Executive Doctorate in Business Administration PhD / DBA

Overview

Format: part-time
Delivery: hybrid
Starting in: September 2025
Duration: 4.5-7.5 years

Our Executive DBA is an action-research doctoral programme for senior professionals who want to drive transformational impact within their organisations and become thought leaders in their professional area.

The programme provides the highest level of academic qualification; however, it has been specifically designed for business leaders, rather than those who want to be academic researchers.

If you hold a leading role in your organisation, the Executive DBA will provide you with new skills to resolve real-life workplace problems using research.

You will learn new ways to find solutions based on evidence, which you can use in addition to the experience you already possess to positively impact your organisation beyond graduation.

Programme structure

The Executive DBA is structured in two stages:

Stage 1 - Pre-thesis stage

During the pre-thesis stage you will complete four modules designed to expand your research skills, specifically those needed to study real-life business phenomena. 

This is an intensive 2-year period which combines four on-campus residencies and online learning sessions.

After completing the Stage 1 of the programme, you will gain 180 credits at Level 7.

To progress to Stage 2, you must:

• Complete all four Stage 1 modules
• Achieve a minimum mark of 60 in your ‘Research Proposal’ assignment, as part of the ‘Designing Scholarly Practitioner Research’ module.

If you pass the taught modules but do not meet these requirements, you will be awarded with a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Research Methods.

Stage 2 - Thesis development

During the thesis development stage, you will put your new skills into practice by researching a particular aspect of your organisation. 
Here are some examples of the type of research projects our students have undertaken before: 

• Creating recovery strategies and initiatives following major natural disasters in the USA
• Developing a bespoke leadership evaluation and a tool used in management consultancy interventions
• Designing a technology transfer process for a major international food security programme in Mozambique
• Avoiding Covid-related deaths in a chain of UK care homes.

Alongside regular one-to-one online support from your supervisor, you will receive continuous research skills development guidance with our new Doctoral Development Plan.

In these sessions, you will have access to group seminars and refresher workshops on different methodologies and aspects of the research process.

The goal is to build capability and capacity, so you can deploy these skills in your thesis workplan and continue to do so once the course ends.

You will be awarded with a doctorate degree once you complete Stage 2 of the programme, which accounts for 360 credits. 

Timeframe

The whole process can be completed in 4.5 years. However, we understand unexpected personal or professional situations can affect your progress.

So, if needed, you can have up to 7.5 years to finish the programme.

Applications

Applying online is fast and easy, and applications are open all year round.

You do not need to find a supervisor prior to starting your Executive DBA application.

This will be arranged during pre-thesis stage of the programme, once you have demonstrated a sufficient progress in your research proposal.

Find out more about the Executive DBA application process and how to write your research proposal before you apply.

You will need to ensure you have funding to cover all fees. Find out the different funding options and scholarships for the Executive DBA.