Doctor of Business Administration (Part Time) - DBA

The DBA provides a framework for practice or work based research, where your professional environment is also the core of your research environment and network. This requires commitment to independently driven professional environment research.

Current research interests

You choose an issue of action research related to an area of practice. This could be in relation to your company, sector, industry, professional practice, professional body etc.

Course Structure

This course is delivered fully online, enabling you to study at a time that suits you. You don’t have to attend any face-to-face sessions, and delivery of course materials is done through our e-learning platform, Moodle.

As a guide, you should be allowing around 20 hours a week for part-time study, on average, as a combination of directed study (engaging with the online materials) and personal study.

Year 1 – Structured phase

Contemporary Research in Practice

This enables you to develop knowledge of relevant concepts and issues, as well as an emerging capability to deploy theoretical concepts. A key element of this is reflective practice which is intended to be continuous throughout the life of your research course.

Postgraduate Certificate in Research Practice Course

Current Elements:

o  Extended Research Proposal (inc. Literature Review)

This will help you develop an understanding and critically analyse the background research by selecting the source of information that is necessary to develop a context for your research.

o  Evaluating Your Development as a Researcher

This places your work in context and sets out how it will be developed over the course of the course.

Year 2 – Structured phase

Pilot Inquiry

You will frame the research methods learned earlier to equip and support your selected topic in practice settings and meet the requirements of validation within a wider research community.

Research Philosophy

You develop an overarching position relating to the progression of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge. This will provide you with the opportunity to think deeply whilst developing critical analysis and persuasive writing that is essential in your study and practice.

Years 3 and 4 - Research phase

Practice Based Thesis

You will make an original contribution to practice, and develop, design and implement original and ethical work that contributes to scholarly thinking as well as practice and is worthy of publication. Learning at Doctoral level may be achieved substantially by conducting independent research.

Assessment

You will conduct a piece of unique Doctoral level research, submit a thesis for examination and sit an oral exam (viva voce) in which you defend your thesis and contribution to practice before a panel of experts.

Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!

Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.

We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.

International Services

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

• Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
• Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
• Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
• Learn where to find financial support for your studies

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.