge of business theories, research methods, and evidence-based practices, preparing them to become leaders in their industries. This is a high-impact doctoral program designed for experienced professionals who are ready to lead at the next level. It is built for scholar-practitioners who want to turn real-world challenges into research-driven solutions!

The planned launch for this program is our Spring 1 2027 term, which begins January 2027.

Admission Requirements and Eligibility
To be eligible for the DBA program students must have 5+ years of professional experience and management of people and projects. This criteria should be demonstrated in the following materials that you will submit with your application:

Curriculum Vitae/Resume
2 Letters of Recommendation:
First Letter: This should be from a supervisor or board member who can speak to your professional accomplishments, leadership skills, and managerial experience.
Second Letter: Another professional reference that highlights your qualifications and suitability for the DBA program.
Self-Employed Applicants: If you are self-employed, your application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. You will need to provide a similar letter of recommendation from a colleague or client who can attest to your professional interactions and managerial capabilities.
Letter of Intent
Portfolio

Program Length and Residency Requirement
Our DBA program is a total of 60 credits long and will take 2-3.5 years to complete depending on courses completed each term.

Throughout the course of the program students will be required to complete two in-person residencies, one in Albany, NY, and the other in St. Petersburg, FL. Each residency is 4 days long, for a total of 8 days in-person across the entire program. The remainder of the program is online, with some synchronous components.

Dissertation Requirement

As part of the program students will complete a dissertation with ongoing support from faculty and advisors. This dissertation is threaded through the entire program, and students have two options on how to complete it:

Applied Project Dissertation
Create a transformative solution for an organization or business concept using design science principles.
Three-Paper Model
Develop three high-quality, interconnected papers, each addressing a unique aspect of your research focus.

Tuition and Fees
Tuition for this program is $800/credit hour, with an estimated total cost of $48,000-$50,000. This includes tuition and fees, two in-person residencies (lodging, airfare, and some meals excluded), program events, and additional costs for some materials and research technologies. Percentage discounts are available for institutional partners!

Application

Applications for the DBA open on August 24th, 2026!

[SteveFoerster]

I don't see a compelling differentiation in any respect, to be honest. In particular, the pricing isn't competitive. It's almost like they bought Fielding and thought, "We can charge this much for any doctoral program!"

And while I appreciate that there are in-person residencies, but it's inconvenient that they're in two different cities, neither of which is a hub for major airlines. If they wanted to focus on the East Coast, and the otherwise obvious choice of New York City would have been too expensive, then Charlotte or Atlanta would have made more sense.

[ss20ts]

The Albany residency makes sense because that's where their office/campus is located. The Florida residency doesn't make sense. At $800 per credit and 60 credits, I can go to numerous other DBA programs for less and some don't have in person residency requirements. I have not seen residencies required in multiple state before this program.

[SteveFoerster]

The Albany residency makes sense because that's where their office/campus is located. The Florida residency doesn't make sense. At $800 per credit and 60 credits, I can go to numerous other DBA programs for less and some don't have in person residency requirements. I have not seen residencies required in multiple state before this program.

Apparently they're trying to build a physical presence in St. Petersburg:

https://stpetecatalyst.com/university-se...-location/