Most people assume the Online DBA was created as an easier alternative to a PhD. That assumption is wrong. The Online DBA was designed by PhD holders themselves. People who completed traditional PhDs. People who lived through the long timelines, rigid rules, and academic pressures. They understood the value of doctoral research. But they also understood its limitations, especially for working professionals.
After years inside the PhD system, these scholars asked a difficult question: Does advanced research really need to ignore real business problems and professional realities? The answer led to the creation of the Online DBA. This blog explains why PhD holders reimagined doctoral education, what they changed, and how the Online DBA became a practical, credible, and professional doctorate for experienced leaders.
Reasons Why DBA was Designed by PhD Holders
Here are some of the main factors that led to the birth of Online DBA by the PhD Scholars-
-
Deep Understanding of the PhD System: A PhD is a long journey that takes at least 5 years to complete. This makes it a complicated system, and PhD holders go through alot during while pursuing their PhD. By the time they complete their PhD, they already have a deep understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. The main focus of the PhD is on theory, publications, and academic contributions. This can be valuable for academia and research. However, long timelines, strict rules, and limited flexibility are major setbacks. PhD holders understand that many requirements exist because of tradition, not necessity. They know which parts build research quality and which parts create avoidable pressure. This real-world experience helped them understand what working professionals truly need. Because of this, they redesigned doctoral education and created the Online DBA more practically and flexibly.
-
The Gap Between Academia and Industry: PhD programs are designed to enhance the existing knowledge in the field through research. This knowledge enhancement is limited only to academia. As the research is mainly theoretical, it is only useful for academic purposes. It does not solve the real challenges prevailing in the industry. Industry problems remain outside universities. PhD holders saw that business leaders face complex challenges every day, and these challenges can be addressed through doctoral-level research. This realization led to a new question: why should advanced research remain limited to academia? Online DBA was designed to bridge this gap.It allows doctoral research to directly engage with real organizational problems while maintaining academic discipline.
-
Understanding Why PhDs Are Not Suitable for Most Professionals: PhD holders observed that many capable professionals failed or dropped out of PhD programs. This was happening not due to a lack of ability. This was happening because traditional PhDs did not match the expectations and research goals of the professionals. PhD holders understood that the traditional PhD model was built for someone who wants to make a career in academia. This is good for full-time scholars but not for working executives. Online DBA was designed specifically for experienced professionals. This Online Doctoral program fits into their busy schedules and allows them to conduct high-quality business research that solves real-world problems.
-
Desire to Make Research Useful Beyond Journals: After completing their PhDs, many scholars reflect on their impact.They ask whether their research changed practice, policy, or decision-making. The answer to this question is often limited as the traditionals PhD were lacking here.PhD holders wanted research to matter outside academic circles.They wanted outcomes that organizations could use. Online DBA was designed with this goal. Research topics are drawn from real workplaces.Findings are meant to inform strategy and leadership. This shift from “publication-first” to “impact-first” thinking came directly from PhD holders’ reflections on their own journeys.
-
Designing Doctoral Education for Experienced Minds: Traditional PhD programs assume students are beginners in research and practice. However, this does not apply to working professionals, as they have years of experience. They already have a deep understanding of:
- Unclear guidance
- Isolation
- Overly ambitious research
- Poor supervision
PhD holders recognized that professionals do not need a basic foundation in research. Professionals needed well developed structure to convert experience into research. Online DBA programs are designed to build on existing expertise. This online doctorate program allows them to convert business problems into research questions. It respects prior knowledge instead of ignoring it.
-
Importance of Flexibility Learned Through Personal Struggle: One of the biggest challenges with the traditional PhDs is that the need full-time commitment for research. PhD holders themselves had gone through this for years. Although there are Part-Time PhD programs, they do not address this problem fully. Working professionals have a full-time job, which they will need to quit if they enroll in the Full-time PhD program. PhD holders clearly remember years spent waiting for career delays, financial stress, and personal sacrifices, which they have gone through in their PhD days. These experiences shaped their thinking.Online DBA programs were designed to remove location and time barriers. They allow asynchronous learning. They provide structured milestones instead of open-ended timelines. This flexibility is not theoretical. It comes from personal struggle and lived experience.
-
Addressing High Doctoral Dropout Rates: PhD dropout rates are high worldwide. PhD holders are aware of this reality. Many dropouts happen due to:
- Unclear guidance
- Isolation
- Overly ambitious research
- Poor supervision
Online DBA programs were designed to reduce these risks. They offer clearer structures. They provide regular feedback. They encourage cohort-based learning. PhD holders wanted more scholars to complete doctoral education successfully, without unnecessary suffering.
- Separation of Doctoral Research from Academic-Only Careers: Traditional PhDs are designed mainly for academic careers. It is most suitable for teaching, research, and university roles. PhD holders realized that many doctoral-level thinkers do not want these paths. To address this problem,Online DBA was designed for:
- Executives
- Consultants
- Entrepreneurs
- Policy professionals
It allows doctoral-level thinking without forcing an academic career. This separation gives professionals a legitimate doctoral pathway aligned with their career goals.
-
Keeping Research Relevant in Fast-Changing Environments: Traditional PhD research can take many years. By the time it is completed, the context may have changed. PhD holders recognized this limitation. Online DBA research is designed to evolve with industry changes. Topics are grounded in ongoing organizational challenges. Findings remain relevant at completion. This responsiveness makes DBA research more timely and useful.
-
Confidence to Question Traditional Models: Only experienced scholars question established systems. Early academics often defend tradition. Senior PhD holders reflect and revise. Online DBA represents this confidence. It is not a rejection of the PhD; rather, it is a refinement. PhD holders understood that one doctoral model cannot serve everyone. They designed an alternative without compromising quality.
Why the Faculty of Online DBA Are PhD Holders
PhD holders have expertise in doctoral-level research. They also understand the shortcomings of a traditional PhD because they have personally experienced them. This combination makes them the best-suited faculty for Online DBA programs.Online DBA is not a basic academic program. It is a doctoral degree meant for experienced professionals. Teaching and supervising such a program requires deep research knowledge and a practical understanding of doctoral limitations. PhD holders uniquely offer both.
PhD Holders as Designers and Deliverers of DBA Education
PhD holders did not just design the Online DBA; they also deliver it. PhD scholars understand clearly how a doctoral program works. They have an understanding of how doctoral research is supervised and evaluated. They know the reasons why most of the dropouts happen in the PhD.This makes them the most suitable for imparting the Online DBA program. The structure of Online DBA is clear, Time-efficient, and academically sound. This makes it appropriate for both professionals who want to earn the “Dr.” title and PhD Holders who want to overcome the challenges of traditional PhD programs.
Key Reasons Why PhD Holders Are Best Suited as Online DBA Faculty
|
Aspect |
Why PhD Holders Are Suitable for Online DBA Faculty |
|
Doctoral Research Knowledge |
PhD holders are trained in research methods, data analysis, and academic writing required for doctoral-level studies. |
|
Experience With PhD Challenges |
Since they have completed a PhD themselves, they understand the long timelines, heavy theory, and academic pressure involved. |
|
Balance Between Quality and Flexibility |
They know which academic rules are important and where some flexibility can be allowed without reducing research quality. |
|
Research Supervision Skills |
PhD holders are trained to guide dissertations, review research work, and prepare students for thesis evaluation. |
|
Focus on Practical Research |
They help DBA scholars connect research with real business problems instead of focusing only on theory. |
|
Academic Credibility |
A doctoral program requires faculty with a doctorate to maintain academic credibility and global recognition. |
|
Understanding of Doctoral Evaluation |
PhD holders know how research is evaluated and what examiners expect from a doctoral thesis. |
|
Mentorship for Professionals |
They can guide experienced professionals by helping them turn their industry knowledge into structured research. |
Conclusion
PhD holders usually teach in Online DBA programs because they understand doctoral research very well. They have already completed a PhD, so they know how research, dissertations, and academic standards work. At the same time, they also know the problems in traditional PhD programs because they experienced them themselves. This helps them guide DBA scholars in a better way.They help professionals turn real business problems into proper research topics. They also make sure the research quality stays strong. Because of their knowledge and experience, PhD holders are the most suitable faculty for Online DBA programs and help scholars complete their doctoral journey successfully.
