Within business, we're often faced with issues that test our problem-solving abilities. Academia can assist by providing methods, models and theories that can be used to unpack and analyse problems, and unlock solutions.
However, as organisations evolve and their activity becomes more complex, existing thinking may not be enough. Research into organisational phenomena is therefore ongoing and it's recognised that the contribution of practitioners to research is of vital importance. Too often though, the engagement of practice with academia is difficult to facilitate. One mechanism for achieving this engagement is the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).
Those holding a DBA are expert organisational practitioners and form a useful and necessary bridge between academia and practice, and between universities and organisations. Consequently, this mode of study can be seen as a long-term investment for both communities.
This study will aim to consider the perspectives of locals about slum tourism in their areas. This will include the views of local residents as well as local stakeholders, those involved in slum tourism as guides, transport operators and accommodation providers along with persons who are not directly involved.
The aim is to create a successful Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementation and, through that, gain a better understanding of what makes a successful AI implementation in the relevant healthcare problem area.
A psychological investigation of the Delphi technique as an aid to improving group judgment and decision making. The project will involve experimentation and statistical analysis of data from the experiments.
Strathclyde Business School is offering up to 15 PhD fee-only awards.
These will be competitively awarded to outstanding applicants for PhD study with a start date of 1 October 2024.
Applicants must have an excellent academic track record with appropriate external recognition and be able to demonstrate commitment to their chosen field of study. Applications are welcome in all of our subject areas but we particularly welcome applicants interested in any of our areas of research expertise. The awards will apply for each year of study, up to a maximum of 36 months of full-time study.
John Anderson Research Studentship Scheme (JARSS) doctoral studentships are available annually for excellent students and excellent research projects.
There are two main sources of funding:
The JARSS 2023/2024 competition will open in October 2023 and students successful in this competition will commence studies in October 2024. Faculties will set their own internal deadlines for the competition.
Academics/Supervisors make the applications for this scheme and there are various deadlines across the Department and Faculties, therefore, in the first instance, all interested students should contact the Department where they would like to carry out their research.
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a research degree designed to develop business professionals skilled in solving business problems. Your focus will be on applying academic theories, methods and models to solve problems of practice. Research projects undertaken during the DBA programme aim to understand and explore how organisations work and how management is practised. You'll have the opportunity to:
The DBA provides two main opportunities. Firstly, you develop knowledge in a specialist area. On completion, you can legitimately be considered an expert in your field, having studied it in-depth and conducted academically rigorous and practically relevant research which contributes to thinking in your chosen area.
Secondly, it supports you in carrying out an intervention within your organisation that will be hugely beneficial. At its core, a DBA is a knowledge exchange mechanism where you, supported by your supervisors and the wider research community within the University, act as a change agent utilising proven models and methods to enact change. Therefore, there are multiple benefits for you as a student, your organisation and the wider academic community.
PhD and DBA programmes appeal to different student groups. Often students embarking on a PhD programme aspire to an academic career. These students often come directly from other studies and start their PhD soon after graduating. In contrast, DBA programmes are designed for practitioners of management who are looking for new intellectual challenges. These students often have a management degree, such as an MBA, already and may want to distinguish themselves further with a doctoral degree.
Potential DBA students are interested in management research and may have a practical research question in mind. This may be a specific problem encountered in their work environment or a more general issue of practice that they are keen to resolve.
Both PhD and DBA programmes aim to generate new knowledge, but the emphasis of each is different.
PhD students begin by identifying a gap in existing knowledge and they do so mainly by carrying out an extensive review of literature in their chosen knowledge area. On identifying the gap, they then design research programmes, often within organisations, that provide the data required to address that gap.
DBA students, on the other hand, begin by identifying a problem in practice. They then consult academic models and theories that may help to inform their understanding of that problem. They then design interventions within their organisations which allow them to investigate and resolve the problem. In doing this DBA students may contribute to theory or practice, or both. As with a PhD, the outcomes of the DBA research must be generalisable, allowing abstraction and application to other contexts.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs.
| Fees | Year 1: £15,750 Total fee: £45,000 Note: A DBA is four years study part-time. Students who require an additional (5th) year of supervised study will be liable for an additional fee of £5,000. |
|---|---|
| What your fee includes | The fee includes:
It excludes:
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| Tuition fee discount for Strathclyde Alumni | We're pleased to be able to offer a discount of 10% to Strathclyde alumni. |
| Additional costs | International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year.
Payment options are available, please contact us to find out more.
Years 1 and 2 are similar to those of a part-time taught Masters programme although the modules you'll study are research-focused. Additionally, you'll be allocated a supervisor so that you are supported individually. The research modules can be delivered either online or at our Glasgow campus.
The following is an indication of what you will study:
| Stage | What you'll study |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 |
Directed study on research methods (60 credits)Compulsory Classes: Research Methods (20 credits); Reviewing Literature in Business Subjects (10 credits); Research Colloquium (10 credits) Optional Classes: Introduction to Quantitative Methods & Advanced Quantitative Methods (20 credits) or Advanced Qualitative Methods (20 credits) |
| Stage 2 |
Directed study on areas of specialist knowledge (60 credits)You will gain credits with a programme of study customised to your own needs. |
| Stage 3 |
Research project (60 credits)You'll work on and write up, a pilot study focused on your DBA research problem. |
There are no taught modules, instead you'll devote your time to empirical research. Your programme of work will be co-constructed between you and your supervisory team.
With a DBA the key is flexibility as you're researching issues of practice and your ‘laboratory’ is your workplace. Depending on your role you may find that the academic work is integrated into your work activity. If you're studying in a cohort you'll also attend additional workshops spread evenly throughout Years 3 and 4.
| Stage | What you'll study |
|---|---|
| Stage 4 |
Doctoral thesis (360 credits)You'll will carry out your research and write this up to create your final thesis. |
Simply put, Strathclyde Business School is the best business school in Scotland!
The Strathclyde Doctoral School provides a vibrant and comprehensive student-centred research and training environment in order to grow and support current and future research talent.
The School encompasses our four faculties and is committed to enriching the student experience, intensifying research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring training is at the highest level. As a postgraduate researcher, you'll automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.
Find out more about the Doctoral School
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Visit our international students' section
The DBA is a research degree and therefore a much more involved and personal journey than previous programmes of study that you may have undertaken. The preparation carried out prior to beginning your DBA will significantly enhance your DBA experience. We see the application’s process as the beginning of the relationship between the student and the University, and an important part of this preparation, so we promote an interactive approach.
Therefore before applying it is worth considering the following:
Therefore, before submitting your application it may be useful to contact the Director of DBA programmes, Dr Steve Paton. This initial contact will allow us to explore your research interests and motivations and help you construct the best application possible. Our aim is to ensure that you're suited to this programme, you're fully prepared to embark on this programme and that the process of application is as straightforward as possible. A successful application requires a good fit between your research interests and those of Strathclyde Business School.
You must hold a UK Honours degree, or overseas equivalent, at minimum 2:1 level or a Masters degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised academic institution. In addition you would be expected to have a minimum of five years management experience.
Your DBA application must contain a document that describes in broad terms what you are interested in researching. This brief will form the starting point for our discussion and will help us to select a supervisor for you.
Due to the variety and diversity of research projects that can be undertaken there is no ideal form of brief. The key thing is that it communicates clearly what you are interested in. Below is a list of the information that you should aim to include in your brief. Your entire brief should be no more than 500 words.
This is a description of what you are interested in and should be written in broad terms. For example topic areas may include strategic management, change management, leadership, etc. You might visit our departmental website pages for more detail on the broad areas that each department is active within.
This is a statement explaining why this research is important and why you are interested in it.
This explains what you trying to achieve with your research.
This is a description of where your research will be carried out. This may include an overview of the industry and some information on the company (or companies) that your research might take place in.
This details the current state of knowledge in your research area.
DBA Programme Administrator
Email: coral.yuan@strath.ac.uk
Strathclyde Business School
Cathedral Wing 201, 199 Cathedral Street
Glasgow
G4 0QU
