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Doctor of Religious Business Administration
Doctor of Religious Business Administration (DRBA) Program
(3 years/72 quarter units)
Program Overview
The Doctor of Religious Business Administration (DRBA) at Canterbury University is a rigorous, research-based program designed to develop ethical, faith-driven business leaders who can impact global industries while upholding Christian values. This 72-quarter unit program integrates strategic business management, advanced leadership principles, and applied research within a biblical framework.
Program Length & Structure:
- 3 years (9 quarters)
- Total Units Required: 72 quarter units
- Includes a Dissertation Requirement
Students will develop scholarly expertise in organizational leadership, corporate governance, financial stewardship, and entrepreneurship, while completing a dissertation focused on faith-based business solutions.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission:
- A master’s degree in business administration (MBA) or a related field from an accredited institution
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
- Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions
- Letter of recommendation (either from a pastor or faith leader)
- A resume/CV detailing business, leadership, and academic experience
- A research proposal (1-2 pages) outlining the applicant’s intended area of dissertation research
Program Requirements
To successfully complete the DRBA program, students must:
- Complete 72 quarter units of coursework, including core courses, electives, and dissertation research.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.2.
- Successfully pass the Comprehensive Examination after completing coursework.
- Complete a Doctoral Dissertation demonstrating original research in faith-based business.
- Defend the dissertation proposal and final dissertation before a faculty committee.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate with a DRBA from Canterbury University students must:
- Successfully complete all core and elective courses.
- Pass the Comprehensive Examination.
- Complete and defend the doctoral dissertation with faculty approval.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
Curriculum Structure
The DRBA curriculum consists of:
- Core Courses (36 units) – Required
- Elective Courses (24 units) – Choose 6 courses: Students must select six elective courses from the list below. Each course is worth 4 quarter units, totaling 24 quarter units
- Dissertation Research & Defense (12 units – Required)
List of Courses
Core Courses (36 Quarter Units – Required)
| Categories | Code | Course Title | Units |
| Core Courses (9 courses/ 36 units) | DBA700 | Biblical Ethics & Executive Leadership (4) | 36 |
| DBA710 | Advanced Financial Stewardship & Corporate Governance (4) | ||
| DBA720 | Strategic Management and Kingdom Business (4) | ||
| DBA730 | Organizational Theory & Transformational Leadership (4) | ||
| DBA740 | Global Business & Cross-Cultural Leadership (4) | ||
| DBA750 | Business Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-Making (4) | ||
| DBA760 | Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship (4) | ||
| DBA770 | Research Methods & Applied Business Research (4) | ||
| DBA780 | Comprehensive Examination (4) |
Elective Courses (Choose 6 for 24 Quarter Units)
| Categories | Code | Course Title | Units |
| Elective Courses: 6 courses/24 units) | DBA801 | Nonprofit Leadership & Church Administration (4) | 24 |
| DBA802 | Kingdom Business & Impact Investing (4) | ||
| DBA803 | Digital Marketing & Faith-Based Branding (4) | ||
| DBA804 | Human Resource Management & Ethical Leadership (4) | ||
| DBA805 | Real Estate & Financial Investments for Ministries (4) | ||
| DBA806 | Business Law & Christian Ethics (4) | ||
| DBA850 | Executive Internship in Christian Business (4) | ||
| DBA933 | AI and Machine Learning for Business (4) | ||
| DBA935 | Analytics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence (4) | ||
| DBA936 | Machine Learning (4) | ||
| DBA938 | Artificial Intelligence Adoption (4) |
Dissertation Research & Defense (12 Quarter Units – Required)
| Categories | Code | Course Title | Units |
| Dissertation | DBA 901 | Dissertation Research I (4) | 12 |
| DBA 902 | Dissertation Research II (4) | ||
| DBA 903 | Dissertation Defense & Publication (4) |
Dissertation Requirements
Students must complete a doctoral dissertation (minimum 150-200 pages) that contributes to Christian business scholarship and aligns with biblical principles.
Dissertation Process:
- Dissertation Proposal (End of Year 1)
- Develop a research topic related to faith-based business, ethical leadership, or Kingdom entrepreneurship.
- Defend the proposal before a faculty panel.
- Research & Data Collection (Year 2)
- Conduct quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method research.
- Gather primary or secondary data from Christian organizations, businesses, or ministries.
- Writing & Dissertation Defense (Year 3)
- Complete a full dissertation manuscript.
- Present findings in an oral dissertation defense.
- Submit for publication in academic or faith-based journals.
Course Descriptions
DBA700 Biblical Ethics & Executive Leadership (4)
This course examines Christian leadership, ethics, and decision-making at the executive level.
DBA710 Advanced Financial Stewardship & Corporate Governance (4)
This course covers ethical financial management, corporate governance, and biblical financial stewardship.
DBA720 Strategic Management and Kingdom Business (4)
This course explores long-term business strategy, competitive analysis, and faith-driven business models.
DBA730 Organizational Theory & Transformational Leadership (4)
This course analyzes leadership styles, change management, and servant leadership principles.
DBA740 Global Business & Cross-Cultural Leadership (4)
This course studies international business strategies, global market trends, and cross-cultural leadership.
DBA750 Business Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-Making (4)
This course focuses on data analysis, predictive modeling, and performance measurement.
DBA760 Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship (4)
This course examines how businesses can be used for social good, ministry, and community impact.
DBA770 Research Methods & Applied Business Research (4)
This course prepares students for dissertation research, including qualitative and quantitative methods.
DBA780 Comprehensive Examination (4)
This course is a written and oral exam assessing core business knowledge before beginning dissertation work.
DBA801 Nonprofit Leadership & Church Administration (4)
This course focuses on leading faith-based organizations, church finance, and administration.
DBA802 Kingdom Business & Impact Investing (4)
This course covers ethical investing, microfinance, and business-as-mission models.
DBA803 Digital Marketing & Faith-Based Branding (4)
This course explores online branding, social media engagement, and ethical marketing strategies.
DBA804 Human Resource Management & Ethical Leadership (4)
This course discusses HR best practices, talent development, and ethical workplace policies.
DBA805 Real Estate & Financial Investments for Ministries (4)
This course covers property management, financial stewardship, and investment strategies for churches.
DBA806 Business Law & Christian Ethics (4)
This course examines corporate law, compliance, and legal decision-making from a biblical perspective.
DBA850 Executive Internship in Christian Business (4)
This course is a field-based internship where students apply leadership, business, and ethical principles in a Christian organization or business.
DBA901 Dissertation Research I (4)
This course is an initial phase of dissertation research, including literature review and proposal development.
DBA902 Dissertation Research II (4)
This course is an advanced research, data collection, and analysis under faculty supervision.
DBA903 Dissertation Defense & Publications (4)
This course is a final defense of the dissertation and preparation for publication.
DBA 933 AI and Machine Learning for Business (4)
This course introduces AI with a business focus—deep learning, foundation models, AI orchestrators, and front-end design for AI-powered applications. Includes hands-on projects using tools like LangChain and Streamlit, emphasizing experiential learning.
DBA 935 Analytics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence (4)
This course covers analytics, data science, and AI within a business context. It equips students with both theoretical understanding and practical exposure to modern AI and analytics techniques in business settings.
DBA 936 Machine Learning (4)
This course focuses specifically on machine learning methodologies and their business applications, offering in-depth study of core ML algorithms and real-world use cases in organizational and strategic contexts.
DBA 938 Artificial Intelligence Adoption (4)
This course explores how businesses adopt and integrate AI technologies, including strategic considerations, organizational change, implementation challenges, and ethical or managerial implications associated with AI uptake.