Programme
Doctor of Business Administration
DBA — Three years part-time — £8,500 per year
The Brenkley Doctoral College DBA is the highest level of professional doctoral education for business and management practitioners. Over three years, you conduct rigorous original research in your own professional context — generating knowledge that is both academically credible and practically significant.
Part-time, structured around your professional schedule
Total £25,500. Payment plans available. Employer sponsorship welcome.
Online learning platform plus two residential weekends per year
Who It's For
Is the DBA Right for You?
The DBA is designed for senior professionals with substantial management experience who want to use doctoral research to investigate a significant challenge or question in their field. It is not an MBA with a research component — it is a full doctoral degree requiring original contribution to knowledge.
You are likely a good fit for the DBA if you are a senior manager, director, or executive with at least five years of leadership experience; you have a Master's degree at Merit or above (or equivalent professional qualification); and you have a research question or area of professional interest that you have been wanting to investigate rigorously for some time.
- Senior professional with 5+ years management experience
- Master's degree at Merit or Distinction (or Level 7 equivalent)
- Clear research interest in a management or business topic
- Committed to 15–20 hours of study per week
- Supported by employer or able to self-fund
Entry Requirements
What We Look For
Academic Qualifications
Master's degree at Merit or Distinction, or equivalent Level 7 professional qualification. Applications from candidates with strong professional portfolios but without a Master's may be considered for the Access to Doctorate pathway.
Professional Experience
Minimum five years of senior professional experience in management, leadership, or a relevant professional field. Your professional context will be the environment in which your research is conducted.
Research Proposal
A preliminary research proposal of 1,500–2,000 words, setting out your proposed research area, its significance, and an initial sense of your methodological approach. This is refined through supervision in Year 1.
Programme Structure
Three Years to Doctorate
Foundation & Design
- Research Foundations module (philosophical frameworks, research paradigms)
- Research Design and Methodology module
- Literature Review development
- Research proposal development and approval
- Ethics application submission
- Monthly supervision meetings
- Two residential weekends (cohort-based)
Data Collection & Analysis
- Advanced Methods module (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed)
- Data collection in professional context
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Annual review milestone (written submission and viva)
- Emerging findings seminar (peer presentation)
- Monthly supervision meetings
- Two residential weekends
Writing & Submission
- Thesis writing and supervisor feedback cycles
- Academic Writing for Doctoral Research module
- Pre-submission review (faculty panel feedback)
- Thesis submission
- Viva voce examination
- Minor or major corrections (if required)
- Award of DBA
Supervision
Expert, Committed Supervision
Every DBA researcher has both a primary supervisor and a second supervisor. Your primary supervisor holds expertise in your research area and provides the central intellectual guidance for your thesis. Your second supervisor brings methodological expertise and provides continuity and a second perspective.
You meet formally with your supervisor team a minimum of eight times per year, with all meetings logged on our online platform. Informal contact between meetings is encouraged and normal.
Supervisor allocation is based on careful matching between your research interests and supervisor expertise. The Academic Lead for Research & Enterprise leads this process before you enrol.
Primary supervisor: Expert in your research area. Minimum 4 meetings per year plus informal contact.
Second supervisor: Methodological specialist. Minimum 4 meetings per year, plus joint supervision meetings.
Annual Review: Formal milestone assessment each year, including written submission and oral discussion with a panel including your supervisor and an independent faculty member.
Ready to apply?
The first step is a conversation. Our admissions team will help you assess whether the DBA is the right fit for your research interests and professional context.