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Doctoral research for practising executives
Online only
The DBA is distinct from the PhD: it is designed for senior managers who want to investigate real problems in their own organisations and contribute practitioner-oriented knowledge to the field. You will complete advanced coursework in research design, then conduct a doctoral project that typically addresses a strategic challenge in your firm or sector. Cohort-based residencies (virtual) build a lifelong network of executive peers.
DBA candidates remain employed while researching — your organisation is often the site of investigation. Virtual residencies bring together global executive cohorts for peer critique and faculty coaching. Published practitioner articles are encouraged before final defence.
Faculty spotlight
Professor Sofia Ramirez, DBA, combines board service with research on family-enterprise governance; Dr. Hassan Al-Rashid mentors public-sector transformation projects.
Study online
Every programme can be completed fully online with zero tuition fees — study from anywhere in the world.
| Code | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBA701 | Discovering Applied Doctoral Research Framing practice-based research questions, literature mapping, and the philosophy of applied business scholarship.
| 3 |
| DBA702 | Philosophy of Science & Knowledge Creation in Management Epistemology, theory building, and creating impactful knowledge for practitioners and scholars.
| 3 |
| DBA703 | Organizational Strategy & Policy Advanced strategy formulation, competitive dynamics, and policy analysis for senior executives.
| 3 |
| DBA704 | Advanced Organizational Behaviour & Leadership Executive leadership theory, organisational change, and behaviour in high-stakes institutions.
| 3 |
| DBA705 | Global Management & International Business Globalisation, multinational strategy, and managing across institutional and cultural boundaries.
| 3 |
| DBA706 | Ethics in Business & Management Corporate responsibility, governance failures, and ethical leadership in regulated industries.
| 3 |
| Code | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBA711 | Disciplined Inquiry I: Qualitative Research Methods Case study design, interviews, ethnography, and thematic analysis for applied doctoral research.
| 3 |
| DBA712 | Disciplined Inquiry II: Quantitative & Statistical Analysis Survey methods, multivariate statistics, and quantitative inference for management research.
| 3 |
| DBA713 | Research Design & Literature Synthesis Systematic reviews, conceptual models, and doctoral proposal architecture.
| 3 |
| DBA714 | Business Intelligence & Executive Decision-Making Analytics, evidence synthesis, and decision science for C-suite research and practice.
| 3 |
| Code | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBA801 | Doctoral Research Proposal Defence Formal defence of the doctoral research proposal before the faculty doctoral committee.
| 0 |
| Code | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DBA802 | Doctoral Dissertation Research Supervised original research: data collection, analysis, thesis drafting, and revision cycles.
| 24 |
| DBA803 | Doctoral Viva & Dissemination Final oral examination, thesis approval, and dissemination to academic and practitioner forums.
| 0 |
Recognised & Accredited
