OSU Regents give go-ahead for new senior executive doctorate

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Oklahoma State University/A&M Board of Regents today approved a fee structure for a new executive option in the Ph.D. program in Business Administration.  It is designed for executives currently in or ready to enter senior leadership positions in industry, government, consulting, and public service. 

Graduates will be equipped with the most advanced management theories and research methods necessary to transform organizations and make them more competitive and sustainable.    

“The program of study will be every bit as rigorous as that of the traditional Ph.D., but with a flexible program structure, specifically designed for individuals who wish to combine their doctoral studies with the demands of a full-time executive position,” said Larry Crosby, dean of the Spears School of Business at OSU, and the Norman and Suzanne Myers Endowed Chair for Excellence in Business Administration and Richard W. Poole Professor for Excellence. 

“The focus of the program is on application and real-world problem solving,” said Crosby, who added that it is also a productive route to the discovery of new management principles.

The coursework in the program will start in January of 2012 with the entry of the first student cohort. The curriculum focuses on the issues of organizational strategy, growth, leadership, and change that often confront top echelon executives.  Students will apply organizational theory and research methods within their occupational sphere, according to Crosby. Courses will be offered over long weekends (and occasional extended stays) at executive education facilities in urban areas (Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and periodically internationally) with convenient airport access.

Crosby said he expects the new Ph.D. program to help meet a shortage of qualified individuals with doctorates in business, which is projected to reach more than 2,400 by 2013. Business education experts say a continuing shortage of doctoral faculty in business also will hurt the quality of research and teaching and leave American companies less prepared to compete in a global economy. Executives graduating from this program will be qualified to take academic positions, now or later in their careers.  Others may elect to remain in practice.

“There is a growing need in the state of Oklahoma and the U.S. for professional graduate business education beyond the master’s level that provides wider exposure to organizational knowledge and research methodologies to address the complex strategic business issues faced by executives,” said Crosby. “This Ph.D. option will enable executives to appreciate, understand, and utilize the primary source of business knowledge: the extant literature, and ‘bridge’ the latest in business science and business practice in order to positively influence organizations.”

As approved by OSU Regents, the program will charge a $20,000 per semester fee, which is comparable to other executive graduate program offerings regionally and nationally that range from $17,500 - $25,000 per semester.