Newman University officials announced the launch of its first doctoral programs in the institution’s 87 year history.
The university will begin offering a new Doctor of Business Administration program as part of its School of Business as early as later this year.
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an independent organization that accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the north central region of the United States, has also approved a second doctorate program for Newman. The institution expects to announce its second doctoral program later this month.
President Kathleen S. Jagger, Ph.D., received word about the approval during the Newman commencement ceremonies. “I think it’s an exciting new step for us. It opens up new opportunities in the future to continue to increase new programs that we offer to meet today’s demands of the marketplace.”
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program is geared to provide experienced professionals and academics with advanced skills and credentials in business beyond the MBA. Using a scholar-practitioner model, the program seeks to graduate students who are grounded in both theory and research who can also recognize problems in the modern workplace, examine them closely, propose productive solutions and create new knowledge.
Newman University School of Business Dean Jill Fort said her faculty has been working on the Ph.D. program for several years. “I was extremely excited and couldn’t stop smiling. This is a tremendous opportunity for Newman and the greater Wichita community, as it is the only DBA program in the area.
“Our program is the first of its kind in Kansas and it is competitive with the best programs in content, quality, comprehensiveness, and relevance. I am excited to help prepare the next generation of those interested in academia and perpetual learners who can apply their DBA in their current or future positions,” Fort said.
Larry Straub, Ph.D., will lead Newman’s doctoral program. “The entire business school and Newman community had worked diligently this past two years to make this goal a reality,” he said.
“It is very exciting. This will serve as a wonderful differentiator and foundation for the university moving forward. Additionally it will speak to the ultimate quality of the university and our academic community and give our region’s master’s level graduates another opportunity to continue, differentiate and enhance their professional development.
“It will be the highest level of education available in this professional realm within in our region. It is applied scholarship, meaning it will be for practitioner scholars and mid-career professionals and eventually lead to a highly educated and engaged base of practitioner scholars that will positively impact and Influence our city, state and regional economies,” Staub added.
The program will create professional and academics to work in fields like higher education, management, business and data analytics consulting, entrepreneurs, government and general administration, human resources and financial management.
The Newman Doctor of Business Administration will include three unique platforms. The first element is a hybrid delivery model.
“Most of the program can be done conveniently through online content delivery, however, there is an on-campus component as well,” Straub said.
The second aspect is that the program is delivered as a cohort model with students going through the doctoral educational process as a class. The dissertation is the third component and is based on the applied research or practitioner-scholar model.
Students will have greater flexibility in topic and methodology selection throughout their dissertation process.
Newman’s faculty members have hands-on industry and consulting experience and benefit students by providing real life experiences for research topics and process.
“Our ultimate goal is to have a region-wide presence in both the academic, business and professional communities, with multiple cohorts going through the program on an ongoing basis,” Straub said.
Newman’s business school hopes to start its first Ph.D. cohort in spring 2022 or the following fall.
“A minimum of 62 semester credit hours beyond the master’s degree in business administration is required for the doctorate. Required courses are contained in three areas: core seminars, research competency, and management for major courses,” Fort said.
“Students entering the program with a non-MBA master’s degree will be required to show competency in the core areas of business, including management, marketing, accounting, strategy, and finance.”
The Newman business school is currently in an additional accreditation process for its programs through the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
“We anticipate this (ACBSP approval) will be successful and completed within the next two years,” Straub said.
