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Best Doctorate Degrees For 4 In-Demand Industries

Doctorate degrees aren’t just for college professors—they’re a way to show expertise in a field, gain valuable research and writing skills and advance your career. Anyone who wants to take an executive or leadership position, or transition into academia, can benefit from getting their doctorate. However, doctorate degrees require time and dedication, and necessitate intense study, research and writing to complete. If you’re considering pursuing your doctorate, you need to be passionate about your career and consider all the doors a doctorate will open, in addition to increased earning potential. With that in mind, we’ll outline four of the top professionals who can benefit from getting their doctorate and how it can help you take your career to the next level.

Best Doctorate Degrees For Marketing Professionals

It may not seem obvious, but doctoral programs are a natural extension of the skills you need to be a successful marketing leader. Excelling at research, communication and leadership are crucial to the success of marketing executives. There are two types of doctoral programs that are ideal for marketing professionals. Ph.D. in Marketing The Ph.D. in Marketing focuses on the research and theories of marketing. Programs are extremely flexible, allowing you to pursue everything from mathematical and statistical modeling to consumer behavior and competitive strategy. You may want to choose a Ph.D. in Marketing because:

  • Your career goal is to become a professor or researcher in academia
  • You’re a recent master’s graduate with minimal professional experience
  • You want to pursue original research, rather than study current research or trends

graphic describing the average salaries for top academic marketing professionals

DBA with a Concentration in Marketing A DBA prepares you to put theory into practice, advancing your practical market research skills and applying them to real-world business challenges. These programs also help you sharpen your managerial skills to create positive change in your organization. You may want to choose a DBA with a Concentration in Marketing because:

  • Your career goal is to become a marketing leader at the executive level
  • You have ample professional experience and want to increase your expertise and gain leadership skills
  • You want to use your research skills to solve real-world marketing problems

graphic describing the average salaries for top marketing leadership positions


Earning a doctorate is challenging and rewarding, but do you know what to really expect? Download this free guide for tips and insights to help you prepare for success.
 

Best Doctorate Degrees for Business Leaders

More and more, business professionals are pursuing doctorates to gain the research, communication and leadership skills needed to drive efficiency at organizations across industries. There are three primary doctoral programs for business leaders looking to advance their careers, each designed to help professionals achieve their specific career goals. Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)Doctor of Business Administration programs are ideal for business executives or those looking to advance their career to executive positions within their companies. You may want to pursue a DBA because:

  • You have extensive real-world experience in business leadership positions
  • You want to gain qualitative and quantitative research skills to make data-backed business decisions
  • You want to apply business and leadership theory to real-world business challenges

graphic describing the average salaries for top business leadership positions

Ph.D in Business Administration The Ph.D in Business Administration is fundamentally different from the DBA as it focuses heavily on business theory.

  • You may want to pursue a Ph.D. in Business Administration because:
  • You want to transition to a career in academia as an educator or administrator
  • You want to design and conduct original research studies and advance business theory
  • You recently completed a master’s program and have minimal practical business experience

graphic describing the average salaries for business leaders in academia

Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) A Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership is a degree with a broad focus on leading the people and processes in organizations and can be applied to a wide variety of roles and industries. You may want to pursue an Ed.D. because:

  • You want to evaluate organizations to determine leadership, learning, and performance needs
  • You want to create change in your organization with an emphasis on ethical decision making
  • You want to use research skills to identify organizational issues and develop thoughtful, measurable solutions

graphic describing the average salaries for top careers for organizational leaders

Best Doctorate Degrees for Educators

Getting a doctorate degree is a natural step for educators of all kinds looking to advance their careers. If you want to advance your career at the postsecondary level, influence training and performance management in businesses or develop solutions to systemic educational challenges, you may want to consider one of three doctorates. Doctor of Professional Studies — Instructional Design Leadership (DPS) A DPS in Instructional Design Leadership prepares graduates to work as educators, consultants, and executives who transform our understanding and application of discovery, learning and engagement.

  • You may want to pursue a DPS in Instructional Design Leadership because:
  • You want a career leading organizational change and employee development initiatives
  • You want to design and develop advanced curricula and instructional products
  • You want to teach the next generation of instructional design leaders

graphic describing the average salaries for top instructional design careers

Doctor of Education (Ed.D) A Doctor of Education is an ideal program for professionals who want to pursue an administrative career in education. You can also further focus your education by choosing a concentration based on educational setting, like PK-12 or Higher Education, so you can apply learnings to the real-world challenges you’ll face. You may want to pursue an Ed.D. because:

  • You want to influence or improve curriculum at a system-wide level
  • You want to serve in a leadership position at educational institutions, school districts, nonprofits, government agencies, or in the private sector
  • You want to solve large, complex issues through practical research

graphic describing the average salaries for top professional education careers

Ph.D. in Education A Ph.D. in Education is a degree devoted to the philosophy and theory of teaching and learning. You may want to pursue a Ph.D. in Education because:

  • You want to begin teaching at the postsecondary level, advance your career as a professor or serve as an educational administrator at a higher education institution
  • You want to become a scholar who advances theory and research to improve educational best practices
  • You want to specialize in an educational academic area and intensely study and research that subject

graphic describing the average salaries for top academic positions in education

Best Doctorate Degree for Healthcare Leaders

As healthcare continues to evolve and change, the industry needs administrators who can lead organizations forward. One way to gain the knowledge and skills needed to help transform healthcare is to pursue a doctorate degree. To advance your career to an executive level you should consider a professional doctorate in healthcare administration. Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA) A Doctor of Healthcare Administration is a professional doctorate designed to help healthcare leaders effectively evolve their organization and advance their career. You may want to pursue a DHA because:

  • You want to use evidence-based decision making to drive change in your organization
  • You want to develop expert written and oral presentation skills to effectively communicate with stakeholders at the highest levels
  • You want to use ethical leadership practices to balance organizational efficiency with best-in-class patient care

Choosing the Right Doctorate Program for Your Career Aspirations

The increasing demand for innovative leaders continues to increase the popularity of doctoral programs across industries. If you’re looking to set yourself apart from other leaders in your industry, a doctorate program can give you the leg up you need. For many working professionals, a doctorate program is only practical if they can pursue their education in tandem with their career. If you’re looking for a flexible and reputable doctoral program, Franklin University will give you the knowledge and skills you need to lead while working around your schedule. Explore our complete list of online doctoral programs to discover if Franklin University is the right choice for your doctoral education.

Free Guide:
How to Complete Your Doctoral Journey
Discover common pitfalls and the 5 key metrics that will help you finish your doctorate degree.