I've been told more than once that a DBA isn't a real doctorate.
The first time, I'll be honest. I questioned it.
Then I thought about the hours. The late nights after full workdays. The drafts, the revisions, the committee feedback. The time and effort were every bit as real as anyone else's. I couldn't buy into the "not real" deal. I still don't.
Here's how I got there.
When I retired from the Navy, I landed in academia. I loved teaching, but I wanted more from my educational career than the classroom. I wanted growth. Chair. Dean. VP. A doctorate was part of that path.
The question was which one.
I knew myself. I didn't want to get stuck doing research for the sake of research. I like to do the work. I wanted to put theories into action, not just write thought pieces about them.
So I chose the DBA.
Part of it was personal. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do the work. Then I wanted that work to matter beyond my own transcript. My doctoral study took on veteran unemployment, a real problem affecting real people at the time. Not a thought piece. A problem to solve.
What I didn't plan for was what came next. I thought I was going to be a consultant. And I am. But then my first coaching client approached me, almost by accident. A doctoral student who was stuck and needed someone who had been there.
That accident became PhinisheD Doc.
I help students finish their doctoral journeys because of my DBA experience, not in spite of it. Application is what I do.
So What's Actually the Difference?
If you're choosing a path, or second-guessing the one you're on, here's the plain-language breakdown.
A PhD is built to create new knowledge. It usually focuses on developing or testing theory and adding original research to a field. It's often the route for people headed toward research-focused careers.
A DBA is built to apply knowledge. It's a practitioner doctorate. You still complete rigorous doctoral research, but the focus is on using that research to solve a real business or organizational problem.
Both are doctorates. Both demand serious time, discipline, and scholarship. And both end with you earning the title.
Which Path Fits You?
A PhD might fit if you love the questions themselves and want a career built around studying them.
A DBA might fit if you're a working professional who wants your doctorate to sharpen what you already do and open doors to leadership.
Neither one is the "lesser" choice. The right one is the one that matches how you want to use it.
If Someone Tells You Your Degree Isn't Real
Practitioner scholars hear this more than they should. And if you're a scholar of color, a woman, a veteran, or LGBTQ+, you may already know what it feels like to have your credentials questioned more than once.
Know what rigor actually looks like. Applied doesn't mean easy. It means your research has to hold up in the real world, not just on paper.
Remember who your work serves. Your doctoral study can change how an organization runs, how a team leads, or how a community gets served.
Don't let someone else's definition shrink your story. You earned every page.
Whatever doctorate you're pursuing, finishing it is what matters. If you're stuck somewhere along the way, that's exactly where I come in.
Book your free discovery call today.
