Why study this course?

Make an impactful and sustainable difference to your organisation through work-related research that addresses a complex workplace issue.

This course is designed to help you carve a distinct progression route if you’re an experienced professional who’s passionate about making a positive impact on organisational practice.

Our business and management courses are ranked first for teaching quality in the Guardian University Guide 2023.

More about this course

Stand out in the marketplace and develop personal, consultancy and research competences on this Doctor of Business Administration programme.

This Doctor of Business Administration is suitable for experienced professionals from a wide range of sectors and organisations who are interested in becoming a specialist in their field of applied research. We welcome professionals from all types of organisations, public, private, and not-for-profit, as well as from all sectors, including SMEs and large organisations.

Positioned at the intersection between theory and application within the business sector, your focus will be on developing socially responsible and sustainable solutions to complex business problems. By planning original applied research in a supportive and structured environment, this professional doctorate will enable you to undertake a research study. You'll build your expertise and have the opportunity to make a positive impact on organisational practices.

You'll be supported to interpret evidence-based practice and enhance your capabilities as reflective practitioners. This will develop your executive and professional practice through the application of sound theory and rigorous research into real, topical and complex issues in business and management.

You’ll work collaboratively to analyse organisations, practices and markets, plus conduct your own research to build contexts more critically and reflectively. The goal will be to find sustainable solutions to key challenges in the workplace.

This course will use a hybrid learning approach, including face-to-face teaching as well as interactive workshops, virtual lectures and seminars.

Our research centres

Assessment

You’ll be assessed through a variety of challenges that have been carefully selected to support your learning and be appropriate for the nature of disciplines covered. This includes coursework assignments, personal presentations and reflective accounts.

During the first part of this course, assessments for the modules are designed to help you focus on your own research interest. The final stage of the DBA involves independent research and the production of a final research project report or portfolio of 50-60,000 words, with an oral examination (viva).

Fees and key information

Course type
Postgraduate
Entry requirements View
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Entry requirements

You will be required to have:

  • a master’s degree with merit or an equivalent recognised qualification
  • five years’ experience in an appropriate professional role
  • satisfactory outline of research interest summarised on the DBA Application Support Form and a successful interview

Please complete the DBA Application Support Form and email this to our course leader, Dr Hazel Messenger, on h.messenger@londonmet.ac.uk.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

This course is open to part-time students, and is organised in three stages.
Stages one and two are the preparatory stage and support you in developing your research project proposal. Stage three involves a pilot study and transfer to the full research phase.

Part-time students are anticipated to complete the course in four to six years (with eight years being the maximum).

Course modules

Stage one

  • Planning Your DBA Journey (20 credits)
  • Contemporary Issues in Organisations and Management (40 credits)

Stage two

  • Developing as a Practitioner Researcher (20 credits)
  • Fundamentals of Research Design (40 credits)

Stage three

  • Impacting Organisational Practice: Research Pilot Study (60 credits)
  • Organisational Research Project (360 credits)

What our students say

“The course management, professors and experienced lecturers and staff are very good and helpful.

“This course will widen your practical skills as a researcher, and your knowledge of business processes as a professional.

“I was able to achieve one of my dreams – to get a Doctorate, especially in business administration, from the UK.”

Dr Nidhal Al-Sarraf

Where this course can take you

The focus of the programme is on socially responsible, professional practice, and application in business and management. This course is designed to enhance your management practice and improve your career opportunities in your chosen field of business, setting you up to pursue senior management positions within national and international organisations.

The DBA is equivalent to a PhD but with a focus on enhancing professional practice and work-related research. Due to the nature of this course, you could also choose to develop a career in academia.

Examples of areas that previous DBA graduates have been employed in include health care, education, banking, business development, marketing, hospitality, family business, law, finance and corporate governance.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees. Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

How to apply

Use the apply button to begin your application.

Ensure to upload copies of your qualifications, a current CV and the DBA Application Support Form where possible, or email these to course leader Dr Hazel Messenger on h.messenger@londonmet.ac.uk.

If you require a Student visa and wish to study a postgraduate course on a part-time basis, please read our how to apply information for international students to ensure you have all the details you need about the application process.



When to apply

September entry

  • Application deadline: 1 July (international applicants)
  • Application deadline: 1 August (home/EU applicants)

January entry

  • Application deadline: 1 November (international applicants)
  • Application deadline: 1 December (home/EU applicants)
To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.

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