Earn a Ph.D. in Business Administration From a 100% Online University

Prepare to take the lead in our virtual classrooms and in your career. If you are ready to take this important next step, apply online now. The documents specified below are required for all Ph.D. applicants:

• Admissions Requirements
• Application Checklist

You are required to take a total of ten core courses before the dissertation proposal seminar. The courses include four research methods, four theory, and two concentration courses. Four additional courses focus on dissertation work. All courses are four semester credits.

Trident accepts no more than four semester credits of doctoral level credits from regionally accredited doctoral granting institutions provided the transferred course meets the same content standards as the Trident course.

Note: Students are required to purchase IBM SPSS Statistical Software for the quantitative research courses and dissertation research.

As a Ph.D. in Business Administration student, you are required to select one of the five concentrations offered in the program.

Accounting / Finance – This concentration is designed for students with a solid background in the field of finance, accounting or economics interested in contributing to research in related bodies of knowledge, such as international finance, economic growth and development, financial management, auditing, and taxation.

Information Systems / Information Technology Management – This concentration is designed for students with a solid background in information systems interested in contributing to research about the impact of information technologies in organizations. Examples of dissertation topics covered in this concentration are: information security and privacy, virtual teams, electronic commerce, cloud computing, and business intelligence.

Leadership – This concentration is designed for students with a background in management, leadership, business administration or related fields interested in contributing to research on leadership styles and types (e.g., transformational leadership, shared leadership or servant leadership) and the ways in which leadership could contribute to organizational success.

Management and Organizations – This concentration is designed for students with a background in management, business administration or related fields interested in contributing to research on strategic management (e.g., merges and acquisitions, alliances, setting up operations in other countries including emerging markets) and organizational behavior (e.g., decision making, team dynamics, organizational structure, and culture).

Marketing – This concentration is designed for students with a solid background in the field of marketing interested in contributing to research on related bodies of knowledge, such as branding, direct sales, consumer behavior, pricing, online promotion, and social media marketing.

Note: Topics covered in our concentrations continually change to reflect the changing priorities in business activities and business research and student’s expertise.

Designed to help doctoral students follow their progress, Trident’s new Doctoral positioning System (DPS) allows students to track completion of tasks and milestones that are required to obtain their doctorate. The Trident DPS includes 2 features:

1. ePortfolio – To save everything related to the development of your dissertation in a single place.
2. 800 Dissertation Tasks Course – Provides a single place to submit, track, and gain approval for completed tasks.

The comprehensive exam (or qualifying exam) includes a written and an oral portion and it has two parts. In the first part, students will be examined on their understanding of theory, research methods, and statistical concepts related to the research process in your area. This first step will be conducted during RES 610.

In the second part of the exam, students will demonstrate their understanding of program course content and readiness to proceed to individual dissertation research. Each student will submit their personal dissertation prospectus, present the planned research to a faculty panel, and answer questions designed to assess their research plans. This second step will be conducted during RES 620.

A committee of two or three faculty members will serve as evaluators.

Passing the qualifying exam is a prerequisite to move to the next course. Students who fail the exam will either repeat the course or take a refresher course depending on the areas that were weak during the exam. Failure in the second attempt will lead to disqualification from the program.

You will show a synthesis of your doctoral study, knowledge, and scholarship with a significant quantitative research project that contributes to general principles of knowledge in the field(s) potentially affected by the research.

A dissertation committee and dissertation chairperson will be established for you. Each committee will consist of three faculty members with one member serving as Chair of the Committee. The chairperson and the committee will be responsible for guiding you during the dissertation process.

Pursuant to Federal law and regulations, Institutional Review Board (IRB) review and approval is required for research involving human subjects. Accordingly, prior to the student conducting research involving human subjects, including the collecting and analyzing of data, the proposed study must be reviewed and approved by the Trident IRB.

Tuition cost for the Ph.D. program:

*Assumes no transfer credits and that student enrolls in an average of 16 credits per year. Does not include cost of dissertation continution courses, the number of which vary based on dissertation completion date.

All per semester credit hour costs are for program level (600/700) courses.  Students in the dissertation stage register for one course of four semester credit hours per session.  In addition, there are dissertation continuation courses which are $800 per course at 0 credit hours.

University Fees: 

• Books and Supplies: $0
• Bounced Check Fee: $30
• Course Materials: $0
• Diploma Copy: $30 (optional)
• Food, Housing, and Transportation: N/A
• Graduation Fee: $150
• Official Transcript: $10 (rush fee $35)
• Other Expedited Shipping Fees: varies based on region
• Payment Plan Set-up: $35-$55 (non-refundable)
• Student ID Card: $10 (optional)
• Technology Fee: $0
• Other fees may apply and are subject to change without advance notice.

Seeking more information on the cost of attending Trident University? Visit Trident’s Financial Aid Resources page where you will find financial aid tools including Trident’s Net Price Calculator and Shopping Sheet, a guide to assist in early financial planning for college.

Get Started Today – Apply Now!