Executive Doctorate in Business Administration to Debut
Seasoned professionals who want to take their business knowledge—and their careers—to the next level have a new option: the Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (EDBA). The degree, which the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business will begin offering in September, is a three-year, part-time program for working professionals who previously earned business-related master’s degrees and have 8–10 years of experience in management or consulting.
Students in the program will learn to solve complex, real-world business problems using applied, evidence-based analyses of data. The program emphasizes practical business research techniques and will enroll a small cohort of 20 students to deepen networking relationships among students and research-focused faculty.
“We wanted to meet the learning needs of people who say, ‘I have my master’s, I continue to work but I still want to know more and dive deeper,’ ” says Robert S. Rubin, associate professor of management and the EDBA faculty board chair.
Ray Whittington, dean of the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, says “DePaul’s EDBA is a practical, career-advancing doctoral program that equips executives with the tools to rigorously analyze real business data and find hidden solutions.”
Visit go.depaul.edu/EDBA for more information.
Sandra Shelton (third from left) with three of the DePaul professors she helped mentor through The PhD Project: James Mourey, Stephani Mason and Willie Reddic.
Professor Earns PhD Project Hall of Fame Award
When Sandra Shelton received her PhD in accounting two decades ago, she was a rarity. There were only a handful of minorities enrolled in accountancy doctoral programs nationally then. Today, there are more than 1,200 minority business professors with PhDs, thanks in part to the tireless work of Shelton and other pioneering professors at The PhD Project.
Founded by auditing and accounting firm KPMG in 1994, The PhD Project is an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in business education. Shelton, the KPMG Distinguished Professor of Accountancy at DePaul, was inducted into The PhD Project’s Hall of Fame in November for her role in mentoring diverse faculty and students. DePaul has the most professors nationally who are alumni of The PhD Project.
“The PhD Project gave me the opportunity to give back,” Shelton says. “I am so grateful to the program and KPMG. It has definitely made a difference.”
Alumni Connect Students With Sports Management
DePaul students got an inside view of Chicago athletics organizations, including the Bears, from alumni and others who work in sports management.
DePaul business students got an inside look at the internal operations of Chicago sports franchises through a unique management course that connected them to alumni and other professionals working in these organizations.
During five days in December, the class visited 14 sports organizations, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Blackhawks, as well as the corporate offices of athletics-related products, such as Gatorade. Faculty member Andy Clark, director of the college’s sports management programs, and his class were given extraordinary access to front offices and sneak peeks at new facilities, products and services by the 75 management and marketing professionals they met.
About 20 percent of the sports management professionals they visited were DePaul alumni.
“It was a great chance to meet people who are important in the industry,” says MBA student Ryan O’Neill. “We really got to know them and network with them. If you’re interested in the sports industry and looking to learn more about it, this course is a great experience.”
