Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) – Dual Awards from IBES and VERN University

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a 120 ECTS credits programme. It allows students to achieve dual doctoral awards from IBES, France and VERN University, Croatia.

The DBA programme equips senior business practitioners and high-potential individuals with both knowledge as well as the applied and research skills needed to become executive-level organisational leaders, industry innovators, consultants and policymakers. Students ethically address complex and practical business challenges and learn how to transform business practices to create organisational optimisation, growth, and sustainability.

In designing this programme, the prior qualifications and corporate experiences of participants are taken into consideration in order to ensure the programme shall build on prior knowledge and skills.

Aims

• To produce and equip a new breed of manager-leaders with the ability to develop a vision for the future, think critically and plan strategically, implement effective business policies and make sound decisions to achieve business goals.
• To enhance the research capability by undertaking a systematic and scientific research which will contribute to both the expansion of knowledge and management practices.

Assessments

The DBA taught modules are assessed through coursework, assignments and/or work-based reports.

The Thesis shall be between 25,000 and 30,000 words for the Mixed mode and 40,000 to 45,000 words for the Research mode.

Entry Requirements

1. A Master’s degree in any field; or
2. Other qualifications recognised by IBES as equivalent to a Master’s degree.
3. Demonstrate English language proficiency in order to participate in the programme taught in English.
4. Proficiency of English shall include either a recognised English proficiency testing score of IELTS overall band of 6.0 or equivalent. Those having undertaken either an undergraduate, postgraduate or professional qualification taught and assessed in English will also be accepted as having met the English proficiency.

Subject to the final approval of IBES, any potential student who have done a qualification examined in English at European Qualification Framework ( EQF) level 3 and above would satisfy the English requirement.

For those that are not able to provide the above proof of English, The student can enroll for an English test administered by ESOL Awards and on passing this at B2 level, The student would satisfy the English language requirement. 

Programme Structure

Route 1 – Mixed Mode

This route has taught modules, and a Thesis.

The DBA has a total of 120 ECTS credits and comprises of 5 taught modules at 10 ECTS credits each and a Thesis at 70 ECTS credits.

The modules are:

1. Managing Strategy 10 ECTS
2. Corporate Finance 10 ECTS
3. Managing Human Resource 10 ECTS
4. Marketing Management 10 ECTS
5. Business Research Methodology 10 ECTS
6. 25,000 – 30,000 words Thesis 70 ECTS (and mandatory oral defence)

Route 2 – Research Mode

There is a more extensive ‘Thesis only’ route comprising:

• Thesis preparation and Thesis Proposal of 4,500 – 5,000 words (25% of the marks)
• Final Thesis of 40,000 – 45,000 words (75% of the marks)

Stage 1 – Thesis Preparation

Student must undertake a Business Research Methodology module prior to commencing their thesis research or be exempted from it should students have already undertaken a similar or equivalent Research Methodology module prior to enrolling on to the programme.

Following the Research Methodology module students have up to three months to submit a Thesis Proposal for grading and approval before progressing to Stage 2.

A supervisor will be assigned to a student who, under the guidance of the supervisor, shall continue to work towards completing the Final Thesis.

Stage 1 should be completed not more than 4 months.

Stage 2 – Thesis Proposal Approval, Research and Documentation

Stage 2 commences once the Thesis Proposal has been approved and graded and should be completed within 12-18 months. A supervisor will be assigned to a student who, under the guidance of the supervisor, shall continue to work towards completing the Final Thesis.

Stage3 – Oral Defence of Thesis

Once a final check by the supervisor has been undertaken to confirm that a candidate’s work has met the minimum prescribed standard and first and second marked, a Viva will be organized, conducted and chaired by the Chairperson of the viva Panel. This will normally be scheduled 2 – 3 weeks after both the first and second markings have been completed.

Mode of Delivery

Blended Learning