Foreign Language Software

Up until a few years ago the highest qualification available in Business Administration was the Master of Business Administration (MBA), a highly-valued qualification offered by many major universities. On completion, some students would progress to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), but this was seen as a research qualification, rather than something of direct use to practicing managers.

This situation has changed in recent years because of the introduction of a new type of qualification, the Professional or Vocational Doctorate. Professional doctorates are generally awarded in areas where most candidates for the degree are involved in the practice of a profession, rather than carrying out academic research. Professional Doctorates are available in a number of areas, including Engineering (EngD), Education (EdD), Social Sciences (DSocSci) and Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych), as well as the one we’re concerned with here, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).

Normally the name of a Professional Doctorate specifies the subject area in which it is awarded, rather than the more generic Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which can be awarded in any subject area. PhD programmes are invariably research-based, with no taught content, other than a few taught courses in research methodology, but Professional Doctorates usually include a year of advanced-level study prior to the research phase. In the case of the DBA, this taught component often focuses on current hot topics, such as branding and entrepreneurship.

The DBA also incorporates a research element, but this tends to be applied research, rather than the scholarly research typical of PhD programmes. Professional doctorates require the submission of a body of original research of a similar length to a PhD thesis. However, this might take the form of a portfolio of technical reports on different research projects, as opposed to a single, long thesis.

Many candidates undertake a DBA on a part-time basis, fitting it around their work commitments. In this case, the research element may be something of direct relevance to their employer and the course may even be sponsored by an employer. A thesis may be jointly supervised by faculty members and company employees.

Relatively few institutions currently offer DBA programmes, but their numbers are on the increase. They include such well known names as Heriot-Watt University and Harvard University. The jury is still out on whether DBA programmes will come to rival the MBA in popularity, but don’t be surprised when you notice that the nameplate on your manager’s door reads “Doctor”.

Related posts:

1. Guidelines To Follow For Successful Applications To Doctorate Degree Programs Understand
2. Remove Threats By Using PC Speed Doctor There are
3. iPhone Doctor: How to Replace your iPhone 4 Rear Panel An iPhone
4. New Internet Trend It is not