Unique Program Design

Curriculum Overview

The Executive DBA program at Miami Herbert Business School is designed to provide experienced professionals with a rigorous, research-driven curriculum that integrates academic theory with real-world business challenges.
The program requires a total of 60 credit hours. Executives will take eight core courses (24 credits), four EDBA research courses (12 credits), and two guided research courses during the summers (6 credits), along with dissertation-related courses (18 credits) to develop their personalized research agendas under a faculty mentor’s guidance.
This program offers hands-on experience combined with a strong methodological foundation, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Who Can Benefit?
Executives interested in various disciplines, such as:

  • Core Business Areas: Accounting, business law, economics, finance, healthcare management, marketing, management, management science, and business technology.
  • Emerging Topics: Artificial intelligence, financial innovation, healthcare, sustainability, entrepreneurship, real estate, entertainment and hospitality, and global transformation.

Faculty Expertise
Participants have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty experts in these fields while conducting dissertation-related research. With Miami Herbert Business School’s wide-ranging faculty expertise, the program is highly adaptable to individual research interests and career goals.

The program is structured as a three-year curriculum spanning a total of eight semesters, commencing in the fall semester. During the first two years, students will enroll in three courses each semester in both the fall and spring terms. Throughout these initial four semesters, students will attend three immersive three-day weekends on campus, while all other instructional components will be delivered online. In the summer terms of the first and second years, candidates will engage in guided research experiences. In the third year, students will focus on their dissertation, completing the proposal in the fall semester and the dissertation defense in the spring semester. If necessary, the summer of the third year will be dedicated to further dissertation work.

Residency Dates

Fall 2025 Spring 2026
  • September 12-14, 2025
  • October 24-26, 2025
  • December 5-7, 2025
  • January 23-25, 2026
  • March 6-8, 2026
  • April 17-19, 2026

Year 1

Total Credits - 21

Fall Courses (9 credits)

  • Research Symposium (3 credits)
  • Theory and Foundations of Scholarly Research (3 credits)
  • Creating Impactful Business Knowledge (3 credits)

Spring Courses (9 credits)

  • Research Laboratory (3 credits)
  • Generating Business Insights Using Qualitative Analysis (3 credits)
  • Generating Business Insights Using Quantitative Analysis 1 (3 credits)

Summer Courses (3 credits)

  • Guided Research Experience 1 (3 credits)

Year 2

Total Credits - 21

Fall Courses (9 credits)

  • Generating Business Insights Using Quantitative Analysis 2  (3 credits)
  • Introduction to Foundational Business Theories (3 credits)
  • Research Apprenticeship 1  (3 credits)

Spring Courses (9 credits)

  • Thinking Strategically in the Global Marketplace (3 credits)
  • Decision-Making and Creative Thinking  (3 credits)
  • Research Apprenticeship 2 (3 credits)

Summer Courses (3 credits)

  • Guided Research Experience 2 (3 credits)

Year 3

Total Credits - 18

Fall Courses (9 credits)

  • Pre-Candidacy Dissertation Research (9 credits)

Spring Courses (9 credits)

  • Post-Candidacy Dissertation Research (9 credits)
Executives brainstorming

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