front page Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) (part-time)
|
Birmingham City University
United Kingdom, Birmingham |
|
If you are not a citizen of Spain, please choose the right country at the top of the page.
|
Prospectus
Overview
We appreciate the prospect of studying on a DBA programme is a very big decision. If you would like an informal chat at an early stage in the process (prior to or after) going through the course text supplied) please contact Dr Steve McCabe, Director of Research Programmes by email: steve.mccabe@bcu.ac.uk or by phone: 0121 331 5178.
Please note:
- This course is part-time and therefore for Home/EU students only.
- The application deadline is end-May 2011
What is a DBA?
The Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) is a qualification that allows you as a professional manager to conduct practice-based research within an organisation. Normally this will be the organisation in which you are employed or an organisation that you are confident will extend access to you. You will learn as you work through issues associated with solving a particular problem. In particular, you will be taught in the use of research techniques that will enable you to understand and reflect upon your ability to utilise and apply knowledge (theory) that is intended to produce enhanced practice. This will allow you to demonstrate competence as both a professional and an academic researcher.
The course is made up of six taught elements and a thesis. These elements will enable you to develop expertise and confidence in developing a research proposal which will provide the objectives of the study you wish to conduct, including relevant theoretical aspects and the particular ways that data (practice) will be examined. The elements include opportunities for you to pilot data gathering and evaluation approaches that you can integrate with your overall study. On completion of the taught elements, you will write a 50,000 word thesis upon the specific professional practice research you have undertaken. The thesis is the main aspect of the DBA programme.
Each DBA research degree student is supported by supervisors assigned to the particular area of study. Supervisors will be experts in the subject area, with a mutual interest in the particular study. They will be active researchers themselves with a wealth of experience in supervising postgraduate research.
Our DBA award is a doctorate designed to encourage action learning, reflective practice and the management of change in organisations. The course of study will not only be an excellent experience in terms of your own personal development, but will be equally beneficial to the organisation in which the study is carried out, and act as a vehicle for continuing professional development and lifelong learning.
The programme is provisionally scheduled to start in September/October 2011 and applications should be submitted by the end of May 2011.
Key Facts
The DBA (in contrast to a traditional academic PhD) is designed to help you apply research-based thinking to business ideas, whilst deepening and broadening your understanding of professional practice. You will also develop essential research skills which will enable you to play a leading role in strategic organisational development, policy formation and evaluation at a strategic level.
The programme addresses strategic issues in professional practice globally, and places a high priority on the beneficial transfer of knowledge to the workplace. There will be a balance of intellectual scholarly enquiry with an applied problem-focused approach of direct relevance to your organisation.
The course combines workshops, research based activities and a substantial research enquiry thesis to:
- enable you to focus on your own or participating organisations in a new way, based on a doctoral level understanding
- enhance management professional practice by developing and applying new knowledge
- empower you to improve your own personal practice as a professional
- employ new learning in change management and organisational development
- extend the range of ideas and skills to deliver change within your own or participating organisation
- enjoy considerable personal development, so that you achieve a greater level of effectiveness as a professional
- develop an action research/learning approach to organisational problems
- encourage critical engagement with consultancy and research processes.
The programme is intended to help you apply theory and professional practice perspectives to your own situation and work-based practice, and on completion, you may consider putting the thesis forward for publication.