Doctoral Business Administration

The DBA is a doctoral program for business leaders, executives and professionals seeking to link corporate experience to organizational theory and rigorous research. It connects the business and research communities to enact change and fosters progress through original and publishable research. The DBA represents the highest level of academic achievement in business administration. The UoL DBA program is a rigorous educational opportunity provided by leading academic researchers within the field of business administration. The DBA program is designed with the highest quality standards as a course-and-research-based terminal degree. 

The DBA is as academically rigorous as the PhD but is designed for senior experienced professionals who want to bring impact to their organization and/or society by leveraging academic research to solve concrete organizational problems. It connects academic theories and concepts with business and management practices leading to intellectual contributions as demonstrated by outstanding publications. 

PhD research is focused on developing theories, addressing a gap between theories, or addressing a gap in the general body of knowledge. The PhD may be more appropriate if you are focused on a faculty career in higher education or a career as a researcher in a research centre. In contrast, DBAs focus on real-world organizational and business problems and involve original and secondary research to explore, examine, and address those problems. The DBA is primarily for those focused on a career in business and consulting. However, many DBAs do teach in colleges and universities. PhD in Management and DBA degree programs both require the students to take advanced business and research courses and spend time conducting an in-depth research study. 

In the first phase of the programme, candidates undertake advanced studies in organizational theory and management practice, and quantitative and/or qualitative research methods under the instruction and guidance of leading academics. In the second phase of the program, the DBA candidates conduct rigorous empirical research and write a dissertation of academically publishable quality under the guidance of three experienced academics as research supervisors. 

The distinguishing feature of the UoL DBA is its strong organizational focus. It requires students to use organization theory in interdisciplinary ways to think critically and analytically about organizations and management, work practices, processes and institutions. The DBA offers skills and capabilities to its students, through courses in research philosophy and ethics, organization theory, research methodology and doctoral research workshops and seminars. 

The DBA represents the highest level of academic achievement in business administration. The UoL DBA program is a rigorous educational opportunity provided by leading academic researchers within the field of business administration. It is equivalent in stature and rigour to a PhD degree, but distinct in that candidates pursue applied research rather than theoretical knowledge, enhancing their organization’s performance through evidence-based research and theoretically-sound practice. By conducting original research into real and complex issues in their specialist area, and through the application of sound theory and rigorous methodology, DBA candidates contribute to the body of knowledge about organizations and build expertise that grows their competitive advantage and differentiates themselves in the marketplace thereby furthering both their careers and the discipline.