DBA

Take your intellectual interests to the next level

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is designed for those who are interested in applied business research. There are several reasons for studying for a DBA. A student might have a specific personal or professional interest in a particular area of business or management that they wish to develop specialist knowledge in. A DBA is also useful for those developing a career in consulting or teaching. For the award of a DBA, students must complete a series of business courses, research courses and must submit a research thesis. For their research thesis, they will work closely with a supervisor from our global faculty depending upon the topic area of their research.

Average Duration of Program

The program will take an average of 3 years to complete the program. Normal Candidature – 3 to 6 years; May be extended through continued candidature and payment of the continued candidature fee.

Dissertation

Normally students will choose a topic of their choice with inputs from GlobalNxt faculty.

Entry Requirements

• A Master’s degree from a recognized university.
• A minimum of three years of management or professional experience.
• Submit a 1000-word proposed research topic in an area acceptable to the School of Business.
• Evidence of English proficiency for applicants whose first language is not English and who have not undertaken tertiary education in English.

The minimum language requirements are either:

• Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) score of 6.5 with an individual writing score of at least 6.0; or
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of at least 550 with a Test of Written English (TWE) score of at least 5.0, or TOEFL Internet-based Test with a minimum score of at least 79; or
• BULATS (Business Language Testing Service) at level 4

What is a DBA

The Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) is a part-time professional doctoral degree with an international scope and reputation, designed to enhance executive and professional practice through the application of sound theory and rigorous research into real and complex issues in business and management. It enhances the capability to develop knowledge and theory, and their application. Key to this is a program to develop personal, consultancy and research skills in the context of rigorous and relevant research.

Aims of a DBA

A DBA will enable you to:

• Develop a sound understanding of the relevant conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of your chosen area of research into business and management.
• Have a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic and management inquiry.
• Create and interpret knowledge through original research. Enhance both your performance as a reflective practitioner and your professional practice.
• Develop personal, consultancy and research competencies to undertake rigorous research at an advanced level that contributes to theory and practice in business and management.

Who should consider a DBA?

The program will be of particular benefit to experienced senior executives, consultants, management educators, and business school academics. A DBA will enhance professional capability and credibility, develop networks, and provide a firm foundation for further career development or a major career move. Employers benefit from supporting candidates for the DBA by attracting, developing and retaining key talent and building knowledge for competitive advantage.

DBA and PhD – Equal but Different

The DBA has both rigor and relevance as it contributes to theory and practice in business and management. The DBA typically focuses on research ‘in’ organizations rather than research ‘on’ organizations. It is more likely to involve cross-disciplinary work and mixed methods and contribute to developing students' own practice and development.

Proposed Research Topic

All applicants must submit a 1,000-word outline of their proposed research topic as part of their admission application. The 1,000-word outline will be considered as an additional basis for assessing the applicants’ suitability for the program and the availability of suitable doctoral supervisors

Additionally, applicants may be required to attend a personal interview with the Dean of the School of Business prior to acceptance into the program.

The final decision concerning the eligibility and acceptability of qualifications and research areas for the DBA program rests with the School of Business at GlobaNxt University.