Business leaders are grappling with an unprecedented influx of data, often needing more tools to harness its potential for driving business decisions. To this rapid technological advancement, where data, information and artificial intelligence are reshaping the business landscape, the Naveen Jindal School of Management has responded with a unique offering: the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). The Jindal School welcomed its first cohort of senior leaders into the program, designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge to navigate this evolving environment.

The new program was spearheaded by Dr. Varghese Jacob, vice dean and Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair, and two faculty members, Dr. Vijay Mookerjee, the Nancy and Charles Davidson Chair, and Dr. Amit Mehra, both professors in the Information Systems Area.

“We worked with Jindal faculty members to create a high-quality, timely program, exclusively tailored for busy and fully employed executives needing to understand how to use qualitative and quantitative tools to convert data into meaningful information,” Jacob said. “The program highlights one of the ways that the Jindal School is meeting its mission to deliver high-quality management education for executives.”

The impetus behind establishing the DBA program was to stay at the forefront of business education, Mehra said.

“In this region, where a robust DBA program was unavailable, despite the abundance of businesses and leaders, we saw an opportunity to elevate business success by imparting knowledge focused on data-driven decision-making,” he said.

Meeting this goal required careful curriculum development to encourage students to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills and to apply these skills in practice. These are essential qualities for an adaptive, innovative program that fulfills its promise.

Mookerjee said the guiding principles for the curriculum are about identifying the right problem to solve, understanding the data associated with the problem and analyzing the data using the most powerful research tools available today.

“Senior leaders need to understand data at a granular level and cannot just defer that understanding to their subordinates,” he said.

Mookerjee and Mehra agree that the curriculum will prepare the Jindal School’s DBA students with the ability to tackle the stickiest and most complex problems facing their industries.

In Fall 2023, the inaugural class of doctoral students arrived on campus. The class is comprised of senior business executives who bring a vigorous, fully developed portfolio of business success and numerous years of business experience to the classroom. Some seasoned students have already earned a master’s degree, but several have arrived with many years of success in business and an undergraduate degree.

The Jindal School’s DBA program attracts students from across the country. One such student is Amee’ra Fuller, a licensed social worker who traveled from Miami Beach, Florida, to Dallas for UTD’s DBA Program. Fuller’s objective is not merely to acquire knowledge but also to understand its active application and consequential real-world impact. Engaging in the program has widened her views and provided her with applicable tools and strategies to drive significant progress within her field.

“Being the sole mental health-focused individual in the cohort, I find it refreshing to connect with professionals from various business domains,” she said. “We’re reimagining top priorities for all business requirements and reshaping interactions with diverse departments and individuals.”

Aaron Galloway, EMBA ’23, envisions leveraging his business expertise to educate and influence the next generation. “My goal, even while pursuing my bachelor’s degree, has been to become a formidable business leader and eventually educate our future business leaders,” he said. “My aspiration is to give back and hopefully equip students with the tools they need to excel in their careers.”

Galloway’s aspirations resonate with those of many inaugural DBA students, who view the program as a transformative journey that blends academic rigor with practical application. The unique integration of theory and practice distinguishes the DBA program at the Jindal School, attracting professionals like Fuller, Galloway and others.

“While the students are still relatively new in this multi-year program, we continue to be impressed by their diligence in preparation and classroom engagement,” Mookerjee said. “They possess exceptional domain knowledge and are working incredibly hard to gain further insight into the transformative power of data and how this knowledge can impact their professional careers.”

John Barden, associate dean for Executive Education at the Jindal School, said he and his team expect great outcomes from the program. “Some of our students will gain knowledge that will change the trajectory of their businesses and futures,” he said. “Other graduates will lead nonprofit organizations to new levels of achievement — and we can’t wait to follow their successes.”

Mehra said the program is not about ticking boxes on a student’s knowledge checklist, but rather fostering a mindset in its students that embraces innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.