Reviewed by: Cindy Hatcher
An exclusive look at UNA’s executive doctoral program—1 student’s story
Reading time: 4 minutes
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If you hold a master’s degree and are weighing what comes next, meet Letosha Scruggs of Huntsville. She found her answer in an executive doctoral program at the University of North Alabama Sanders College of Business and Technology, and she’s almost done!
In addition to continuing her high-level human resources career, she’s in her final year of the three-year UNA Executive Doctor of Business Administration program, a curriculum built to transform experienced leaders into applied researchers.
Since any executive doctoral program requires a significant investment of time and money, finding the right fit is essential. Curious about what made Scruggs commit, we visited with her during one of the program’s monthly residency weekends, when cohorts meet for in-person classes and dissertation committee reviews.
Watch and read to discover the insights she shared.
UNA EDBA Quick Reference
WATCH: Meet UNA EDBA Student Letosha Scruggs
VIDEO: UNA EDBA third-year student Letosha Scruggs shares her experience in the program. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)
UNA’s small cohorts for executive doctoral program students
For one weekend a month over the past two and a half years, Scruggs has stepped away from her work and joined her cohort of approximately 15 other students, immersing herself in studies, the beautiful UNA campus and the surrounding Florence community. Scruggs and her classmates started scheduling dinners on residency weekends, just to catch up and get to know one another beyond class.
“We’re all on the same journey, and it feels good when you also have someone else who’s going through the same thing, so we can support each other. We were able to develop relationships that we otherwise would not have developed.”
– UNA EDBA Student Letosha Scruggs
What happens during a UNA EDBA residency weekend?
For the first two years of the UNA EDBA program, residency weekends occur 10 months of each year. Coursework begins late afternoons on Fridays before a full Saturday of coursework and occasional guest speakers.
Curious about the coursework? Browse and explore the UNA EDBA program plan of study.
Scruggs says the on-campus experience is invaluable for connecting with faculty, too.
“You can do a lot of things on your own remotely, but I think the richness comes when you’re having that face-to-face with the faculty members.”
– UNA EDBA Student Letosha Scruggs
Residency weekends for year three students trade the full weekend for one Friday morning when students meet with a dissertation committee of two or three peers and three or four faculty members, including a committee chair. The students present research updates and field feedback before shifting back to independent work.
How + why to learn more about the UNA EDBA program
Scruggs says she appreciates the approach of her chair, Dr. Wes Davenport, whom she meets with virtually either weekly or biweekly between residencies:
“His first response isn’t to give me the answer but to say, ‘Think about this,’ or ‘What if you took this approach?’ He’s supporting my journey to become an independent researcher.”
– UNA EDBA Student Letosha Scruggs
She is currently using those research and analysis skills to inform a dissertation on the support hybrid employees need to manage work-life balance. Down the road, she’ll use them to weigh her own options, whether teaching, consulting or stepping into executive leadership.
Could this be your next step, too?
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