Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Factfile
| Typical Entry Requirements |
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| Programme length | Normal duration is 48 months for part-time and distance learning. The maximum period allowed for completion is 72 months. |
| Programme Director |
| Contact details |
For general enquiriesT: 0800 980 3200 or +44 (0)1483 681681 For admissions enquiries
T: 01483 686300 |
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The DBA is right for today’s business world. It is often better received in business than a narrow PhD Doctorate. This is because the approach is broader and the thesis takes a practical subject as its basis for the research study.
The DBA is designed to enable a significant contribution to be made towards the enhancement of professional practice in the area of management. Thus, the research undertaken has to be rigorous to be worthy of a Doctorate and immediately relevant to the world of management through addressing real problems. It is a Practitioner Doctorate. Around seven to ten students are admitted for each programme.
The DBA is completed in two stages. Stage 1 takes approximately 18 months of part-time and distance learning. It consists of five taught modules culminating in the development and submission of a research proposal for the final study.
Stage 2 takes about two and a half years of parttime or distance learning. It consists of a supervised progression of the writing of a thesis, attending a cohort seminar, delivering a presentation on approach to date, and finally the submission of a thesis.
The seminar presentation(s) will be based on the work in progress, and that of other members of the cohort, so that critical insight is gained into other students’ work. Each component of the programme has to be completed successfully before embarking on the next.
Compulsory Modules (Year 1 and 2)
Stage 1 (taught programme)
A typical module has 20 hours of contact time allocated to it.
Philosophical Underpinnings of Research Methods for Management
This module has several aims. They include providing initial orientation for the student, aiding the understanding of differences between an inductive and deductive approach to research design, providing some insight into the epistemological and ontological underpinnings of research, developing understanding of approaches to planning academic research, and finding and assessing secondary data..
Quantitative Methods of Research
This module will help you to understand the differences in research design approaches. This will enable you to construct a measurement instrument, input data to SPSS and run simple statistics. Students will also be able to apply and interpret an appropriate significance test to data.
Qualitative Research Methods
Students will be given grounding in the rationale for and use of a range of alternative methods for the collection and analysis of qualitative data. This will lead to an appreciation of the value of qualitative research methods in addressing business and management problems. Through this knowledge, you will be able to understand how to collect and analyse qualitative data.
Critical Evaluation of Research
You will be supported in developing your ability to engage critically as a reader of management text, research reports and proposals. Students will be introduced to core components of a structured approach for reviewing literature that focuses on in-depth critical analysis of individual texts, with special reference to management. The aim is to construct and use a method to approach the critical examination of research literature.
Research Proposal
This module will involve working on your own applied research design. This consists of understanding the requirement of a DBA thesis and how to write an acceptable DBA research proposal. The research proposal (4000 words) should present a fully developed subject/question for investigation.
Stage 2 (thesis writing)
Stage 2 is the writing stage and consists of at least two workshops where students submit their work in a short presentation. Components include:
- Literature Review
- Methodological Approach
- Thesis and Viva
The final thesis will consist of about 55,000 words.
The examination will be on the whole thesis, including the literature review, reflective chapter, appendices and oral defence.
Overall Structure
Stage 1 (conventional route)
Students have to pass each module
Stage 2 + Supervisor
Aims of the DBA
- To develop applied research skills
- To develop the ability to assess and evaluate management issues critically by acquiring a rigorous system of inquiry
- To apply new knowledge and added value in order to make a contribution to the enhancement of the professional practice of management in a real business situation
- To enable students to clearly understand, as well as have knowledge of, various research methods
- To instil the attitudes of a disciplined frame of mind, whereby the student automatically approaches all issues by following ‘best case’ procedures
Personal Development
Overall a DBA student will compile a reflective diary where personal development is captured in relation to practitioner knowledge, research knowledge and, importantly, knowledge of self.
Emphasis of the PhD and DBA
PhD
- Gap in knowledge
- Wider population
- Creation of knowledge
- Abstract issues
- Concern for deduction
- Mostly deductive
- Longer term application
DBA
- Work-based problem
- Imminent application
- Narrower range of methods
- Scope for innovation
- Smaller sample
- Mostly qualitative
- Limited generalisation
