5 Careers for a Doctorate in Business Graduate
Doctorate in Business Careers
- Accountants and Auditors
- Management Analysts
- Market Research Analysts
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Top Executives
A Doctor of Business Administration degree gives students advanced training in a specific area of business of their choosing, providing practical knowledge that they can directly apply in the workforce. Some of these areas include accounting, business intelligence, finance, human resources, marketing and project management. DBA degrees show employers that graduates are prepared and have learned the skills that they need for high-level careers, some of which are listed below.
Resource: 10 Most Affordable Online DBA Programs – Online Ph.D. Business
Accountants and Auditors
Accountants and auditors examine, prepare and organize financial records, ensuring that they are accurate. They also assess financial operations and explain their findings at meetings and in written reports. There are several types of accountants and auditors depending on the industry in which they wish to work.
Public accountants and management accountants may work for accounting firms, organizations or governments, performing a variety of duties related to accounting, auditing, consulting and taxes. Some of them specialize in forensic accounting, which involves investigating financial crimes. Internal auditors review the use of funds within the companies for which they work, while external auditors do the same but for companies with which they aren't employed. Information technology auditors review computer system controls for their employers to make sure that the source of financial data is reliable.
Management Analysts
Management analysts or consultants give company managers advice on how to increase revenues and reduce costs to raise profits. They achieve this by analyzing financial data, interviewing personnel and organizing information about an issue or procedure that needs improvement. Management analysts may perform these tasks as employees or sole proprietors on a contractual basis. Many of them focus on a specialty such as corporate reorganization or inventory management. Those who work as sole proprietors may bid or write proposals for jobs, and the organizations select the bids or proposals that best meet their budgets or needs.
Market Research Analysts
Market research analysts examine market conditions to estimate the potential sales for a product or service. They do this by gathering and researching data on consumer buying habits, demographics, needs and preferences. Market research analysts gather the data through a range of methods, including interviews, market analysis surveys, opinion polls and questionnaires; and they analyze the data with software and statistical techniques. Then, they create charts, infographics, graphs and other visual aids to help companies determine the products that consumers want, who will purchase them and how much they will pay for the products.
Postsecondary Teachers
Postsecondary teachers are faculty or professors who work at colleges and universities. They instruct students in a variety of academic, career and technical subjects related to business. They also conduct experiments and research, apply for grants to fund the research, publish scholarly books and papers, and supervise graduate assistants who teach. Full-time teachers with tenure do more research and may be expected to participate in school committees. In smaller colleges or universities, postsecondary teachers spend more time teaching and supervising students than conducting experiments and research. All professors must remain up to date with advancements in their specialty.
Top Executives
In the private sector, top executives include chief executive officers, chief operating officers, and general and operations managers. They are also the presidents of colleges or universities. In the public sector, some examples of top executives include city managers, county administrators, governors, mayors and school superintendents. They all oversee organizations, devising policies and strategies as well as coordinating, directing and planning operational activities to meet those organizations' goals. Sometimes this involves budget and resource management.
The duties of top executives depend on the size of the organizations for which they work. For instance, small business executives may be responsible for day-to-day operations, employee training, hiring, purchasing, quality control. Top executives for large corporations, might focus more on policy and strategy development, and general and operations managers may focus on day-to-day business operations.
DBA degrees distinguish graduates from others by showing potential employers that they have proficient business-oriented skills and are dedicated to personal and organizational advancement. Having one also demonstrates that they have a desire to take on high-level careers.
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