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Doctor of Business Administration DBA

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Key Facts

  • Level:

    Postgraduate

  • Duration:

    4 years part time

  • Starting:

    September

  • Fees UK:

    Year 1 and Year 2: £8000, £8000
    Year 3 and Year 4: £4000, £4000

  • Fees International:

    Year 1 and Year 2: £8000, £8000
    Year 3 and Year 4: £4000, £4000

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK/EU Students enquiries

study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772

International Students enquiries

international@northampton.ac.uk
+44 (0)1604 894503

TEF Gold. Teaching Excellence Framework.

Overview

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a professional doctorate with the same status as a PhD. It is the highest qualification available in business and management, designed for senior professionals who wish to advance their careers by developing their academic research and critical thinking skills. The Northampton DBA is a part-time programme that typically runs over four years. The first two years are structured around facilitated modules that provide the foundations for the research project, the main element of the DBA. This research project needs to make a significant contribution to professional practice by developing existing theories and knowledge.

Updated 11/02/2021

Highlights

  • Further enhance your opportunities in senior management and/or consultancy roles.
  • Part time study to fit around you.

Course Content

  • The DBA provides the opportunity for you to cultivate the skills needed to find better solutions for intractable problems and develop new paradigms for the increasingly complex, turbulent and interconnected business environment. It does this by:

    • honing your critical thinking and analytical skills to identify the core or ‘real’ issues
    • refining your capability to evaluate evidence on which to base decisions
    • developing your ability to produce robust and reliable research
    • improving the clarity with which you present and support arguments
    • providing the understanding for you to question ideas and options appropriately

    Through undertaking rigorous research into a meaningful and complex issue within your own organisation, you will make a direct contribution to your executive or professional practice.

    In this way, the Northampton DBA will enable you to differentiate yourself, not just in terms of having the qualification, but also in the way you work and think.

    Please visit the application support page for further information.

     

  • Applicants will need to meet all of the following criteria

    • hold a Masters degree in a business-related subject, normally completed within the last ten years.
    • have a minimum of five years’ relevant work experience, at an appropriate level.
    • be employed in a senior leadership/management role capable of supporting the achievement of the programme learning outcomes, including the professional research project.

    Please visit the application support page for further information and download the Research Topic Form.

    English Language Requirements

    All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

    • Minimum standard – IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in categories (or equivalent)
      for study at postgraduate level.

    For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

  • UK & EU

    20/21 Tuition Fees

    Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    Part Time: £8000 in Year One and £8000 in Year Two, £4000 in Year Three and £4000 in Year Four

    Additional costs

    There are no additional costs for this course for students beginning their studies in September 2020. Should this change, applicants and students will be contacted by the university with details of the costs.

    19/20 Tuition Fees

    Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    Part Time: £8000 in Year One and £8000 in Year Two, £4000 in Year Three and £4000 in Year Four

    Additional costs

    There are no additional costs for this course for students beginning their studies in September 2019. Should this change, applicants and students will be contacted by the university with details of the costs.

    International

    20/21 Tuition Fees

    Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    Part Time: £8,000 in Year One and £8000 in Year Two, £4000 in Year Three and £4000 in Year Four

    Additional costs

    There are no additional costs for this course for students beginning their studies in September 2020. Should this change, applicants and students will be contacted by the university with details of the costs.

    19/20 Tuition Fees

    Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    Part Time: £8,000 in Year One and £8000 in Year Two, £4000 in Year Three and £4000 in Year Four

    Additional costs

    There are no additional costs for this course for students beginning their studies in September 2019. Should this change, applicants and students will be contacted by the university with details of the costs.

  • If you are looking to find out more information about our DBA, contact our dedicated DBA team at dbaenquiries@northampton.ac.uk.

    Visit our support page for DBA application assistance.

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Careers and Employability

After becoming the first recipients in the University’s history, our new DBA graduates are ready to put their learnings into practice in their high-flying careers.

“I knew when I completed my MBA that I wanted to embark on a DBA programme so as soon as one became available at the university, I applied and have never looked back. Completing the DBA has already helped me to progress in my career and the skills I have gained from achieving this qualification will certainly equip me with the tools I need to achieve my professional goals.”

Read more about DBA graduates.

Image - DBA graduates-min

Student Story

Shaun’s Story

“With so much change taking place in the UK, there’s no better time to study a DBA, it is this link between academic research and developing real practical solutions that is so important,” said Shaun.

“I genuinely believe it’s something for senior executives who are looking for a professional development programme that’s going to help them manage change and come up with solutions.

“I chose the DBA route instead of a PhD because it allows you to apply theory in your workplace. For example, I’m carrying out research on the importance of identity and how this links to organisational performance and the wellbeing of our staff, so important at this time of change. Academic research is one thing, but it is the ‘so what’ factor that is important to me.”

Read more of Shaun's story

Is this course for you?

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