The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a professional doctorate which provides a dynamic, research-based view of real world management issues.

This course is designed to generate new knowledge and understanding which will contribute to enhancing the policies and practices of modern management. It was created at Aberdeen Business School in conjunction with public and private sector leaders to encourage future leaders to enhance their professional careers and provide a route for them to gain academic recognition. A DBA is equivalent in terms of academic study to a PhD but more applied in nature.

Students on the course will have the opportunity to blend the latest academic thinking with business knowledge, skills and practice, to enable them to make a significant contribution to the enhancement of professional practice. The Aberdeen DBA has been specifically designed to:

• Build on management experience and skills, and past academic achievements as part of a carefully considered career plan;
• Provide maximum professional credibility and open doors into more senior management positions, consultancy or academia
• Enhance research and project management skills and increase understanding of research methods and techniques

It is studied full-time over 3-4 years and part-time or distance learning over 4-6 years.

The DBA programme will give you a foundation in research methods and offer you the opportunity to research in one or more of the following areas:

• Corporate Communications, Sales and Marketing
• Finance, Accounting and Corporate Governance
• Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour
• Entrepreneurship and the Performance of SMEs
• Leadership and Strategic Management
• Environmental and Operations Management
• Public Policy and Not-for-Profit Studies
• Tourism, Hospitality and Retail Management
• Technology, Innovation and e-Business.

In the first taught stage you will consolidate and extend your specialist knowledge and research competence and advance your research proposal.

In the second stage you will take your proposal forward to a full dissertation.

The DBA is a challenging programme demanding a combination of intellectual ability and experience. We welcome applicants from across the world. To qualify for consideration you will need to demonstrate:

• An MBA or Masters degree in a relevant area of business and management
• A minimum of three years business experience
• Ability to demonstrate competence in written and oral English
• All candidates will be interviewed and be required to produce a research outline prior to formal acceptance onto the course.

All course fees are reviewed annually and subject to change. Published fees apply to the course's mode of delivery.

All applications should be made via the University's application form for research students, which is available using the web link below. Completed application forms should be accompanied by:

• Two academic references
• A transcript or mark sheet for all graduate qualifications
• Certificate of English language competency score of IELTS 6.5 in each of the four test components (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) for applicants whose first language or language of university education is not English. Students who can demonstrate successful completion of tertiary (university or college) studies in a country whose national language is English, may be exempted from this requirement
• A draft research proposal, or at least a short summary to indicate the potential area of research (Refer to Section 8 of the Application Form)

For more information go to Applying to become a research student