Historic first residency week in the books for Doctor of Business Administration students
July 7, 2026One goal Indiana Tech maintains as an institution is meeting students where they are, whether that means offering the traditional on-campus experience to recent high school graduates or providing flexible, online opportunities for working adults of any background to continue their education.
For professionals already with a master’s degree and seeking to make a greater impact in their fields, Indiana Tech offers an advanced Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree to help them take their careers to the next level.
Indiana Tech’s DBA program can be completed online in as little as three years without a dissertation, prioritizing hands-on professional experience and leadership skills to identify real-world challenges and create solutions that can have significant impact in various industries. It offers degrees in three concentrations: business strategy, health care management and marketing.
Assistant director of admissions for doctoral programs Malak El Taleb says the program is designed for working professionals who want to advance their careers without putting them on hold.
“Our faculty bring real-world expertise into the classroom, our residency model fosters meaningful connections with peers and faculty members and our personalized support ensures you’re never navigating the journey alone,” El Taleb said. “When you choose Indiana Tech, you’re joining a community that’s invested in your success from your first class through graduation.”
The program is attracting students from many different industries and lines of work. Shanta Tyiska is from Olympia Fields, Illinois—just outside of Chicago—and has been a locomotive engineer for Amtrak for two decades. She’s currently working on her DBA from Indiana Tech with a concentration in business strategy.
Tyiska was considering a career in law several years ago, but discovered it wasn’t for her. She eventually figured out that she liked economics, which opened her up to the idea of going for a business degree. That’s when she found Indiana Tech’s DBA program. She has felt right at home since beginning her pursuit in January.
“I’ve loved every class that I’ve taken,” she added. “I have been challenged, which is different for me. I’m not generally academically challenged, but if I can just use a little slang: Indiana Tech has the sauce.”
Matthew Purkey, from Wabash, Indiana, is the president and CEO of Josiah White’s, a statewide family services provider, and is also earning his DBA at Indiana Tech with a focus on business strategy. Purkey was working on earning his PhD from another university, but by the time he got to his dissertation he was feeling unfulfilled and sought a change of direction. That’s when he learned about the DBA program, which felt more practical to him.
“What the DBA does is allow me to work out my entire class work in my profession, so everything that we’re learning in the classroom is directly impacting how I’m able to meet the organization,” Purkey said. “I would say it’s theory versus application, and for me, hands-on learning within my own organization within the DBA fits much better than a PhD.”
Purkey and Tyiska were two of many DBA students to visit Indiana Tech’s Fort Wayne campus for the program’s residency week towards the end of June. During the week, students were treated to seminars on global business hosted by Indiana Tech faculty like Dr. Crystal Karn and Dr. Staci Lugar Brettin, group sessions and discussions as well as presentations from their peers.
At the start of the residency, Purkey says he was excited about being a “sponge” among faculty and fellow DBA students.
“Not only will I be absorbing from the professors and the administrative staff for the program, but I’ll be also learning from my peers right alongside them as we go through a global leadership situation and learning experience,” Purkey said.
“It was a great balance of academic learning, professional development and relationship building,” El Taleb said. She is hopeful that students feel a greater connection to Indiana Tech and the DBA program following the residency.
“I hope students left campus feeling confident in their ability to successfully complete the program and knowing they have a strong support system behind them every step of the way,” she said. “I also hope the connections they built during residency—with their peers, faculty, and staff—become meaningful relationships that continue to support and inspire them throughout their DBA journey.”
Tyiska has settled into Indiana Tech’s DBA program over the first half of the year, and has been most impressed with not only the faculty’s direct, one-on-one support for its students, but also the flexibility for her to continue to live life on her terms.
“I thought it would be very structured, and although there is structure, there’s flexibility for me to pursue my interest as opposed to the institutions interests,” Tyiska said. “So that’s why I always say it would be a great decision for someone who’s interested in business, because there’s so many various facets of business to think about and consider.”