Long renowned for its innovative, exceptional graduate programs, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business recently launched an Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (Executive DBA) program, an applied, terminal business degree for experienced professionals.

Ron Elowitz calls himself a lifelong learner, and with four master’s degrees, he’s certainly earned the title. But to reach his long-term goal of full-time teaching at the university level, he knew he needed to go back to school again.

“Universities are looking for business faculty with both work experience and doctoral-level degrees. They need research and organizational skills,” Elowitz explained. A resident of Watchung, N.J., Elowitz started hearing about Fairfield University as he began his search for the right program. “What struck me was that everyone I met who was connected to Fairfield was effusive about what an incredible school, incredible experience, and incredible alumni network it has. It’s more nationally renowned than the size of the school would suggest.”

Elowitz is one of seven students enrolled in Dolan’s new Executive DBA program, a low residency, hybrid program for experienced business professionals. The coursework, much of it related to quantitative and qualitative research and analysis of current business challenges, is the same for all. However, students can customize the program to focus on their particular areas of interest, such as finance, analytics, or marketing. The program takes three years to complete.

“Students will use their dissertations to customize the DBA experience,” explained Leanne De Los Santos, senior assistant dean of graduate programs. “In the first year, they’ll work with the academic director to finesse their dissertation topic and identify the faculty who will serve on their dissertation committee. If the topic is finance, for example, they’ll receive support from faculty in Dolan’s finance department. The goal is to embed the dissertation within the program.”

Dolan’s first Executive DBA cohort represents a mix of accomplished business professionals from established companies, start-ups, and academia, each with at least ten years of work experience and a master’s degree in a relevant field. The two expected outcomes of the DBA, said De Los Santos, are to advance within their industry, or to prepare them to teach at a college level.

While subsequent cohorts are expected to double in size, “they will be kept small so our faculty can provide the support and resources each student needs to complete the dissertation within three years,” De Los Santos explained.

Rosemarie McLaughlin ’89, an incoming student in the program and an alumna who has stayed connected to Fairfield, appreciates the cohort model of the program and is looking forward to the networking opportunities. She also noted that the hybrid program structure, where students meet on campus for four weekends each year, is a plus. McLaughlin holds both a CPA and an MBA, but, like Elowitz, was looking for a degree that will allow her greater flexibility to teach full-time at the college level.

“The Dolan School has a reputation for being forward-looking, and over the years we’ve launched very relevant master’s programs in analytics and fintech, plus concentrations including cybersecurity within the MBA,” said De Los Santos. “The DBA is another cutting-edge program designed to give professionals the tools they need to lead and innovate in today’s business climate.”