Doctor of Business Administration (Part Time) - DBA
Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry. Switch to 2022/23 Entry
Our online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) course is intended to assist career professionals who wish to enhance, contribute to and transform practice. It is a professional doctorate completed on a part-time (Executive) basis with intakes in February and September....
- Level Postgraduate Research
- Study mode Distance Learning
- Location City Centre
- Award DBA
- Start date September 2023, February 2024
- Fees View course fees
- School Birmingham City Business School
- Faculty Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences
Overview
Our online Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) course is intended to assist career professionals who wish to enhance, contribute to and transform practice. It is a professional doctorate completed on a part-time (Executive) basis with intakes in February and September. An internationally established highest level qualification, the course enables you to earn the title of Doctor without putting your career on hold.
The course will enhance your professional capabilities, credibility and standing, and you will contribute to practice through action research.
What's covered in this course?
The DBA is designed to help you apply action research-based thinking to ideas in practice and work, or practice based problems whilst deepening and broadening your understanding of application to professional practice.
You will also develop essential research skills which will enable you to play a leading role in strategic and operational development, policy formation and evaluation in practice.
Our DBA is aimed at enhancing the level of professional capabilities and credibility of practising professionals, and the research undertaken on the course is focused on contributing to, and transforming, practice.
The course combines workshops, research based activities and a substantial research enquiry thesis.
What Our Students Say
“The DBA programme at Birmingham City University was a big step, but definitely one worth taking. As a way of consolidating the learning that anyone who is successful in business has to do, it is unrivalled. Learning to think and act like a researcher whilst maintaining a business perspective adds value in so many aspects of a business career. Achieving the designation of 'Dr' is the icing on the cake that visibly sets you apart from your peers. It is hard work and it takes time, but the return on that investment is life-changing.”
Dr Deb Bannigan
Portfolio Executive - CEO, Chair, NED
Why Choose Us?
- Our Doctor of Business Administration programme, like all of our Executive Education programmes, is designed to help you to accelerate your career, transform your working practice and deepen your expertise.
- Our flexible online delivery means that you can study with us from almost anywhere in the world, at a time that suits you. See ‘course in depth’ to find out more.
- Our DBA programme will equip you with a framework that allows you to identify solutions to problems/challenges within your organisation or practice, thereby creating value for your organisation and enhancing your career.
- You will have the opportunity to work in conjunction with our thought-provoking supervisors and industry experts who will support you as you make relevant, original contributions to your management practice.
- Candidate support is at the forefront of our approach, with everything designed to provide you with the skills you need to succeed.
Studying with us during the Covid-19 pandemic
The University has put in place measures in response to Covid-19 to allow us to safely deliver our courses. Should the impact of the pandemic continue in future years, any additional or alternative arrangements put in place by the University will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
OPEN DAY
Join us for an on-campus open day where you'll be able to explore our campus and facilities in person. Booking for the next event isn’t open yet. Register your interest below and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Event: Saturday 24 June
Research Interests
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.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: DBA
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 4 Years
- £7,350 in 2023/24
Award: DBA
Starting: Feb 2024
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 4 Years
- £7,350 in 2023/24
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: DBA
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 4 Years
-
TBC
Award: DBA
Starting: Feb 2024
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Distance Learning
- 4 Years
-
TBC
If you’re unable to use our online application form for any reason, please email Research.Admissions@bcu.ac.uk.The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Entry requirements
To join the DBA programme, you must have completed an MA, MSc or MBA degree in a particular area of business-related professional practice and have at least five years related professional practice experience, as well as being employed in the professional capacity that you propose to study.
You must have the formal agreement and active co-operation of the organisation where the DBA studies are to take place.
Please note, the course is only offered as a part-time programme.
A full research proposal is not required as you will build this during the first year. We do however need to know that you have a level of clarity on what your research is and how you would access the research opportunity. Therefore you need to initially develop your outline research concept.
Research concept guidance
Your research outline should address the following areas:
Justification for Study
Say how the DBA will help you pursue your career objectives
Work Experience
Relevant work and career experience that is relevant to your subject (highlighting the skills and experience gained).
Research Proposal
What you propose to research - the area and a key question representing the gap or opportunity that you propose to address
Research approach
How you would access and conduct the necessary research (This typically means the agreement and active co-operation of the organisation where your research activities are to take place).
Contribution
How could this contribute to practice and outline proposals for sponsorship from organisation(s).
The programme fees pay for the core of the programme, tutoring and supervision, assessment and the like. Your travel to and from the University and any necessary accommodation are not included. Ancillary costs associated with your activities are not covered. For example if you travel to undertake your research this is not normally covered.
If you have any specific queries please ask the programme team.
Course in Depth
Structured Phase (Year 1)
This module will enable you to develop knowledge of relevant concepts and issues, as well as an emerging capability to deploy theoretical concepts in pursuits of new definitions of professional purposes and approaches. You will also develop an understanding of some key different action research issues skills and abilities you must develop to succeed.
A key element of this is reflective practice which is intended to be continuous throughout the life of your research programme. You reflect upon ‘the self’ in the context of a change, development and personal growth process. You will be expected to work in action learning sets. These sets will provide a valuable forum for support between modules and throughout the life of the programme. The sets will be organised on a virtual basis. The assignments undertaken in other modules will also be supported by this activity with opportunities for reflection on personal and research skills, challenges and changes.
Current Elements:
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.
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 programme.
Structured Phase (Year 2)
This helps you to move beyond the contextual and design issues examined earlier, as you identify an area of practice as an extension or sub-set of your chosen research subject. Therefore, the module’s purpose is to 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.
You should be able to research a relevant topic and write a report that can stand on its own and at the same time can demonstrate development of or support for your chosen research topic. You have an opportunity to investigate a real practice issue. This should be located within the contemporary body of knowledge. This will enable you to demonstrate the skills and knowledge acquired and developed in the previous modules before you engage to refine your final plans and write your Practice Based Thesis.
It is necessary that when you undertake research in organisations and companies that involves collecting data from living people, you have to obtain ethical approval from the University before beginning the research. Research for your DBA will require ethical approval or a formal exemption.
Researchers must comply with the legal requirements in relation to the storage and use of personal data as set down in the Data Protection Act 1998 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and any subsequent similar acts and, where research is taking place outside those countries, the equivalent law of that jurisdiction.
The module will develop an overarching position relating to the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge. It will provide you with excellent opportunity to think deeply whilst developing critical analysis and persuasive writing that is essential in your study and practice. Philosophy poses some of the most challenging questions that confront us today.
This module is strategically placed between your Pilot Inquiry and the two years you will be working on your Thesis. In the first module of the programme (Contemporary Research in Practice) you will have had an introduction to research philosophy – this will have prepared you in developing your pilot inquiry. The Research Philosophy will now have a detailed focus as described above with the purpose of embedding this immediately before your extended work on your Practice Based Thesis. Also, you have the opportunity to discuss the philosophical issues with your Thesis supervisor(s).
This will provide some final preparation for your final research and thesis.
Research Phase (Years 3 and 4)
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.
Download course specification
Download nowCourse 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.
Assessment breakdown
How the DBA is assessed
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.
Employability
Enhance your managerial career
Unlike undergraduate degrees, which are designed to get students into industry, our DBA degree is aimed at existing professionals looking to enhance their career and standing.
Upon completion, you will be able to effect positive change, both in your own professional practice, and/or within your organisation. On a personal level, you’ll be able to utilise your enhanced skills for critical engagement, and to demonstrate your expertise.
Successful improvements in your personal professional practice will then benefit your organisation. The DBA degree alone can enhance your standing, and the possibilities opened to you by utilising your enhanced expertise can be even more impressive.
Already an expert practitioner, in your company or field of professional practice? The DBA degree can still benefit you internally and externally. The standing and expertise you will achieve over the course of your degree can allow you to become an industry or practice leader.
If you want to learn more about how a DBA degree from Birmingham City Business School could help enhance your standing, contact Martin Eley.
International
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.
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.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £340 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law and Business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Dr Susan Sisay
Lecturer
Prior to joining Birmingham City University, Dr Susan Sisay was a legal practitioner specialising in corporate and commercial law. In addition to practice, she consulted for a number of local and international agencies on a number of issues.
More about Susan