DBA in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Degree – Qualitative

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Degree Level

Doctoral

Class Setting

Online

Area of Study

Business

Program

DBA: Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship (Qualitative)

Current Education Level

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Citizenship Status

U.S. Citizen

Military Affiliation

No military affiliation

Country

United States

GCU alumni enrolling in a doctoral program for the first time may be eligible for a $2,000 scholarship.^§

Alumni Doctoral Degree Scholarship

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Overview

Help Organizations Seize Opportunities

Students in the qualitative Doctor of Business Administration: Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship program will study how to transform an existing organization’s culture into one that is poised and positioned to seize new market opportunities. Through the study of events and observed phenomenon, students will be taught how to plan and commercialize innovations to help organizations of all types and sizes gain a competitive advantage and out-perform others in their respective niches.

Doctor of Business Administration: Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship (Qualitative Research)

Offered By

College of Doctoral Studies

Class Settings

Evening

Online

Tuition Rate

Online: $750 per credit [More Info]

Evening: $750 per credit [More Info]

Cost of Attendance

Course Information

Credits: 60

Campus: 15 weeks

Online: 8 weeks

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Transfer Credits

Up to 9 doctoral credits

Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements (Doctoral)

Doctoral Degree
3.4+ GPA*

OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and

Masters Degree
3.4 GPA**

Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an institutionally accredited school. Applicants with a GPA less than 3.4 may be accepted with specifications.
** Degree must be from an institutionally accredited school. Applicants with a GPA between 3.0 - 3.39 may be accepted with specifications. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 will not be accepted.

Why GCU

Earn Your Doctorate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation From GCU

The qualitative DBA in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship degree at Grand Canyon University (GCU) guides students through the research process of collecting and analyzing non-numerical data to understand concepts, opinions and experiences as they relate to business. This program is slightly different from our quantitative DBA in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship program which focuses on analyzing and interpreting numeric business-related data using statistical tools.

Quantitative Program Option

Coursework

Study Advanced Topics Through Relevant Coursework

GCU’s online DBA in innovation and entrepreneurship degree requires a minimum of 60 credits to completion and offers flexibility to complete the online courses while balancing your other commitments.

You will gain knowledge and skills from expert faculty while studying these topics in entrepreneurship:

Principle elements of research, scholarly writing and effective argumentation
Theories and frameworks that drive financial decision making
Structures, conditions, rewards, principles, practices, information systems that influence organizational innovation
Inquisitive creative approach to uncover important new sizable market opportunities
Processes for transforming skeptics and casual supporters to committed advocates
Microeconomic principles that can help provide solutions to business problems
Leadership skills and capabilities required to foster, lead and sustain innovation in organizations

Rooted in research, this DBA qualitative program introduces students to the foundations of research design, particularly the design and development of a qualitative study. Our dissertation experience provides peer mentorship opportunities and guides students through the process of becoming practitioner-scholars.

Gain Real-World Experience Through Residency Opportunities

In addition to your core online classes, innovative entrepreneurship students will participate in two five-day residencies on or near GCU’s Phoenix campus. These are opportunities to network and collaborate in-person with other doctoral students and faculty.

During the first residency, students will apply research design principles to develop foundational elements for their potential dissertation. Research skills will continue to be developed through hands-on activities. In the second residency, students will present and defend a preliminary design of their dissertation research from the first residency. By the second residency, students will be placed in either the quantitative or qualitative program based on their selected research methodology.

GCU’s College of Doctoral Studies offers faculty support, resources, personal guidance and access to the innovative Doctoral Community Network (The DC NetworkTM) for every student throughout their doctoral journey.

Explore Doctoral Resources

Develop Valuable Skills for Innovative Entrepreneurship

The curriculum in the doctorate degree in entrepreneurship and innovation supports GCU’s mission to provide students with a private education that is studied through a Christian worldview.

DBA graduates will also gain core competencies in designing, conducting and reporting on the results of their individual qualitative research. To help become successful academic scholars, learners will apply research methods to solve local business problems.

Current and aspiring business leaders will hone their skills in the following areas:

Effective communication
Ethical decision making
Critical thinking
Analytical reasoning

Careers

Grow Your Career With a Doctorate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Entrepreneurs and business leaders are continuously challenged to stay relevant and ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing business world. With a DBA in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship degree, graduates will possess keen qualitative research skills and knowledge to pursue advanced positions in the business field.

Positions that are related to this degree include:

Chief executive officer

Vice president of strategy

Vice president of marketing

Business consultant

Postsecondary business professor

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more about the doctorate degree in entrepreneurship and innovation and how to advance your business career, read our answers to these frequently asked questions:

The attainment of a doctoral degree that emphasizes corporate entrepreneurship increases the opportunity to rapidly take advantage of new business opportunities within the framework of an existing organizational structure. This degree equips senior executives, managers, engineers and developers to lead innovative transformation in their organizations. In a world where “innovate or die” is common, the DBA in corporate entrepreneurship may be the key to propelling a career while unlocking the hidden potential within organizations of all sizes. Not only does the DBA in corporate entrepreneurship prepare business leaders, graduates who hold a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) can teach college-level business courses or apply their savvy research skills to make improvements in a business administrative capacity.

Corporate entrepreneurship is the discipline of implementing structures and conditions that make value-adding innovations repeatable and sustainable. Corporate entrepreneurship is the science behind sustained creativity and innovation. A corporate entrepreneur is a person who transforms their organization based on a set of principles and processes. Corporate entrepreneurs serve as change agents within their organizations, leading innovation to out-perform the market. The corporate entrepreneur employs proven practices and disciplines to increase the likelihood of sustainable innovation and business agility.

Many prospective corporate entrepreneurs have degrees in business, engineering and software development. To be successful, corporate entrepreneurs should also have skills in establishing the structures and conditions necessary to transform organizations and prepare them to be competitive in the future. The DBA in corporate entrepreneurship may provide an advantage for established professionals seeking to invigorate their careers and organizations.

Creativity is often associated with words like “original” and “unique,” particularly as it relates to an idea. To succeed in corporate entrepreneurship, one must be able to creatively identify an opportunity and then work within the organization to secure the necessary support and resources to produce the offering. Additionally, the corporate entrepreneur must know how to do this within an existing organization process or product, or by incorporating change that adds value to an organization process or product.¹

Courses

Course List

Credit Summary

Major60 credits

Degree Requirements60 credits

To learn more about time to completion and the dissertation process at GCU, visit our doctoral page.

Core Courses

RES-815

3 Total Credits

Course Description

This course introduces doctoral learners to the principle elements of research, scholarly writing, and effective argumentation. Learners are made aware of the dispositions and expectations of doctoral researchers as well as the University’s overarching values and beliefs regarding research and the responsibility of scholars to contribute new knowledge to their respective fields of study. Learners begin the process of identifying a researchable dissertation topic and are acquainted with appropriate scholarly resources that support the development of the dissertation.

RES-820E

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners are introduced to the critical reading of scholarly qualitative and quantitative literature at the doctoral level. Learners also explore the concept of synthesizing the scholarly literature to identify problems and problem spaces that emerge to form a researchable topic of study. The application of scholarly argumentation from the extant literature to defend the need for a research study is discussed.

DBA-820

3 Total Credits

INN-812

3 Total Credits

RES-831

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners are introduced to key components of qualitative and quantitative research designs and the means to critically appraise the application of research designs as observed in the scholarly literature. The University's core research designs are presented. Consideration is given to the initial selection and defense of a research design to address a problem that emerged from the extant literature.

RES-832

3 Total Credits

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to the sampling, data collection, and data analysis methods employed in qualitative and quantitative research designs. Learners explore the alignment of sampling, data collection, and data analysis methods to the research topic, research questions, and research design. The course positions learners to select qualitative or quantitative designs for their dissertation studies. Prerequisite: RES-831.

RSD-851

3 Total Credits

INN-817

3 Total Credits

INN-822

3 Total Credits

Course Description

Having successfully prototyped a disruptive innovation, the process of corporate entrepreneurship then requires committed support from internal and external stakeholders. This course examines the process and structure for transforming both skeptics and casual supporters to committed advocates. Consideration is given to enacting due diligence and a deliberate communication cadence.

RES-841

3 Total Credits

RES-843

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners differentiate the epistemological foundations and explore the data trustworthiness, research ethics, and potential for bias in descriptive, case study, and phenomenology research designs. The process of building a rationale for design choice and aligning the research questions, interview questions, problem statement, and purpose statement is addressed. Sources of qualitative data are introduced for each design, and ethical aspects of research are discussed. Prerequisite: RES-841.

DBA-815

3 Total Credits

DBA-835

3 Total Credits

RSD-883

3 Total Credits

INN-827

3 Total Credits

DBA-955

3 Total Credits

RES-873

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners explore qualitative data collection techniques and sources of qualitative data in the context of answering the research questions posed by a study. Consideration is given to the recognition of data saturation and the management of data. Learners continue to work with their respective dissertation chairs to prepare a written statement of data collection, and management activities. Prerequisites: RES-843 and one of the following: DBA-955 or DIS-955 or DHA-955 or PSY-955 or PCE-955 or TLC-955.

DBA-960

3 Total Credits

RES-883

3 Total Credits

Course Description

In this course, learners focus on the interpretation of qualitative data to produce written research findings, results, and implications. Learners continue to work with their respective dissertation chairs and apply information from this course to move ahead in the dissertation process. Prerequisites: RES-873 and one of the following: DBA-960 or DIS-960 or DHA-960 or PSY-960 or PCE-960 or TLC-960.

DBA-965

3 Total Credits

Continuation Courses

The course identified above represent the minimum academic course requirements only. Most students will also need to take one or more of the following Research Continuation Courses to complete a dissertation. Research Continuation Courses are 3-credit courses charged at the standard doctoral per credit rate.

DBA-966E

3 Total Credits

DBA-967E

3 Total Credits

DBA-968E

3 Total Credits

DBA-969E

3 Total Credits

DBA-970E

3 Total Credits

DBA-971E

3 Total Credits

DBA-972E

3 Total Credits

DBA-973E

3 Total Credits

DBA-974E

3 Total Credits

GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change

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^§ MOU-Alumni 2000 Doctoral-July2025: The Alumni Scholarship for Doctoral Programs is only valid for those applicants who submit a complete application and begin a Doctoral program in July 2025. This scholarship cannot be used in conjunction with any other GCU scholarship or awards and only applies to online and evening programs. Please speak to a university counselor for complete details.

¹ Retrieved from Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Innovation and Invention: How They Differ, in May 2022.