Weatherhead School of Management is known as the birthplace of many groundbreaking management theories and principles—all developed by the innovative minds in our school through exacting, forward-thinking research.
From organizational behavior to design and innovation, accountancy to business administration, Case Western Reserve University’s doctoral programs in management will help you hone your own research skills and gain the insight you need to become a thought leader in your own right.
What You Can Study
Whether you’re looking to pursue a career in academia or heighten your knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of business and management, our doctoral programs will help you achieve your goals.
In three to five years (or more, if your schedule requires it), you can enter the next phase of your career trained in trailblazing theories and perspectives—and armed with plenty of your own ideas to make your mark in the field.
DBA vs PhD
What is the difference between professional doctorate degrees such as the DBA and PhD? Both degrees focus on applying evidence-based research to solve real-world problems. Our DBA—formerly offered as a Doctor of Management (DM)—focuses more on practical outcomes and implications of research (practitioner-scholar) while our PhD programs focus more on academic or scholarly outcomes (scholar-practitioner) and prepare many for academic careers.
One way to generally characterize these professional management doctorate degrees and how they differ from a "traditional" academic PhD degree is the following:
- The DBA practitioner-scholar looks to make a contribution by applying or developing focal theory for a practical problem; the traditional PhD scholar seeks to make a contribution with generalized theory within a discipline.
- The DBA practitioner-scholar is primarily a problem solver that uses evidence and research to solve practical problems; the traditional PhD scholar is a scholar with a focus on theory.
- The DBA practitioner-scholar asks how do I solve this problem hurdle? The traditional PhD scholar asks, how do I understand and explain this theory-informed phenomenon better?
- The DBA practitioner-scholar draws upon integrative, interdisciplinary education; the traditional PhD scholar draws upon highly specialized singular disciplinary education focused most of the time in a singular business function such as marketing or accounting.
Other Opportunities for Education
Not yet ready to start your doctorate? You can gain your foundation through one of our master’s degrees or consider shorter-term options, such as certificate offerings or our executive education programs.