About The DBA
The Doctor of Business and Administration degree is an especially tailored programme of high level study and research for current and potential business leaders and senior managers in the private and public sectors, who are seeking experience and expertise appropriate to a leadership role in business and administration.
The Massey DBA is a rigorous programme of coursework (120 credits of 360) and research (240 credits of 360) designed to enhance a senior manager's knowledge and competencies in strategic leadership of business in the global environment. The coursework is delivered to small classes by doctorally qualified teaching staff who have academic expertise and business experience. Academic staff from Massey University are principal supervisors of the research component of the degree which ensures supervision of a very high calibre.
How does The DBA differ from The PHD?
"The Doctor of Business and Administration (DBA) is an internationally recognised research qualification designed for professional managers who wish to apply advanced research techniques to issues of corporate concern. As a highly personalised programme, the DBA is designed to equip managers with a superior aptitude to investigate and resolve organisationally based problems. The DBA differs from a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) through its focus on the application of knowledge within the context of the individual's workplace. Anticipating that DBA candidates will already possess high leadership responsibilities, the DBA is a qualification in which the individual's own experience becomes a base for future learning. The two doctorates have in common the requirement that they involve substantial original work. However, a professional doctorate, such as the DBA, requires a different type of research development from that of the PhD. For a PhD, research needs to make a significant contribution to an area of knowledge. For the DBA, research needs to make a significant contribution to theory and practice. The research involved in a DBA is necessarily applied to a business issue and carried out in the context of professional practice." FROM MACQUARIE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, 1999
Programme Structure
The degree can be completed in either three years full time or four to six years part time. Once candidates are provisionally registered, they will commence the programme in February or July each year. If a candidate undertakes full time study, course work will be completed in the first year with the subsequent two years allocated to the thesis. Part time study enables candidates to continue in their current employment and personalise their course of study. The 120 credits of course work will prepare candidates to conduct research into an organisational issue and is designed to build on current knowledge. Each of the four papers will be delivered in block mode with candidates attending courses on one of the Massey University campuses in Auckland, Wellington or Palmerston North, wherever there are sufficient numbers. When the candidate has achieved the required performance standards in the papers and received confirmation from Academic Board for full registration, then the candidate will proceed with the 240 credit thesis. The thesis is an individual piece of research which will contribute to the field of management and can be completed in a minimum of two years.
