Are you a senior manager, consultant or entrepreneur who wants to draw together both the theoretical and practical aspects of leadership and managerial experience? Designed to enable you to develop professional practice, theoretical understanding and reflexive capability, the DPA is a high level, innovative qualification and an alternative route if you wish to research your professional practice at doctorate level.
The DPA program is designed for working professionals who have the motivation to expand their knowledge/skills and get a doctorate degree without interrupting their work. It is a collaboration between Plymouth University and the International Institute in Geneva. The first four modules will be taught over four weekends at the International Institute in Geneva ((IIG)). The DPA degree is awarded by Plymouth University, one of the UK's most prominent and dynamic universities with an educational history dating back to 1862. (IIG) is an accredited academic institution specialzing in business education and is ranked among the top ten business schools in Switzerland by Eduniversal. The program starts in October of each year.
DBA and DPAs are part-time research based programs in business and public administration with the aim to prepare business managers and future leaders. These degrees are academically rigorous and provide practical professional qualification. They are 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 or DPA. These degrees whilst being equivalent in status and challenge to a PhD, are more appropriate to advance professional practice.
PLAY
Plymouth University is one of the UK’s most prominent and dynamic universities with an educational history dating back to 1862. The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 named Plymouth as one of the top three universities in the United Kingdom.
Plymouth University has over 25’000 students and has a long record of high quality innovative research as demonstrated by its achievements in the RAE.
The university submitted twenty-five Units of Assessment in the 2008 RAE. The results show that the majority of research submitted by the university included world-leading research, achieving the highest rating possible - scoring 4 stars.
Overall, 80% of the research was judged as being of international repute. In the Research Fortnight research power league table, on the basis of the results of the 2008 RAE Plymouth has leapt 15 places to join the top 50 universities.
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
There will be workshops and seminars to help you to develop a Research Proposal under the supervision of a research advisor.
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 Plymouth University.
| Module title | Teaching Block Dates |
| Advanced Qualitative Research Methods for Doctoral Study (Cohort 11) | 1-3 October 2021 |
| Doctoral Research Proposal (Cohort 10) | 1-3 October 2021 |
| Advanced Quantitative Research Methods for Doctoral Study (Cohort 11) | 7-9 January 2022 |
| Applying Theory to Professional Practice (Cohort 11) | 1-3 April 2022 |
| Home / EU (par an) |
International & Islands (par an) |
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| Year 1 (Taught phase) |
£ 13'000 | £ 13'000 |
| Year 2 (Research proposal preparation and validation phase) | £ 8'950 | £ 8'950 |
| Year 3 & 4 (can be extended to 5 - Research Phase) | £ 6'000 | £ 6'000 |