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Doctorate in Business Administration

College of Business and Law
PAC Course Code: CKN17
Qualification: DBA
Duration: Three years (36 months) full-time. Candidates with neither a Masters Degree or any Economics background may enter via the MComm route. On satisfactory completion of Year 1 of the MComm programme, candidates are eligilbe to apply for admission to the DBA programme. Closing Date for Applications Applications are welcome for October, January or April intakes. The programme will run depending on sufficient demand and staff availability.
EU Fees: 10,500 for new entrants 2012-2013 academic session
Closing Date - EU Applicants: Wed, 31 March 10
Closing Date - Non-EU Applicants: Wed, 31 March 10

Overview of Business Administration (DBA)

DBA (Business Economics)

The DBA (Business Economics) is a professional qualification because its primary aim is the development and application of knowledge in a professional setting. The programme is the first opportunity in Ireland for qualified MBA and other graduates to move up the professional/executive development ladder through doctoral-level qualification.

The DBA (Business Economics) is targeted at practitioners in business who wish to take their professional development to the most advanced level of formal qualification. The programme represents natural progression and development for Masters level graduates through the provision of a rigorous and challenging programme of study.

This programme focuses on the development and application of advanced conceptual frameworks and skills required by senior executives within the context of strategic and organisational decision-making. Emphasis is also placed on facilitating reflection on experience and understanding, and enhancing the analytical skills required by senior executives.

The programme builds upon the established expertise in the Department of Economics in delivering postgraduate and professional/executive education in Business Economics and demonstrates its commitment to providing professional and academic development through life-long learning.

What will I be Studying?

Study for the DBA (Business Economics) comprises the following two stages.

Stage 1: Over the first year of the programme, advanced level knowledge and research skills are accumulated.
Stage 2: Years two to four of the programme focus on the preparation and presentation of a doctoral thesis.

Stage 1:

In Current Research Issues workshops, participants' abilities for identifying research approaches, research questions and establishing data sources are developed. Participants prepare outline research papers on their reading themes to identify potential issues for doctoral thesis research.

In workshops on Empirical Methods and Techniques for Business Research, participants prepare expository papers on appropriate empirical methods and techniques, which complement the outline research papers to demonstrate their understanding and ability to conduct an empirical study. Candidates will be required to locate applied tools used in strategy analysis in the intellectual context of their theoretical foundations and development of their selected tools.

Stage 2:

Participants develop their Research Proposal, Literature Review and present their Thesis (50,000 words) for examination.

Assessment is on the basis of Outline Research Papers, Expository Papers on Research Methods, the Research Proposal, the Literature Review and also the Thesis.

Entry Requirements

Entry/Selection Requirements

Candidates will normally have obtained at least a second class honours in a Masters-level degree such as:

Executive MBA
MBA
MBS (Business Economics)
MComm (Economics)
or equivalent

In addition, candidates will be expected to demonstrate evidence of significant work experience (at least 5 years) at a professional level that reflects considerable responsibilities and indicates potential for on-going personal, professional and career development. Both academic and professional references conveying suitability for and commitment to completing the programme will also be sought.

English Language Requirements:

IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL equivalent

Part-Time Taught Postgraduate Programmes

Please note that non-EU applicants are not eligible to study part-time programmes

Application Procedure

Application for this programme is on-line at www.pac.ie/ucc. For full details of the application procedure click How to apply. All required documentation must be sent in hard copy to The Postgraduate Applications Centre, 1, Courthouse Square, Galway.

Find out More

Number of Places: To be advised

Expressions of interest or requests for further information and programme outline can be directed to:

Dr. Eleanor Doyle, Programme Director:
Professor Connell Fanning, Head of Department of Economics

Ms. Mary Maguire, Manager, Department of Economics.

Contact details:

e.doyle@ucc.ie (++ 353 32 4902975)
c.fanning@ucc.ie (++ 353 21 4902577)
m.maguire@ucc.ie (++ 353 21 4902834)

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