When the DBA Opens a Different Door

In May 2023, I joined the 7th cohort of UNC Charlotte’s Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program. My plan was straightforward: complete two years of coursework, spend my third year on a dissertation, and graduate in 2026 alongside my colleagues. I’d be adding “doctor” to my name while still maintaining my professional career.

Then, during my second semester, one assignment changed everything.

It wasn’t the grade that mattered (I earned an average score) but the nature of the work and the effort I poured into it. The project came from my professor, Dr. Justin Webb, a renowned entrepreneurship scholar whose work has shaped key conversations in the field, and one of the faculty members I most admired in the DBA program. The task was to take a broad but manageable concept, search the academic literature extensively, and “map” the field in meticulous detail.

I became deeply engrossed in the work. My effort caught Justin’s attention, and shortly afterward, he asked me a critical question: “Have you ever considered doing a PhD instead of a DBA?”

Considering a DBA vs. a PhD

At first, it seemed out of reach. PhD applications are typically due months before I even joined the DBA. But the more Justin and I talked, the more the differences between the two degrees became impossible to ignore.

A DBA is rigorous, but it’s designed for professionals who want to enhance their practice, broaden their perspectives, and apply research insights to complex real-world challenges. It’s a three-year program, often pursued while holding a full-time job, and the diversity of professional backgrounds in a DBA cohort creates an incredibly rich learning environment.

A PhD, on the other hand, is a different path altogether. Often funded by the university, it demands four to six years of full-time commitment, deep immersion in a discipline, mastery of research methods, and the dreaded comprehensive exams that determine whether you can continue in the program. The end goal isn’t just knowledge; it’s becoming an original contributor to the academic field.

What Pulled Me Towards the PhD

Importantly, I realized that what excited me most about academia wasn’t teaching or applying research to practice; it was creating knowledge. Publishing. Shaping the way others think about the phenomenon of entrepreneurship, my primary research context. Public understanding of entrepreneurship is often reduced to “starting a business” or “being your own boss.” While these elements are part of entrepreneurship, the field is much richer. It is a place where economics, sociology, and psychology converge. The prospect of contributing to this body of knowledge—and refining how both academics and practitioners understand it—was the pull. And while a DBA can absolutely deepen someone’s expertise and prepare them to lead in many contexts, the PhD provides the specific preparation needed for research-intensive academic careers in this space.

Taking the Leap

With Justin’s help, I quickly explored options. Most PhD slots for 2024–2025 were already filled, but a connection at Iowa State University led to a whirlwind of interviews. By April, I was offered a funded position in their PhD program in Entrepreneurship, starting in August 2024.

That decision came with massive trade-offs. I finished my second DBA semester but resigned from my consulting job, ending nearly a decade in banking and financial services. My wife and I sold our home in Charlotte, moved in temporarily with her parents, and eventually relocated to Ames, Iowa. She transitioned to remote work. I walked away from a comfortable professional track for an uncertain academic future.

Why? Because my long-term goals had shifted. Consulting had little appeal to me. Adjunct teaching was fine, but a bit uninspiring. Research, however, lit me up in a way nothing else did. And research-intensive universities traditionally do not hire DBA graduates into tenure-track research positions. If I wanted a future in academia, and specifically in research, the PhD was my only viable route.

One Year Later

One year in, I can say it was the right choice for me. The program is intense—far more challenging than anything I’ve done before—but the intellectual growth has been staggering. I’ve gone from casually engaging with academic literature to developing a clear grasp of the key streams of entrepreneurship research, the major debates shaping the field, and the methodological approaches needed to produce work aimed at top journals. Skills that once felt out of reach, such as advanced statistical techniques, are now part of my growing toolkit. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by new peers and faculty whose insight and dedication inspire me to keep raising my own standards.

At the same time, I have such admiration for my former DBA cohort as they enter their dissertation phase, a demanding milestone made even more impressive given their full-time jobs and family responsibilities. They are engaging in work that requires a unique blend of resilience, creativity, and the ability to apply research to real-world contexts. Our programs differ in timelines, structure, and focus, but both demand persistence and a commitment to advancing knowledge in our respective areas of expertise.

For Anyone at the DBA vs. PhD Crossroads

Here’s my advice to anyone at this crossroads: be brutally honest about your ambitions. If you want to broaden your professional expertise, gain advanced research literacy, and position yourself as a thought leader in your field, a DBA can be a powerful and transformative credential. If, however, your aim is to produce original research, contribute to academic theory, and pursue a research-intensive faculty role, a PhD offers the structure and training tailored to that path.

For me, the choice came down to this: pursue a doctorate that serves a broad range of professional ambitions, or take the leap into a program built specifically for a research career. I chose the latter because it aligned with my changing goals, while recognizing that the DBA remains a rigorous and valuable path for those whose objectives it matches. 

If you’re weighing a DBA, a PhD, or even wondering whether a doctorate is right for you at all, know that my story is just one path. The real question is: which path—and which future—is yours?

Joseph is a native of the Carolinas. He earned his BBA from Queens University of Charlotte and his MBA from Winthrop University in South Carolina. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Entrepreneurship at Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business, where his research explores entrepreneurial agency and the institutional and cognitive factors that drive entrepreneurial behavior. Joseph brings extensive professional experience, having worked at Citibank and U.S. Bank in various roles focused on financial crimes compliance, before transitioning to Integris Group as a management consultant prior to beginning his doctoral studies. He maintains a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) designation and previously earned CRCM and CFE certifications. Joseph lives in Ames, Iowa, with his wife Stephanie and their two cats. They are expecting their first child in late October 2025.