Samira Felix
Staff Writer
Starting in fall 2022, the University of La Verne College of Business and Public Management will begin a new doctor of business administration program. It is a three year program that will offer hybrid classes in the evenings and on Saturdays to accommodate students with full-time jobs.
The program will focus on teaching students how to integrate business disciplines and business ideas, which will help them further their career goals. It will also further students’ knowledge in business research and practice.
All requirements of the program must be completed in the span of eight years. Students have three years to finish the coursework, which consists of a minimum of 54 semester hours, followed by additional semester hours for the dissertation.
“This program will help put the University of La Verne on the map with other national doctor of business administration programs,” said Issam Ghazzawi, professor of business administration who will direct the new program.
“It will validate us as a comprehensive University (and allow) those people who have received their master of business administration … to further their professional and career development,” Ghazzawi said.
College of Business Dean Emmeline de Pillis explained that the program fits in well with the doctoral degrees that the University already offers and that the program is applied, which fits with the College of Business mission.
“It will be a practical program that will be very different from what they have learned in their master’s degree journey,” Ghazzawi said.
Ghazzawi added that as program director he will make sure that every student is doing well.
“I am going to be a student-centric person to ensure that they come in feeling comfortable,” Ghazzawi said. “I will also oversee how the faculty are doing and make sure that we have the right faculty, who can apply experiential learning and who can benefit the students.”
De Pillis said that she will be supporting the faculty members, but would like to meet the doctoral students to welcome them to the program.
“As the dean, my primary job is to support the people who do the work,” de Pillis said. “However I personally would like to meet the doctoral students just to welcome them.”
Melanie Cortes, freshman business administration major, said she thinks the program is a great opportunity for those who want to continue learning about business administration. She said she would love to learn more about the program and its criteria to see if it would be something she is interested in applying for in the future.
A doctor of business administration degree may also expand graduates’ career opportunities.
“Business professionals who earn a DBA can pursue high level positions that require advanced research, organizational analysis, and decision-making skills, such as executive leadership positions and management consulting or they can teach in higher education,” said Paul Boychuk, Director of the University’s O’Brien Career Center.
For more information on the upcoming DBA program, visit business.laverne.edu/dba.
Samira Felix can be reached at samira.felix@laverne.edu.
Samira Felix, a junior journalism major with a concentration in print-online journalism, is news editor for the Campus Times. She previously served as a staff writer.
