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    Jul 17, 2025  
2025-26 Graduate Catalog 
    
2025-26 Graduate Catalog

Business Administration, DBA


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The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is offered by the G. Brint Ryan College of Business, University of North Texas. This degree is designed for executives and managers who wish to enhance their knowledge and expertise within a research-driven framework.

This hybrid program can be completed in three years while working full-time. Classes meet on weekends, four times each semester.

The DBA program opens diverse career options for executives and managers where graduates can:

  • Become thought leaders in their fields.
  • Advance in their current industry as consultants.
  • Lead new entrepreneurial ventures.
  • Join academia as business school faculty.
  • Use advanced research skills to analyze business problems within their current positions.

About the program

  • The DBA degree at UNT is a practitioner-oriented program, anchored in industry-focused research problems.
  • Students leverage business experience to enhance understanding of theoretical concepts, while developing new knowledge through scholarly research on topics anchored in business practice.
  • The program consists of 48 credit hours that can be completed in three years. Click here to see the current program schedule and courses/seminars.
  • Small DBA classes led by expert instructors will meet in person on four weekends each semester, enhanced by online activities and enrichment.
  • The program is designed to allow students the flexibility to work while earning a doctorate.
  • The program is offered at Frisco Landing, a state-of-the-art facility at UNT’s Frisco campus.
  • Students start in the Fall term every year and progress through the program in a cohort format (i.e., all students starting in a particular Fall term will take all classes together as they move through the program).

Admissions Eligibility

  • 7+ years of executive and/or managerial experience
  • Master’s degree

Admissions


How to Apply

Step 1: Apply Online by Completing the GradCAS Application ($75 application fee).

  • This program only admits in the Fall semester.
  • Request official academic credentials from all colleges and universities you have attended. Official transcripts are required from every college or university you have attended and they must arrive by the application deadline. The transcripts must show you have earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (or equivalent).

Step 2: Submit Materials to the G. Brint Ryan College of Business

  • Essay: The essay should address (1) the applicant’s goals and motivations for pursuing the DBA degree, as well as detail areas of research interest, and (2) the applicant’s plans to balance the time commitment required of the program with their work schedule and other demands.
  • Resume: The DBA Program requires submission of a standard resume detailing work and academic experience.
  • Three (3) Letters of RecommendationGradCAS will prompt applicants to provide contact information for three recommenders. The system will reach out to the contacts provided for their recommendation. Recommendations must be professional or academic in nature (i.e., written by college professors and/or supervisors and managers). Recommendations are not acceptable from family, friends, clergy, high school teachers/administrators, subordinates, co-workers, etc.
  • Personal Interview: After a candidate’s application is complete the DBA Program Office will reach out to schedule an interview with the selection committee.

Because of the nature of the DBA and the level of experience (at least seven years) required of applicants, the GMAT or GRE is not required. However, applicants may submit standardized test scores if they choose.

Application Deadlines

The DBA program will admit students for fall semesters only. There are three application review phases. Please see the DBA program website for current deadlines. To meet one of the three deadlines below, the application process must be complete with the exception of the interview. An applicant must only meet one of the deadlines. Note: the DBA program will continue to admit students until the maximum number of students have been admitted. This number is based on available resources at the time of the admissions cycle. After the maximum number of students have been admitted, the DBA program will welcome any remaining applicants to apply for the next admissions cycle.

After meeting one of the deadlines, you will be contacted by the DBA Program Office to schedule an admissions interview with the DBA Program Committee. After the interview, the applicant will be provided with one of the following admissions decisions:

  • Admitted
  • Denied
  • Deferred to the next phase

All admissions decisions are final for that admissions cycle, so if an applicant is denied, they are welcome to apply for a future admissions cycle.

As this is a small and competitive program, the DBA Program Committee may need additional time to make an admissions decision. In this case, the applicant will be deferred to the next phase and a decision will be made at a later date. For example, if an applicant completes their application by the Phase 1 deadline, attends their interview and is deferred to the next phase, the applicant will receive an admissions decision by the end of Phase 2.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprising of faculty and the director of the DBA program. The admission decision will be based on a holistic review of several aspects of the application. Some of these include:

  • Managerial/executive experience
  • Capacity for conducting applied scholarships
  • Compatibility of professional goals with the objectives of the DBA program
  • Motivation and commitment
  • Master’s degree and previous coursework
  • Written and verbal communication skills
  • Research area/interests

Mailing Address (P.O. Box)
University of North Texas
G. Brint Ryan College of Business
DBA Program
1155 Union Circle #311160
Denton, Texas 76203-5017 USA

Physical Address (Street)
G. Brint Ryan College of Business
Business Leadership Building, Room 201
1307 West Highland Street
Denton, Texas 76201 USA

Email Address:  DBACOBA@unt.edu

Degree Requirements, 48 hours


The DBA program includes 39 credit hrs of coursework (13 courses/seminars) and a minimum of 9 credit hrs of dissertation (DBAS 6950 ).

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