Doctor Of Business Administration

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is the ultimate degree in the field of Business Administration, with only a very small percentage of business professionals ever achieving this level of success. It is a specialist professional qualification that unites professional practice in business and industry with academic knowledge. DBA professionals are an elite group, recognized as leaders of their organization, and attractive to those others who seek to appoint at the highest level of management.

Why should you study for a DBA? The MBA is now ubiquitous. The DBA, which is the highest level of academic qualification attainable in business, separates you from the rest. The doctoral degree represents a common currency of excellence globally and is recognized as the highest academic qualification achievable. Companies know that the DBA has given you research, critical thinking, strategic thinking, and quantitative evaluation skills which are invaluable for their organization. Governments, funding bodies, and policymakers are increasingly aware of the high profile given to doctoral degrees and the added value accrued to individual organizations.

The aim of the DBA is for our graduates to:

Develop the skills and confidence to design and shape organizational interventions which help address 21st Century challenges
Analyse the effectiveness of those interventions
Communicate and implement those findings such that both the world of business practice and the world of research can benefit.

In this way, DBA candidates fulfil the primary and ultimate goal of doctoral research, which is to generate new knowledge

The IPE DBA is a part-time executive doctoral programme for motivated, high achieving global executives who want to research cutting-edge solutions to real-world issues, without having to put their careers on hold. It is structured around a research project which is driven by you, the individual, and which has direct application to the business world. This is an outstanding opportunity for you to study real-life business issues and to make an impact in your organization and beyond.

Research is typically undertaken in your organization or sector, allowing you to make that difference in your field. Joining the IPE/PPA doctoral programme will give you not only an outstanding (and challenging) learning experience but the opportunity to participate in a vibrant community of like-minded business executives. The thesis should make an original and substantial contribution to knowledge and should be relevant to a business, government or not-for-profit organization, with the potential to make a significant improvement to practices.

The DBA is different from a traditional PhD, insofar as it uses applied knowledge to relevant and current issues as the basis for the research, compared with the theoretical and academic approach employed in the PhD. It is normally business-based. The learning outcomes are manifold and include the development of critical thinking, analytical, conceptual, and research skills at the highest level, as well as the ability to put those into practice in the real world.

We offer two routes to the Doctor of Business Administration:

DBA by traditional thesis
DBA by publication

Management of the DBA Programme

The DBA programme is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The administering and awarding body is IPE/Pôle Paris Alternance, Paris.

Our truly international Faculty Staff is made up of well-published, research-active academics and experts from all over the world, with more than one third coming from outside the UK

Key Facts

Key Facts	Doctorate in Business Administration
Who is it for?	Ambitious business executives and consultants who want to make a change in their career or stand out from their competitors.
Pre-requisite qualifications	Master’s, MBA, or equivalent work experience
Duration	Two to three years. We differentiate between retrospective publication (published before registration) and concurrent/prospective publications (published within the period of registration). The former involves a shorter time frame.
Type of programme	Part-time, flexible. This DBA comprises rigorous, independent research, unlike many other DBA degrees that include more taught or project-based elements.
Medium	Online
Components	Self-study, supervision, research study, thesis by publication (a series of peer-reviewed academic papers, books, cited works or other materials that have been placed in the public domain as articles that have been published, accepted for publication, exhibited or performed, accompanied by a substantial commentary linking the published work and outlining its coherence and significance, together with an oral examination at which the candidate defends his/her research).
Language	English
Essential components	Detailed Research Proposal; Ethical Approval; Thesis by Publication (including at least 3 artefacts); Viva Voce examination
Reasons for study	Career enhancement; development of research skills; significant contribution to sponsoring organisation; development of business expertise; building an international network of contacts
Degree awarded	Doctorate

QAA and Professional Academic Standards and Quality

The programme has been designed according to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2011 (QAA) Doctoral Degrees Characteristics (2011) and FHEQ (2008) Qualification Descriptor for Level 8. The guidelines published by the Association of Business Schools for DBA (2005) and the QAA Code of Practice for PG Research Programmes have also informed the design of the programme. Thus, ‘the main focus of the candidate’s work [should] be their contribution to knowledge in their discipline or field, through original research, or the original application of existing knowledge or understanding. In professional and practice-based doctorates the research may be undertaken in the workplace and so have a direct effect on organizational policy and change, as well as improving personal practice.’

The difference between a PhD and the IPE/PPA DBA

PhD	The IPE DBA
Academic, theoretical	Relates academic study to practical application
40,000+ words	At least three publications, plus a wrap-around thesis of 5000 words.
Attractive to academics	Attractive both to employers and aspirational employees
PhD is student-centred	The DBA adds value, not only to the individual, but also to the sponsoring organisation
The PhD opens doors into academia	The DBA opens doors into improved employment prospects, as well as academia
The PhD builds upon MSc methodology (e.g., randomised control trials).	The DBA builds upon MBA methodology (e.g., case studies, action research).

ENTRY REQUIREMENT

Applicants should have a good Master’s degree from a recognized body and have at least four years of managerial experience involving responsibility for strategic issues. Candidates will alternatively be considered based on their alternative academic qualifications, managerial experience, or prior professional knowledge & experience.

Applicants who meet these criteria will be considered for a place on the programme if places are available.

Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission. Applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an institution at which English is the language of instruction must provide evidence of their proficiency in the language. We require at least the equivalent of IELTS Level 7.0.

Required documentation for Application

Outline Research Proposal
Curriculum Vitae (CV / Resume)
Academic transcripts of relevant qualifications (e.g. Masters)
Certified copies of academic qualifications
English language scores for non-native speakers
Two letters of recommendation (one must be from an academic source)
Application form
Optional writing sample (no more than 10 pages)

We realise that the COVID-19 pandemic, recent natural disasters, and other extenuating circumstances may have significant impacts on applicants’ academic and personal lives, including the ability to provide all required application material. If you are unable to obtain copies of your qualifications, we still encourage you to apply, even if your scores are missing. We ask you to let us know about any of your materials that may be unavailable or delayed.

We make our decisions in most cases on the application form and supporting documents alone. Those candidates who require special consideration, e.g., on grounds of age, disability or non-standard entry qualifications, may be interviewed.

STUDENT SUPPORT

Supervision

The Director of Studies (DoS) is responsible for nominating and appointing Supervisors who will guide you through your research journey and will give you help and guidance but will not seek to directly influence the direction of your study. Supervision hours depend upon which stage of your research study you are on at any one time, but you will be expected to contact your appointed Supervisor at every major milestone of the journey.

Supervision sessions take place face to face, by video link (e.g., Skype, Google Hangouts or Facetime). At some stages along your research journey, you will require more support than others, so the schedule of meetings should be drawn up by you and your supervisor together.

Your supervisor will provide advice and will undertake regular progress reviews during the period of study. An electronic record will be maintained of all interactions between student and supervisor through our supervisor/ student management system – for all meetings including all files and relevant documents. The Director of Studies will have direct access to these records for monitoring the DBA study programmes of all our DBA Candidates. Doctoral candidates will also compose self-reports half-yearly, which will be stored on the system for review by the Director of Studies.

The Virtual Learning Environment

As is widely acknowledged and highlighted in The Quality Code, Advice and Guidance Theme: Research Degrees, the quality of the research environment is critical to the provision of doctoral degree programmes. Access to an active and vibrant research environment, including contact with other researchers, is fundamental to doctoral candidates’ success, irrespective of the subject, mode of study, or location. Our research community is based around our Virtual Learning Environment (the VLE).

We ensure this supportive research environment through the provision of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), where we:

provide access to research methods resources
provide opportunities for peer interaction and support
manage supervision that is appropriate to the candidate and the stage he/she has reached in the programme
monitor clearly defined and operated progress
offer clear guidance and processes on assessment

You will access much of your material from online journals. However, you will find the coursebook invaluable:

Bryman, A. and Bell, E. Business Research Methods. (4^th or 5^thEdition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Associated Outcomes

Candidates whose work has been reviewed and accepted by the awarding institution (IPE-Paris) and who have passed the viva voce examination, will be entitled to use the title of Doctor of Business Administration. They will be entitled to use the title ‘Doctor’.

The DBA is a modern state-of-the-art educational framework. Upon completion of the DBA programme, successful students are ready to enter the international business world and successful employment and to:

Advance their career prospects because
- having a DBA on the CV is difficult to ignore – the qualification demonstrates the ability to conduct advanced social science in business environments
- the achievement demonstrates successful independent learning, problem-solving, versatility, perseverance, dedication, commitment to excellence and a capacity to ‘go the extra mile’
confidently conduct professional research
publish scholarly papers
add influential and pivotal value to employing organisations

undertake critical organisational management decisions based on well-organised research practice