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Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) (Oman)

Doctorate

Duration
Start date
Location

Suitable for applications.

Overview

The Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) (Oman) is the pinnacle of management education.

The new DBA is as academically rigorous as a PhD. It's specifically designed for executives, professionals and senior managers, who seek to combine the best of academic knowledge with the best of practitioner knowledge, in order to push forward the boundaries of understanding contemporary and rapidly transforming business and management challenges.

The DBA (Oman) provides advanced research methods training through a suit of four specifically designed taught modules. The modules are delivered by leading scholars from the University of Bradford School of Management, supported by scholars in Majan University College, and will equip you to undertake independent empirical research on contemporary business/management challenges, and to develop new knowledge and understandings.

You will be supervised by leading research-active academics who regularly publish in international journals and present at prestigious conferences.

Professional accreditation

We are proud to be in an elite group of business schools to hold the triple accreditations of Equis, AMBA and AACSB, often referred to as the "Triple Crown".

Equis Accredited logoAMBA Accredited logoAACSB accreditation logo

Entry requirements

We welcome all applications for the DBA programme, particularly from applicants whose interests complement the expertise of our Research Centres (Accounting, Finance and Economics; People, Organization and Entrepreneurship; Logistics, Supply Chain and Technology; International Business, Marketing and Branding).

For the DBA, you should have

  • a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree from an accredited institution
  • a minimum of five years’ relevant managerial work experience
  • a research proposal
  • two references (one academic, if possible)

Please see below for English language requirements.

All applicants must be accepted by the University of Bradford and approved by the Ministry of Higher Eduction, Research and Innovation - Oman, to be able to register on the programme. Please contact the Postgraduate Centre, Majan University College for information relating to the approval of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation - Oman.

The research proposal

This is an important part of your application. Your research proposal will be used to assess the quality and originality of your research ideas, your critical thinking skills, grasp of relevant literature and the feasibility of the proposed research. It will also be used to identify suitable supervisors, so it is certainly worth devoting time and effort to it.

The research proposal should be between 1500 words and 2500 words. While we do not insist on a definite format, we do recommend you to follow the structure outlined below.

Title: the title should be a succinct summary of your proposed research

Introduction: this section should provide a brief description of the subject area in which the research is to be located in, state your central research questions clearly and explain the reasons for proposed research convincingly. 

Literature review: this section requires a short review of existing studies (particularly those published in research and practitioner periodicals). You need to explain how your research is being driven by the gaps in the existing literature and comment on how your research could be informed by the existing literature both theoretically and practically. A piece of good literature review should demonstrate how the proposed research is linked with previous studies, establish where its specific contributions could lie and show how the intended specific contributions could be materialised through drawing ideas and strengths from the existing research. 

Research methodology: there are a variety of research methods, therefore it is essential that this section provides a clear description of your choice of research methodology (i.e. quantitative or qualitative research) and explain why the chosen one is most suited to your research. This section should also include details of methods of data collection and data analysis and comment on the feasibility of data collection.

Contribution: it is important that DBA research influences and impacts upon both academic theories and concepts, and also business and organisational practices.

Reference: any studies cited in the proposal should be listed at the end of the document using the Harvard style of referencing.

English language requirements

A minimum score of at least 6.5 in IELTS, with no sub-test less than 6.0, or TOEFL with a minimum of 94.

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, and you have a UKVI approved IELTS, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course. See the Language Centre for more details. For further information on English Language requirements please see the dedicated international entry requirements page.

What you will study

Module information is for 2022 and is subject to change.

Learning and assessment

Teaching combines academic rigour with practicality and relevance to professionals, executives and managers.

The programme integrates applied and theoretical knowledge and, in particular, facilitates the development of new knowledge which is at the forefront of the discipline and organisational/management practice.

Each module builds on the learning achieved in previous modules, so learning is cumulative, and all modules relate to each other.

You will develop an understanding of the issues of translating research into practice - a fundamental aspect of a DBA. You will be expected to reflect on the key issues you are tackling and explore how such findings, if replicated in a bigger study, could be translated into practice.

In the first year of the DBA, the Director of Studies will be the Personal Academic Tutor for each new cohort of students. Once you pass the first three taught stage modules you will have acquired advanced scholarship and research skills required to create a research proposal. You will work with the DBA Director of Studies on developing your research proposal, and 2 suitable supervisors will be allocated to you, who will become your Personal Academic Tutors.

In the Progression to DBA Research Stage module you will present and defend a detailed 7000-word research proposal, preparing you for the main research stage and ultimately writing a thesis. During the main research phase, you will attend Peer Review Workshops that enhance understanding, provide motivation and support, enable networking, prepare you for presenting your work to non-specialists, give opportunities for the cross-fertilisation of ideas, and will expose you to research from outside your specialist area

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2025

To be confirmed.

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Contact Majan University College

This programme is delivered in partnership with the Postgraduate Centre, Majan University College.

Career prospects

The Doctor of Business Administration is specifically designed for MBA (or equivalent) graduates who are looking for the next challenge in their careers.

Given that the DBA programme was first launched in 2001 at the School of Management, our DBA students will be joining our international alumni network of prominent business executives. Current and recent DBA students work for leading multinational companies such as Shell International, Siemens, Coca Cola, Volvo, Bayer, ING Group and Phillips International.

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from the Career and Employability Services, including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and utilise their extensive resources.

Designed specifically for doctoral researchers, there is extensive training and development opportunities included in our unique and flexible Postgraduate Research Framework. This bespoke offering tailored for research students, provides training opportunities to support your future employability and your development as an independent researcher.

Career Booster

During your time studying at the Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences you will have the opportunity to take part in our distinctive career booster programme throughout the duration of your course. The programme is designed to equip you with the necessary skills and graduate attributes to be job-ready when seeking employment with leading innovative organisations.

The Career Booster Programme offers you the opportunity to gain certificates in:

  • The European Computer Driving License (ECDL) - the benchmark for digital literacy
  • Sage 50 Accounting and Sage 50 Payroll - training that will allow you to develop leading accounting and payroll software skills
  • Project Manager Professional certificates - giving you the edge when seeking to become a Certified Project Manager
  • Big Data analysis and reporting skills - using Software and Services (SAS) that will lead to certification.

In addition, the programme will also include activities to promote teamwork, confidence, communication and many other skills sought by employers.

Developing a portfolio of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certificates will demonstrate to employers that you are not only ambitious but also take responsibility for your own professional development.

This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.