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Course overview
Dr Ryan Thomas Williams, Teesside University Online
Hear from Dr Ryan Thomas Williams about studying DBA with Teesside University Online.
You develop a research-based understanding of business issues and challenges. Elevate your problem-solving skills and meaningfully contribute to organisational sustainability and development.
Engage deeply with your organisations, critically reviewing and researching workplace-based attitudes and practices, and applying your learning to improve outcomes and solve problems responsibly and sustainably. Gain a comprehensive, research-intensive and high-level education, enhancing your managerial practice.
You co-create and interpret new, actionable knowledge through original research at the forefront of an area of practice or academic discipline, combining advanced study with professional experience.
All DBA lecturers are research-active and able to supervise academic and practical research topics, with a range of expertise including human resource management, organisation behaviour, innovation and marketing.
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
This research-based module guides you through conducting real-world research under the supervision of two experts, generating academically and practically impactful knowledge. You complete a doctoral-level thesis of approximately 40-50,000 words and participate in a viva voce to defend your work. Both are required for the Doctor of Business Administration award, along with submitting satisfactory ethical clearance.
Critical Issues in Policy, Organisation and Management Research
Examine interdisciplinary approaches to research in policy, organisation and management, using theories and methods from fields like political science, economics, sociology and public administration. Build skills to critically evaluate policy and organisational challenges through analysis of diverse literature and research methods. Learn to synthesise existing knowledge, assess data and develop frameworks to produce literature reviews that support evidence-based policymaking, enhance governance and deepen scholarly insights.
Interdisciplinary Research Design for Doctoral Students
The module incorporates diverse traditions within social sciences, introducing a range of research philosophies and methods. You gain the foundational understanding you need to critically engage with literature and make informed methodological choices in your research, including considerations of data analysis and ethics.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
This course focuses on preparing you for success in the global workplace, by making you research-active, future-ready, globally-connected, socially and ethically engaged, and digitally empowered. It is underpinned by a focus on industry, employers and practice. Project-based learning is core, drawing directly on industry projects, real-world scenarios, employment/enterprise experiences, and global initiatives.
You are assigned at least two module supervisors who you meet with regularly for support, guidance and progress monitoring.
Modules are delivered online and are underpinned and supplemented by high-quality learning materials crafted through a digital-first approach.
How you are assessed
Assessments draw directly on industry projects and real-world scenarios where appropriate and reflect professional body requirements. They are inclusive and have been developed to consider the needs of students with protected characteristics.
Throughout the course, you are regularly informally assessed and provided with feedback, allowing you to identify areas for improvement. You are assigned a supervisor to offer guidance for developing practical work. You also attend the annual doctoral colloquium, where you present your work and get feedback from fellow scholars and other academic experts.
You also participate in a mock verbal exam, known as a viva voce, to develop confidence in defending your work.
Each module has specific formal assessment criteria and offers an opportunity for feedback:
• The first module is a critical literature review of 7,000 words.
• The second module is a research proposal of 7,000 words.
• The third and final module is the doctoral-level research thesis, assessed through the DBA defence viva process. Following the viva, you are given detailed feedback and recommendations for changes in your final thesis. The examiners later review these changes, and following implementation, you are recommended for the award.
Entry requirements
The DBA (Online) is designed for people who have achieved, or expect to achieve, senior organisational positions and/or who wish to enhance their analytical and research skills and knowledge.
- A master's degree: applicants should have a master's degree in a subject that has aspects that relate to business and/or management.
- +3 years' management experience: all applicants should have a minimum three years' managerial experience.
- Research proposal. All applicants are required to complete a short research proposal. Please find our research proposal template and research proposal guidelines. We recommend allowing one month to create your research proposal (prior to application). It's best to download the template now. Your proposal must be submitted using this template otherwise it will not be accepted.
- English language: applicants whose first language is not English will need to satisfy the English language requirements which are a minimum overall score of 6.5 IELTS, and 5.5 in each band.
All prospective students will be interviewed. Applicants must show they have recent and relevant study or practice in the field of business and/or management.
The interview will normally explore
- reason for your application
- work experience
- previous postgraduate qualifications
- research experience
- research areas of interest
- all aspects of the research proposal
- anything else deemed appropriate by the tutor connected to the proposed research.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
Employability
Career opportunities
As a graduate, you may move into senior management and strategic leadership roles, or internal and external project consultancy roles. At the point of application, you are expected to be a senior business-based professional, as the course builds on your existing work experience and skills to develop you as a research-informed business leader.
Learning platform
Our virtual learning environment (VLE) is the platform you use to access your online course
Teesside University online learning courses are delivered through the Brightspace Learning Environment.
Here are some of the benefits.
- You can use it on your smartphone, tablet and computer.
- And you can use it anytime, so that you can plan your learning to fit your own schedule.
- It's easy to use and navigate.
- Modules are set out by topics and themes. You can use the progress bar to understand where you are in your modules, and appreciate your achievements.
- We support you to become familiar with your VLE, helping you to start learning quickly.
- You get feedback, help and guidance from tutors throughout your course through the VLE, and you can ask questions at any time.
- Our tutors use a live activity feed to keep you updated about your course.
- You can create a student profile, collaborate with other students and take part in online discussion forums.
