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Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) (Bradford)

Doctorate

Duration
Start date
Location

Suitable for applications.

Overview

The University of Bradford Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is the pinnacle of management education.

Designed for experienced senior managers and professionals looking for the next challenge in their career, the DBA provides an unprecedented fast-track to the status of global expert in a particular field.

The programme is as academically rigorous as a PhD, but is specifically designed for executives, professionals and senior managers who seek to combine the best of academic knowledge with the best of practitioner knowledge, in order to push forward the boundaries of understanding contemporary and rapidly transforming business and management challenges.

The DBA provides advanced research methods training through a suite of four specifically designed taught modules delivered by leading scholars to equip students to undertake independent empirical research on contemporary business/management challenges and to develop new knowledge and understandings.

You will make a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge in your area of expertise while studying part-time and remaining at work, allowing you to practically apply your knowledge directly back to the workplace. You will open up a new realm of personal development and career opportunities including teaching at international business schools, high-level consultancy and board-level roles.

Students will be supervised by leading research-active academics who regularly publish in international journals and present at prestigious conferences.

DBA students will have opportunities to present their research at the Annual Doctoral Conference at the Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences. They will also have the opportunity to give guest lectures on their research and/or managerial expertise as part of the International Guest Lecture Series. DBA students can also publish their research in academic and practitioner journals.

We also have 3 Peer Review Workshops per year when DBA students present their research to colleagues and academics, and mock vivas in order to fully prepare DBA students for the viva examination.

Your fellow DBA students will be an elite group of about 25 international managers who you will meet, network and share ideas with at several taught sessions in years one and two, and during your research phase via regular peer review workshops in different locations. 

Professional accreditation

We are proud to be in an elite group of business schools to hold the triple accreditations of Equis, AMBA and AACSB, often referred to as the "Triple Crown".

Equis Accredited logoAMBA Accredited logoAACSB accreditation logo
The internationalisation here tells me a lot about the character of the University of Bradford; it shows that they understand diversity and the international landscape. It reflects positively on both the quality of students and the quality of academics that teach here. Majed, Senior Global Director at Coca-Cola, DBA student

Entry requirements

We welcome all applications for the DBA programme, particularly from applicants whose interests complement the expertise of our Research Centres (Accounting, Finance and Economics; People, Organization and Entrepreneurship; Logistics, Supply Chain and Technology; International Business, Marketing and Branding).

For the DBA, you should have

  • a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree from an accredited institution
  • a minimum of five years’ relevant managerial work experience
  • a research proposal
  • two references (one academic, if possible)
  • a high level of fluency in English

The research proposal

This is an important part of your application. Your research proposal will be used to assess the quality and originality of your research ideas, your critical thinking skills, grasp of relevant literature and the feasibility of the proposed research. It will also be used to identify suitable supervisors, so it is certainly worth devoting time and effort to it.

The research proposal should be between 1500 words and 2500 words. While we do not insist on a definite format, we do recommend you to follow the structure outlined below.

Title: the title should be a succinct summary of your proposed research

Introduction: this section should provide a brief description of the subject area in which the research is to be located in, state your central research questions clearly and explain the reasons for proposed research convincingly. 

Literature review: this section requires a short review of existing studies (particularly those published in research and practitioner periodicals). You need to explain how your research is being driven by the gaps in the existing literature and comment on how your research could be informed by the existing literature both theoretically and practically. A piece of good literature review should demonstrate how the proposed research is linked with previous studies, establish where its specific contributions could lie and show how the intended specific contributions could be materialised through drawing ideas and strengths from the existing research. 

Research methodology: there are a variety of research methods, therefore it is essential that this section provides a clear description of your choice of research methodology (i.e. quantitative or qualitative research) and explain why the chosen one is most suited to your research. This section should also include details of methods of data collection and data analysis and comment on the feasibility of data collection.

Contribution: it is important that DBA research influences and impacts upon both academic theories and concepts, and also business and organisational practices.

Reference: any studies cited in the proposal should be listed at the end of the document using the Harvard style of referencing.

Related links:
Home Office UK Border Agency - for information on visas and immigration for international students. 

English language requirements

The programme is taught, supervised and examined in English, so you must be able to prove your fluency in the language if it is not your first language. If we need evidence of your proficiency in English, you will be required to achieve a minimum score of at least 6.5 on the IELTS test (with no sub-test less than 6.0).

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, and you have a UKVI approved IELTS, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course. See the Language Centre for more details. For further information on English Language requirements please see the dedicated international entry requirements page.

What you will study

All module information is for 2023 entry, and is subject to change.

Learning and assessment

Teaching combines academic rigour with practicality and relevance to professionals, executives and managers.

The programme integrates applied and theoretical knowledge and, in particular, facilitates the development of new knowledge which is at the forefront of the discipline and organisational/management practice.

Each module builds on the learning achieved in previous modules, so learning is cumulative, and all modules relate to each other.

You will develop an understanding of the issues of translating research into practice - a fundamental aspect of a DBA. You will be expected to reflect on the key issues you are tackling and explore how such findings, if replicated in a bigger study, could be translated into practice.

In the first year of the DBA, the Director of Studies will be the Personal Academic Tutor for each new cohort of students. Once you pass the first three taught stage modules, you will have acquired advanced scholarship and research skills required to create a research proposal. You will work with the DBA Director of Studies on developing your research proposal, and 2 suitable supervisors will be allocated to you, who will become your Personal Academic Tutors.

In the Progression to DBA Research Stage module you will present and defend a detailed 7000-word research proposal, preparing you for the main research stage and ultimately writing a thesis. During the main research phase, you will attend Peer Review Workshops that enhance understanding, provide motivation and support, enable networking, prepare you for presenting your work to non-specialists, give opportunities for the cross-fertilisation of ideas, and will expose you to research from outside your specialist area

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2025

Please note: the fees listed are for 2023/24 entry and may be subject to review.

£44,156 payable over four years as follows:

  • Year 1: £14,000
  • Year 2: £14,000
  • Year 3: £8,078
  • Year 4: £8,078

An annual continuation fee of £5,386 is applicable for each year after year four.

The DBA tuition fee covers the cost of lectures, tutorials, assessments, examinations and supervision. It does not cover travel, accommodation, books, printing or thesis binding.

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Career prospects

The Doctor of Business Administration is specifically designed for MBA (or equivalent) graduates who are looking for the next challenge in their careers.

Given that the DBA programme was first launched in 2001 at the School of Management, our DBA students will be joining our international alumni network of prominent business executives. Current and recent DBA students work for leading multinational companies such as Shell International, Siemens, Coca Cola, Volvo, Bayer, ING Group and Phillips International.

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from the Career and Employability Services, including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and utilise their extensive resources.

Designed specifically for doctoral researchers, there is extensive training and development opportunities included in our unique and flexible Postgraduate Research Framework. This bespoke offering tailored for research students, provides training opportunities to support your future employability and your development as an independent researcher.

AWS Academy program from Amazon Web Services (AWS)

The School of Management has joined the prestigious worldwide AWS Academy program from Amazon Web Services (AWS). All students will be given an opportunity to enhance their employability skills, helping to make them ready for the world of work.

AWS Academy is a global program that provides educational institutions with access to cloud computing content to support student learning in a competitive digital workplace. As a member of the AWS Academy, the University of Bradford will help students become proficient and certified in the use of AWS technologies and ready to join the dynamic cloud IT workforce.

All learners will have the opportunity to seek professional certification with the skills gained through AWS Academy content, delivered by University staff that are AWS Academy accredited.

AWS Academy logo

Career Booster

During your time studying at the Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences you will have the opportunity to take part in our distinctive career booster programme throughout the duration of your course. The programme is designed to equip you with the necessary skills and graduate attributes to be job-ready when seeking employment with leading innovative organisations.

The Career Booster Programme offers you the opportunity to gain certificates in:

  • The European Computer Driving License (ECDL) - the benchmark for digital literacy
  • Sage 50 Accounting and Sage 50 Payroll - training that will allow you to develop leading accounting and payroll software skills
  • Project Manager Professional certificates - giving you the edge when seeking to become a Certified Project Manager
  • Big Data analysis and reporting skills - using Software and Services (SAS) that will lead to certification.

In addition, the programme will also include activities to promote teamwork, confidence, communication and many other skills sought by employers.

Developing a portfolio of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certificates will demonstrate to employers that you are not only ambitious but also take responsibility for your own professional development.

This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.