Program Overview

Doctor of Business Administration via Study Centres DBA

Overview

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is the same level of academic qualification as a PhD and is designed for experienced professionals who wish to undertake a programme that is applied in nature and of practical value to their career.

The programme recognises that real-world problems inhabit a space that is dynamic, multi-faceted and complex, and acknowledges this reality by adopting a multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to reflect the professional world.

The DBA also incorporates the concept of self-reflection, critical reflective practice, and research methodology, with a practical approach to addressing workplace issues and making a distinctive contribution to the profession.

This programme is also available on campus at Sunderland and our London base.

DBA and DProf Programmes at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) in Kingston, Jamaica

We offer DBA and DProf programmes at UCC with academic programmes accredited to postgraduate level by the University Council of Jamaica. University of Sunderland academic staff will visit Kingston, Jamaica to deliver the first stage of the course at UCC. In addition, qualified UCC faculty members will collaborate with University of Sunderland Directors of Study in supervising the research of doctoral candidates.

University of Sunderland in Hong Kong Professional Doctorate (DBA Pathway)

Delivered from our Hong Kong Campus, this taught Professional Doctorate Programme is part of our generic suite of Professional Doctorate pathways at the University of Sunderland. Colleagues in the UK study parallel pathways leading to EdD and generic DProf doctoral awards. Our Hong Kong programme focuses on work leading to a DBA by the Professional Doctorate learning pathway. The programme has been designed to enable those working in professional practice settings in the business community to undertake a doctoral-level qualification as part of their professional roles.

Supported by academic staff from both the UK and Hong Kong, our DBA supports you in combining state-of-the-art professional practice and the concept of the reflective practitioner with relevant academic theory and helps you to apply this to the investigation of work-based problems, the creation of effective solutions and the introduction of optimal change in your workplace.

The taught programme draws together the concepts of self–reflection, reflective practice, and research methodology, and applies them practically to addressing workplace issues and making a fundamentally unique difference and contribution to knowledge in the business community. The programme benefits greatly from a cross-university approach both within the core team who are managing and delivering the programme, and from the different perspectives that our practitioners undertaking the programme bring from their wealth of experience in the workplace.

The programme operates through the lens of recognition that workplace research inhabits a space which is by its very nature complex, ambiguous and multi-faceted. If you require more information, contact the Programme Leader or Hong Kong campus.

Why us?

• A doctorate is one of the most internationally transferable qualifications
• The first 18 months of the programme has a taught element and is designed to prepare you for the working and thinking at a doctoral level

Course structure

Following successful completion of all three modules, you will work independently on your chosen research topic with support from your academic supervisors. During this phase of the programme, you will have the opportunity to attend a series of optional study days that cover a variety of topics to help you with your studies.

The final submission for the DBA is either a report together with a portfolio of supporting evidence (totalling 80,000 words) or a thesis which will normally be around 80,000 words. The exact nature of your submission is decided in discussion with your Director of Studies. All candidates must also undergo a viva voce examination.

Modules include:

1 to 6 months:

• Planning and Contextualisation (60 credits)
  • Formulate a robust piece of research design and methodology identifying your own potentially unique contribution to your field of research and professional practice.
  • Focus on the processes of formal instrumentation, measurement, and data collection, which characterises robust research practice.
  • Gain insight into project management and portfolio construction and develop skills in critical appraisal and the need to be flexibly responsive to critical appraisal.
  • Consider the potential impact and dissemination opportunities of your research.

7 to 12 months:

• Critical Debate in Professional Practice (30 credits)
  • Develop critical thinking and writing skills in preparation for study at doctoral level.
  • Engage critically and dialogically with current issues and debates in your specialist field of professional practice, raising awareness of the subjectivity of knowledge and building confidence and ability to make valued judgments.
  • Select an issue of strategic importance at the leading edge of your chosen specialist field and conduct in-depth research on the current debates affecting that issue.
  • Review the various viewpoints offered by specialist researchers and commentators, consider the conceptual and theoretical stances supporting the various viewpoints, identify possible implications of those different viewpoints for the professional community of practice, and finally reach (and justify) your stance on the issue.
• Practice-Based Research 2 (30 credits)
  • Reflect on how your own and alternative modes of engagement influence your understanding of events and processes within practice-based research.
  • Consider various approaches to the study of epistemology and select the approach best suited to your research, which will include positivism, constructivism, and critical theory.
  • Develop an understanding of the methodology of research and the approach that would reflect the epistemology of the research project undertaken.
  • Assess qualitative and quantitative research methods and develop an understanding of how philosophical issues will affect the relationship between data and theory, the overall design of the research, and the validity, authenticity, and trustworthiness of the research outcomes.
  • Develop an awareness of the ethical issues and debates in research.

13 to 72 months – research phase

• Doctor of Business Administration (360 credits)

Facilities

This programme is offered at University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) in Kingston, Jamaica, and University of Sunderland in Hong Kong.

Entry requirements

• We don’t currently display entry requirements for Ireland. Please contact the Student Admin team on or .
• The normal entry requirement for a research degree is a UK honours degree (first or upper second class) or a UK Masters degree or a qualification which is regarded as equivalent.
• If English is not your first language, you will need an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall score of 6.5, with at least 6.0 in each component: reading, writing, listening and speaking (or equivalent).
• We will assess your application and research proposal to make a decision on whether to offer you a place using the following criteria:

Research proposal

• Research proposals should have a business management focus.
• You are required to write a 2-3 page proposal that specifies the:
  • Aims of your doctoral project
  • Project's relevance to your workplace and profession
  • Proposed methodology and techniques for analysis
  • Outline of a potential research plan

Personal statement

• You must write your personal statement (included in the application form) addressing the following points:
  • Your professional experience and standing
  • The recognition by your peers as a leading professional in your field
  • The level at which you are operating within your organisation or profession and the extent to which you can provide significant influence or drive substantial change
  • The opportunity that you have to make a significant contribution to professional practice and/or how you exhibit your powers of creativity and innovation
• Along with your application form, you must upload the following documents:
  • Research proposal
  • Qualification certificates
  • IELTS certificates, if applicable
  • Two references, one of which must be academic
• Without all of the above documents, we will not be able make you an offer on this programme.

Fees and finance

• Please contact the study centre directly for fee information.
• This information was correct at the time of publication.