D.P.S. in Business
The Doctor of Professional Studies (D.P.S.) in Business program offers doctoral-level education for the practitioner community.
This program—similar in nature to a Doctor of Business Administration program—is designed for experienced individuals who seek higher-level roles in business, entrepreneurship, or education.
The curriculum prepares graduates for future pursuits in private or public corporations, nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, universities, or government agencies.
Students may focus their studies in one of three areas:
- Strategy and Decision-Making
- Capital Markets
- Business Economics
The typical time to complete the D.P.S. is four years. Advanced students, such as those who come in with prior transferable coursework, may be able to finish in three years. The maximum timeline is six years; the fifth and sixth years are an option available only to students who are unable to write and successfully defend the dissertation by the end of the fourth year.
This program is currently offered in collaboration with Peking University in Beijing.
Learning Competencies
- Students will attain knowledge on fundamental economics, business theories, and research methodology.
- Students will learn to conduct independent, original, and practical research.
- Students will learn to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
Learn more about the D.P.S. in Business program.
CIP Code
52.0201 - Business Administration and Management, General.
You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.
A minimum 3.2 grade point average is desired of applicants to the program.
Applicants who earned their previous degree(s) in a language other than English must demonstrate proficiency in English via standardized tests, such as the GMAT and TOEFL. Applicants with graduate degrees can apply for alternative procedures to demonstrate English proficiency, such as equivalent English language tests as a part of the graduate program of study.
The Gabelli School admissions team selects candidates to interview based on their review of three primary criteria:
- Demonstrated success in university-level degree programs
- Demonstrated success in professional experiences
- Assessed potential to complete the D.P.S. program and to contribute to development in an organization or a community of business practice
To graduate with a D.P.S., students must complete the required courses and minimum credit hours with a GPA of at least 3.500 and submit a written dissertation approved by a doctoral dissertation committee.
The D.P.S. program consists of 70 total credit hours, which includes a combination of coursework credits and dissertation credits.
Coursework
All students will complete 42 credit hours of trimester-based coursework (fall, spring, and summer) in the first two years, comprising 24 credit hours of core courses and 18 credit hours of specialized electives.
The specialized electives are what enables each student to focus on one of the three primary areas: Strategy and Decision-Making, Capital Markets, or Business Economics.
The first two years are broken down as follows:
- Year 1: five core courses (15 credits) and two electives (6 credits)
- Year 2: three core courses (9 credits) and four electives (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (24 credits required) | ||
| CBDP 8001 | Global Economy & Development | 1.5 to 3 |
| CBDP 8002 | Philosophy of Bus Research | 3 |
| CBDP 8003 | Empirical Sem on Bus Res 1 | 3 |
| CBDP 8004 | Research Methods and Design | 1.5 to 3 |
| CBDP 8005 | Topics in Business Research | 3 |
| CBDP 8006 | Empirical Seminar on Business Research 2 | 3 |
| CBDP 9003 | Adv Topics in Bus Research | 1.5 to 3 |
| CBDP 9006 | Frontier in Bus Practices | 1.5 to 3 |
| CBDP 9009 | Frontier in Business Practices 2 | 1.5 |
| CBDP 9011 | Advanced Research Methods of Business Research | 1.5 to 6 |
| Elective Courses (18 credits required from the below list) | ||
Elective Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CBDP 8007 | Business Field Studies | 1.5-3 |
| CBDP 9001 | Business Research Seminar | 1.5 |
| CBDP 9004 | Asset Pricing Seminars | 3 |
| CBDP 9005 | Strategic Mgt Seminars | 1.5-3 |
| CBDP 9007 | Organizational Design, Change and Competitiveness | 1.5-3 |
| CBDP 9008 | Fin Innov & Fin Intermediation | 3 |
| CBDP 9010 | Dissertation Proposal Preparation Seminar | 1.5-3 |
| CBDP 9016 | Seminars on Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 1.5-3 |
| CBDP 9017 | Big Data and Artificial Intelligence | 1-3 |
- *
Dissertation Proposal Preparation Seminar (CBDP 9010) is an optional, credited preparatory seminar that counts as an elective, during which students receive guidance on developing their dissertation proposals.
Dissertation
All students will complete 28 credit hours of dissertation work in years three and four.
Of these, 6 credit hours are toward the preparation and defense of the dissertation proposal, and 22 credit hours are toward the preparation and final defense of the dissertation.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CBDP 9012 | Dissertation Proposal Development | 6 |
| Dissertation Proposal Acceptance 1 | N/A | |
| CBDP 9013 | Dissertation I | 3 |
| CBDP 9014 | Dissertation II | 6 |
| CBDP 9015 | Dissertation III | 6 |
| CBDP 9018 | Dissertation IV | 7 |
| Total Credits | 28 | |
- 1
Once students have successfully defended their dissertation proposal, their academic record will be updated with an attribute that will record their successful defense.
Students should plan to research and write their proposal in the first half of year three. Students spend the second half of year three and the entirety of year four researching and writing the full dissertation.
Students may be dismissed for failure to make academic progress if their proposal is not approved within three years, and they will automatically be placed on academic probation if proposal approval is not secured at least two semesters before the close of degree time limits.
A dissertation committee consists of all supervisors and several other faculty members from Fordham University and other partner universities. This committee determines the outcome of the defense of each doctoral dissertation. A doctoral dissertation is successfully defended only when all members of the dissertation committee sign the approval form.
CBDP 0001. Additional Dissertation Preparation. (0 Credits)
This course is for students who need additional time to work on their dissertation work. Students work with their dissertation committee.
CBDP 0002. Additional Dissertation Proposal Preparation. (0 Credits)
This course is for students who need additional time to work on their dissertation proposal work. Students work with their dissertation committee.
CBDP 8001. Global Economy & Development. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course introduces new structures and trends of economies and markets globally. Topics include contemporary issues in global economy and global markets, macro-economic environment of major economies, comparative analysis of economic development in different countries and regions.
CBDP 8002. Philosophy of Bus Research. (3 Credits)
This course helps students to understand the philosophical and practical issues involved in conducting research. It exposes students to various classic readings that provide the theoretical foundations for business research. Finally, it also acquaints students with various norms and procedures, both formal and informal, of the doctoral program.
CBDP 8003. Empirical Sem on Bus Res 1. (1 to 3 Credits)
The course focuses on the empirical issues of academic research in different business disciplines that are at the forefront of ongoing research. It also attempts to develop skills that will enable student to choose the appropriate empirical methodology and techniques to examine the specific question being addressed. Seminars will be organized in two ways. Both selected faculties and industry experts are invited to present their empirical research with student discussions following the presentations.
CBDP 8004. Research Methods and Design. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course introduces doctoral students to the key elements of research design and methods used in business disciplines such as finance, accounting, information systems, marketing, and management. It introduces the principles, approaches, methods, and analytical techniques utilized in qualitative business research. Topics include models of qualitative research design and methodology such as narrative analysis, case study, and grounded theory and phenomenology. The course will also examine practical executions of research surveys which enable students to structure and scale research surveys with a variety of implications and methods of analysis, measurement and evaluation.
CBDP 8005. Topics in Business Research. (3 Credits)
The main objective of the course is to provide the students with mini courses in different areas of business fields, offered by professors within Fordham and from outside Fordham. The key intention associated with these mini courses is to provide a maximum exposure of different talent, diversity of knowledge base, and network of professionals in academia beyond Fordham before determining dissertation topics. The focus is on theoretical aspects of the research, in particular on how to synthesize research, develop research designs, and build theories.
CBDP 8006. Empirical Seminar on Business Research 2. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course helps students develop dissertation proposals and prepare for the defense of proposals. It also features a series of lecturers from both industry practitioners and academics on subjects related to students' dissertation topics.
CBDP 8007. Business Field Studies. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
Business Field Studies helps students understand the organizational, operational, and cultural forms of the modern business workplace. This course focuses on company visits, lectures from practitioners, and discussions among students on the modern business landscape.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 8999. Independent Study. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
Independent study.
CBDP 9001. Business Research Seminar. (1.5 Credits)
This course features a series of lecturers from various industries to discuss research projects that their companies are working on.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9003. Adv Topics in Bus Research. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
The main objective of the course is to provide the students with mini (2 hours to 10 hours) courses in different areas of business fields, offered by professors within Fordham and from outside Fordham. The key intention associated with these mini courses is to provide a maximum exposure of different talent, diversity of knowledge base, and network of professionals in academia beyond Fordham before determining dissertation topics. The focus is on both theoretical and empirical aspects of the research, in particular on how to synthesize research, develop empirical tests and research designs, and test hypotheses.
CBDP 9004. Asset Pricing Seminars. (3 Credits)
The objective of this course is to provide students with the capability to research in the field of asset pricing. The course may focus on the following areas: (1) Consumption, portfolio choice, and asset pricing; (2) Time series properties of asset returns: predictability, volatility, correlations with other variables, etc.; (3) Cross-sectional properties of asset returns implied by equilibrium asset pricing model including CAPM, consumption-based asset pricing, factor models, etc.; (4) Term structure of interest rates. The course may also consider fundamental aspects of international asset pricing models.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9005. Strategic Mgt Seminars. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course introduces the principal theoretical perspectives and empirical findings in the field of strategy formulation, execution process, and innovation. Students study the problems and issues facing general managers who must formulate and implement strategies for organizations in uncertain and ambiguous environments. Students explore strategy and operations from several theoretical perspectives including resource-based view, knowledge-based view, agency theory, institutional theory, contingency theory, and real options.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9006. Frontier in Bus Practices. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course requires students to conduct field study in selected companies or industries, collect information, conduct survey and interviews and practice research analysis. Students need to complete a term research paper from this independent study and present the research paper.
CBDP 9007. Organizational Design, Change and Competitiveness. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
The first half of the course addresses how managers can design organizations to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. We will explore a variety important organization issues such as differentiation and integration, organizational lifecycle, and transformation and resistance. The second half of the course addresses how managers can define and create competitive advantage at both the business and corporate level. We will discuss different industry conditions, organizational resources, positioning, growth through mergers and acquisitions, and different types of alliances and partnerships, and corporate governance. Business cases, discussions, and assignments will be used in addition to lectures to help your learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to explain the mechanics of modern organizations, to utilize the principles of organizational theory to design and change their organizations, and to choose the best business strategy for success.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9008. Fin Innov & Fin Intermediation. (3 Credits)
This course starts with the big picture of the financial markets and the special role of financial intermediaries. We will cover various types of financial intermediaries: commercial banks, insurance companies, investment banks, credit rating agencies, mutual funds and hedge funds. On each type of intermediary, we will first introduce the basic theory around it and then discuss the current issues related. Specifically, we will discuss loan securitization as an innovation in corporate lending. We will see how financial crisis can be transmitted from securitized bonds to corporate bonds through insurance companies' holdings as a result of accounting rules and capital requirement applied on them. We will look into the revolution in security trading and the debate surrounding algorithm and high frequency trading. We will discuss the role of credit rating agencies and hedge funds in the financial crisis.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9009. Frontier in Business Practices 2. (1.5 Credits)
This course requires students to conduct practical study in their research field, collect information, conduct surveys and interviews, and practice research analysis. Students need to present their research from this independent study.
CBDP 9010. Dissertation Proposal Preparation Seminar. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
This course requires students to prepare and develop their research topics and proposals.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9011. Advanced Research Methods of Business Research. (1.5 to 6 Credits)
This course further examines the advanced elements of research design and methods used in business disciplines such as finance, accounting, information systems, marketing, and management. Topics include models of qualitative research design and methodology such as narrative analysis, case study, and grounded theory and phenomenology. The course will also examine practical executions of research surveys which enable students to structure and scale research surveys with a variety of implications and methods of analysis, measurement and evaluation.
CBDP 9012. Dissertation Proposal Development. (3 to 6 Credits)
During the dissertation phase of their program, students work to develop and defend research topics, proposals, and their full dissertation with their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation is a large-scale, closely supervised research project, with extensive research, writing, and revision expected. Students offer regular progress updates to their dissertation committee members, who in turn meet with the doctoral program director to ensure sufficient progress.
CBDP 9013. Dissertation I. (3 Credits)
During the dissertation phase of their program, students work to develop and defend research topics, proposals, and their full dissertation with their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation is a large-scale, closely supervised research project, with extensive research, writing, and revision expected. Students offer regular progress updates to their dissertation committee members, who in turn meet with the doctoral program director to ensure sufficient progress.
CBDP 9014. Dissertation II. (6 Credits)
During the dissertation phase of their program, students work to develop and defend research topics, proposals, and their full dissertation with their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation is a large-scale, closely supervised research project, with extensive research, writing, and revision expected. Students offer regular progress updates to their dissertation committee members, who in turn meet with the doctoral program director to ensure sufficient progress.
CBDP 9015. Dissertation III. (6 Credits)
During the dissertation phase of their program, students work to develop and defend research topics, proposals, and their full dissertation with their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation is a large-scale, closely supervised research project, with extensive research, writing, and revision expected. Students offer regular progress updates to their dissertation committee members, who in turn meet with the doctoral program director to ensure sufficient progress.
CBDP 9016. Seminars on Organizational Behavior and Leadership. (1.5 to 3 Credits)
The primary goal of this course will be to increase your understanding of how people behave in the context of an organizational structure. Having a greater knowledge of human behavior will help you to better interpret and predict the attitudes and behaviors of yourself, your co-workers, subordinates, supervisors, and clients. Most importantly, this course will help you to better understand your own past and future behaviors as a member and leader within an organization. Topics that are covered include leadership, personality and attitudes, emotions, and dynamics. The course format will be research oriented, including understanding theory and methodology exemplified in top academic journals in the management field. After taking this course you will have a better understanding of how to craft a research question related to organizational behavior and test it using scientific methods.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9017. Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. (1 to 3 Credits)
This course provides an introduction to trending techniques, applications, and opportunities in the field of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. We will cover an overview of techniques, including data mining, text mining, social network analysis, deep learning, recommendation systems, and data visualization. We will also demonstrate applications cases in the areas of financial markets, online marketing, fashion, political science, healthcare, and law enforcement.
Attribute: ABDP.
CBDP 9018. Dissertation IV. (7 Credits)
During the dissertation phase of their program, students work to develop and defend research topics, proposals, and their full dissertation with their Dissertation Committee. The dissertation is a large-scale, closely supervised research project, with extensive research, writing, and revision expected. Students offer regular progress updates to their dissertation committee members, who in turn meet with the doctoral program director to ensure sufficient progress.
CBDP 9019. Dissertation Defense. (0 Credits)
Students prepare, defend, and deliver the final presentation of their dissertation. Final dissertation approval is also expected.