Una Confirmed As Doctoral-granting Institution

Jun. 24, 2020

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256-606-2033 or 256-765-4392

FLORENCE, AL - The University of North Alabama has been approved to offer two doctoral programs. Beginning in Spring 2021, the College of Business will offer the Executive Doctor of Business Administration (EDBA), and in the fall of 2021, the College of Education and Human Sciences will offer a Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion.

"The EDBA and the Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion allow the University of North Alabama to take its place among doctoral-granting institutions throughout the state and region and are a reflection of our high standards of academic excellence," said Dr. Ken Kitts, UNA's President. "At 190 years, it's an indicator that UNA continues to evolve and thrive to meet the changing needs of our students."

The programs were approved recently by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Colleges as well as the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

"The approval process was rigorous, and our faculty, especially those in the College of Business and College of Education and Human Sciences, worked extremely hard to ensure that the programs meet UNA's high academic standards," said. Dr. Ross Alexander, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. "We are prepared and excited to welcome our first doctoral cohorts to UNA."

The EDBA program is designed to prepare students to address organizational challenges and disruptive trends by developing applied executive-level research skills. Further, the program will enable graduates to solve complex business and industry problems with creative and innovative solutions.

"As the only Executive DBA program in Alabama and the border states for our region, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia, this will offer a post-MBA research pathway for those seeing to advance their positions," said Dr. Greg Carnes, Dean of the College of Business. "We are well-prepared to welcome the first cohort and have put together a comprehensive curriculum and experienced faculty to ensure a seamless matriculation."

The Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion is designed to prepare exemplary teachers/scholars in college and university settings or to enter select professional positions requiring advanced study. Students in this program will be immersed in ongoing laboratory research and scholarship within the program to develop their research abilities, and they will engage in experiences that develop and advance their teaching effectiveness in the university setting.

"The Exercise Science and Health Promotion programs in the COEHS at UNA have a rich history of rigorous teaching, significant contributions through their field through scholarly work, and robust service to the professional community," said Dr. Katie Kinney, Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. "Connecting two complementary programs to create a Ph.D. that's the first of its kind will unquestionably put UNA on the map."

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/