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Doctor of Philosophy in
Business Administration (PhD-BA),
Strategic Marketing

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100% ONLINE PhD-BA

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Finish your PhD-BA in just 20 courses.

PhD-BA in Strategic Marketing

The Strategic Marketing Specialization at the doctoral level delivers a next-generation approach to strategic marketing, transcending traditional marketing management and research methodology. This tertiary level specialization delivers benchmark training in the three pillars of global change leadership, marketing science, and innovation in marketing economics. Following the execution of strategic coursework, students will focus on real-world global product strategy and advanced digital marketing across the entire scope of the product life cycle. The specialization provides strategies for a sound, systematic, ethical, and legal approach to contemporary and emergent marketing practices. At the conclusion, students will be well-prepared to lead the marketing workforce of tomorrow.

Why Earn Your PhD in Strategic Marketing with National University?

This PhD specialization delivers a next-generation approach to strategic marketing with benchmark training in change leadership, marketing science, and innovative marketing economics. Coursework focuses on real-world global strategies and advanced digital marketing tools across the entire product life cycle. The program provides effective, systematic, and ethical approaches to contemporary and emergent marketing practices, preparing you to lead the dynamic organizations and campaigns demanded by today’s evolving marketplace.

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

In this doctoral course, you’ll examine and synthesize foundational concepts of leadership, disruptive innovation, change management, and marketing theory to become a more effective marketing leader. Your studies will then explore how these attributes are built around environmental research, strategic differentiation, the product life cycle, segmentation strategies, the marketing mix (4 Ps), and the new product cycle.

This course incorporates product and brand strategies into a comprehensive management platform to gain an understanding of how to create the best marketing plan with the optimal marketing mix. Brand development will focus on image and equity coupled with product management. You’ll learn to apply best practices, a strategic marketing plan, and brand requirements to create new concepts and constructs that yield optimal marketing results.

The emerging fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is expanding greatly as a result of platform technologies. As a result, modern marketing managers need to develop a more scientific, data perspective when evaluating strategic planning and execution imperatives in the ever-changing global marketplace. This course analyzes the interaction between technical, business, and human elements of personalized marketing that are driven by artificial intelligence. You’ll also explore the cultural, diversity, ethical, and legal responsibilities of marketing managers who possess ever-greater amounts of personalized data on consumers.

This course examines strategic integrated marketing communication (IMC) programs and processes. You’ll focus on social media as an IMC tool in conjunction with influential advertising, promotion, and public relations. You’ll also develop dynamic strategic marketing communications by analyzing the elements and impact of IMC, including current trends, technology, and other macro-environmental issues.

Product management is a critical activity that helps develop winning products, increase market share, improve customer appeal, and beat the competition. This course provides the marketing foundations required to develop a global product marketing strategy utilizing various analytical tools and cultural assessment. You’ll develop sound product strategies and an effective marketing plan through a series of exercises performed from a global perspective.

Electives selected on the initial degree plan can be changed upon request to an Academic and Finance Counselor.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students earning the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration, Strategic Marketing 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.