Business Careers--Doctoral Degree
Your Psychology degree can lead to a career in Business with a Doctoral Degree
One way you can use your psychology degree to move forward in your career is to consider getting a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) in a business field (e.g., Accounting, Economics, Finance, Human development in organizational settings, Information systems, Leadership and organizational change, Operations research, and Organizational systems). A PhD degree is typically for those with the goal of a career in higher education as a researcher/teacher. If you decide to move in the direction of a PhD, you will have to be sure you have taken certain Business courses (e.g., Economics) that are required by Business schools. If accepted, you must first earn a Master's degree, either from another school or the same school. When you go for a PhD, you need to keep in mind: (a) the program of study typically requires 4-6 years of graduate school to complete a thesis (research project), (b) at many schools you do NOT pay tuition, and (c) at most schools you will receive a stipend, a form of salary for serving as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA). In general, a PhD offers greater career opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. For example, you can use your PhD to pursue jobs with a company, organization, college, or university.
Those who earn a DBA have typycally been successful in business for some time, have an MBA already, and are looking for a new intellectual challenge. Their docotoral thesis is typically geared toward a more practical or applied issue that helps a specific industry and the economy. Keep in mind that working toward a DBA is more suitable for working professionals who hope to (a) advance to a higher management position, or (b) work as a consult. Also, it is important to note that with a DBA (like a PhD) you will be trained to conduct research, you can teach, and you can publish research articles in professional journals.
Salary Information
Click here to read important steps for a career in Business with an MBA or PhD.
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Click on the links below to read about other Business careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology:
Business Careers--Human Resource Management
Click on the links below to read about another Business career that requires a graduatedegree:
Business Careers--Master's in Business Administration (MBA) Degree