Doctor of Business Administration

Corrie Block Photo.

I am a Canadian living in Dubai. I work independently as a Business Development Consultant and Management Trainer all over the MENA region. Like many of you, I tackle a multitude of emails each morning and the predictable yet arbitrary chaos that they invariably bring to my day. There were only two pieces of non-negotiable criteria for me when choosing a DBA program: quality learning, and near total flexibility. I found both at Monarch. I live a very fast-paced life providing business strategy and structuring advice to competitive multi-national companies. I need to know that as I perform at my best, the information I am fueled by is state of the art and ahead of the game. I cannot challenge my clients and partners to reach their highest capacity if I am ill-equipped to lead them. The first thing I considered at Monarch were the reading requirements for the first courses. From those I learned that the information I would be acquiring would be of immediate benefit to my strategic partners. Secondly, finding a course-based program that I could mold into my intense schedule was paramount to me. The Monarch DBA gives me that flexibility.

Corrie Block – Doctor of Business Administration Candidate

Program Identifier: DBAPRGM
Program Start: Immediate-Rolling Admission

Students considering the Doctor of Business Administration program should also consider the Doctor of Professional Studies and the Doctor of Philosophy in Business Research thesis-only programs.

The Doctor of Business Administration degree, DBA, is the recognized standard for professional qualification within the domain of management for the practicing manager. The purpose of the DBA is to provide the student with a solid grasp of all aspects of management at the doctoral level as they are applied to the practice of the day-to-day operations of the firm. Students pursuing this degree are interested in examining management problems from an applied standpoint and wish to carrying out some research at a doctoral level. Students entering this program are active within industry or intend to enter professional business in the capacity general or executive management or professional consulting upon graduation.

The award of the DBA degree is based on the completion of seven (7) management courses, a research methods course and a manuscript of between 60,000 to 80,000 words in length. The manuscript should constitute a well-rounded piece of applied/practical management research. The duration of the program is typically between three to four years of study. The maximum time allowed for completion of the degree is five years.

Students may begin the program immediately upon acceptance.

  • Residential
  • International (Remote-Study)

Explanation of Study Modes Here | Tuition Fee Schedules

Students pursuing the DBA program will also obtain the MBA degree upon completing the course work portion of the program. Students not progressing beyond that point to complete the DBA degree will retain the MBA degree.

All Doctoral programs are 36 months in duration. Enrolled candidates complete the program either in residence or remotely under the International study mode. All students complete the program using the state of the art Moodle Learning Platform under the supervision of the faculty and their dissertation supervisor. International students fall under the Symposium rule whereby the are expected to complete their residency requirement within scheduled symposiums. Symposiums are offered in Zug, Switzerland and Dubai, UAE. Additional symposium may be required by the administration depending on the performance of the candidate. All candidates are required to be on-campus for the final dissertation defense (viva voce).

The DBA is comprised of seven (7) management courses taken before the research phase of the program. Upon completion of the course-work component the student enters the candidacy and research phases of the program. The candidacy phase of the program consist of the research methodology course for DBA candidates and the research proposal perfecting module. The research methodology course covers qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methodology and is intended on providing the student with a solid understand of all aspects of research. The outcome of the research proposal perfecting module is the research proposal which describes the research contemplated by the student and provides a roadmap for completion.

Review The Comparison of the Various Programs Here

Program Design.

Once the research methodology modules are completed the student enters the research phase of the program and works with his/her supervisor to complete the manuscript. When the final draft of the manuscript has been approved by the student’s supervisor the student then submits the manuscript for evaluation. After the manuscript has been approved the student then presents the work in the form of a committee presentation required for the DBA degree. The evaluation of this degree is based on both the grade average of the course-work and the quality of the final manuscript presented to the committee. Students have a limit of 60 months from program start within which they must present their manuscript in front of the committee.

To prepare students for the rigors of professional practice the Doctor of Business Administration program is designed with a course-work component. The course-work component consist of seven (7) management related courses taken in sequence. Students must maintain a grade average of B-, 70% in order to be eligible to move into the research phase of the program. Student not able to maintain this average will be asked to resit courses.

Each candidate is required to complete a manuscript that focuses on a topic of interest within the domain of management that contributes to new practical knowledge in the field. Manuscripts are typically between 60,000 and 80,000 words. The research methodology used within the manuscript will be determined by the student as an outcome of the research methodology modules.

The Doctor of Business Administration program accounts for 180 credits under the ECTS scheme, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. Doctoral students must maintain a minimum average of a B-, 70% average in order to move in to the candidacy and research phases of the program. Students not attaining this threshold may be asked to resit certain courses. Each ECTS represents 25 hours of study. Therefore, the program accounts for 4,500 hours of study. Though the allocated allotment of study hours may vary per student, the program design is based on the following.

Course Work Component: (21 Months)

  • DBA-651-Principles of Management (15 ECTS, 375 hours) (Course Outline)
  • DBA-655-Principles of Accounting (15 ECTS, 375 hours) (Course Outline)
  • DBA-660-Principles of Corporate Finance (15 ECTS, 375 hours)
  • DBA-665-International Marketing Management (15 ECTS, 375 hours)
  • DBA-670-Int’l Managerial Eco & Int’l Business (15 ECTS, 375 hours) (Course Outline)
  • DBA-675-Production Management (15 ECTS, 375 hours) (Course Outline)
  • DBA-680-Leadership-Organizational Behavior (15 ECTS, 375 hours) (Course Outline)

Candidacy Phase: (7 Months)

  • Mixed Research Methodology For DBA Students (15 ECTS; 375 hours) (Course Outline)
  • Research Proposal Perfecting Module (20 ECTS; 500 hours)

Research Phase: (8 Months)

  • Research Manuscript Completion & Perfecting (40 ECTS; 1000 hours)
  • Candidate Defends Dissertation in Committee (1 Day Event, Max 2 Hours, Obligatory)

The learning objectives of the program are specifically identified within each course and within the Research Methodology and Research Proposal Perfecting Modules and pertain to the entire thesis preparation and defense.

  • Graduates from accredited undergraduate business programs with an average grade of B+ or above. Undergraduate students must demonstrate superior academic and personal qualifications in order to be accepted directly into Doctoral studies.
  • Graduates from accredited master programs in management or related fields with an average grade of B- or above.
  • Graduates from Master level programs seeking a transfer into business related program.

DBA, Ph.D. or D.Phil. Candidates from other Universities may be eligible to complete their dissertation work at Monarch given that they meet the eligibility requirements. Eligibility is determined on an individual basis and candidates should contact the administration to inquire. There is a minimum 24 month stay in the program fro doctoral transfer students.

You may find download the tuition fee schemes here.

Tuition Fees are to be paid by international wire transfer.

In order to help make available the opportunity to complete higher degrees for students originating from developing countries, as defined by the OECD, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty provides partial scholarships equivalent to 20% of the total standard program tuition. Eligible students must indicate their intention to request such tuition relief upon application to the program. The Dean Scholarship is available under the Distance Learning Option only. Please note that as a private university UGSM-Monarch Business School is not in a position to provide full scholarships as it does not receive support from government agencies.