Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA)

Advance your career by studying a Doctorate degree without interrupting your work

The Doctorate of Business Administration(DBA) program is designed for working professionals who would like take their critical and analytical skills to a new level and enhance their professional credentials. The program, which is a partnership with the University of Plymouth and the International Institute in Geneva, will enable you to earn a British accredited doctoral degree by attending the taught phase workshops in Geneva. You will begin your journey by identifying a real-world problem within your organisation that is directly relevant to you. Your research will lead you to create novel tools to address that problem and improve the practice of management long term. The program starts in October of each year and participants will have the flexibility to attend these workshops and then conduct their research online under the guidance of assigned supervisors. We offer the flexibility to fit around your professional commitments.

Why DBA?

DBA is part-time research based programs in business and public administration with the aim to prepare business managers and future leaders. This degree is academically rigorous and provide practical professional qualification. It is designed to enable participants to synthesize and develop professional practice, theoretical understanding and reflexive capability.

Furthermore, participants will enhance their personal and professional development by fueling their research curiosity, learn the importance of critical thinking and decision making and prepare themselves to address the unique challenges and opportunities of today’s business and public policy environment.

Many of the students work full time while pursuing the DBA. This degree whilst being equivalent in status and challenge to a PhD, are more appropriate to advance professional practice.

Program Details

Year 1 - Taught phase

You will attend three 3-day (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) workshops organized in around every 3 months at (IIG):

1- Advanced Qualitative Research Methods for Doctoral Study
2- Advanced Quantitative Research Methods for Doctoral Study
3- Applying Theory to Professional Practice

Year 2 - Research proposal preparation and validation phase
 

There will be workshops and seminars to help you to develop a Research Proposal under the supervision of a research advisor.

Year 3 & 4 (Research Phase)
 

Upon the successful completion of your Research Proposal, you will be promoted to candidacy status and continue with your research (any topic linked to your work or passion/interest), finally producing a thesis. This will be done wherever you are based through email/skype under the guidance of assigned supervisors at the University of Plymouth.

Doctorate Timetable

Module Schedule
 

Admission Requirements

If you have a master's degree (strong professional experience required if you don't have a master's degree), you must submit the first set of documents below to dba@iun.ch before the deadline mentioned for each admission cycle below:               

1st set of documents to submit 

- CV                                                                                                 

- Personal statement (Provide details about your professional experience and why you think this is an opportune time to take up the challenge of the DBA in approximately 800 words)

- Initial Research idea - Brief Abstract (Describe the research area or topic that you hope to investigate ideally on one of the following research priorities for the Plymouth Business School in approximately 1000 words  

2nd set of documents to submit     

- Copy of your passport and a photo                                                                        

- Reference letters (min two and at least one should be academic)                       

- Your transcripts and degree certificates for bachelor and master (in English)                                                                                                  

- IELTS (academic level) or equivalent for applicants whose education was not in English: Min overall 6.5 and 5.5 in all components                                                    

- and fill the application form: https://www.iig.ch/en-en/admissions/doctorate by paying a non-refundable application fee payable in Swiss Francs CHF150 (download here)

Minimum Requirement

- A Master's degree (candidate with strong professional experience may be considered)

- Work experience

Tuition Breakdown

Our current Doctoral Graduates