Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business will enroll its first cohort of students in a new Executive Doctor of Business Administration program in Fall 2026.
The MBA has been the gold standard for managers looking to climb higher. As organizations grow more complex and leadership decisions harder to justify on instinct alone, the MBA may not be enough for senior executives.
This fall, the Indiana University Kelley School of Business will launch a new Executive Doctor of Business Administration (EDBA) designed specifically for senior leaders who want doctoral-level training without stepping away from their careers. Delivered through Kelley Direct, the platform that delivers Kelley’s consistently top-ranked online MBA, the hybrid, cohort-based program targets executives seeking to move beyond conventional managerial frameworks and into evidence-based leadership.
The program will enroll its inaugural cohort in Fall 2026.
“While an MBA provides a broad, well-rounded survey of general business skills, the KD EDBA goes deeper. It is a research-intensive, doctoral-level program, moving beyond acquiring general management knowledge to applying theory and research directly to a student’s specific organizational context,” says Erik Gonzalez-Mulé, associate chair of Kelley Direct Programs and the Randall L. Tobias Chair in Leadership.
“It is engineered for leaders who seek to … ensure their organization is at the cutting-edge of what works, and what doesn’t.”
WHY A DBA & WHY NOW?
Unlike the MBA or even the EMBA, Kelley’s Executive DBA is built around the premise that senior leaders increasingly need to consume, question, and apply research, not just manage people or processes.
Erik Gonzalez-Mulé
The degree is aimed at what Gonzalez-Mulé calls the “scholar-practitioner” — executives who want to understand why organizations behave the way they do and how evidence can be used to improve outcomes.
“In an era of disruption, leaders need the skills to be critical consumers of data who can question the status quo, strategically pivot, and improve their organizations through evidence-based insights,” says Gonzalez-Mulé, a 2024 Poets&Quants Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professor.
That framing reflects a broader shift underway in executive education. As AI, geopolitics, regulatory scrutiny, and stakeholder pressure reshape decision-making, business schools are under pressure to move beyond skills-based leadership training and toward deeper analytical rigor.
A HYBRID, STACKABLE DEGREE
Kelley’s Executive DBA targets mid-to-late career professionals, typically with at least 10 years of management experience. It is primarily aimed at U.S.-based executives due to the timing of live evening classes, though international applicants are welcome.
The school expects to enroll about 25 students in its first cohort, though interest has been higher than expected, and they may enroll more if demand supports it.
“We’ve intentionally built the program to be selective and small. We do not have plans to go beyond 50 students in any one admissions cycle to ensure every doctoral candidate receives the one-on-one faculty mentorship and support necessary for a rigorous thesis project,” Gonzalez-Mulé says.
Professionals who already hold an MBA may apply up to 27 credits of core coursework toward the 69-credit doctoral degree, reducing both time and cost. That puts the degree at about $96,600, plus in-residence fees. For those without an MBA, the full program will cost about $142,440.
The structure creates a clear career-long learning arc, Gonzalez-Mulé says, and reinforces Kelley’s broader strategy of engaging professionals at multiple stages of their careers.
The program combines live online coursework with two required in-residence experiences.
The first will focus on executive presence, persuasion, and data-driven communication. The second is centered on thesis development, helping students refine research questions, learn quantitative and qualitative methods, and identify faculty advisors.
The cohort model is critical, Gonzalez-Mulé says.
“This is a rigorous and intensive program,” he says. “Having a strong, supportive peer network will be instrumental to student success.”
A NARROWER, DEEPER DBA
Kelley’s Executive DBA is deliberately narrow, concentrating on strategy and leadership. While most doctoral programs offer breadth, Kelley chose depth, Gonzalez-Mulé says.
Students will take advanced coursework across strategic management, leadership, organizational behavior, human resource management, international business, and entrepreneurship. All content is presented with an eye toward applying established theory in real organizational contexts.
While PhD programs are designed primarily to develop new theory for academic research, Kelley’s EDBA emphasizes testing and deploying existing theory to solve real problems inside organizations.
Applied research, in this context, means field studies, data collection, and empirical analysis as opposed to consulting projects or reflective essays. Every student will complete a doctoral thesis under one-on-one faculty supervision, drawing directly from their own organization.
Gonzalez-Mulé says the program responds to demand from mid- to late-career professionals seeking doctoral-level training without pausing their careers. It is designed to prepare experienced leaders to operate in increasingly complex and ambiguous environments through rigorous, research-driven training.
“The future of leadership is evidence-based, human-centered, and driven by critical thinking,” Gonzalez-Mulé says. “Leaders need to learn how to ask and answer important questions, and how to consistently make data-driven decisions.”
Applications are now open. Learn more here.
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