Doctor of Business Administration

DBA studies are amongst the most challenging and rewarding levels of higher education. The Swiss School of Management has developed an outstanding doctoral program. This program has unique features which add significant value to graduates beyond the rewarding Doctor Degree.

Multiple academic collaborations contribute to the exceptional quality of our program, starting with the involvement of highly renowned and recognized academics as directors of studies. Our doctoral candidates are supported on an individual basis by both SSM professors and visiting professors from a wide variety of international universities.

Today, academia is no longer bound by borders. Therefore, the knowledge and expertise of experienced academics influence the structure and content of our DBA, from which candidates can select the option that accommodates their necessity.

The Doctor of Business Administration will be awarded by the Swiss School of Management. The result is based on delivering studies of the highest quality. Swiss School of Management is committed to the value of the studies resulting in degrees, which expresses the outstanding skills of those being awarded. This allows them to develop a top career in industries, administration, and academia.

The Swiss School of Management offers a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program based on blended and online learning principles. Due to the integrated learning aspects, there are no admissions deadlines. Individuals have flexibility in how they complete their courses.

Each DBA candidate receives support from a dedicated supervisor and a mentor and access to digital libraries and live (digital) events. Joining the DBA program at SSM gets you access to our International Expert Group.

Universities around the globe have extended doctoral studies to these professional doctorates for many good reasons. Industries are very interested in such graduates, and the results of their job applications demonstrate this—as DBA Degree skills and capabilities go beyond any master’s graduate. At the same time, these doctoral graduates are practice oriented. Consequentially, they are the first-choice candidates for top-management positions.

The Doctor of Business Administration addresses business, economy, and management research. The dissertation can be oriented by the student’s personal interest and based on their personal work environment. At the end of these studies, students are awarded the title of “Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).”

Before the Degree awarding, the DBA dissertation must be written and defended in a live defense known as the “viva voce.” The dissertation argument is about applied sciences. It consists of 50,000 words, which fulfills independent research criteria on a superior level and consequentially demonstrates the internationally acknowledged standards of doctoral studies.

The variety of topics is extensive, and candidates can make their own choice upon approval of the Academic Board. The only request is that the selected research relates to management, business, and/or economy. Theory and empirically consistent research, which the dissertation delivers, are expected to be on a superior level. An individual director of studies will support their student during the development and writing of the dissertation. Students will find personal support, but they are expected to work individually, according to the individual nature of such studies on this high level.

At the Swiss School of Management, the overall student-based broad goals of the business programs including the DBA are as follows:

ISLO 1: Students must contribute to the body of knowledge in a specific discipline.

ISLO 2: Students must show their capacity to analyze existing theories and draw data-supported conclusions.

ISLO 3: Students must be able to integrate divergent or contradictory perspectives or ideas fully.

ISLO 4: Students must be able to present and defend a thesis in applied research to be evaluated by a jury.

ISLO 5: Students must demonstrate advanced knowledge and competence in a field of study of practical relevance.

Graduate Level Requirements:

Master’s degree or equivalent (60 ECTS Postgraduate Studies)

English Requirements:

Applicants for the DBA program are exempted from an English Exam provided they completed their schooling years and/or bachelor’s or master’s degree at a recognized school where the medium of teaching is English.

In case this condition is unmet, then, the applicant needs to sit for one of the listed English Exams:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT) – minimum score: 60

Internet Based Test (iBT) – minimum score: 71

International English Language Test (IELTS) – minimum score: 6.5

Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report – minimum score: 50

Duolingo English Test – minimum score: 100

4-skill Michigan English Test (MET) – minimum score: 55

Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Competency in English (ECCE) – minimum score: 650/LP

Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) – minimum score: 650/LP

Doctoral Module Offerings :

Doctoral Course & Seminar Descriptions:

REM 710 – Introduction to Academic Research
Professional and academic research are vital necessities for modern leaders to forge ahead. Research is the process of asking the right and relevant questions and of gathering and analyzing the necessary data in a systematic and methodologically sound manner. An important aspect of sound professional and academic research is to embed the research within the body of existing knowledge (applied research) and to add to it (generating new knowledge).

This module will guide you to the research process. From the formulation of the topic to critically directing and reviewing relevant literature, designing the research project and choosing appropriate methodologies, collecting and analyzing the data and writing the actual research.

RQT 725 – Quantitative Methods & Techniques
Numbers play an important role in research. Statistical skills are critical to understanding a lot of what goes on in society. The students will be exposed to the different statistical programs used in academic research. The students will be introduced to statistics to be used in more intuitive ways. Students will be familiar with statistical concepts which they can easily recognize leading to the exploration of more advanced statistical use. In the end, the lectures will cover important topics in survey design, sampling techniques, validity and reliability and statistical data treatment.

RQL 725 – Qualitative Methods & Techniques
The core part of this module is on different qualitative research methods such as action research, ethnographic research, case study, grounded theory, interviews (Focus), participant observation, document analysis, focus group discussion etc. All these techniques will be examined to discuss various approaches to come up with the best technique to gather data and choose the tool to best evaluate research results. All techniques will discuss the various approaches of that technique, along with strengths and weaknesses, and examples.

RTL 730 – Guide to Doctoral Dissertation Writing
The challenge of transforming professional experience into academic writing has always been a concern for doctoral students. The academic community is faced with how to make academic writing more appealing to the public. This module will be delivered as a seminar/workshop, where students will be trained to write academically utilizing story telling techniques. While still strictly adhering to the universally accepted dissertation writing and following the standards of the Swiss School of Management, students will upgrade their writing skills.

RPR 750 – Advanced Experimental Research Design
One of the major advances in academic research are the emergence of different research techniques and tools. To academically determine the cause-and-effect relationship and investigate the interaction between dependent and independent variables, students need to fully understand how to choose their research area, determine their respondents/population, prepare research questions, and most importantly decide on what tools to use to ensure the validity of their research results. The objective of this module is to expose the students to experimental research, quasi experimental, correlation and other experimental advance research approaches. On top of this, students will be introduced to STATA, R, SPSS and other tools to measure research results in the social sciences.


Seminars

RSM 770 – Seminar: The Fundamentals of APA Citation

RSM 780 – Seminar: How to Publish Scholarly Work

RSM 790 – Seminar: Collaboration: The Future of Research

RSM 740 – Doctorate Degree Holders: A Closer Look at Their Academic Journey

Research / Dissertation Components

RTH 800 – Research Proposal: Part I

RTH 810 – Dissertation Writing: Part II

RTH 820 – Viva Voce Defense:
When the research director (DBA dissertation supervisor) approves candidate’s final study, the research director needs to send to Research Center Dean’s Office the dissertation for review, quality, and academic integrity check to confirm that all the minimum quality standards of the DBA are met, with the use if specific rubrics and checklists. After the Research Center’s initial approval, Research Center’s Dean Office will schedule the Viva Voce (oral defense). The Viva Voce panel, three (3) faculty in total; the Head and two (2) Members, will be appointed by the Research Center. If the panelists recommend revisions, modifications or other changes to be done in the DBA document, the students will have a reasonable amount of time to complete these (approximately one month after the Viva Voce); the revised document will be sent to the research director to check that the revisions were made, and then the revised dissertation will be sent to the Research Center for final approval. After this, the Research Center will send all the needed documents (panelists’ evaluations included) to the Registrar for degree conferral.

Conferences / Academic Events

RIC 820 / RIC 830 / RIC 860 – International Conference Participation / Academic Colloquium