Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The DBA has two distinct levels, Level 7 and Level 8. Level 7 consists of 120 taught credits and a 60-credit independent research report. The independent research report represents the development of the student's research thus far and must include: their refined research question, an appreciation of the (phenomenological) theoretical ground in which their research sits, an overview of the existing research, research methodology and proposed research methods.

Successful completion of Level 7 allows students to progress to Level 8 which comprises of the doctoral thesis.

DBA Modules (all core)

The nature of research
This module aims to introduce the student to the practice of doctoral research. Starting from asking the right research question, this module equips the students with the knowledge to approach doctoral research in a mature and measured manner.

Professional Skills
This module will provide students with the required tools and knowledge to complete doctoral writing and research in their subject area.

Quantitative research
The module aims to equip doctoral students with an understanding of the rationale for and appropriate use of quantitative methods in social research, and the skills to conduct quantitative research.

Qualitative Research
The module aims to equip doctoral students with an understanding of the rationale for and appropriate use of qualitative methods in social research, and the skills to conduct qualitative research.

Organisation theory
The module aims to equip students with an advanced understanding of the issues, approaches and conceptual basis for researchers studying management, organisations and the context of enterprise management

Research practicum
This module is designed to demonstrate through a practical research how either (or both) qualitative and quantitative methods can be applied to the development and empirical examination of phenomena, problems, propositions and/or hypothesis across a range of management fields.

Independent research report
To demonstrate the progression of a doctoral research project so that it is sufficient for development into a doctoral thesis.

The Doctor of Business Administration is offered on a part time and full time basis. Part time students study three modules each academic year for two years. Full time students study all six taught modules in one academic year.

All taught modules are delivered in weeklong blocks from Monday to Friday. All modules are delivered via a blended mixture of classroom and online lecture and tutorial workshops where students are actively encouraged to interact and contribute to the learning experience.

Your studies will be underpinned by the latest research undertaken by the South Wales Business School Research Group. This means you will be taught by academics who are at the forefront of their specialist field.

Please see our Graduate School pages for more information on support for research students, as well as details of PhD and Master by Research options.

Each module on the DBA results in the production of an assessed piece of work which is the equivalent of 6,000 words. Following the six taught modules each student must produce an individual research report which is assessed through an 18,000 word written transfer document and a viva voce examination. The successful completion of the six taught modules and the individual research report will enable the student to move to the thesis stage of the DBA programme.

The thesis stage of the DBA is a substantial research based document resulting in an independent doctoral submission of circa 100,000 words. The thesis is examined by a viva voce following submission.

Admission to the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) normally requires a Masters degree from a recognised academic institution. In addition, all applicants are required to provide evidence of significant professional or managerial experience.

All applicants must be able to access organisations to conduct their research. This will normally be your employing organisation but may include others. Access to support for the research study is essential in terms of initial selection and for the duration of the programme.

Applications must include two references on headed paper from your referees which should be uploaded as a supporting document. Please note, we can not accept applications without these two references. At least one referee should be able to comment on your academic/professional ability. References provided by relatives are not acceptable.

You are required to provide a detailed doctoral research proposal prior to the acceptance stage. All applications will be considered by the Universitys Research Applications Panel. Once your research proposal has been submitted and approved, you will be subject to a formal interview; this may be a panel interview.

International candidates whose first language is not English should have been taught and assessed in English and be able to evidence English fluency to TOEFL 570 or IELTS 6.5 or higher.

Career enhancement to strategic levels in organisations is often sought by successful DBA candidates. DBA graduates have the ability to create and interpret new knowledge through original research. They produce first-class original research of publishable quality that sets them apart from other managers. This encompasses robust design, implementation, execution, and dissemination. This research also makes significant contributions to practice on many levels, within organisations, on an industry level, and on a policy level. Many of our DBA graduates have progressed to senior positions in public sector, private sector, and academia.