BUSN 7000 Becoming Scholarly Practitioners    1.5 Credits

In this course, the students are introduced to the philosophy and process of a doctorate program. Topics that are addressed are: ­ What is scientific inquiry? What are the processes and elements of scientific inquiry? ­ Why is scientific inquiry important for business practices? ­ What is a good theory? How to write theory? ­ What are the goals of a doctorate program? What does ‘scholarly research’ mean? ­ What are the processes of a doctorate program? What is original research?

BUSN 7050 DBA Degree and Careers    1.5 Credits

This course is designed to help DBA students to understand better their career choices and/or broaden their perspective of career possibilities, with the executive DBA degree. Different disciplinary perspectives from Accounting, Analytics, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing will be shared. Alumni of DBA programs from Dolan School and other business schools will be invited as guest speakers to share their experiences and reflections. Students will be evaluated based on their participation, a career portfolio and sharing of their own career aspirations after completing the DBA degree.

BUSN 7060 University Teaching based on Ignatian Pedagogy    1.5 Credits

This course introduces students to the art of university teaching and Ignatian pedagogy (IP) which encourages education of the whole student (cura personalis). Students will learn the Ignatian Pedagogy Paradigm (IPP), which speaks to the continuous nature of the cycle of learning. Faculty and alumni, who are experts in this area, will be invited as guest speakers to share their experiences and reflections. Students will be evaluated based on their participation in classes, sharing of reflection on university teaching, and a course design project.

BUSN 7080 Knowledge Dissemination: How to write, submit and publish scholarly papers    1.5 Credits

Since the Executive DBA program is designed to produce practicing scholars, this course aims to develop student’s understanding of the importance of disseminating knowledge and ways to do so. These include academic and trade publications, digital media platforms, and other effective means. Experts familiar with the process of scholarly writing and different publication avenues will be invited to share their expertise and experiences. Students will be evaluated based on their participation in class and a written assignment detailing their plan of disseminating their dissertation work.

BUSN 7100 Understanding the Firm: Theories and Practices    3 Credits

Understanding the theoretical framework of how firm operates, is essential to identify new areas of study for the modern organization. In order to maintain effectiveness and competitiveness in the fast-paced national, global and local environment, a firm needs to continuously examine in external and internal environment and evolve through dynamic capabilities of adapting to the changes. This course examines the dynamics of complex, global organizations through the lenses of foundational theory of firms. These include strategic management; theory of organizations and industries; and behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations in global settings.

BUSN 7200 Contemporary Topics in Business    3 Credits

This course brings together contemporary research topics across the major functional areas of business. Topics include leadership, ethics and social justice, innovation, entrepreneurship, international business, artificial intelligence, technology, human capital. The course focus on how to approach these issues in new ways and discover research opportunities. Students will learn to build on this foundational research by formulating new research questions that address emerging issues and challenges for the modern organization.

BUSN 7500 Quantitative Research Methods (I)    3 Credits

Quantitative research methods fall into two categories: exploration and testing. This first course in quantitative research methods focuses on the tools, techniques, and approaches of exploratory data analysis for the purpose of discovering patterns and conjecturing new explanations. Students will learn the fundamentals of data collection, cleaning, and management, visualization, and exploration. Topics include sampling considerations, missing data, data integrity, normalization, correlation analysis, principle component analysis, clustering techniques, standard charts and graphs, advanced visualization techniques to display as much of the data as possible, and data interpretation. Students will have guided reading of both classic and state-of-the-art articles. Cases will be used to illustrate these techniques and datasets will be used by students to in their hands-on projects to learn these techniques including: normality violations, multi-collinearity, and missing data.

BUSN 7550 Quantitative Research Methods II    3 Credits

This second course in quantitative research methods focuses on the tools, techniques, and approaches of hypothesis testing for the purpose of testing competing explanations based on the observed outcomes and interpretation of results. Students will learn the relationship between null and alternative hypotheses, design of experiments, p-values and rejection regions, metrics of fit for both classification and regression problems, multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis, and introduction to time series analysis and structural equation modelling. Students will test datasets for potential violations of the assumptions needed for these methods, including non-normality and multi-collinearity. Students will have guided reading of both classic and state-of-the-art articles. The discussion of the readings will emphasize model development and application. Cases with included datasets will be used for students in projects to formulate and then test multiple possible hypotheses.

BUSN 7600 Qualitative Research Methods I    3 Credits

Qualitative research seeks to answer questions about the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ of social phenomena within their natural settings. In this course, graduate students will understand the principles of qualitative research that will cover research design, data collection, data analysis, inferences for problem solving, theory building and presentation of findings. Philosophical approaches from various business disciplines will be discussed. Students will learn a variety of qualitative techniques such as case studies, in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnography, content analysis and others through grounded theory building and thematic analysis. Particular attention will be given to the ethics of research, the role of the researcher, relationships within the context researched, and the quality criteria for qualitative research.

BUSN 7650 Qualitative Research Methods II    3 Credits

Prerequisite: BUSN 7600.

This second course in qualitative research design and methods provides a hands-on approach to understanding qualitative research methodologies and how they can be applied to problem investigation, problem solving, and outcome evaluation in business and other related fields. The course will review contemporary and classic studies that employ qualitative methods in both theoretical and applied contexts, providing the context for using different techniques. Emphasis will be placed on hands-on qualitative data collection and analysis. Through lecture, small group work, and hands-on experience, the course focuses on training in data collection and analytic techniques commonly used in qualitative research. Students will learn to apply a variety of qualitative methods to research topics, and to choose the most appropriate methods.

BUSN 7700 Research Seminar I: Literature Review - Understanding Theory in the Discipline    3 Credits

In this one-on-one seminar course led by the dissertation chair, students will examine a curated selection of discipline-specific, peer-reviewed journal articles important to and representative of the discipline. A unique list of articles will be pre-set for each discipline but can be adjusted by the dissertation chair based on student interest. At the end of the semester, students will identify their subfield of interest for dissertation research and, with consultation from the dissertation chair, produce a reading list to be examined in Research Seminar II. Students will be evaluated on the understanding and presentation of the selected papers, identification of the dissertation research topic area, and the quality and content of the reading list for Research Seminar II.

BUSN 7710 Research Seminar II: Literature Summary for Research Question of Dissertation    3 Credits

In this instructor led seminar, students will conduct a focused literature review based on the reading list generated at the end of Research Seminar I. They will synthesize and find their dissertation research question from this reading list. Throughout the semester, students will present to their peers. With consultation from the dissertation chair and guidance from the course instructor, this work will culminate in a written literature review that concludes with a more focused area from which the dissertation topic will evolve. The goal of this course is to finish the draft of the literature review section of the dissertation. Research paper generated from this seminar will be part of the dissertation. The instructor will design the class to achieve the goals of the seminar through structured steps, assignments, directional advice, and a peer-learning and supportive community. Students will be evaluated based on the quality and timely completion of the write-up of the literature review related to the dissertation research question.

BUSN 7720 Research Seminar III: Hypotheses & Theory Development    3 Credits

Prerequisite: BUSN 7710.

In this instructor led seminar, students, in consultation with Dissertation Chair, will develop hypotheses for their research question. Based on the focused literature review in Research Seminar II, these hypotheses should be linked to relevant theories. Students will present their research questions, hypotheses and underlying theories to their peers. This work will culminate in a research paper focused around the dissertation research question, contextualizing the question within the relevant literature, demonstrating an understanding of the relevant theories, and proposing a testable hypothesis. Research paper generated from this seminar will be part of the dissertation. The instructor will design the class to achieve the goals of the seminar through structured steps, assignments, directional advice, and a peer-learning and supportive community. Students will be evaluated based on the research paper and their presentations.

BUSN 7730 Research Seminar IV: Exploring Methodologies for Dissertation    3 Credits

Under the guidance of the dissertation chair, each student will work independently to identify and learn about the methodologies appropriate for their dissertation topic and hypothesis testing. Students will collect or secure the data needed to test the hypotheses identified in Research Seminar III. Students will be evaluated based on the appropriateness of the methodologies to be used and whether the required data to test the hypotheses have been secured.

BUSN 7740 Research Seminar V: Methodology for Testing Hypotheses    3 Credits

Prerequisite: BUSN 7730.

Under the guidance of the dissertation chair, students will develop a paper describing their refined research question, the hypotheses to be tested, the data to be analyzed, and the research methodologies to be used. Students will present preliminary test results. Students will be evaluated based on the paper and presentation. Research paper generated from this seminar will be part of the dissertation. The instructor will design the class to achieve the goals of the seminar through structured steps, assignments, directional advice, and a peer-learning and supportive community.

BUSN 7750 Research Seminar VI: Empirical Testing & Results for Dissertation    3 Credits

Prerequisite: BUSN 7740.

Under the guidance of the dissertation chair, students will analyze their data using the appropriate methodologies. Students will develop a paper presenting and discussing their results in relation to their hypotheses. Implications of the findings for practices and for future research, as well as research limitations shall be substantially and meaningfully discussed. Research paper generated from this seminar will be part of the dissertation. The instructor will design the class to achieve the goals of the seminar through structured steps, assignments, directional advice, and a peer-learning and supportive community.

BUSN 7800 Dissertation Proposal Defense    3 Credits

Prerequisite: BUSN 7740.

In this course, the students will write, edit and finalize their dissertation proposal. They will learn and apply all style requirements of the proposal. The Dissertation Committee, led by the Chair will guide the student. Successful defense of an oral presentation of the dissertation proposal to the Dissertation Committee is required to move on to the next stage.

BUSN 7900 Dissertation Defense    3 Credits

Prerequisites: BUSN 7750, 7800.

In this course, the students will complete their dissertation. They will adhere to all style requirements. The Dissertation Committee, led by the Chair will guide the student. To complete the Executive DBA Program and earn the degree students must: • Successfully defend an oral presentation of the dissertation to the Committee • Provide the written Dissertation, with all compliance to style and formatting requirements