The Doctor of Management is a professional doctorate with a degree focus in management, leadership, and organizational topics. The intention of the DM is to advance the skills of professionals in research, analysis, theory, and practice in organizations. The DM combines theory and applied research to understand practical outcomes and implications of research in several different business environments.
Program objectives
The aim of the Doctor of Management is to learn and understand how to plan and implement changes in organizations as a leader, practitioner, and scholar in the business environment. This advanced knowledge entails practical leadership training and in-depth research in management topics with a focus on improving organizations. Sometimes, the DM has an interdisciplinary style approach to management combining subjects in management, leadership, and business. In addition to learning a combination of advanced subjects, professionals pursuing a DM will learn how to conduct original research, analyze data, and critically evaluate theories. Another objective of the DM is to help professionals advance their careers in management or education.
Curriculum and admission requirements
Most Doctor of Management programs require a bachelor's and master's degree in a business related field for admission. Applicants may also need prior management experience, acceptable graduate admission scores, or provide personal essays and letters of recommendation. The curriculum for the Doctor of Management includes a variety of teaching and learning methods for personal and professional development including lectures, presentations, independent study, advisor supervision, cohort format, workshops, seminars, a residency format, and information technologies. The curriculum involves research method courses complemented with content courses. Research method courses include quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods designs and statistical analysis. Content courses normally include management, leadership, global business, organizational behavior, organizational design, sustainability, ethics, psychology, human resource management, communications, and employee development. Some DM programs have degree specializations allowing students to customize their coursework around their academic and career interests. Most DM programs require a dissertation or a research project. Depending on the institution, the length of time to complete the DM program can be 3 to 5 years full-time. The overall intention of DM coursework is to create and understand the connection between theoretical and practical knowledge through cognitive, professional, and peer learning.
