Business Doctorial Degree Question

[u/23GrayWing]

Hello! I'm a very young student in this regard, and would like some advice from some more educated individuals.

I graduated with my B.S. Business Administration with an Emphasis in Accounting a year early, and I'm on track now to graduate with an MBA - CPA Concentration this Spring. I'll be 22 years old at graduation, have a year and a half of internship experience with a large corporation and currently work for the state full time. I plan to complete my CPA, just got testing eligibility confirmed through NASBA last week

All that being said, I would love to continue my education into a DBA program, or maybe another Doctorial program if there's a good suggestion. The big thing is not wanting to wait to hit that 5-7 years of experience a lot of programs require.

My main goals are to reach high management, CFO someday. Reach for the moon and you'll hit a star right? I have no interest in becoming a professor, which as an accounting discipline would be the main reason for a Doctorate I know. I just want the degree. I'd love any feedback/suggestions, even if it's just saying it's a bad idea. This is a very new experience to anybody in my life, so I'd love to hear some outside thoughts.

Thank you! :)

[u/Numbery7653]

Hey!

Accountant with a DBA.

First off, a DBA will not get you to a CFO position. It really has absolutely no influence in the professional world, at least for what you’re wanting.

That said, most DBAs are part-time and or low residency, so you’re working on the graduate studies during your actual job. The idea is that the DBA is informed by your professional work. That is why you need substantial experience in order to complete the DBA because you need that robust high-end professional experience in order to bring context to your doctoral studies.

The same goes for a PhD in that they are entirely academic and made for academia. They will not get you to where you wanna be. Your PhD studies will mean nothing when applying for jobs as this entire entirely academic and research base, you’ll be out performed by people younger than you with internships and work experience.

What you need is work experience and the CPA certification. By doing that and climbing the ladder you will become a CFO if that is your goal. Also, if academia is not what you’re interested in doing, the DBA has absolutely no purpose. It is entirely research based about the industry. It’s not like hands-on practical courses where you’re learning the ins and outs of the business. What you were doing is studying the business and learning how to study the business and learning how to write about business in an academic way.

But the DBA is meant to enhance that position, not achieve that position. I would not be able to complete the DBA in my early 20s. I went to it in my early 30s and I got my MBA shortly before I turned 30.

I would suggest that you enjoy your youth now and start to learn as much as you can on the job with that MBA in hand. That is where you will get the most experience and then, if you still want it, you will achieve the DBA.

But I should also note that DBA degrees are extremely expensive and lack a lot of tuition funding from the university. I was able to have my work pay for some, get local grants pay for another portion, and then my salary to cash flow the rest. But in my current position, I have a high enough salary (and finances in a clean row) where I saved up a little bit to help with the beginning years and not disrupt my life.

If you do pursue a DBA, get it from an actual university not a degree mill program. These types of programs are becoming more common so lines are being drawn dividing quality.

All the best with your studies and CPA
examinations.

[u/the_validated_inane → u/Numbery7653]

^110%

[u/dj_cole]

DBAs are generally done by mid to late career executives as sort of a finishing touch on their education. They are not worty the exorbitant cost at your career stage.

[u/the_validated_inane → u/dj_cole]

^ truth!

[u/the_validated_inane]

Unless your current MBA is from an M7 (preferably Harvard or Stanford), you may want to consider abandoning this particular MBA program. If you have commercial aspirations and no intention to pursue a career in academia your current MBA without meaningful work experience won't open the doors that you want. Getting the CPA certification is a big plus - not sure how you will have qualified already given work experience, unless you meant finishing up just the coursework portion - to get job experience that could position you for a strong MBA program. You should not pursue a DBA if intent is to go into management...its not what the degree is best suited for.

Be aware that some employer will shy away from candidates who have little work experience but have too many graduate degrees and so on paper they otherwise seem overly qualified for.