Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The degree of Doctor of Business Administration is awarded on the basis of submission of a thesis and the completion of coursework consisting of six papers. The coursework is an integral and constitutive part of the thesis research of the degree. The thesis should give evidence of the candidate's ability to carry out research, that the candidate has shown originality and independence and that the candidate has made a significant contribution to applied knowledge in the particular field. It is expected that some of the work in the thesis will be worthy of publication. The programme is offered through a combination of Distance Learning and on-campus workshops in English from the University of Otago, Dunedin. Candidates must attend a one-week orientation workshop in Dunedin at the beginning of their first academic year, and must attend a four-day residential school, at the end of specified papers in the coursework component. Approved locations for residential schools shall normally include Dunedin, and any further specified locations, subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Commerce). For each year, the approved locations shall normally be confirmed prior to the opening of enrolments for individual papers.; The degree of Doctor of Business Administration is awarded on the basis of submission of a thesis and the completion of coursework consisting of six papers. The coursework is an integral and constitutive part of the thesis research of the degree.

Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Commerce).Every applicant must eitherbe a graduate with a bachelor's honours degree and a postgraduate diploma, or a master's degree in a business discipline, orin exceptional cases, have alternative equivalent qualifications acceptable to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Commerce).Candidates will be selected on the basis of their previous academic record (normally with a grade average of at least B+), their graduate experience and academic achievements, their commitment to the field of business, evidence that they are committed to ongoing education, and reports from three referees.Every applicant will normally have at least ten years of experience as a professional in business and demonstrate evidence of leadership in their field.Every applicant must present evidence of ability for advanced level of academic study.Initial admission to the programme shall be provisional; it shall be confirmed after successfully completing the coursework component, with no grade below B+ and after a research proposal has been satisfactorily presented at the Oral Confirmation Seminar as part of the residential component of BDBA 906 Research Methodology II.If admission to the programme is not confirmed, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Commerce) may approve provisional admission of up to one further year or the candidate shall be required to withdraw from the programme.