How a DBA Supports Career Growth Through Applied Research

For many experienced professionals, career growth is not only about moving into a higher-level title. It is about developing the ability to think more strategically, solve complex problems, and lead meaningful change within an organization.

A Doctor of Business Administration, or DBA, is designed to help professionals do exactly that. Through applied research, DBA students learn how to examine real-world business challenges, use evidence to support decisions, and develop insights that can strengthen their leadership practice.

According to Dr. Jacqueline J. McCoy, Discipline Chair for the DBA program at Concordia University Chicago, a DBA “helps us develop those professional skills that allow us to think innovatively and strategically about our business practice.”

That distinction is important. A DBA is not only about academic study. It is about helping professionals use research-based thinking to address the problems they encounter in their current roles, industries, and organizations.

How a DBA Can Impact Career Growth

A DBA can support career growth by helping professionals build the skills needed to lead at a more strategic level.

Many professionals enter a DBA program with years of experience. They may already understand their industry, manage teams, or contribute to organizational decisions. The DBA helps them take that experience further by adding a structured research process.

Dr. McCoy explains that DBA students learn “how to frame a problem, narrow that scope of inquiry, use evidence, and develop insights that can support our decisions.”

Those skills are valuable across industries because leaders are often responsible for making decisions in complex, uncertain, or changing environments. A DBA can help professionals move beyond instinct or experience alone and begin approaching challenges with a more disciplined, evidence-based mindset.

This kind of preparation can be useful for professionals who want to:

• Move into higher-level strategic roles
• Lead organizational change
• Advise businesses or nonprofit organizations
• Consult within their field
• Teach in higher education
• Publish research or thought leadership
• Apply research-based insights to current business challenges

For many students, the DBA is not a pause in their career. It is a way to strengthen the work they are already doing.

Applying DBA Skills Before Graduation

One of the most practical aspects of an applied DBA program is that students can begin using what they learn right away.

Dr. McCoy notes that Concordia University Chicago encourages students “from day one to implement strategies and innovation they’re learning into their everyday business practice.”

That approach matters for working professionals. Students do not have to wait until graduation to benefit from the program. As they develop research, analysis, and leadership skills, they can begin applying those skills to the challenges already in front of them.

This might include evaluating employee engagement, improving internal processes, supporting technology adoption, strengthening customer satisfaction, or helping an organization navigate change.

As Dr. McCoy explains, “We’re not asking them to wait until they graduate to begin using these skills.”

Instead, students are encouraged to begin leading change, advising organizations, and thinking intentionally about how the DBA may support their next professional step.

From Experience to Evidence-Based Leadership

Professional experience is valuable, but experience alone does not always provide a clear path forward.

A DBA helps professionals connect their experience with evidence. That means learning how to ask better questions, examine a problem more carefully, analyze what is happening, and develop solutions that are supported by research.

This can shift how professionals approach leadership.

Rather than simply reacting to a challenge, a DBA student learns how to define the issue, narrow the focus, review relevant evidence, and consider solutions that are practical and data-informed. That process can help leaders communicate more clearly, make stronger recommendations, and support decisions with greater confidence.

Dr. McCoy describes DBA students as professionals who use “their experience and their God-given gifts to solve real-world problems.”

That combination of professional experience, personal purpose, and research-based thinking is one of the reasons a DBA can be valuable for professionals seeking long-term career growth.

Real-World Problems DBA Students May Explore

DBA students often focus on problems connected to their own work, vocation, or business practice.

Dr. McCoy explains that students are encouraged to “use what is in front of them” and choose issues that are applicable to their professional setting. This keeps the research grounded in real-world relevance.

While technology, including artificial intelligence, continues to shape the business landscape, many core organizational challenges remain consistent. Dr. McCoy notes that AI has not diminished the typical issues seen in business practice.

Examples may include:

• Leadership challenges
• Employee engagement
• Organizational resistance to change
• Customer satisfaction
• Technology adoption resistance
• Operational performance
• Strategic decision-making
• Workforce development
• Process improvement
• Innovation management

These issues affect organizations across industries. They also require leaders who can think critically, evaluate evidence, and develop practical solutions.

A DBA gives students the opportunity to explore these challenges in a structured way while building skills that can support their current and future leadership roles.

Why Applied Research Matters in Business

Applied research is one of the defining features of a DBA program.

Unlike research that remains purely theoretical, applied research is focused on practical problems. For DBA students, that often means investigating challenges that have direct relevance to organizations, industries, employees, customers, and communities.

This type of research can help professionals become more effective decision-makers. It gives them a way to move from identifying a problem to understanding its causes and evaluating possible solutions.

In business practice, that ability can be especially valuable. Leaders are often asked to make recommendations, justify investments, guide teams through change, or improve organizational performance. Applied research helps them do that with greater structure and credibility.

For professionals who want to expand their influence, this can be an important step. The DBA helps students develop the kind of research-based perspective that can support executive leadership, consulting, teaching, publishing, and strategic advisory work.

Career Paths a DBA May Support

A DBA can support several types of career goals, depending on a student’s background, interests, and professional experience.

Some students may want to move into higher-level leadership roles within their current organization. Others may want to consult, advise businesses, teach, or contribute research to their field.

Dr. McCoy notes that DBA students may look ahead and ask whether they want to use the degree “to teach” or “to consult.” She also shares that many students publish following graduation.

Because the DBA is grounded in applied research, it can be useful for professionals who want to remain connected to practice while also developing stronger research and thought leadership skills.

Potential career applications may include:

• Senior leadership
• Executive advising
• Management consulting
• Organizational development
• Business strategy
• Health care administration
• Higher education teaching
• Research and publication
• Innovation leadership
• Change management

The value of the DBA is not limited to one specific role. Its broader value lies in helping professionals become stronger strategic thinkers and more evidence-based leaders.

Preparing to Lead Change

Organizations continue to face complex challenges related to technology, workforce expectations, operational performance, customer needs, and market change. These challenges require leaders who can do more than manage day-to-day tasks.

They require professionals who can ask better questions, evaluate information, and lead with both strategy and purpose.

A DBA program helps students develop those capabilities through applied research and real-world problem solving. It gives experienced professionals a framework for using their knowledge in deeper, more intentional ways.

For professionals who are ready to move into higher-level strategic roles, advise organizations, teach, consult, or contribute new insights to their field, a DBA can offer a meaningful path forward.

At Concordia University Chicago, DBA students are encouraged to begin applying what they learn from the start of the program. That makes the DBA not only a credential for future advancement, but also a practical tool for leading change in the work professionals are already doing.

To learn more about Concordia University Chicago’s doctoral business programs, explore the DBA in Strategic Leadership and Innovation or DBA in Innovation in Health Care Management. 

You can also review admission and tuition information to understand next steps.

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