Doctor of Philosophy
in Business Administration (PhD-BA),
Project Management
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PhD-BA in Project Management
This specialization explores principles, concepts, tools, and techniques to improve project performance and organizational effectiveness. Students examine all aspects of managing and overseeing business projects, including cost estimates, budget management, cost control, risk assessment, bid negotiation and contracts, and performance reporting critical to the success of any enterprise. The specialization focuses on management, leadership, and team building in the project/program environment. Students will examine strategies relating to managing multiple projects as well as the concepts of earned value project management.
Why Earn Your PhD in Project Management with National University?
This PhD specialization is designed for management professionals who want to become proficient project managers. You’ll focus on applying principles, tools, and techniques for improving project performance and organizational success. The coursework provides both strategies and training in areas of planning, procurement, budgets, risk management, performance control and reporting, and managing multiple projects.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete at least 9 credit hours in a single area of specialization at the University (not counting foundational courses) and may elect to have the specialization recorded on their transcript and diploma. The remaining 9 elective credits must be appropriate to the student’s degree program. Students may opt to use the remaining 9 elective credits towards an additional specialization.
(3 courses; 9 semester credit hours)
All PhD-BA specializations require completion of the PhD-BA core curriculum, three specialization courses, three doctoral electives, and the dissertation sequence, including prospectus, proposal, data collection and analysis, and final manuscript and defense.
Specialization Course Listings
Choose three of the following:
An examination of strategies and materials necessary for project teams to manage procurement processes and issues. The course covers procurement and contracting for products, services, and personnel, as well as legal and ethical implications of procurement and contracting. You should be able to apply procurement management principles and PMBOK (5th ed) processes to actual contracts and procurement contexts, and to apply organizational theories to project procurement research.
This course examines project risk management planning strategies by teaching you to identify, analyze, and suggest responses to processes regarding monitoring and control. You’ll be evaluated on your response to discussion questions, subject matter related to course activities, and written research papers.
In this course, you’ll explore project monitoring and control components to identify variances from the project plan. You’ll assess project monitoring and the controls to be applied from a theoretical viewpoint by researching key theorists and implementers in the field. The course concludes with a final assessment project in which you formulate corrective actions to bring a project back on plan.
This course provides strategies from industries responsible for management of multiple projects. You’ll utilize multi-project management tools, techniques, and methods needed to successfully manage allocated resources across various projects. At the conclusion, you’ll be evaluated on your response to discussion questions, subject matter related to course activities, and written research papers.
Budgets can provide a measurement of the authorized work physically accomplished, as well a status of the work completed. This course explores an effective tool for both managing budgets and measuring project process: The Earned Value Management technique.
Electives selected on the initial degree plan can be changed upon request to an Academic and Finance Counselor.
Learning Outcomes
Students earning the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration, Project Management specialization will learn to:
- Frame complex problems or questions within the specialization using appropriate conceptual, analytical, and contextual lenses.
Program Disclosure
Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.
Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.
NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.
All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.
National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.