A Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a terminal business-focused degree that provides practical knowledge that can be directly applied in the workplace. It is a vocational degree catered to business professionals with management experience and a masters degree. DBA coursework and dissertation focus on helping students identify, define, and solve a pressing business issue or gap. DBA programs are research-oriented and train students to use critical, analytical methods to explore questions and develop solutions in their respective organizations and the field at large. A DBA is different from a Ph.D. in business administration, and many institutions offer both degrees. The DBA is considered by both the United States Department of Education and the National Science Foundation to be equivalent to a doctor of philosophy (PhD) .