April Anderson
Graduate & Professional Programs Recruiter Phone: 865.585.4152 Office Location: CB 197 Email: April.Anderson@LMUnet.edu 
Program Options and Curriculum
The mission of LMU's Doctor of Business Administration program is to create a doctoral learning opportunity for business professionals in Appalachia. Through qualified and experienced faculty, students will be provided the skills necessary to advance the practice of business in a diverse and evolving global economy, to further the body of knowledge and research, and to balance the pursuit of prosperous business practices.
The LMU DBA program is a 60-credit hour, fully online degree designed to emphasize the practical application of advanced business concepts. Delivered in a cohort model, students progress through the program by taking a maximum of six (6) credit hours per semester.
The curriculum begins with 12 credit hours of foundational business courses. Candidates with an MBA or business-related master’s degree may transfer up to 12 credit hours of equivalent coursework to fulfill this requirement. The DBA core includes 12 credit hours focused on integrating business theory with real-world application to address today’s market challenges. Concentrations in Business Analytics, Management, and Marketing, are each comprised of 12 credit hours and allow students to tailor their studies to their professional interests, emphasizing actionable strategies and solutions.
Four (4) research courses prepare students to conduct credible, applied research that bridges the gap between theory and practice. The program culminates in 12 credit hours of dissertation credit, where students work closely with their dissertation committee to address complex, practical business problems, contributing meaningful insights to their fields. The LMU DBA program equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to drive organizational success and serve as thought leaders in business practice.
The LMU DBA program is intended for upwardly mobile professionals and recent MBA graduates with exceptional academic backgrounds. The curriculum is comprised of five critical areas relating to foundational, core, concentration, research methods, and dissertation courses. For a detailed description DBA curriculum, please see below:
*For a list of courses for each program click on the + to expand the list.
| Foundation Courses: | |
| MBA 540 - Business Analytics for Decision Making | 3 |
| MBA 545 - Marketing Management | 3 |
| MBA 550 - Financial Management | 3 |
| MBA 570: Accounting and Decision Making | 3 |
| Business Application Core: | |
| DBA 705 - Microeconomics: Theory of the Firm | 3 |
| DBA 706 - Marketing Strategy, Structures, and Systems | 3 |
| DBA 708 - Competitive Advantage and Innovative Management | 3 |
| DBA 716 - Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 3 |
| Business Analytics Concentration: | |
| MSBA 516 - Business Intelligence and Communication with Data | 3 |
| MSBA 520 - Programming Methods for Business Analytics | 3 |
| MSBA 521 - Data Acquisition and Management for Business Analytics | 3 |
| MSBA 522 - Data Mining Methods for Business Analytics | 3 |
| Research Methods: | |
| DBA 804 - Doctoral Statistics | 3 |
| DBA 805 - Qualitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| DBA 806 - Quantitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| DBA 807 - Multivariate Data Analysis | 3 |
| Dissertation: | |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| Total Program: | 60 |
| Foundation Courses: | |
| MBA 540 - Business Analytics for Decision Making | 3 |
| MBA 545 - Marketing Management | 3 |
| MBA 550 - Financial Management | 3 |
| MBA 570: Accounting and Decision Making | 3 |
| Business Application Core: | |
| DBA 705 - Microeconomics: Theory of the Firm | 3 |
| DBA 706 - Marketing Strategy, Structures, and Systems | 3 |
| DBA 708 - Competitive Advantage and Innovative Management | 3 |
| DBA 716 - Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 3 |
| Management Concentration: | |
| DBA 714 - Managerial Decision Making and Business Policy | 3 |
| DBA 717 - Organizational Theory | 3 |
| DBA 718 - Entrepreneurship and Innovation | 3 |
| MGMT 720 - Organizational Culture and Change | 3 |
| Research Methods: | |
| DBA 804 - Doctoral Statistics | 3 |
| DBA 805 - Qualitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| DBA 806 - Quantitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| DBA 807 - Multivariate Data Analysis | 3 |
| Dissertation: | |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| Total Program: | 60 |
| Foundation Courses: | |
| MBA 540 - Business Analytics for Decision Making | 3 |
| MBA 545 - Marketing Management | 3 |
| MBA 550 - Financial Management | 3 |
| MBA 570 - Accounting and Decision Making | 3 |
| Business Application Core: | |
| DBA 705 - Microeconomics: Theory of the Firm | 3 |
| DBA 706 - Marketing Strategy, Structures, and Systems | 3 |
| DBA 708 - Competitive Advantage and Innovative Management | 3 |
| DBA 716 - Organizational Behavior and Leadership | 3 |
| Marketing Concentration: | |
| DBA 730 - Advanced Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| DBA 731 - Data-Driven Marketing Management | 3 |
| DBA 732 - Global Brand Strategy | 3 |
| DBA 733 - Integrated Marketing Communications | 3 |
| Research Methods: | |
| DBA 804 - Doctoral Statistics | 3 |
| DBA 805 - Qualitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| DBA 806 - Quantitative Research Design and Analysis | 3 |
| DBA 807 - Multivariate Data Analysis | 3 |
| Dissertation: | |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| DBA 899 - Dissertation | 3 |
| Total Program: | 60 |
Click the link below to view current cost of attendance at Lincoln Memorial University.
Applicants must submit the online application for admission, application essays, the $50 application fee, a current resume including professional references which may be checked, official transcripts showing the completion of a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree, official transcripts showing the completion of a regionally accredited Master of Business Administration (MBA) or business-related master's degree with a cumulative GPA of a 3.5, and official transcripts of all other undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate/professional course work from regionally accredited institutions.
International students must have a minimum score of 70 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a six (6) on the IELTS exam. In cases where a foreign student is otherwise qualified for admission to the program, but his/her TOEFL score indicates the need for additional English language instruction, he/she might be admitted conditionally to the program pending satisfactory completion of the necessary courses.
If an applicant, domestic or international, has completed their bachelor’s degree in a country other than the United States, the applicant is required to submit a degree evaluation report from a reputable credentialing service (WES – World Education Services, https://wes.org/) that demonstrates degree and course equivalency. The official report for each degree evaluation report must be submitted directly from the credentialing service and provided to the School of Business; Graduate Department; 421 Park 40 North Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37923.
The admission decision is based on an evaluation of all application materials submitted by the individual. The following are criteria utilized in the decision process:
*If possible, please send transcripts electronically for the time being to ensure timely receipt on behalf of LMU School of Business.