The Doctorate of Business Administration

The only certainty in today's commercial and political climate is change. It is, therefore, imperative that we are not only capable to assimilate the challenges that are presented but also that we capitalise on them. We, at ESB, looked long and hard to find a rigorous, challenging and above all career orientated programme that sets new standards in postgraduate business education. We believe we found a unique and flexible offering;

The Heriot-Watt University / Edinburgh Business School offers you the possibility to become Doctor of Business Administration.

Designed for executives who want to apply detailed understanding of business strategy and research tools to their organisations.

Whereas a PhD will develop professional researchers, this DBA will enable you to use research methods to define, implement and evaluate the strategies necessary for your business.

The DBA consists of a Study element and a Research element.

The courses in the Study element will demonstrate that you have mastered the skills and expertise of strategic focus.

The core courses will enable you to:

Define your strategic options:

• Competitive Strategy
• Strategic Planning

Evaluate the risks of each:

• Strategic Risk Management

And implement your chosen strategy:

• Making Strategies Work
• Project Management

You also have to complete three more subject-based courses of your choice, and three courses to develop your research expertise and understanding. The courses are assessed by examination as and when you are ready for assessment.

Elective courses

• Alliances and Partnerships
• Corporate Governance
• Leadership
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Strategic Negotiation

For the Research element, you work under the direction of an appointed Edinburgh Business School supervisor to carry out appropriate data collection and analysis and design a suitable research method to test the research hypothesis. You must derive a clear set of conclusions, and formally submit a 45,000 word final thesis for examination.

Admission

To be eligible for admission you must hold at least one of the following qualifications:

• A Heriot-Watt University MBA;
• An approved MBA of equivalent standard to that offered by Edinburgh Business School;
• A Masters degree such as MSc, MA, MPhil in a relevant field of study; or
• A PhD in a relevant area.

In addition, you should normally have a minimum of 5 years' relevant business experience.