Colorado Technical University

Can I get a masters degree and a doctorate degrees at the same time?

Okay so I am a senior in high school but when I go off to college I want to get a doctorates degree in business administration and a masters in criminal justice. How long will this take? Can I do both at the same time? I want to be a chief executive officer someday and will business administration help me get there? Thank you everyone for your time.

Public Comments

1. First of all, it IS possible to do a master's and a doctorate at the same time - at many universities, this is commonly how it is done. However, this usually means a master's and a doctorate in the SAME FIELD OF STUDY. Criminal Justice and Business Administration are DIFFERENT FIELDS OF STUDY. Secondly, doctorates are usually ONLY for those people who want to be professors. So, if you want to be a college/university Professor of Business Administration, then you need to earn a doctorate. If you want to work in business (such as a Chief Executive Officer), then a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is all you need. An MBA is a one-or-two year degree earned after earning a BACHELOR'S DEGREE in any field of study. So, for example, you can earn a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and an MBA. EDIT: Miranda is WRONG. According to the Doctoral Program Office of Harvard Business School, you should ONLY pursue a doctorate if for those who want to work in academia (professors) or research (such as for the government). If you want to work in industry (in business), an MBA is all you need.
2. To become a CEO you should get a bachelor's degree in business, work for two or three years, earn a master's in business administration and return to the work place. A DBA leads to a teaching career and a master's in criminal justice has nothing to do with your career path unless you want to be CEO of a company which operates private prisons, etc. To answer your question, you could not do the two degrees you mention simultaneously as they do not overlap at all.
3. It is very possible to earn a masters and doctorate degree at the same time. However, it's very challenging. I am in pursuit of a doctorate degree right now, and a doctorate is NOT for those who want to be professors. The more degrees you obtain, the more you differentiate yourself from your peers which can often lead to better jobs with leadership roles and a higher paid salary. If you are determined, there is not doubt that you could one day become CEO in your field of study.