Business degrees are the most common bachelor's and master's degrees awarded in America. As a result people with just a bachelor's or master's have to deal with heavy competition for the same positions. With a doctorate in business you can set yourself apart by attaining the highest level of business degree. People with doctorates in business typically make over $100,000 per year and can find work in virtually any for-profit industry. Whether you're interested in becoming a business professor or a top-level consultant to a major business, a doctorate in business is the degree that will get you there.
Career Paths with a Doctorate in Business
Most people who earn a doctorate in business usually take one of two career paths. They either remain in the education field as professors or they go into industry. People who enter the general workforce with a doctorate in business can expect to find work as a high-level researcher, an organizational consultant, or a top-tier executive such as a vice president or a chief financial officer. The skills you will learn while earning your doctorate in business will allow you to perform such intricate work as exploring strategic directions for companies, analyzing financial projections, and making qualified suggestions for branding, marketing, investments, and more. Likewise, if you use your doctorate in business to become a professor you will be able to teach these advanced skills to your students. Starting professors of business can expect to make up to $100,000 per year. As your career advances you could make over $150,000 per year as a professor.
How to Earn a Doctorate in Business
To earn a doctorate degree in business you must first have an MBA, a Master's of Business Administration, or a similar master's level degree. Once you're at this level, your doctorate in business should take you about three to four years of full-time study. In most cases you will be required to write a dissertation or perform a research project in order to obtain your doctorate. Doctorate degrees in business can be earned from public and private graduate universities as well as from accredited online institutions. For those doctoral candidates who already work full-time, an online doctoral program is often the best option. Online doctoral programs in business provide students with the flexibility they need to complete their degree according to their own timeline.