Shippensburg University

John L. Grove College of Business

Doctorate of

Business Administration (DBA)

Student Handbook

John L. Grove College of Business

DBA Steering Committee

Version 1.0

June 2018

Table of Contents

Shippensburg University Mission ........................................................................................................ 3

John L. Grove College of Business Mission ...................................................................................... 3

Doctorate of Business Administration Mission ................................................................................ 3

Objectives of the Doctorate of Business Administration Program .............................................. 3

Program Governance ............................................................................................................................. 4

Dissertation Chair ................................................................................................................................... 4

Dissertation Committee Members ....................................................................................................... 5

Cohort Model ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Leave of Absence Policy ......................................................................................................................... 6

Time-to-Doctorate Policy ...................................................................................................................... 6

Program Grading Policy ........................................................................................................................ 6

Requirements for Graduation .............................................................................................................. 7

Curriculum Structure and Sequence .................................................................................................. 7

Program Delivery/Residency ................................................................................................................ 8

Comprehensive ExaminationError! Bookmark not defined. ............................................................... 9

Admission to Candidacy ......................................................................................................................10

Approval of Dissertation Proposal ....................................................................................................10

Format of the Dissertation Proposal .................................................................................................11

Committee on Research with Human Subjects (CRHS) ..............................................................11

Dissertation Defense .............................................................................................................................11

Dispute Resolution ................................................................................................................................12

Application for Graduation ................................................................................................................12

Academic Integrity ................................................................................................................................12

Plagiarism ...............................................................................................................................................12

Academic Grievance .............................................................................................................................13

Student Services .....................................................................................................................................13

Graduate Student Financial Assistance .................................................................................................... 13

Ship's Library and Research Center .......................................................................................................... 13

3

Shippensburg University Mission1 The university's primary commitment is to student learning and personal development through

effective and innovative teaching and a wide variety of high quality out-of-class experiences. The

ultimate goal is to have students develop to their utmost the intellectual, personal and social

capabilities they need to perform as competent citizens prepared to embark on a career

immediately upon graduation or after advanced study. The personal attention given each student

at Shippensburg is reflective of the strong sense of community that exists on campus and the

centrality of students within it. The university encourages and supports activities that give

students many opportunities to apply the theories and methods learned in the classroom to real

or practical situations, such as faculty-student research and student internships. In addition to

the promotion of excellence in the learning process, the goals envision a campus that reflects the

diverse and multicultural nature of society, that efficiently and humanely manages its physical,

technological and human resources and that reaches out to its alumni and friends and to its

service region.

John L. Grove College of Business Mission2 The John L. Grove College of Business at Shippensburg University provides a high quality and

high value comprehensive educational experience that prepares students to excel as principled

leaders in today’s global business community.

Doctorate of Business Administration Mission The DBA at Shippensburg University is an innovative doctorial-program. The mission of the

program is to deepen discipline knowledge via intellectual rigor. The vision of the program is to

produce graduates who possess the capacity to perform quality, original applied or theoretical

research. Graduates of the Shippensburg University DBA program will have the opportunity to

pursue careers in consulting, research, or teaching.

Objectives of the Doctorate of Business Administration Program

DBA graduates will apply quantitative and qualitative tools to data as required for

effective business and research analysis (assessed by Comprehensive Exam)

DBA graduates will demonstrate knowledge of business research methodology (assessed

by Comprehensive Exam and successful Dissertation defense)

DBA graduates will demonstrate excellence in oral and written communication (by

course presentations and successful Dissertation)

DBA graduates will demonstrate content knowledge via a series of focused seminars and

directed study coursework (assessed by Comprehensive Exam)

1 http://www.ship.edu/IRP/Self_Study/Mission_and_Goals/ 2 http://www.ship.edu/Business/Mission/

4

Program Governance

The DBA Director manages the day-to-day operations of the Program (i.e., implementation of

Program procedures). The Director reports to the DBA Steering Committee. This Committee

has four members (i.e., the Chairs of the three CoB Departments and the Dean of the CoB). The

Steering Committee is responsible for creating and setting Program policy and strategy and has

ultimate and final authority of all DBA Program affairs (i.e., plans, practices, and outcomes).

Dissertation Chair

During the dissertation phase of the program, the students learning experiences and progress will

revolve around their own discipline proficiency of research methodology and content and their

strong collaboration with a dissertation chair. The dissertation chair guides the student toward the

completion of an original applied or theoretical work that makes a contribution to the business

discipline.

In rare occasions, DBA students may change dissertation chairs during the course of their

program. This may happen if a student’s research interests change so that another faculty

member might be better suited to guide their dissertation. Requests should first be discussed with

the DBA Program Director, who will work with the student and the faculty to assign a new

mentor, provided such change is deemed to be appropriate and the expectations between the

student and new dissertation chair are discussed and understood.

Dissertation chairs have the responsibility to be familiar with and follow all College and

University policies, procedures, and guidelines related to academic integrity, the development of

the proposal and the dissertation, and the defense processes. The dissertation chair convenes

committee meetings, the proposal defense, and the dissertation defense and serves as an

examiner during the defense.

The student will work with the dissertation chair to determine the specific dissertation topic, the

appropriate research methodology, and that the research study is rigorous and valuable to the

field. The dissertation chair is responsible for providing technical and content direction,

advisement, and assistance in conjunction with committee members. The doctoral student, under

the guidance of the dissertation chair, has the responsibility to ensure that the research has

addressed the requirements for the protection of human subjects in research prior to applying to

the Shippensburg University IRB (known as CRHS)3 for approval.

The dissertation chair must be a College of Business faculty member with current AACSB

Graduate SA status. It is the doctoral student’s responsibility to secure a dissertation chair, based

on research interests. The selection of the dissertation chair is made by the doctoral student in

consultation with the prospective dissertation chair and must be approved by the DBA Steering

Committee before any formal work begins on the proposal.

3 http://www.ship.edu/Research/

5

The dissertation chair guides the doctoral student in identifying committee members.

Dissertation Committee Members

The dissertation committee is composed of three or more members: the dissertation chair and at

least one member from within the faculty of the John L. Grove College of Business. External

committee members are encouraged. All committee members must hold a doctoral degree, but

do not necessarily have AACSB Graduate SA status (i.e., except for the chair).

The selection of the committee members is made by the doctoral student in consultation with the

dissertation chair. Dissertation committee members should possess a range of expertise pertinent

to the topic and the methodology. Committee members advise the student throughout the

dissertation process in areas appropriate to their expertise. Members are responsible for

reviewing and evaluating the proposal and the dissertation. Committee members should be

present at defenses to serve as examiners.

Once formed, the chair and/or committee membership may be changed only with the approval of

the DBA Steering Committee.

Candidacy In this initial phase, the student must (1) make up any deficiencies in graduate courses in

business administration as noted in the letter of acceptance, and (2) complete with a grade of B

or better in the six tools and theory courses, and (3) pass a candidacy examination. The

candidacy examination is administered by a special committee appointed by the director of the

doctoral program. After the exam is passed a student is advanced to doctoral candidacy.

After passing the candidacy exam (i.e., method and tools exam) and before completing the

comprehensive exam, a doctoral candidate completes coursework toward a concentration in

preparation for the comprehensive exam (see below for more information on concentrations and

exam). The doctoral candidate’s coursework is guided by a dissertation chair. The dissertation

chair is responsible for approving the broad outline of the student’s program and should review

the program as soon as possible after the student’s admission to candidacy. Moreover, continuing

communication among the student, the dissertation chair, and the members of the committee is

strongly recommended, to preclude misunderstandings and to develop a collegial relationship

between the candidate and the committee.

6

Cohort Model

The DBA Program is a year-round doctoral program. Students take all course work with the

other members of their cohort. Thus, it is imperative that students take each course in sequence

and complete the comprehensive exam successfully to complete the doctoral program in a timely

manner.

Leave of Absence Policy

The Shippensburg University DBA Program is a year-round, cohort model program. Thus, a

student who is absent more than two class sessions or must suspend coursework due to unusual

situations (i.e., a prolonged illness, loss of job, pregnancy, etc.) should petition the DBA Director

for a leave of absence. If the leave is granted, the student will be “rolled-back” to the next cohort.

If a student believes they may need to take a leave of absence, they should communicate with the

DBA Program Director as quickly as possible to devise a plan of action.

Time-to-Doctorate Policy

Completion of the DBA degree program requirements is contingent on successful completion of

all coursework, the qualifying examinations, and the dissertation. Unsatisfactory performance on

or delays in completion of any requirements of the program and/or leaves of absences all

necessarily extend the duration of the student’s retention and graduation in the program. There is

no guarantee of the length of time required to successfully complete a dissertation.

Consequently, students in the DBA Program may need to commit additional time and resources

beyond the minimum timeframe and sequence in accordance with the policies, procedures and

timelines laid out in this document.

Students who do not complete the program within seven years of their start date (including

dissertation) will automatically be withdrawn from the Shippensburg University DBA Program.

Program Grading Policy

1. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 at all times to remain in good standing.

2. A student who receives a grade of C in any course must repeat that course.

3. After receiving three grades below B- , the student will be dismissed from the program.

4. A student who receives a final course grade of F at any time will be dismissed from the

program.

5. A grade of “I” (Incomplete) is not an option in this program. See the prior section on

Leaves of Absence for additional information.

7

Requirements for Graduation

1. Completion of 54 credits in the DBA Program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher

2. Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination

3. Successful presentation of the dissertation proposal

4. Submission of a completed and approved publication-quality dissertation

5. Successful oral defense of the dissertation

6. Completion of application for graduation

Curriculum Structure and Sequence

The DBA program requires completion of 54 credit hours over a 3+ year period including

preparation and defense of a doctoral dissertation. The student may select a concentration in

Accounting, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain

Management, or another area of Business. A student can also elect to take a general DBA, which

would allow the student to select seminars from various offerings. The DBA courses consist of

the following:

Course Number and Title Semester Credit Hours

DBA 830 Theory of the Firm 3

DBA 801 Research Methods I 3

DBA 802 Special Topics in Research Methods (or another content course) 3

DBA 803 Qualitative Methods 3

DBA 810 Quantitative Methods I 3

DBA 811 Quantitative Methods II 3

DBA 870 Research Colloquium 3

DBA 895 Directed Study 6

DBA 899 Dissertation (3-18)

Content-specific Seminars:

DBA 825 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Accounting (3-9)

DBA 835 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Management (3-9)

DBA 845 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Marketing (3-9)

DBA 855 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Finance (3-9)

DBA 865 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Supply Chain Management (3-9)

DBA 875 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Information Systems (3-9)

8

DBA 885 (I,II,III) Selected Topics in Business (3-9)

Fall (Year 1) DBA 810 (Quant 1) DBA 830 (Theory of the Firm

Spring (Year 1) DBA 811 (Quant 2) DBA 801 (RM 1)

Summer (Year 1) DBA 895 (directed study with CoB

faculty member)

Fall (Year 2) DBA 803 (Qualitative Methods) DBA --- (Selected Topics course

in concentration)

Spring (Year 2) DBA 802 (RM 2 or another Selected

Topics as directed)

DBA --- (Selected Topics course

in concentration)

Summer (Year 2) DBA 895 (directed study with CoB

faculty member)

Fall (Year 3) DBA --- (Selected Topics course in

concentration)

DBA 870 (Research

Colloquium)

*Comprehensive Exam **Proposal Defense

Spring (Year 3) DBA 899 (Dissertation)

Summer (Year 3) DBA 899 (Dissertation)

Fall (Year 4+, until

defense is complete)

DBA 899 (Dissertation)

***Dissertation Defense

Program Delivery/Residency

Prior to the dissertation phase of their program, students will take two courses each fall and

spring semester and one directed study course each summer semester. All fall and spring courses

will follow a rigorous five-Saturday model. On the five meeting Saturdays, each course will meet

for five hours (two 2.5 hour class sessions) for a total of ten hours of classroom time for both

courses. There will also be a one hour working lunch. In addition to classroom meetings, there

will be a two-hour online component for each course that must be completed prior to each of the

Saturday sessions. Students should expect to devote several hours of time to reading/homework

assignments between Saturday sessions for each course as well. The table below illustrates the

schedule for a typical Saturday Session.

9

Completed prior to

Saturday Session

Saturday Session

Course 1

Two-hour online

component

Reading/homework

assignments

8:00-10:30 Course 1 Class Session A

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-1:15 Course 1 Class Session B

1:15-2:15 Lunch

Course 2

Two-hour online

component

Reading/homework

assignments

2:15-4:45 Course 2 Class Session A

4:45-5:00 Break

5:00-7:30 Course 2 Class Session B

Given the intensive nature of the Saturday sessions, full attendance is mandatory for all students.

Doctoral education requires all participants to be active contributors. When a student is absent

from a class session, it not only diminishes the educational experience for that student, but for all

students. In the event an absence from a Saturday session is absolutely unavoidable, it is

imperative that the student contact the DBA program director and the course instructors to make

arrangements to provide an alternative contribution.

If there is a valid reason for missing ONE weekend session (i.e., sickness, death in family, and so

forth) the student may be permitted to continue. If TWO absences occur during a semester the

student should be “rolled back” to the next cohort or dropped from the program.

The DBA Program will require students to complete a comprehensive exam in two parts. Both

parts will be in-person exams. Both will be delivered via a school PC utilizing Word --- no other

software will be tolerated.

Comprehensive Examination

The "tools" exam (i.e., first-part) will contain the theory and methods coursework and will be

administered in January of Year 2 (Saturday before classes begin). It will cover the six methods

courses. The questions will be created and submitted by the faculty teaching the theory and

methods courses. The DBA Director working with the coursework faculty will craft the tools

exam (first-part). The exam will be 4-6 questions and have a 4 hour time limit. Exams will be

graded by the tools coursework faculty. Grades on the exam will be "pass" and "fail." If a

student "fails" the tools exam, he/she must retake the exam in the following summer

session. Failing the tools exam twice means that the student will be dropped from the DBA

Program.

10

The "content” exam (i.e., second-part) will include the student's discipline coursework and will

be administered in January of Year 3 (after all coursework is completed). It will cover the

six content courses. The questions will be created and submitted by the faculty teaching the

content courses. The DBA Director working with the coursework faculty will craft the content

exam (second-part). These exams might vary due to discipline and student course selection. The

content exam will be 4-6 questions and have a 4 hour time limit. Exams will be graded by

the content coursework faculty. Grades on the exam will be "pass with honors," "pass," "pass

with reservations," and "fail." "Pass with reservations" will require the student to commit

to remedial work in a specific area of the discipline. "Failing" the content comprehensive will

require the student to retake the content exam (second-part) the following summer. Failing the

content exam twice means that the student will be dropped from the DBA Program.

Students must pass both parts of the comprehensive examination prior to the registration of

dissertation credits. The comprehensive exam schedule and content guide will be published at the

start of each academic year.

Admission to ABD

Following successful completion of both parts of the comprehensive examination, the student is

admitted to All But Dissertation (ABD) status for the DBA and undertakes dissertation research.

ABD is a special status which indicates that the student has met all the course requirements and

has mastered the appropriate areas of knowledge needed to complete a dissertation.

Approval of Dissertation Proposal

The candidate must formally present their dissertation proposal in front of the dissertation

committee. The purpose of the dissertation proposal defense is to certify that:

1. The study represents a significant contribution to the field.

2. The candidate can obtain the necessary data and successfully execute the study.

3. The timetable for completing the study is realistic.

Following the dissertation proposal defense, the dissertation committee shall either:

Accept the proposal as presented and make specific requests of the student to be

undertaken for the completed dissertation.

Conditionally accept the proposal, subject to modifications to be incorporated into the

final dissertation, clearly noted at the time of defense and agreed upon by the dissertation

committee.

Reject the proposal. In this case, a new dissertation proposal must be developed and a

new proposal defense date should be scheduled.

Final approval of the dissertation proposal requires the unanimous approval of the members of

the Dissertation Committee. The committee must notify the DBA Program Director and the DBA

Steering Committee that the dissertation topic has been formally approved by filing an

appropriate form in duplicate with all necessary signatures.

11

If the committee accepts the proposal, the student will first make any required modifications and

will then seek approval of the research by the Committee on Research with Human Subjects if

appropriate (see section below), before proceeding to the data collection phase of the

dissertation.

Format of the Dissertation Proposal

The specific format required by the dissertation proposal may vary depending upon the nature of

the study. A typical dissertation proposal may include the following points (this would generally

constitute the first three chapters of the dissertation):

1. A precise statement of the problem, which the student proposes to investigate.

2. A statement of the reasons for undertaking the study. This will include specifying

relationships being explored, definitions of terms, gaps in the literature, and controversies

that only research can clarify.

3. A section indicating previous work, which has been done and a relevant bibliography as

evidence of the fact that the student has carefully searched the literature on the topic he or

she proposes to investigate and that this study will, in fact, represent a contribution to

knowledge.

4. A clear statement of the theoretical foundation of the research, its contribution to the

field, and the research methods that will be used to complete the study.

Committee on Research with Human Subjects (CRHS)

John L. Grove College of Business ensures that all research involving human subjects will be

carried out in an ethical manner. The committee on research with human subjects at

Shippensburg University serves as the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), which is

designed to protect human subjects from potential harm resulting from research studies. Any

DBA dissertations involving human subjects will need to go through review by the IRB. The

paperwork that is required should be submitted in collaboration with the dissertation chair.

Detailed information on the IRB process, including definitions of exempt research, expedited and

full review and links to required forms, is available online at http://www.ship.edu/Research/ .

Dissertation Defense

The DBA student will submit dissertation drafts electronically to the committee. Students should

communicate with all dissertation committee members to ensure that their requirements have

been properly addressed and the dissertation is ready to be defended.

All dissertation defenses must be publicly announced by the dissertation chair in writing and

communicated via email to the faculty and staff of the College of Business at least 10 days prior

to the defense. Electronic copies of the dissertation must be made available to College of

Business faculty. The oral defense is open to the entire academic community. The final decision

12

whether the student has passed the dissertation defense is made in private by the dissertation

committee. All members of the Dissertation Committee should physically or virtually attend the

oral dissertation defense.

Following the final dissertation defense, the committee will:

Accept the dissertation as presented or with minor modifications that do not require

further review by the committee.

Conditionally accept the dissertation, subject to significant modifications that must be

reviewed by the committee before a full acceptance is given. The revised dissertation

should be submitted to the dissertation committee for final approval.

Reject the dissertation. In this case, the student should schedule an appointment with their

dissertation chair to discuss the work that needs to be done to bring the dissertation to an

acceptable level (and later reschedule the defense).

Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute between a student and a committee member(s), the dissertation chair

will call a meeting of the committee with the student, for the purpose of resolving the problem. If

this does not resolve the dispute, the DBA Program Director may meet with the DBA Steering

Committee to review the problem and recommend a solution.

Application for Graduation

Students are required to comply with Shippensburg University guidelines, fees and posted due

dates regarding application for DBA graduation. Any questions should be directed to the DBA

Program Director and/or the University Registrar.

Academic Integrity

DBA students at the John L. Grove College of Business should adhere to a strict code of ethics,

academic integrity, and the traditional principles of academic freedom. DBA students should

recognize the importance of showing respect for others and maintain a strong culture of ethics,

integrity, trust and respect. DBA students should not knowingly misrepresent data or their origin.

Plagiarism

DBA students are forbidden from plagiarizing or helping other students plagiarize. Plagiarism is

the unacknowledged use of another person's words, ideas and facts, or work, as explained below.

Penalties: Charges of plagiarism or any form of academic misconduct should be brought

immediately to the attention of the Director of the DBA Program. It is the Director’s

responsibility to inform the DBA Steering Committee. This committee determines responsibility

13

and if found in violation, makes a recommendation to the Dean of the John L. Grove College of

Business who makes the final decision on appropriate sanctions.

Academic Grievance

The John L. Grove College of Business commits to treat each student equitably and provide fair

evaluation of the students work. The following academic issues are subject to academic

grievance policy:

1. Grades

2. Evaluation of comprehensive exam

Students should first discuss their concerns with the faculty member involved. If discussions

with the faculty member do not resolve the students concerns, a grievance can be filed with the

DBA Steering Committee (through the office of the DBA Director). Grievances must be filed

within six months of the occurrence of the alleged grievance. A student may withdraw a

grievance at any time.

Student Services

Shippensburg University provides a variety of academic and other student services. A

comprehensive listing of these services can be found on the Shippensburg University website:

http://www.ship.edu/Graduate/Resources/. Shippensburg University offers support and appropriate

accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. Additional information can be found at: http://www.ship.edu/ODS/.

Graduate Student Financial Assistance

Graduate students are eligible for work-study and graduate assistantship financial aid programs

in addition to, or in replacement of, student loans. These positions are awarded on a competitive

basis. For more information, contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 717-477-1213 or

gradadmiss@ship.edu. You can also contact the School of Graduate Studies at 717-477-1148 or

gradschool@ship.edu.

Ship’s Library and Research Center

Welcome to the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library! We invite you to explore not only our virtual

presence, but our beautiful physical space as well.

Our library building provides a wonderful study space with comfortable soft seating areas

throughout the library. We provide private group study rooms, semi-private group study spaces,

informal gathering spots, and private individual study areas. For those who want refreshment

while studying and doing coursework, we have an in-house Starbucks! We truly are a one-stop-

shop where you can also receive the academic support you need when you need it.

14

Need help finding journals, books, or answers? Our friendly “Ask Us Anything”reference librarians are here on the main floor to help.

Need academic support or tutoring? The academic support & tutoring team is

available to help you. You can find them in the Learning Center, located on the main

floor as well. Need faculty support in instructional design & development services? Visit the

IDDS specialist on the lower level, who can give you the help you need. Need a computer? We have 50 laptops and 75+ desktop computers, all with printing

capability. Need print or audio-visual resources? We are proud to provide you with over 350,000

books, serials, and other materials; over 73,000 AV materials; and over 1.5 million items

on microform.

Need a modern, comfortable location to host a teleconference? We have three

separate locations available.

Also explore our virtual presence. We have access to over 25,000 e-journals, over 60,000 e-

books, and authoritative databases for each major. We have reference librarians available by

chat or email. Our online “Ask Us Anything” box will also give you any answers to any

questions ever asked that may be similar to yours—instantly! You can find us on our blog,

Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Picasa, and Foursquare. We are where you are.